What is biofuel?

Biofuel is a collective name for fuels made from biomass. Biodiesel is the most well-known liquid fuel for transport, but there is also bioethanol, biogas and bio-butanol. This website mainly contains information about biodiesel.

Since 12 October 2018, the logos for fuel at pumps are the same throughout Europe. The letter stands for the type of fuel:
E is bioethanol, B is biodiesel and LPG is Liquefied Petroleum Gas. The figure represents the share of biofuel, which is 5, 10 and 7 percent respectively. It is technically possible to drive on 100% biofuels. But currently, biofuels are mixed with fossil fuels. That is called admixture.

Biodiesel
Biodiesel is an alternative to fossil diesel. The European Union has decided that road traffic in Europe 2020 must use renewable energy for 10 percent. In practice, this means that biodiesel is mixed into ‘normal’ fossil diesel. The main reason for this mandatory addition is the contribution to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions</a >.

Biodiesel is made from:

1. Waste and residual flows
   The vast majority of biodiesel on the Dutch market is made from waste materials and residual flows, for example used frying fat</a >.
2. Vegetable material
   Vegetable material is also used for the production of biodiesel. Examples are rapeseed, palm and soybean oil.
3. Animal fat
   Animal fat is also used for the production of biodiesel: these are slaughter by-products. It concerns fats that are not used for human or animal consumption.

 

All raw materials must comply with sustainability requirements set by the European Union. These sustainability requirements are verified by independent experts.

Related questions

• Are food crops used?
• Does biodiesel lead to deforestation?
• Is biodiesel a fuel for the future?

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