Brasília – The coordinator of the Interministerial Executive Committee for Biodiesel, Rodrigo Rodrigues, said today (9) that the government is interested in expanding the percentage of biodiesel in regular diesel sold at fuel stations. He pointed out, however, that this percentage may only be expanded compulsorily through a law.
Up to January 2010, the diesel sold at petrol stations should have 5% of its formula composed of biodiesel, which means anticipating a target that had initially been forecasted for 2013. "With this increase, around 2.3 billion litres of bieodiesel should be used in Brazilian vehicles,” said Rodrigues.
"Biodiesel is growing faster than ethanol in its first years. But we need to be careful to introduce it in a sustainable manner,” said the coordinator, after participating in the 3rd Congress of the Brazilian Tecnhology Network.
According to the executive, who is the deputy head for Analysis and Follow-Up of Government Policy in the Cabinet of the Chief of Staff, "there is interest by the government and by industrial sectors connected to production of vegetable oils in further expanding the percentage of biodiesel mixed into diesel in Brazil in a compulsory manner.”
The Brazilian Biodiesel Union (Ubrabio) has informed that it is possible to reach a total of 10% by 2015. Rodrigues does not want to stipulate a date for these increases. According to him, vehicle producers should push the Legislative aiming at expansion of more than the 5% scheduled to start being used in January.
*Translated by Mark Ament
