The European Biodiesel Board (EBB) has published its 2024 Statistical Report, providing a comprehensive overview of biodiesel production, consumption, feedstock use, and trade developments across the EU. As the leading industry association, EBB’s report offers insights into the role of biodiesel in meeting the EU’s energy and climate goals. The report also reaffirms that EBB represents around 70% of the EU’s biodiesel (FAME & HVO) output. READ THE REPORT  

Plateau in production

At a time when renewable fuel volumes must scale up significantly to meet the EU’s 2030 climate targets, we instead see the production of biodiesel (FAME and HVO together) stagnate. While there are a multitude of explanations possible for this stagnation, and the hesitations to invest in expansion, policy uncertainty and regulatory complexity plays a key role. Particularly crop-based feedstocks face political scrutiny, constraining growth even though they remain the main volume contributors. There is also the aspect of fraud, and the urgent need to reform the verification system. Stronger verification will provide the credibility and predictability needed to drive long-term growth. In terms of market share, FAME continues to dominate (9.8 Mt) and we see moderate but consistent growth in HVO volumes, rising from about 4.5 Mt in 2019 to around 5.6 Mt by 2024. HEFA, used as a Sustainable Aviation Fuel is taking flight and is rapidly becoming the main pathway for decarbonisation of the aviation sector, but is only produced in the EU at small volumes (0.26 Mt).  

Waste overtakes crop

The report reaffirms the continued importance of crop-based biofuels in Europe’s renewable energy mix, with rapeseed oil remaining the dominant feedstock. This trend underscores the essential role of first-generation biofuels in providing reliable, domestically sourced renewable energy, while contributing to agricultural market stability and rural development. At the same time, a key development highlighted in the report is the growing share of waste-based feedstocks (55%), which is now superseding crop-based biodiesel (39%) in overall production. Use of feedstocks such as Used Cooking Oil (24%) and Palm Oil Mill Effluent (13%) have grown steadily. The shift to waste-based largely signifies to the diversification of the feedstock mix, likely resulting in enhanced greenhouse gas (GHG) savings across the sector.  

Imports

Trade flows have also evolved. Imports of FAME into the EU dropped by half between 2019 and 2024, from nearly 4 Mt to just over 2 Mt. Imports from China, in particular, fell sharply in the second half of 2024 following the implementation of EU anti-dumping measures, initiated by EBB. While the trade measures appear effective, the report draws attention to persistent challenges linked to circumvention practices and fraudulent claims of sustainability, which risk distorting the market and diluting the climate impact of renewable fuels. Commenting on the findings, EBB President Dickon Posnett said: “The EU has made progress in increasing the uptake of renewable fuels, and the sustainability of these fuels. However, we are moving in the wrong direction when it comes to producing these fuels in Europe. The EU must urgently create the conditions for biodiesel production, to expand in line with our climate goals. A stable regulatory framework and robust enforcement will be key to unlocking the sector’s full potential." The full report is publicly available, here.