Germany's bioethanol consumption and production soar in H1

09 September 2009 16:54  [Source: ICIS news]

TORONTO (ICIS news)--Germany’s consumption and production of bioethanol in the first six months of 2009 rose by 61% and 48% respectively, compared with the same period in 2008, a German biofuels industry group said on Wednesday.

The year-on-year increases were driven by broad-based ethanol blending in gasoline and came about despite a decline in overall gasoline consumption, according to data released by Bundesverband der deutschen Bioethanolwirtschaft (BDB).

Bioethanol consumption was 453,000 tonnes in the first half of the year, and production of bioethanol from grain and sugar beets was 261,000 tonnes, BDB said.

Grain and sugar beets are by far the most important feedstocks for Germany’s ethanol producers.

Meanwhile, German gasoline use fell 2.2% to 9.9m tonnes during the same period, according to the BDB.

Blending in gasoline accounted for 73% of German bioethanol use in the first half of the year. On a volume percentage basis, bioethanol blending rose to 4.3%, from 2.6% a year earlier. 

“The strong growth in production underlines the competitiveness of Germany’s bioethanol industry,” said BDB general manager Dietrich Klein.

The group forecast continued increases in bioethanol consumption and production as a result of an expected increase in blending next year, Klein said.

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By: Stefan Baumgarten
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