Biofuels

Austria ranks on top of EU with its biofuels sharee produced from biomass and serve as transport fuels. They replace fossil fuels, thereby contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and to a reduction on the  dependency of oil. In addition, they add value to domestic agricultural production. In Austria, biofuels are marketed primarily by the addition of biodiesel to diesel and bioethanol to petrol. In addition to the admixture, the municipal and company vehicle fleet restructuring to pure biofuels or more than 40% biofuels is promoted. The production capacities already created in Austria are sufficiently large to supply the domestic market with biofuels (BMLFUW). Over the period of 2014, the required substitution goal of 5.75% measured for the energy content was clearly exceeded, with 7.7%. With the use of biofuels, Austria is therefore at the top of the EU 27 together with Germany, France and Sweden.

By the beginning of 2009, a total of approx. 4.7% by volume of biodiesel and bioethanol were admixed. With January 2009, the possibility of adding biodiesel to a maximum of 7 vol-% was increased.

In addition to the admixture, municipal and company vehicle fleet restructuring are pushed to pure biofuels or to fuels with more than 50% biofuel content, in particular on the klima:

aktivmobil program of the BMLFUW.

The European Union is a pioneer in ensuring an environmentally sustainable production of biofuels. The Renewable Energy Directive, adopted in 2009, provides for a minimum saving effect on greenhouse gases against fossil fuels. At the moment this figure is 35%, rising to 50% by 2017 and 60% by 2018 for biofuels produced in new plants.