President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva affirmed that Brazil has the necessary requirements for becoming the largest supplier of renewable fuels in the world market, and that his administration will make biodiesel the second largest energy source in Brazil, following hydroelectric power.
Lula says that the consolidation of the National Biodiesel Program is a State public policy.
“Biodiesel production is a way of making Brazil less dependent on oil, a fuel that may eventually come to an end. This is a vital project for insuring more independence for Brazil, as we may become a large biodiesel exporter,” Lula said.
Lula participated on the inaugural ceremony of the first biodiesel plant of the Northern region of Brazil, in Belém, capital of the state of Pará. The unit will have the capacity to produce 8 million liters of biodiesel per year.
According to the Ministry of Mines and Energy, the biodiesel production will represent an economy of US$ 160 million per year, which is the amount the country spends on importing oil.
Current legislation allows that only 2% of biodiesel be mixed with conventional diesel oil, but in 2013, according to the government, this amount will rise to 5%.
Biodiesel is a clean burning alternative fuel produced from renewable resources. It can be produced from animal fats and vegetable oils, such as dendé palms, sunflowers, peanuts, and soybeans, among others.
It replaces totally or partially conventional diesel used in engines. Biodiesel may be used pure or blended at several levels to the petroleum diesel. The 2% mixture is called B2, and it follows this order up to B100, which is the pure biodiesel.
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