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According to the Belgian daily Le Soir, several European ministers will ask the European Commission for an investigation. There is apparently banned palm oil in Pome incorporated into fuels.
A significant portion of the plant materials used for biofuel in Europe are imported. These oilseeds are part of the fuel for our cars, with the names E5, E10, B7 and B10 representing the percentage of biofuel in the mixture coming from the pump at the service station (E for petrol, B for diesel).
Don’t put oil
However, it seems that palm oil sometimes ends up in the fuel tanks of cars in Europe. An oilseed that is banned in the composition of biofuels in many countries, including Belgium, France and the Netherlands among others. On the other hand, waste from palm oil production, “Palm Oil Mill Effluent” or “Pome” is authorized. Especially since their reuse avoids methane emissions. So what is the problem?
Double points
According to Le Soir, it is possible that producers are directly incorporating palm oil into the Pome residues from wastewater, in order to make “authorized” biofuels. They would thus disguise the final product by injecting the surplus oil into it. Why? Because as a reused material treated to avoid methane emissions, Pome benefits from points that count, double in the greening objectives. All bonuses for fuel producers.
Too much Pome
The suspicion comes from the high volume of imported Pome compared to palm oil production. So there would be a hair in the soup. To get to the bottom of it, Ireland, with the support of Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, will ask the European Commission for an investigation at the Council of European Energy Ministers in Luxembourg on Tuesday 15 October 2024. And if too much palm oil is found in Pome, Europe will have to act.
