Czech biofuels mandate postponed, legislative delays cited

November 30, 2007

In the Czech Republic, the mandatory blending of biofuels, scheduled for January 1,will be delayed because the controlling legislation on air emissions has not yet been passed by the national legislature.

Although companies such as Ceska rafinerska and the state-run Cepro could implement the 2 percent biofuels mandate on a voluntary basis, they have said that reporting and accounting procedures have not yet been established to support compliance.

Earlier this year, the Czech Republic announced to a B2 mandate using canola oil as a feedstock, with E2 in force in 2008, and E3.5 and B4.5 in 2009, and E5.75 and B5.75 to meet an EU mandate. An article on the changeover indicates that carmakers are not honoring any warranty which uses a fuel mix outside vehicle operating manual specifications.

The Czech Republic is estimated to consume 675 million gallons of gasoline. The mandate will create a potential Czech market of more than 30 million gallons this decade.