Filling with waste materials
Federal Council clears the way for biodiesel
March 22, 2024, 5:57 p.m
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In Germany, more than 14 million vehicles are equipped with a diesel engine. Your owners will soon be able to use pure biodiesel when refueling. The Federal Council votes for the introduction of the climate-friendly fuel.
In the future, drivers will also be able to fill up with diesel that is made 100 percent from waste materials such as chip fat, wood scraps, cellulose waste or fish scraps. The Federal Council approved a federal government regulation that paves the way for the introduction of biodiesel.
So-called paraffinic diesel fuels, which are made from waste materials and vegetable oils, are also approved as pure fuel. Until now, they could only be mixed with conventional diesel at a rate of 7 percent. According to the new regulation, they may also be offered in 100 percent concentration in the future.
Since biodiesel causes less CO2 than conventional diesel, this should also make a contribution to climate protection. It is questionable, however, to what extent the new fuel will be available in the future. According to the Federal Environment Ministry, used cooking oils – for example from the catering industry – are already used entirely as an admixture in transport.
The Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) nevertheless spoke of a “good day for the environment and the climate”. Renewable fuels could make a significant contribution to achieving climate goals in the transport sector, says VDA President Hildegard Müller. “On the path to climate-neutral transport, renewable fuels are the appropriate and urgently necessary addition to the mainstay of electromobility.”
The ADAC automobile club also spoke of a “further step towards lower CO2 emissions for vehicles with petrol or diesel engines”. Comprehensive approval from car manufacturers is now urgently needed and quickly so that the new fuels are accepted by consumers. According to the Federal Motor Transport Authority, there are more than 14 million cars, trucks and other vehicles with diesel engines on the road in Germany today.