All subjects
Ethanol

Slight increase in German bioethanol production

Slight increase in German bioethanol production
In a rebounding German petrol (gasoline) market in 2021, bioethanol consumption increased markedly BDBe figures show (photo courtesy BDBe).

German bioethanol production in 2021 was more than 700 000 tonnes, slightly higher than the previous year, according to new market data published by the German Bioethanol Industry Association (BDBe).

The rebounding German petrol (gasoline) market saw sales of 16.5 million tonnes of petrol in 2021, roughly 1.6 percent more than in the previous year (2020: 16.3 million tonnes). As a result, bioethanol consumption increased markedly in 2021 BDBe figures show.

Returning to 2019 volumes

The amount of ethanol and ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE) increased by 4.5 percent to just under 1.15 million tonnes in 2021, thereby returning to 2019 levels (2020: 1.09 million tonnes).

ETBE is produced from ethanol and used as a fuel additive in Super E10, Super Plus, and Super E5. More than 157 000 tonnes of bioethanol were used for ETBE production, which is equivalent to 25.1 percent more than in 2020 (nearly 126 000 tonnes).

Bioethanol as an admixture in petrol increased by just under 2 percent to 990 000 tonnes (2020: nearly 972 000 tonnes).

The share of the petrol market accounted for by bioethanol rose to 6.6 percent by volume last year (2020: 6.4 percent by volume).

Considerable increase for E10

The market share of Super E10 in petrol sales also increased considerably last year to 17.1 percent (2020: 13.9 percent).

The absolute sales volume of Super E10 increased by 25 percent in 2021 and amounted to 2.8 million tonnes, an increase of 500 000 tonnes compared to 2020.

At 12.8 million tonnes in 2021, Super E5 achieved a market share of 77.3 percent. In the previous year, the 13.1 million tonnes of Super E5 sold represented a market share of 80.7 percent.

Super Plus reached a somewhat higher market share of 5.6 percent (2020: 5.4 percent).

Marginal increase in ethanol production

German production of bioethanol rose slightly by 0.6 percent last year to around 700 000 tonnes (2020: 697 000 tonnes).

CropEnergies Bioethanol facility in Zeitz, Germany
The CropEnergies Bioethanol GmbH biorefinery in Zeitz, Saxony-Anhalt. Production capacity is around 285 000 tonnes per year (photo courtesy CropEnergies AG).

The production of bioethanol from sugar beet pulp rose sharply by 12.4 percent in 2021 compared to the previous year, while the production of bioethanol from feed grain fell slightly by 1.6 percent.

In 2021, a total of 1.3 million tonnes of sugar beet and 2.3 million tonnes of feed grain were processed into bioethanol in Germany’s biorefineries. In addition, numerous co-products such as GMO-free protein animal feed, biogenic carbon dioxide (CO2), organic fertilizers, and biogas were also produced.

Domestic bioethanol is also used as a sustainable and non-fossil feedstock in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, for example in the production of disinfectants or cosmetics. The food and beverage industries are also important customers for bioethanol producers.

The greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction quota, which will gradually increase over the next few years from the current figure of 7.0 percent to 25.0 percent in 2030, will ensure more renewable fuel volumes on roads.

In the short term, however, the impact of the Ukraine war on global commodity markets overshadows this outlook.

Most read on Bioenergy International

Get the latest news about Bioenergy

Subscribe for free to our newsletter
Sending request
I accept that Bioenergy International stores and handles my information.
Read more about our integritypolicy here