Malaysian B5 biodiesel at pumps to comply with MS2008 based on EN14214 biodiesel standard

Malaysian B5 biodiesel at pumps to comply with MS2008 based on EN14214 biodiesel standardA week ago we heard that the government was going to start their B5 biodiesel programme in Putrajaya from June 2011. There will be 6 stations involved – all 5 Petronas stations and one Shell station. Seeing as we’re only about two days away from June 1st 2011, we’re sure that there are many questions going through your minds if you drive a diesel vehicle in Malaysia.

B5 is a blend of 95% regular petroleum-based diesel and 5% biodiesel. This source of biodiesel can be from various sources. Different countries with different climates typically choose a feedstock source that is most suitable with the environmental (mostly temperature) conditions in which the fuel has to work in.

For us, the feedstock that makes the most sense is palm oil, given that we are one of the biggest producers of palm oil around, and the properties of palm oil-based biodiesel are suitable for our climate. For example, we do not have to worry about winter temperatures. Palm oil based biodiesel tends to have incrementally worse cold weather operability.

Sime Darby Plantations have already started using its own blend of biodiesel called Bio-N in its upstream operation vehicles since March 2008. The Bio-N initiative started at the East and West Estates and Mills on Carey Island and later expanded to other estates and oil mills in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan. Bio-N started off as a B5 blend, but for some estates this mix have been upped to B10. Bio-N’s palm oil comes from Sime Darby’s biodiesel plant in Teluk Panglima Garang and Pulau Carey.

bmw-730ld-2-1
Sime Darby demonstrated Bio-N in a BMW 730Ld company car

We have no idea what specs Bio-N complies to, but we won’t be pumping Bio-N into our tanks next month. According to a Petronas source, what we will be using is a biodiesel blend that complies to the MS2008 standard, which is derived from the international EN14214 standard for biodiesel fuel.

MS2008 (Automotive Fuels – Palm Methyl Esters for Diesel Engines – Requirements and Test Methods) is essentially a localized EN14214 standard, and as its name suggests it was established in 2008 by the Department of Standards Malaysia. It was developed with an Industry Standards Committee consisting of 17 organizations, and a Technical Committee consisting of 16 organizations, which include all the fuel retailers in Malaysia as well as SIRIM, AAM and JPJ.

Instead of the European EN14214 typically using rapeseed as its source, Malaysian MS2008 is using palm oil. The table below shows some key differences between the properties of MS2008 biodiesel and EN14214 biodiesel:

Malaysian B5 biodiesel at pumps to comply with MS2008 based on EN14214 biodiesel standard

For the first 6 months upon introduction, the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities require that the fuel retailers obtain their feedstock source from the Malaysia Biodiesel Association’s 21 members. There are already at least 10 active biodiesel plants in Malaysia – operated by subsidiaries and JV companies of groups like Sime Darby, IJM, and Boustead.

According to Caltex Senior Product Engineering Specialist Greg Engeler, all diesel engines should theoretically be able to run B5 without issues. It’s only the higher biodiesel mixes which need re-engineering. For example, the fuel cap on the F10 BMW 520d says you can use a maximum of B7 biodiesel, which means it should run properly on B5 biodiesel.

bmw-520d-diesel-cap

According to a source in BMW Malaysia, their cars should run fine on MS2008, since its properties pretty much correspond or in certain cases better EN14214. Sime Darby AutoConneXion also says their portfolio of diesel cars under the Ford and Land Rover brands including the Ford Focus TDCi should run fine on EN14214.

You won’t be able to choose between regular diesel and B5 biodiesel at fuel stations that have started selling biodiesel. B5 biodiesel will replace regular diesel at existing stations. However, according to a Petronas source as of last week the Government has not given any firm sign to 100% replace standard diesel to biodiesel nationwide. It has been made clear so far that the implementation of B5 will only be in the Central Region, which for example includes areas such as Putrajaya, Selangor, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan.

This doesn’t mean B5 will be contained to only the Central Region though, it just means there hasn’t been any official directive or gameplan for a nationwide roll-out yet. B5 will cut our dependence on fossil fuels, but you guessed it right – by about 5%. Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok says the B5 blend’s price mechanism will be regulated and determined by the Finance Ministry. It’s not very clear at the moment whether B5 will eventually be priced differently from normal diesel.

Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.

10% discount when you renew your car insurance

Compare prices between different insurer providers and use the promo code 'PAULTAN10' when you make your payment to save the most on your car insurance renewal compared to other competing services.

