BIOFUELS IN THE NETHERLANDS

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 THE HAGUE 001920 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/WE (TSMTIH) STATE ALSO FOR EEB/ESC/IEC, OES STATE PLS PASS USITC, ATTN: L.M. SCHLITT E.O. 12356: N/A TAGS: ENRG ECON OTRA NL SUBJECT: BIOFUELS IN THE NETHERLANDS REF: STATE 133131 ¶1. In response to reftel request, Post submits the following information regarding the development and adoption of bio-based chemical products and liquid biofuels in the Netherlands. Six Dutch ministries (Economic Affairs; Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment; Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality; Transport, Public Works and Water Management; Foreign Affairs; and Finance) have teamed up in an Energy Transition program, an effort coordinated by SenterNovem to accelerate the shift to new energy sources and to give Dutch companies a competitive edge (more information is available at www.senternovem.nl/english). Part of the Energy Transition approach seeks to increase interest in biofuels, a sector where Dutch experience in agricultural research and biochemicals is strong. RESEARCH/REPORTS -------------- ¶2. Academic research, industry reports, and government publications on GONL policies relating to the development and adoption of bio-based chemical products and liquid biofuels published since 2004 include (see www.gave.novem.nl under 'fuel library' for more related articles): -- Energy Transition: State of Affairs and the Way Ahead by Ministry of Economic Affairs, April 29, 2004. Available at: www.senternovem.nl/english under "Towards Sustainable Energy" and "Energy Transition." -- Energy Transition: A Climate for New Opportunities by the Council for Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment and the General Energy Council of the Netherlands, December 2004. Available at: www.senternovem.nl/english under "Towards Sustainable Energy" and "Energy Transition." LEADING FIRMS/ORGANIZATIONS -------------- ¶3. The following firms and organizations have industrial biotechnology production, R and D activities, and/or plans in liquid biofuels and/or bio-based chemicals (more information, including project status, is available at: www.gave.novem.nl under "GAVE Atlas"). NOTE: This list is not all inclusive but highlights some of the leading companies/organizations that are active in this area in the Netherlands. END NOTE. -- Achterhoekse Oliemolen B.V. POC: Mr. Roland Kleine, email: Familie.kleine@planet.nl. The plant is located in Lochem, where both coleseed and rapeseed are pressed into 10,000 ton Pure Plant Oil (PPO). -- BeWagroep. POC: Mr H. van Benten, email: info@bewagroep.nl. BeWagroep plans to build a biodiesel plant in the town of Moerdijk, where biodiesel will be made from fats collected from the fat-processing subsidiary of BeWagroep. The company has applied for permits, but according to the website it is not known when production, expected at 150-300 tons per week, will start. -- Bio-Ethanol Rotterdam. POC: Mr. Peter van der Gaag, email: pvdgaag@hollandinnovationteam.nl. Bio-Ethanol Rotterdam's main aim is to optimize sustainable production of two biofuels, bio-ethanol and SuBERgas, without using fossil fuels and while capturing all the CO2 from the production process. Annual production is expected to be 110,000 tons of bioethanol from 350,000 tons of wheat. -- Biofuels. POC: Mr. J. Fokkink, email: info@plantaardige-olie.nl. Biofuels is a company focusing on clients seeking to meet their THE HAGUE 00001920 002 OF 003 energy requirements independently. Main activities include the cultivation, production, and sale of rapeseed oil, as well as the sale of rapeseed presses, modification of cars to run on rapeseed, and the sale of plant oil and linseed oil. -- Biopetrol Rotterdam B.V. POC: Mr. C. Dicks, email: christoph.dicks@biopetrol-ind.com. BIOPETROL is building its third European plant in Rotterdam to expand its client base in northern, western, and central Europe. Annual production is expected to be 400,000 tons of biodiesel and 60,000 tons of pharmaceutical glycerin in 2007 and