World biodiesel capacity to grow 9% in 2010

World biodiesel annual capacity will grow to 39.8 million metric tons in 2010, a 9% growth rate from 2009, even as many plants around the world are running at extremely low rates linked partly to the global economic downturn. Increases are most notable in Asia and South America, which are growing in excess of 10%, says Henri Bardon, biofuels trading manager at Trafigura. Total biodiesel mandates in Asia would amount to 1.7 million metric tons per year, but because of poor implementation in Malaysia and Indonesia, mandates have only achieved 500,000 metric tons of usage, which is less than 10% of the biodiesel capacity in Asia. (November 23, 2009)