Car Insurance

Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • transformer on May 29, 2011 at 7:19 pm

    its a good news that bolehland are reducing 5%…. hopes its cleaner and greener than fossil diesel… late better than never…..

    don’t forget to remove diesel car tax barrier too(just like Hybrid)…. this will promote lesser dependant on Petrol as consumer can/will opt to cleaner and cost effective diesel cars…… can help our palm oil industries too…. its a good karma….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • is the pump price for Biodiesel B5 going to be cheaper than regular diesel? hehe….

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • should be cheaper, based on my experience in australia. logically, they should lower the price to attract people change to B5.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • redboy on May 30, 2011 at 9:56 am

      In our dream where a monopolized situation will get cheaper. Now with this B5 diesel, the G totally take off the Euro-4 compliance diesel situation, and you have no choice but only use this Bio Diesel as the ONLY diesel. You think they will lower the price? Thats the profit for Felda/Sime etc palm oil suppliers to Petronas.

      There will be no RON97 petrol and Euro-4 diesel in Malaysia. Havent all of us realized the monopolized game plan has already started? Consumer will have no choice in the future.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Want to know if it’s euro4 compliant…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • lonelyobserve on May 30, 2011 at 8:54 am

      I don’t think so. Still comply only to Euro 2M as per G stated. Euro 4 standard fuel still in draft state, not yet to be brought to parliament.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Deaaee… Wrong !!! Bio Diesel cause more polution to our enviroment than Fossil Diesel, especially palm oil derived Bio Diesel.
    1.) Tropical forest been clear off for palm plantation thus increased green house effect.
    2.) Chemical furtilizer & Pesticide been use, to maintained the palm tree.
    3.) Herbicide been use, open burning to clear bushes.
    Read report from Green Peace on Food Vs Fuel u will understand more.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • iamisiamwhatiam on May 29, 2011 at 10:00 pm

      Treehuggers. Haish…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • TFazuin on May 29, 2011 at 10:19 pm

      When a stupid idiot reply should look like is like above…. As if the soy bean, rapeseed, corn fields didn’t start as a forest in the first place? So its ok for them but not for developing countries? They are scared because the palm oil can produce 10 times more oil than their puny product, so funds GREENPISSED USD1-5 million to write the report, that’s what lobbyist do for rapeseed oil etc so as not to look too obvious. Regardless what the lopsided report says, we produce more palm oil in a year than any oil we can drill in a year. If they really care about the enviroment, as the mat salleh to pay triple or quadruple for the palm oil and remove their goverment subsidy and tax breaks, then we can put all the standards. Btw standards are meant as barriers to entry, ISO, BS, SIRIM, sustainable development etc are meant to not allow developing, 3rd world country compete in an open market. Not everyone requires a 20 airbag , abs, tcs, etc on a 500cc car if all he wants is a cheap transport.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • shawal on May 30, 2011 at 1:57 am

        EXCELLENT!

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • Palm Tree on May 30, 2011 at 11:49 am

        While oil from rapeseed can be used for biofuels, this plant is not as productive as alternatives like palm oil, which is a much more efficient producer of oil and requires less land than any other oil-producing crop. One hectare planted with palm oil yields an average of three tonnes of oil per year. To produce that much oil from canola, sunflower or soy, up to ten times more land would be required.

        The report for the European Commission, released under Freedom of Information rules, looked into the “indirect emissions” from biofuels caused by land use change. The worse example is soy beans in America. Because the land that used to grow soy beans for animal feed is now being used for biofuels, it means that more soy beans must be grown in the rainforests of Brazil to make up for the loss in the domestic market.

        Soybeans grown in America therefore have an indirect carbon footprint of 340kg of CO2 per gigajoule, compared to just 85kg for conventional diesel or gasoline.

        Biodiesel from European rapeseed has an indirect carbon footprint of 150kg of CO2 per gigajoule, while bioethanol from European sugar beet is calculated at 100kg – both much higher than conventional diesel because of indirect use of land in other countries to replace the food crops that are no longer grown in Europe.

        By contrast, imports of bioethanol from Latin American sugar cane and palm oil from southeast Asia have relatively low indirect emissions at 82kg and 73kg per gigajoule respectively.

        “Many of the NGO opponents of palm oil production are recipients of some of the millions of euros in annual grants from EU environment ministries and the European Commission, advanced by European companies and labor unions in an effort to protect their domestic rapeseed oil production (which is itself subsidized through the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy).”

