Europe’s Rotterdam plant in Netherlands will have a capacity of 480 million liters per year.
“Next year on top of (the 1.4 billion litres this year) we are going to start up three facilities,” Pedro Carrillo Donaire, Abengoa Bioenergy executive vice-president, said.
“Those facilities together add 1.2 billion litres. So 1.2 plus 1.4 it’s even more, it’s 2.6 (billion litres in global capacity),” Carrillo Donaire said.
Carrillo Donaire said that the company expected strong demand for ethanol thanks to clear legal mandates for blending in the US and Europe, but also in Brazil.
“The United States, where you have a very clear legislation, is a place to grow and Europe. Today we have a very clear legislation and it’s a place to grow and cover the demand,” Carrillo Donaire said.
“Just in Brazil the demand is huge and Brazil is suddenly short on ethanol. They are even taking ethanol from the United States … which is good for the industry and the market.”
Carrillo Donaire said that for the time being the European ethanol market was largely balanced, but mandated goals for a higher blend of biofuels in the European Union may even create a shortage by 2011.
