When I tell people that I work as a journalist, writing stories about the ethanol industry, the most common reaction is to wonder how I could possibly find enough stories to write about. I explain to them that, in fact, we at Ethanol Producer Magazine have the opposite problem. There is so much that we could write about and not nearly enough time to write it all.

For example, one area we try to cover, but aren’t able to really do justice is ethanol production in countries outside the U.S. We addressed this, in part, by adding our new monthly column, Global Scene, which rotates among the Global Renewable Fuels Association, the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association, ePURE, the European Renewable Ethanol Industry Association, and UNICA, the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association.

My blog is another venue for this. Last year, I wrote a blog about ethanol production in South Africa, after I happened upon contact information for someone with the Ethanol Producers Association of Southern Africa. This week, I’m going to continue that by sharing some information about the German Bioethanol Industry Association (BDBe).

After more than five years writing about the ethanol industry, things happen all the time that remind me, I really know very little about the industry and the people working in it. I have to admit, I didn’t even realize there was such a thing as a German association for ethanol producers. I was educated when I received a press release via email, responding to the European Parliament committee vote to approve a biofuels agreement. So, I followed up to learn more.

Dietrich Klein, secretary general of BDBe, was kind enough to answer my questions. The association was formed in 2006 and represents agricultural producers of ethanol feedstocks and ethanol plants that also produce animal feed and, in some cases, human food and biomethane for fuel. Industry members include CropEnergies Bioethanol GmbH, a subsidiary of Suedzucker AG, Nordzucker AG, Suiker Unie/Anklam Bioethanol GmbH, LyondellBasell Industries AG, Evonik Oxeno GmbH and Clariant Produkte (Deutschland) GmbH. Ag members are farmer associations, such as Deutscher Bauernverband, which is comparable to Farm Bureau in the U.S., and regional sugar beet growers associations.

Typical feedstocks in Germany are cereals, such as wheat, barley, rye, corn or triticale (a wheat/rye hybrid), and sugar beets. When asked about efforts in the area of cellulosic ethanol Klein pointed to work by one of its industry members, Clariant. According to a company webpage, Clariant has been operating a pilot plant in Munich since 2009 and started up a demo plant in 2012 in Straubing. A video on YouTube reveals more information. 

Klein explained that, unlike in the U.S., the German political framework is set up to obligate the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by blending biofuels with petroleum-based fuels. As a result, German ethanol plants aim for the highest possible GHG reduction possible, with today’s plants achieving a range of about 60 to 70 percent GHG reduction.

“Due to the high importance of GHG reduction in competition one will not find standard type plants like in the U.S.” he told me. “Every bioethanol plant in Germany has its own design in order to achieve GHG reduction as high as possible, taking into account the specific conditions at the plant sites and of the availability of feedstock.”

I don’t know about you, but I’ve found it interesting to learn more about the ethanol industry in other countries. If you know of an overseas ethanol industry contact you can put me in touch with, email me at hjessen@bbiinternational.com. I’d like to continue to broaden view beyond the well-known groups and people we speak with on a regular basis. I'm interested, specifically, in speaking to the leaders of ethanol industry associations representing other countries but also those working at ethanol plants in other countries.