The Renewable Energy Directive (RED) introduced in 2010 set for each Member State a target for the transport sector of 10% renewable energy by 2020. A decision seen as positive, contributing to the reduction of GHG emissions in the transport sector, has turned into something that has boosted demand for cheap biodiesel based on food crops, such as palm oil and soybeans, which come mainly from Asia and South America. As a consequence of this demand, they have had enormous impacts on natural ecosystems converted into agricultural areas to meet demand.

The revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (REDII) [1], adopted in 2018, points the way to (slowly) moving away from biofuels produced from food crops for human and animal consumption, focusing on advanced fuels (such as biofuels from waste and waste and renewable electricity).

Virgin vegetable oils such as rapeseed, palm and soy, constituted almost 80% of the raw material used in biodiesel production in the EU in 2020 in 2020. For example, palm oil with 8.1 Million tonnes, of which 58% were used for biodiesel production, reached the highest level in the last decade, during which its consumption tripled.

Since 2010, Europe has burned about 39 million tonnes of palm and soy biodiesel in its cars and trucks, emitting up to three times more CO2 emissions than the fossil diesel it replaced. It is likely that about 4 million hectares of forest were destroyed later, eliminating about 10% of what remains of world habitats favorable to orangutans.

IN PORTUGAL

In Portugal, and according to the data for the first three quarters of 2021, 216,763 m3 of biodiesel were produced, be it FAME or HVO. Of these, about 70% resulted from the use of waste materials such as Used Food Oils such as acid oleins, animal fat, margarine industry residues, glycerin, and 30% from virgin food oils such as rapeseed, soybean and palm olein.

The domestic production and import of biofuels resulted in more than 42 million liters of biodiesel produced from palm oil and palm waste, about 13.28% of biodiesel, which contributed unequivocally to the impact on ecosystems thousands of kilometers away.

ZERO considers it essential to abandon the use of food oils for the production of biofuels, directing to its production waste materials, including Used Food Oils, animal fats, and other waste. However, we must not forget that waste that can be used is limited. As such, there are certain aspects that need to be taken into account.

Credibility of the use of waste materials is essential, with traceability that ensures that fraud resulting from the adulteration of imported raw materials is essential, such as used food oils, where there are now some suspicions about what is actually imported in large quantities from countries as far away as China, Indonesia or Malaysia.

Similarly, it is important that in the context of the circular economy the fulfillment of the cascade of waste is given, with its use, where possible, for the production of products of greater value. Nevertheless, it should be noted that in some situations, and as a result of existing legislation, for example, in the case of animal by-products included in category 1 and 2, no industrial use is possible other than energy recovery with the production of biofuels. Category 3 by-products may be valued in other industries, such as in the production of feed for domestic animals, and only as a last resort for a logic of energy recovery.

Of course, in a world where it is urgent to reduce emissions from burning, the first step is to abandon the use of fossil fuels, but other steps will be taken towards sustainability.

Source: ZERO