Throughput figures for biofuels in the port of Rotterdam doubled in 2007, compared to 2006. 1.2 million tonnes of biodiesel, as opposed to 250,000 tonnes, were handled, as well as 1.6 million tonnes of bioethanol (+0.5 million tonnes). In addition, 0.3 million tonnes of ETBE [1] were handled. This served to reinforce Rotterdam¡¯s position as the most important link between the global and European flows. The Port Authority anticipates a further expansion and deepening of the market.
Throughput figures for ethanol increased from 200,000 tonnes in 2002, via 1.1 million tonnes in 2005 and 2006, to 1.6 million tonnes last year. By far the lion¡¯s share, 1.2 million tonnes, involved imports. Although the substance is also used in foodstuffs (alcohol) and chemical products, the growth is in its application as fuel.
In 2007 too, Brazil was the main source country, accounting for approximately 40%. Growth was particularly strong from September 2007 onwards, due to the increased price of feedstocks, particularly wheat, for ethanol production in Europe. Thanks to the positive arbitration [2] between Europe and Brazil, some tankers arrived in the port almost completely full of ethanol, 30,000 to 35,000 tonnes. France came a good second, with a share of around 10% of imports. A striking feature in 2007 was the upsurge of other Latin American countries, such as Argentina, Costa Rica, Peru and Guatemala.
The main overseas destinations remained Sweden and the United Kingdom, at 40 and 15% of exports respectively. This mainly involved Brazilian ethanol, transferred onto coastal tankers in Rotterdam. This is done both directly ship to ship and via interim storage at the independent terminals.
In 2005, throughput figures for biodiesel were still below 50,000 tonnes. Via 250,000 tonnes in 2006, over 1.2 million tonnes were counted in 2007. The ratio of incoming/outgoing trade was 60/40.
The increasing incoming trade is accounted for mainly by B99 from the United States. There, they get $1 per gallon subsidy on mixed bio/regular diesel, even if the percentage of regular product is very low. Hence the name B99: 99% biodiesel and (less than) 1% regular. As a result of the subsidy, this product is approximately $225 per tonne cheaper. The European producers are exerting pressure, via the EU, to change this situation. A solution could perhaps be found in restricting the subsidies to the country¡¯s own production. At the moment, the US also imports from South America and then re-exports at a profit.
Biodiesel imports in rotterdam from the US amounted to about 400,000 tonnes. Other major source countries are the United Kingdom and Germany, each with around 60,000 tonnes.
Much of the biodiesel from the US was re-exported via Rotterdam. A third of Rotterdam¡¯s outgoing trade went to the United Kingdom. Spain, France and Latvia each received around 50,000 tonnes.
Not only the quantities are becoming much greater. The number of countries involved in the import and export trade has more than doubled in the space of two years, to twenty. In addition to this, a production facility with a capacity of over 3 million tonnes is being built in Rotterdam itself. In this way, a large, flexible market will be created, where the end producers can easily combine long-term basic contracts with spot contracts. The Port of Rotterdam Authority therefore anticipates a further increase in the intra-European transport of biofuels.
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