Taken from: www.eltiempo.com
Hárold Éder, president of the Manuelita Group, says that the first year they plan to sell US $ 10 million.
The president of the Manuelita Business Group, Hárold Éder, affirmed that they have the capacity to export 28 million liters of biodiesel to Europe, which is equivalent to about 20 million dollars at 2019 prices. A month ago, from the biodiesel production plant From Manuelita located in the department of Meta, the first 4 million liters left for Germany.
Conquering the European market, in which the main palm oil producers in the world, Malaysia and Indonesia, are very strong, is the objective of the agro-industrial organization of Valle del Cauca origin.
Éder pointed out that Europe imports some 3.200 million liters of biodiesel annually, which represents about 2.600 million dollars, and the biofuel produced by the Manuelita organization may have good results in the European Economic Community (EEC) due to its quality
It is a large market, and the restriction would be, rather, to what extent, with our capabilities in Colombia, we can increase the penetration of that market, "said the businessman from Valle del Cauca, who estimates that in the first year of biofuel exports to Europe they can sell 10 million dollars.
Sufficient capacity
However, the export potential of the Manuelita plant is very large, and shipments could be much larger as well.
Éder explained that the Manuelita biodiesel production plant has the capacity to respond to a 15 percent biodiesel mix in Colombia (today it is 10 percent biodiesel and 90 percent diesel).
“Colombia has an unused capacity in its biodiesel plants of about 50 percent. We could export between 100 and 200 million liters ”, said the manager, who believes that with this capacity it is possible to serve up to 20 percent of the mix with biodiesel in Colombia and increase exports.
The biodiesel produced by Manuelita, which is marketed in Colombia, meets the highest international environmental and social standards.
“In order to enter the European market, it is necessary to comply with quality, social and environmental sustainability standards determined by the certifications that Europe requires for all imported biodiesel. These certifications certify the non-deforestation and the good relationship and the generation of employment with the communities ”, explained the businessman.
“Colombia has a capacity
not used in its biodiesel plants of about 50 percent. We could export between 100 and 200 million liters "
Certifications up to date
Manuelita has RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) certifications for palm oil and ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) for biofuels, which guarantee compliance with rigorous international standards of social and environmental sustainability, as well as with the European standard of quality of biofuels EN14214.
Additionally, palm oil biodiesel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 83 percent and particulate matter emissions by up to 75 percent compared to fossil diesel.
In this way, it has contributed to international agreements to curb climate change and helps cities have much cleaner air.
Higher quality
However, Colombia –through Manuelita's exports– is not the first country to reach the European biodiesel market. Argentina is present in that continent with soybean biodiesel.
Éder explains that precisely in the difference in the origin of the Colombian and Argentine biofuel lies the option for Manuelita to increase its participation in Europe.
“Biodiesel from Argentina does not have the benefit of reducing greenhouse gases, which biodiesel from palm oil does.
Palm is a crop that captures significant amounts of CO2, and in addition, palm biomass - the residues that remain after oil extraction - is used in the industrial process to generate energy for plants ”.
Source: Fernando Umaña Mejía - feruma@eltiempo.com. Weather June 21, 2020 - 08:37 pm
Available online:
https://www.eltiempo.com/economia/empresas/manuelita-lista-para-exportar-biodiesel-a-europa-509590
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