        It is pertinent to ask too why other oilseed crops like soy, rapeseed and sunflower should escape the scrutiny that palm oil is subjected to? After all, the oil palm share of world agricultural land is only 0.22 per cent.

        The total greenhouse gas (GHG) emission of global agriculture is 17 per cent which is considered small compared with the burning of fossil fuel, which contributes 57 per cent of GHG emission.

        The carbon footprint of oil palm cultivation globally is, therefore, 0.22 per cent times 17 per cent of the total or 0.0374 per cent of global GHG emissions.

        Even if all palm oil cultivation takes place on converted peat-lands and rain-forest (which it definitely does not), it still occupies only 0.22% of the world’s agricultural land, making it morally wrong and pure hyperbole to blame oil palm as a significant contributor to global warming.

        And so, Ladies and Gentlemen! The Award for the worst smear of the decade goes to the palm oil campaigns of Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth!

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
    • western propaganda…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • Palm Tree on May 30, 2011 at 11:52 am

        Says James M. Roberts, a Research Fellow for Economic Freedom and Growth in The Heritage Foundation’s Center for International Trade and Economics:

        “In fact, one of the factors motivating the opposition to palm oil production is protectionism: These groups are opposing imports of lower-cost, higher-quality palm oil because it threatens the market share of oil produced from rapeseed grown in European Union countries.”

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
        • klata-klata on Feb 09, 2013 at 11:47 pm

          The Heritage Foundation is a conservative US group. What is not said is that US soybean growers are just as active campaigning against palm oil as European rapeseed growers.

          Lobbyists in the US worked in cahoot with American Heart Association in a failed “Tropical Oil” smear campaign.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • do you know GHE – greenhouse effect anyway?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • sukasuki on May 30, 2011 at 6:23 am

      GREENPEACE is FREEMASON and ZIONIST….

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • TurboMan on May 30, 2011 at 7:41 am

      So you reckon its better to keep on adding “new” carbon dioxide into the carbon cycle in order to preserve trees? I love trees, but no 1 seems to realise that palm trees are also trees.

      Perhaps the best way is to produce a form of palm tree that can survive in the desert with good palm oil yield. We get our palm oil which can be processed into biodiesel, without cutting down any tropical forest.

      Again, the middle east is destined to be the energy provider of the world even if fossil fuel runs out.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • TurboMan on May 30, 2011 at 7:47 am

      Well, i cant see much solid critical thinking being done by you. Just cut and paste from a report probably written by some white trash. I don blame u. I blame the education system as usual.

      But at least you are quoting something concrete rather than picking random shit from the air when you bash korean cars in every single post in paultan.

      For you, thats a 10 fold improvement. Bravo!!!

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • Kumar san on May 30, 2011 at 10:54 am

        Agreed Turbo man.Why do you even waste your time with that backwater retarded korean car bashing fool?Even TFazuin feels the same way.

        Cheers guys.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • squawk on May 30, 2011 at 9:43 am

      He does have some valid points, to be fair.

      Firstly, this is an oil which is also used in food production. In a worst case scenario, if biodiesel kicks off in a big way here and/or regionally, there will be a problem. Where do you draw the line at how much is for fuel and how much for food? Will we cut down more jungle land to plant oil palm? Do we give up some farmland for that if we don’t want to clear more jungle? Or do away with rubber or durian estates? Then, higher demand for palm oil means increase in palm oil prices. That means higher food production costs. This isn’t just the case with palm oil but all oils used as food and fuel.

      I would suggest SD or Petronas look at the viability of using non-food grade seaweed and/or spirulina for biofuel production as what the Koreans and Japanese are doing. It’s not used for food so nobody’s tummy will be threatened.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • TFazuin on May 30, 2011 at 11:17 am

        The farmland that is used for planting palm oil is also used to rear cows and the leftovers from the oil production can be used as cattlefeed after processing. Seen some paper and research presented and done on that but haven’t seen a major commercialisation on it.

        Kelp requires a further capital investment for processing plant and though it grows quicker than palm it means someone must be willing to risk large amount of funds for building a plant.

        I guess the answer would be the same issue with regards to the use of diesel in Malaysia, it all boils down to supply and demand, and when price moves north, that’s when new technology and developments makes commercial sense. 30 years ago we never dreamed of oil prices hitting USD100 a barrel. We would never dream of retro fitting an oil tanker for a FPSO or talk of reviving unproductive wells.

