Agência Brasil*
Rio de Janeiro – The greater offer of biodiesel in the market in coming months should permit the government of Brazil to anticipate in three years – for 2013 to 2010 – the target of adding 5% of the fuel into conventional diesel, according to the director general at the National Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuel Agency (ANP), Haroldo Lima.
The statements were made in a public audience promoted yesterday (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 litres. The volume, he said, is enough to guarantee compliancy 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 litres. "This will guarantee around 1.6 million litres in 2007, almost double what is necessary to guarantee the 2% mixture," he pointed out.
The director general at the ANP 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 authorisation 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 2.063 million cubic metres (which will result in over 2 billion litres) 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.
*Translated by Mark Ament