The Brazilian government intends to anticipate in three years – from 2013 to 2010 – the target of adding 5% of biofuel into conventional diesel, according to the director general at Brazil's National Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuel Agency (ANP), Haroldo Lima. The reason of that is the greater offer of biodiesel in the market in coming months.
Lima's announcement was made in a public audience promoted this Monday, October 22, at the ANP regarding biodiesel auctions scheduled up to the end of they year. Just the two auctions forecasted for the first half of November, stated Lima, are going to expand the offer of the fuel in 800 million liters.
The volume, he said, is enough to guarantee compliance with the legislation, which requires that 2% biodiesel be mixed into conventional diesel starting in January.
"With these two auctions, we are going to guarantee the mixing in of 2% starting in January 2008," pointed out Lima.
In December, the ANP intends to promote other auctions. The agency has not yet defined the volume to be offered, but Lima estimates that it should be between 700 million and 800 million liters. "This will guarantee around 1.6 million liters in 2007, almost double what is necessary to guarantee the 2% mixture," he noted.
The ANP director pointed out that the greater supply will permit operation above the average determined. "If all goes well, we will be able to create mechanisms to turn part of the production to great consumers with private fleets and they may receive special authorization to use 5%, 20% and even 30% biodiesel mixed into mineral diesel," he said.
Haroldo Lima also stated that the country currently counts on 42 registered biodiesel units that are producing. "These units alone will guarantee production of 2.063 million cubic meters (which will result in over 2 billion liters) to be available by 2008. The 2% target is incapable of consuming this whole production," he estimated.
The excess biodiesel on the market, according to Lima, will cause the ANP to accelerate the expansion of biodiesel from 2% to 5%. "We are going to increase to B-3 (3% biodiesel), to B-4 (4%) until we reach B-5 (5% biodiesel in diesel). Our forecast is that B-5 may be anticipated from 2013 to 2010," he pointed out.
Biodiesel Mag
Last week magazine Biodieselbr was launched on the Brazilian editorial market. The publication will be bi-monthly and will bring detailed articles about the facts and tendencies for renewable fuels. It is an initiative of site www.biodieselbr.com, which has been in operation for around four years. The same journalists who produce the site will develop the magazine project.
The intention, according to the statement, is to bring into discussion problems and solutions from the point of view of specialists, mill owners, farmers, financers, government and researchers on the matter.
The first edition brought, among its articles, a vision of Germany, the most developed country in the world regarding the use of biodiesel, and also an interview with Agriculture, Livestock and Supply minister Reinhold Stephanes.
The news will be written by journalists and correspondents from several parts of Brazil. The first issue had 12,000 copies printed and was distributed for free. Subscriptions for other editions are on sale. Those interested may find further information on site www.biodieselbr.com.
