USDA GAIN report says pandemic will slash biofuel use by up to 10%

In the Netherlands, a new USDA GAIN report says the COVID-19 pandemic will slash European bioethanol and biodiesel use by approximately ten and six percent, respectively. EU biofuel demand is driven by the Renewable Energy Directives I and II, the former of which demand 10% renewable content in transportation by 2020 while the latter has a binding target for the use of advanced biofuels of 3.5 percent by 2030. In 2020, blending of advanced biofuels is projected to reach 1.5 percent, of which the majority is produced from waste fats and oils. The EU market for wood pellets is less affected by the COVID-19 crisis than the liquid biofuels market, but further expansion could be limited by individual Member State sustainability requirements.