Tag Archives: netherlands
US Biodiesel Imports Surge In June
By Ron Kotrba | September 04, 2013 Here’s a breakdown of where the imports came from, and where the exports went. The U.S. also imported nearly 22 million gallons of “other renewable diesel” in June, up from only 5.7 million gallons in May. In June, 17.2 million gallons of “other renewable diesel” came from Singapore while 4.7 million gallons originated in Finland—two Neste Oil strongholds. Roughly half of the 24.6 million gallons U.S. exports in June went north of the border to Canada (12.8 million gallons), while 6 million gallons was shipped to Spain, and nearly 5.7 million gallons went to Malaysia. Australia received 126,000 gallons of U.S. biomass-based diesel while 42,000 gallons was sent to Taiwan. Continue reading
Main Pellet Consumers In Europe
September 02, 2013• Source: EBA/IHB • Views: 249 Decrease text sizeIncrease text size The European Union recently published its annual biofuels report for 2013 with the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service’s Global Agricultural Information Network. The report identifies the UK, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and Belgium as the major users of wood pellets in the EU. Main Pellet Consumers (1,000 MT) Calendar Year 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 UK – – – 1,990 2,720 3,380 4,540 Denmark 993 1,200 1,400 1,720 2,350 2,400 2,500 Netherlands 705 912 912 913 1,290 1,710 2000 Sweden 1,715 1,850 1,920 2,280 1,880 1,700 650 Germany 600 900 1,050 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,600 Belgium 735 920 920 950 1,130 1,200 1,320 Total 6,028 7,021 9,000 11,400 13,000 14,300 16,000 Source: AEBIOM and Member State sector organisations, e = estimate EU FAS Posts Differences in consumption characterize the European pellet market, says the report. The market can be divided in three regions. Markets such as the Netherlands, Belgium and the UK are dominated by large – scale power plants. In Denmark and Sweden, pellets are used by power plants but also by households and by medium scale consumers using wood pellets for district heating. In Germany, Austria, Italy and France pellets are mainly used in small – scale private residential and industrial boilers for heating. The demand for industrial pellets depends primarily on EU Member State mandates and incentives, while the residential pellet market is driven by prices of alternative fuels. The UK, the Netherlands and Belgium are expected to be the main growth market for pellets, and also the most dependent on imports. The large scale use of wood pellets by the power plants in the UK and the Benelux countries is driven by the EU mandates for renewable energy use in 2020. The governments of these countries opted to fulfill their obligations mainly by the use of biomass for the generation of electricity. Recently, the UK Government enforced the Industrial Emissions Directive, which is expected to boost consumption further in 2013 and 2014. The Dutch Government will decide upon the national renewable energy policy in the second half of August. According the draft proposal, old power plants build in the eighties will have to be closed and biomass use will be capped at 25 PJ per year. Continue reading
Property To Stabilise As Monetary Policy Normalises – UBS
22 August 2013 Property values are set to stabilise in many Eurozone markets this year and next as European monetary policy normalises, resulting in rising financing costs and risk-free rates, says UBS Global Asset Management. Retail should outperform. In its 2H13 Eurozone market outlook, signed by Head of Research Gunnar Herm, UBS said: “In 2013 and 2014, real estate investors will operate in a slightly improving but still subdued economic environment. UBS does not believe the European Central Bank’s monetary easing policy will continue further, which will result in higher risk-free rates and financing costs. debt availability will remain scarce for assets beyond core property. However, additional lending sources for value-add or opportunistic assets will emerge in the core Eurozone countries as well as for the prime segment in southern Europe. The retail sector will outperform office and logistics due to high income levels and stable capital value and rental growth in most markets from 2014. In the countries hit hardest by the financial crisis, stabilisation is expected for 2015. Best performers, on a total return basis, will be France and Ireland, worst Spain, Portugal and The Netherlands. Logistics remains attractive due to the high, relatively stable income returns in the current low interest rate environment. “We anticipate a broadening range of both returns and opportunities in the sector, with growing retail and manufacturing sector interest for new, tailored space in selective locations across Europe,” said the report. Occupiers will focus on regions and countries with a strong economic outlook. UBS sees Ireland and Norway as the most attractive options for a core portfolio over the next three years. In the office sector, cost-cutting continues as the main driver of leasing activity. Due to low development activities, vacancy levels in the prime segment have been falling, resulting in a supply shortage in CBD locations and rising prime rents. Outside the prime segment, UBS expects continued pressure on capital values. France and Finland are set to outperform on a total return basis, while Germany, The Netherlands, Spain and Italy are likely to underperform. “Even though we do not believe in improving occupier market conditions in the Dutch office market, counter-cyclical opportunities may arise in the prime office segment,” said the report. pie Continue reading
