Spain increases biofuel targets to meet European standards

Spain's government is setting an increased national target for biofuel or ethanol composition of gasoline and diesel fuels to 8.5% by the year 2020, the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism announced.

In an effort to meet new European standards, which target a 10% rate of transport energy to come from renewable sources, Spain will be increasing their previous energy targets, focusing on the use of bio components in gasoline and diesel.

The new government scheme plans to achieve a 5% ratio of biofuel or ethanol by next year and 2017, 6% for 2018, 7% in 2019, and a final 8.5% by 2020.

This is a considerable increase from previous national targets. In 2013, the present Government lowered for an indefinite period the 2008 objective for biofuel components to a minimum of 4.1% for diesel, and 3.9% for gasoline.

The Association of Renewable Energy Companies (APPA in the Spanish acronyms) has welcomed the initiative as a step in the right direction, but believes it still falls short and requests an increase in minimums to 8.2% by 2019, and 8.7% by 2020.

Spain currently has 35 biodiesel plants with a potential annual production of 3.9 million tons, and 4 bioethanol plants which have an annual capacity of 0.5 million tons.