        Though the arguement of farmland for fuel and crops is valid, look at it this way, Brazil runs exclusively on corn – ethanol and exports all of its oil. Their population still have a sizeable farmland for agriculture and food production.

        I’m sure goverments aren’t that blind to only do one commercial crop rather than a mix of things. Food production presents both an economic as well as strategic importance to a country.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
        • squawk on May 30, 2011 at 11:52 am

          You have your valid points too but we aren’t Brazil in the geographic sense. Our land is relatively limited. So we do need to look at some other fuel sources as well especially when it relates to food supply.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
          • TFazuin on May 30, 2011 at 2:00 pm

            Relatively limited when we talk of Peninsular Malaysia but not when you put Sabah and Sarawak into the equation, anyway it should be read together with Palm Tree’s response.

            Necessity is the mother of all inventions, Brazil didn’t just happen to have an abundance of sugarcane plantation, its was their quick fix to address rising oil prices due to the middle east wars in the 1970’s.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
          • squawk on May 30, 2011 at 2:52 pm

            Yes, but the jungles of East Malaysia are a valuable resource in itself. One cannot replace it with planted oil palm trees and expect everything to be unchanged.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
          • Palm Tree on May 30, 2011 at 3:59 pm

            In Malaysia, the other major producer of palm oil, a slightly different pattern can be observed. Since 2000, Malaysian oil palm plantings have increased by about 1.1 million ha, a rise of 32 percent.

            The average annual growth of around 130 000 ha cannot be considered as dramatic at all for an industry experiencing strong global demand and favourable returns. However most of the newly established oil palm plantings are not grown in place of primary rain forest but rather on land formerly used for other crops.

            ————————-

            “If a comparison is to be made, the biodiversity of the oil palm, an agricultural crop, should be compared with that for soy bean or rapeseed, corn or sugarcane or other agricultural crops.

            Biodiversity that exists in the oil palm plantations is a bonus for all to benefit, while we enjoy the supply of oil.” (Basiron 2009, pp. 1)

            As a matter of fact, oil palm plantations are relatively rich in biodiversity compared to heavily logged forests or other agri-monocultures.

            Fitzherbert et al. (2008) shows that across all taxa, a mean of 15% of species recorded in old primary forest (and 50% of that in secondary
            forests) is also found in oil palm plantations. Compared with a European rapeseed plantation or a sugarcane field on Mauritius, this is a pretty good value, especially in the face of the fact that tropical rainforests are the most biodiversity rich landscapes; with around 82% of the world’s biodiversity are found here (Mogato 2008).

            When compared with sugar cane or rapeseed farms, which support almost no wildlife (O’Brien et al. 2008), oil palm plantations are no biological deserts at all.

            Furthermore, countries in South-East Asia are still abundant of natural forest, compared other regions in the world. In Malaysia – a major producer of palm oil – for instance, more than 50% of the territory is reserved for forest compared to about 25% in Europe.

            Refer :

            3. The Biodiversity Issue ( Research Paper by GlobEcon)

            http://www.globecon.org/fileadmin/template/userfiles/Research/PalmOilGlobEcon.pdf

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Kimberly on May 29, 2011 at 8:42 pm

    I’m worried about the jump in palm oil prices. The last time palm oil was mentioned as a key ingredient in biodiesel back in 2006/2007, our new forward contracts shot up from around RM 1600 per MT to over RM 2500 per MT.

    I work in an food emulsifiers manufacturing plant and our recipe is 70% hydrogenated palm stearine (some SKUs use RBD Palm Oil instead) and 30% food-grade glycerol. That’s a big raw material price increase impact that had to be passed onto the FMCG manufacturer (e.g. Nestle) via price increases (which I believed was then passed onto the end consumers).

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • TFazuin on May 30, 2011 at 8:31 am

      The days cheap products from Malaysia is drawing to a close… if there is an actual trickel down effect to the farmers, I am all for it. Then we can actually have farms as advanced in the west and farmers who actually major in food production and farming.

      On one hand we want viable farms and making farming a viabile business venture, on the other hand we want super cheap products just because it is produced locally. Somehow those two statements do not jive. Anyway considering a farmer has to wait 4-6 years to start the first harvest, I am all for higher prices for that risks.

