AGRANA Bioethanol – Refuelling the Environment.

Legislation concerning bioethanol production in the EU
On 26 march 2009, the European Parliament and Council passed the final directive on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources, containing the following targets to be achieved by 2020:

• a 20 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions,
• 20 percent renewable energy, with 10 percent of fuels to come from renewable sources.

In accordance with this directive, the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions using biofuels must amount to a minimum of 35 percent, calculated over their life cycle. As of 1 January 2017, the total reduction must be 50 percent, with this rising to at least 60 percent for facilities that begin production after this point in time.

AUSTRIA
Since 1 October 2008, 5.75 percent of the total energy content of all fuel used for transportation in Austria must be substituted by biofuel. In order to achieve the stipulated admixture targets, both biofuels, such as pure biodiesel and the environmentally friendly fuel SuperEthanol E85, petrol with up to an 85 percent concentration of bioethanol, and fuels such as diesel and petrol mixed with lower percentages of biofuels, are taken into account.

Since October 2007, a tax incentive is offered to encourage efforts to achieve the admixture target, namely that the biogenic proportion of the fuel is exempt from mineral oil tax. As a result, a tax saving on petrol of € 33 per 1,000 litres of fuel can be achieved with an admixture of at least 4.4 percent of biogenic fuel, calculated according to the volume.

AGRANA Bioethanol production in Pischelsdorf, Austria
At its site in Pischelsdorf, AGRANA has built Austria first industrial bioethanol fuel plant which was commissioned in June 2008.

Each year, up to 620,000 tonnes of crops, mainly wheat and corn, can be converted into 240,000 m³ or 190,000 tonnes of bioethanol at the plant in Pischelsdorf.

GMO-free, protein-rich animal feed as by-product from producing Bioethanol
In addition to bioethanol, up to 190,000 tonnes of high-quality, GMO-free, protein-rich animal feed called DDGS (Distiller’s Dried Grain with Solubles) can be produced each year in Pischelsdorf and marketed under the name ActiProt®.

This high-quality, certified GMO-free, protein-rich animal feed helps to make the production of bioethanol commercially viable, and replaces Austrian soya imports from countries that can no longer guarantee GMO-free produce.

Sustainability of AGRANA Bioethanol production in Pischelsdorf
AGRANA bioethanol produced from domestic renewable raw materials and used for the environmentally friendly fuel SuperEthanol E85, holds a beneficial energy and greenhouse gas balance.

Energy balance
The energy balance of AGRANA’s bioethanol fuel plant in Pischelsdorf illustrates that with just one unit of fossil energy almost three units of renewable energy from bioethanol can be produced.

Greenhouse gas balance
The greenhouse gas balance for bioethanol produced at AGRANA bioethanol fuel plant in Pischelsdorf, demonstrates a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by around 50 percent compared to petrol, taking into account the entire life cycle from producing the raw materials, fertilising, transporting and processing it to using bioethanol in combustion engines.

Bioethanol produced in Pischelsdorf already meets the EU target of a 50 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2017 in comparison to fossil fuels.

HUNGARY
Since 1 July 2009, it has been law in Hungary for petrol to have a concentration of 3.1 percent (energetic) bioethanol. At least 4.8 percent by volume is to be blended; otherwise the tax levied on the fuel will be higher.

Bioethanol production at the HUNGRANA plant in Szabadegyháza, Hungary
HUNGRANA Kft. in Szabadegyháza, Hungary, in which AGRANA has a 50 percent stake, produces isoglucose and bioethanol in a combined starch processing plant with a nominal capacity of up to 187,000 m³ per year. Corn, corn gluten and livestock feed are by-products of the process to produce isoglucose and bioethanol. Corn is the only raw material used by HUNGRANA.

Greenhouse gas balance
Using bioethanol produced at the HUNGRANA plant instead of petrol, saves 59% of greenhouse gas emissions, and therefore already exceeds the 50 percent target set by the EU directive for 2017.

Links
http://www.actiprot.at/