Ireland suspends biofuel target over food vs fuel concerns

In Ireland, the national government has suspended a 5.75 percent biofuel target that was to take effect in 2010, citing concerns over food prices. The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan, said that there were still opportunities for farmers to produce biofuels using feedstocks other than corn. The government said that it would regroup in the autumn to set a new biofuels target.

Ireland background

EcoOla will invest $36 million to create a canola biodiesel production plant in Thurles. The expansion follows on from the success of the company’s initial production facility in County Cork, which produces biodiesel for city councils and the postal service. Production capacity and completion dates were not disclosed.

Ireland has been more noted for its ethanol self-sufficiency than its rising biodiesel production. The Carbery Group supplies 660,000 gallons of whey-based ethanol to Maxol for use in the oil company’s E5 and E85 blends. The whey by-product accounts for all of Ireland’s ethanol supply, making Ireland the only ethanol-consuming country in Europe not importing its product from Brazil. Carbery said that it cannot increase production due to EU dairy production quotas and production caps.

Maxol replaced unleaded gasoline with an E5 blend at 150 Maxol service stations across Ireland in August. The fuel retails at the same price as standard unleaded petrol. The switch came after a successful E5 test at 24 Maxol facilities last year.

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