Biodiesel options in Greece

Following European Directive (2003/30/EC) on the promotion of the use of biofuels or other renewable fuels for transport dated May 2003, the Greek Government recently conducted a study on biofuels in Greece as part of the National report for the Directive. According to this, biodiesel will be the main biofuel for the Greek transport sector with bioethanol playing a much more minor role. The amount of biodiesel required to satisfy the indicative target of 2% (on a lower calorific basis) for the year 2005 is estimated to be ca. 42,560 tonnes, while the amount to satisfy the indicative target of 5.75% for the year 2010 is estimated to be ca. 135,585 tonnes. This paper will analyse the resources available for biodiesel production and identify the most realistic options under technical, economic and environmental perspectives.