      What I do know is the middlemen and the commodities traders are the ones who makes a killing in the market. The question that needs to be answered is how can we improve that situation and give better margins to the farmers and better pricing to the manufacturers.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • vinnan on Aug 17, 2011 at 7:08 pm

        More than the traders are the independent plantations. They above all should make the most. Unfortunately, unlike Europe and the US where the farmers enjoy all sorts of subsidies in Malaysia the Malaysian planters have to beg to get back a miserable amount of the rubber and oil palm cess which amounts to billions every year. If the B5 program entails a subsidy because biodiesel is more costly than dino diesel it would be the first time the Malaysian government actually does something tangible to support the oil palm planters not counting the government agencies such as FELDA and the smallholders. Given the almost 365 days of balmy weather in Malaysia our diesel engines should be able to run on a B20 mixture without any problems. In many European and North American cars the manufacturers recommend biodiesel levels of below B10 because of the risk of fuel gelling due to the cold climate. Here is a secret for those who contemplate buying oil-burners. The added lubricity of biodiesel will make your car perform like a bat out of hell. It is time the Malaysian government take care of the independent palm oil producers for the suffer the ups and downs of the commodity cycles risking their own money unlike the GLCs such as Sime Darby.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • redboy on May 30, 2011 at 10:00 am

      those Felda, Sime will benefit obviously. So TFazuin probably related to one of those :)

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • TFazuin on May 30, 2011 at 11:26 am

        Redboy,

        I work for Exploration and Production. I make more when you pay more, but that doesn’t mean a thing when we’re talking about finite non renewable resource.

        I emphatise with the low income earners because I am fully aware that not all have the same ability and opportunity to excel in life.

        One way to improve their economy is to pay them what they are really worth, that includes implementation of minumum wages, and a hope that that would translate into a stronger and more resilient economy. When everyone makes good and decent living, no one cares about politics, skin colour and that little extra that you have. Yes, that would mean full employment and a more attractive proposition for the locals to work in less than glamorous sectors like agriculture.

        Bet no one’s laughing when you work 6 hour days or less to tap rubber and make RM6-7K a month on a small rubber plot. That’s an ideal situation of what a farmer should be paid.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • TFazuin on May 29, 2011 at 9:07 pm

    Kereta sudah mau habis bayar in less than 8 months, that Ford Focus looks nice, do I want to get stuck with another car loan… Hmm… think think think… I love the drive though…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • rosdi on May 29, 2011 at 9:50 pm

    How does biodisel helps nature? Does it reduce CO2 commission? Is it a clean energy?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Mienzz on May 30, 2011 at 3:05 am

      Yes,it can reduce Co2 commissions

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • not much…but it increase the engine performance though

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • TurboMan on May 30, 2011 at 7:35 am

      My friend. Im afraid you just opened a can of worms.

      However, from my point of view, if you burn pure diesel processed from crude oil, you are adding “new” Carbon ( in the form of CO2 ) into the carbon cycle above the ground.

      However, if you burn pure biodiesel produced from plants, you are not adding any “new” carbon into the carbon cycle. You are simply releasing carbon that was taken out from the cycle earlier by the palm trees.

      So with this B5 diesel, you are somewhere in between the 2 extremes above.

      Well there is an ongoing debate in the form of land for Fuel vs food. I believe there is enough opinion spilled on this topic here that i won be adding any.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • TFazuin on May 30, 2011 at 10:17 am

        I agree on that line of answer and it makes perfect sense. Shows that you do have good depth and breadth in your reading material or love to watch Discovery and National Geography. Good for you.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
        • TurboMan on May 30, 2011 at 5:41 pm

          No mate. I don even hv astro at home.

          Just general knowledge i guess. U work in E&P? Carigali?

          Im in drilling.

          Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
          • TFazuin on May 30, 2011 at 7:34 pm

            TurboMan,

            They call it a small American independant oil company. In Malaysia heavily involved in gas production JDA under JV and now add NMB and SB-302 which is under their own banner rather than JV, no oil though. I’m in SCM. That should give you enough clue :) It may be gibberish to the rest but it makes perfect sense to you and me.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
          • TFazuin on May 30, 2011 at 7:39 pm

            TurboMan,

            I’m in scm, been in this line for 13 yrs, tagline, small american independant oil company… the company’s name was formed by the grand dad and the grandson is still the CEO. can’t get any smaller than that.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
          • TurboMan on May 31, 2011 at 1:33 am

            Must be nice working in smaller oil companies.

            I worked in SLB, BHI, HAL for too long.

            Too many ppl in one company. A small fish in a gigantic pond.

            Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • sidspub kkg on May 29, 2011 at 11:01 pm

    good info. i don’t see any other local publications talking about this.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • kanna curry on May 30, 2011 at 1:02 am

    Paul, Have you been invited for the launch on 1st June.?
    Well 5% does not make a difference but the additional cost
    is said to be absorbed by the Petroleum manufacturers.
    Heard that BMW will be there to show that their fleet of cars
    can run on this biodiesel.
    Has this fuel been tested on older models, makes and lorries ?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • Read this

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Issues_relating_to_biofuels

    Someone is protecting their boss “Benefit” with great effort isn’t it En. TFazuin.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Palm Tree on May 30, 2011 at 1:04 pm

      A recent well researched paper by Caroline Boin and Andrea Marchesetti entitled “Friends of the EU”

      (see: http://www.policynetwork.net/accountability/publication/friends-eu) revealed that the EU, via its environmental ministries and commissions, had actively funded up to 70% of the operating budgets of environmental NGOs – many of which were mostly the same groups viciously campaigning against palm oil imports into the EU. Among the major recipients include the Friends of The Earth.

      Now why would the EU fund green NGOs who proceeded to mount what was tantamount to a trade protectionist scheme in the guise of environmental activism?

      It does not take a genius to figure this one out. The EU has homegrown oilseed industries like rapeseed and sunflower that were unfortunately not quite as productive as palm oil. In fact, their typical yield is just 10% that of palm oil!

      And so a renewable energy directive (EU RED) was issued in 2008 by the European Union parliament on biofuel content which imposed strict regulations on carbon emission.

      The EU RED has also put many palm oil-based biodiesel producers in a limbo as the directive distorts the commodity price and its trade. Many trade observers see the directive as a tactical unfair business ploy and a non-tariff trade move by the EU to single out palm oil for not able to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and preserving biodiversity.

      According to the EU scientific and technical research, palm oil biodiesel – which has only about 19% GHG – failed to meet with the EU RED requirement. The directive states that biofuel must result in GHG savings of at least 35% versus fossil fuel in 2009 and also increase over time to 50% by 2017.

      This claim, however, is contrary to many research views, indicating that palm oil biodiesel actually has an estimated GHG savings of 55%!

      ————————–

      The EU and Anti-Palm Oil Campaigns: Growing Body of Evidence

      http://deforestationwatch.org/index.php/Key-Papers/The-EU-and-Anti-Palm-Oil-Campaigns-Growing-Body-of-Evidence.html

      (Deforestation watch)

      ——————–

      E.U.’s Biofuel Norms Flawed, Penalize Palm Oil – Executive

      http://www.palmoilhq.com/PalmOilNews/e-u-s-biofuel-norms-flawed-penalize-palm-oil-executive/

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • vinnan on Aug 18, 2011 at 7:34 pm

        ‘In fact, their typical yield is just 10% that of palm oil!’ The yield should be read as 10% that of Palm Oil per hectare per year. If it had not been for the EU’s protectionist agriculture policies palm oil would have killed rapeseed oil, sunflower seed oil and even soybean oil a long time ago. By the way because all these temperate country vegetable oil are lighter than palm oil they also smoke easily when used for cooking and form carcinogenic agents. Moreoevr, all those so called light margarine will also give you more transfat because of the hydrogenation process these temperate country vegetable oil have to go through in the margarine manufacturing process. So if the cancer from these ‘healthy’ oil do not kill you the heart attack from all the transfat will.

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Palm Tree on May 30, 2011 at 1:57 pm

      European Policies towards Palm Oil – Sorting Out some Facts

      http://www.globecon.org/fileadmin/template/userfiles/Research/PalmOilGlobEcon.pdf

      Why the Renewable Energy Directive is discriminatory against non-EU Producers of Biofuels

      GlobEcon Research

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • TFazuin on May 30, 2011 at 2:24 pm

      I guess you didn’t read Palm Tree’s report because its too wordy for you to comprehend.

      We don’t quote Wikipedia when we do term papers do we? That is what a kid would do in the even they could not present their case in a convincing manner or write a convincing arguement.

      Nice attempt all the same, and I’m sure that would show in how much breadth and scope your knowledge is about the general issues at hand.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
      • squawk on May 30, 2011 at 2:54 pm

        This is a good read too if anyone’s interested.

        http://146.164.33.61/termo/seminarios09/Biodiesel%20alga/chance%20for%20Korea%20to%20advance%20algal-biodiesel%20technology%2009.pdf

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
 

Add a comment

required

required