Raw materials & sources

Biofuels belong to the group of renewable energy sources. The raw materials for biodiesel and bioethanol are replenished and have no detrimental impact on the environment. They therefore offer a solution for two key problems in the transport sector.

1. Finite resources: especially with regard to steadily rising energy requirements, the introduction of alternative energy sources is absolutely essential in the long term. With the aid of biodiesel and bioethanol we can already take the first step today.

2. Climate change: the CO2 cycle of biofuels is closed. Combustion releases only the same amount of CO2 as the plants previously absorbed during growth. The energy balance even remains positive after the various processing stages. The European Union has recognized the potential of biofuels and is actively promoting their development. The German government has established the corresponding conditions to accelerate further market penetration.

The most important raw materials for VERBIO’s facilities are rapeseed oil for biodiesel and rye for bioethanol. Rapeseed oil is procured from oil mills, whereas we process the rye ourselves. The locations of our bioethanol facilities were carefully selected to ensure they were situated in the middle of Germany’s rye growing area. We aim to enter into long-term partner-like relationships with the farmers who supply our raw materials. Before planting even begins, we agree specific quality criteria and purchase volumes. In the medium term, we intend to expand our feedstock basis to enable us to react flexibly to market needs. We have already successfully tested the use of triticale and wheat for bioethanol production and are already using soya oil for part of our biodiesel production.