to increase to a total capacity of 750,000 tons in 2008. -- Biovalue B.V. POC: Mr. M.A. Kousemaker, email: info@biovalue.nl. Biovalue, with partners in the Netherlands, Germany, and Austria, was established in 2004 to set up biodiesel plants using both pure plant oil and animal fats. Biovalue has a patent for converting glycerin into a fuel and additive. Expected total turnover for the next five years is 85 million liters of biodiesel. -- Cooperatie Carnola. POC: Mr. Peter van Megen, email: contact@carnola.nl. Cooperatie Carnola has a duty exemption until 2011 to sell 3 million liters of PPO -- produced by Gebr. De Boer Loonbedrijf in Lottum -- per year for road vehicles. -- Diligent Energy Systems B.V. POC: Mr. P.M. van Eck, email: request@diligent.nl. Diligent manufactures PPO from Jatropha curcas L seeds (an inedible tropical plant). By the end of 2007, there will be around 500 hectares of Jatropha plantations in Tanzania, which will generate 7,500 tons of PPO per year. -- Futura Petroleum Limited - Harvest Biofuels B.V. POC: Mr H.O. Breukink, email: herman.breukink@blueocean.co.uk. Harvest Biofuels plans to build a bioethanol plant with cogeneration installation in Amsterdam's America Harbor. The bioethanol will be partly produced from wheat and partly imported. Production is expected to start by the end of 2007. Harvest Biofuels will use 375,000 tons of grain per year to produce 110,000 tons of bioethanol. -- Golden Hope. ePOC: Mr J. van Driel, email: j.driel@unimills.nl. Golden Hope, together with the Austrian company Godiver Handelsgesellschaft mbH, plans to build a biodiesel plant in the Netherlands. Both companies recently signed a Letter of Intent to form a joint venture. The plant's capacity is not yet known and partially depends on market developments in Europe. -- Lyondell Chemie Nederland B.V. POC: Mr. Wiebe Schipper, email: wiebe.schipper@lyondell.com. Lyondell Chemie's Bio-ETBE (Ethyl-tertiair-Butyl-Ether) production capacity is at least 600,000 tons per year and 4 million hectoliters of bioethanol per year. The company works together with the Port of Rotterdam. -- Noord Nederlandse Oliemolen B.V. POC: Mr. H. Aberson or Mr. T. Doornbos, e-mail: info@solaroilsystems.nl. The Noord-Nederlandse Oliemolen (north Netherlands oil press) is a limited company that includes Solaroilsystems and around 70 rapeseed farmers. The latter use the technical knowledge gained by Solaroilsystems to produce PPO and convert vehicles. Solaroilsystems has an excise duty exemption to produce 3.5 million liters of PPO per year until 2010. -- OPEK Nederland B.V. POC: Mr. P.H. Klomp and Mr. G. Veldhuizen, email:mailbox@opek.nl. OPEK produces 500,000 liters of PPO annually in OPEK's oil press in Zeewolde and has ha of sunflowers and other oil-retaining seed in THE HAGUE 00001920 003 OF 003 Uganda. -- PPO Groeneveld. POC: Mr. G. Groeneveld, email: ger@ppo-groeneveld.nl. PPO Groeneveld uses a mobile unit to collect discarded frying fat from catering establishments and to convert it into biofuel. PPO Groeneveld produces 50,000 liters annually. -- Rendac, a Sobel company. POC: Mr. R. van Tol, tel: +31 499 364500. -- Royal Nedalco B.V. POC: Mr M. Weissmann, email: info@nedalco.nl. Nedalco plans to build a bioethanol plant to produce 200 million liters per year and is currently carrying out a feasibility study. -- Sabic Europe. POC: Mr C. Hettinga, email: info@sabic-europe.com. SABIC Europe has converted its existing MTBE plant in Geleen into a production facility for ETBE, capable of producing 140,000 tons of ETBE per year. SABIC Europe is part of the Saudi-Arabian multinational SABIC group. -- Stimuland Overijssel. POC: Mr. B. Ruiter, email: info@stimuland.nl. Stimuland plans small scale production of PPO. -- Sunoil Biodiesel B.V. POC: Mr. R.B. Duitshof, email: r.b.duitshof@sunoil-biodiesel.com. Sunoil Biodiesel's production plant in Emmen produces 30,000 tons of biodiesel annually. EMBASSY THE HAGUE POC: -------------- For further information concerning the above, please contact: Leena Sundberg, Economic Specialist Tel: +31 70 310 2276 Email: sundbergla@state.gov GALLAGHER