Europe Battles Flood of Green Fuel Suspected to Be Fraudulent
- Surge in Chinese biodiesel exports to EU sparks fraud concerns
- Group warns EU biodiesel industry faces ‘existential’ threat
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Europe’s push for more green fuel has helped build an industry in China that collects, recycles and ships waste such as used cooking oil. But a flood of biofuel is now threatening European producers and sparking fears about fraudulent exports.
Producers in the European Union are worried they’re being undercut by companies in Asia that are mixing fuels with cheaper feedstocks and mislabeling them in order to qualify for incentives outlined by the bloc’s renewable energy targets. For example, a premium waste-based product could be mixed with other ingredients that is then passed off as being more sustainable than what it actually is.