EU ethanol production, consumption expected in increase in 2022
Summary
Ethanol consumption in the European Union was up an estimated 5.5 percent last year, surpassing the pre-COVID level of 2019 and setting a new record. EU ethanol consumption is expected to expand an additional 2.3 percent this year, according to an annual biofuels report filed with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Global Agricultural Information Network. The report cites Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the resulting high gasoline prices as a primary factor boosting the competitiveness of ethanol this year, with sales of E10 and E85 both expected to increase. According to the report, the EU is currently home to 55 first generation ethanol refineries, flat with last year and up from 54 in 2020 and 53 in 2021. A full copy of the report can be downloaded from the USDA FAS GAIN website.