Current state of the biodiesel production and the indigenous feedstock potential in Serbia

This paper summarizes the biodiesel production capacities and the indigenous oil-based feedstock potential of Serbia for the first time. The current demands and future trends in diesel fuel consumption in Serbia are presented in order to estimate the biodiesel perspectives. The comprehensive review explores the potentials of the available conventional biodiesel sources (oilseed crops), as well as the next generation biodiesel sources, including waste cooking oil and oil from non-edible agro-food wastes that were previously reported as potential biodiesel feedstock in Europe. Results suggest that the Serbian agriculture can provide oilseed crops for the production of 128,000-266,000 t of biodiesel annually in addition to the quantities of oilseed crops required by the domestic food and fodder industries. Nevertheless, selecting edible vegetable oils as a potential feedstock for biodiesel cannot be considered as a long-term choice due to the associated “food versus fuel” debate. Thus, exploring the non-edible waste feedstock is important. Around 10,000 t of biodiesel could be produced from the collectable waste cooking oil. Other potential alternative oil resources indigenous for Serbia, such as tomato, grape and tobacco seeds, can provide raw material for the production of further ca. 8,000 t of biodiesel annually. Lack of governmental incentives and higher profitability of the edible oil sector have caused that the installed capacities for biodiesel production (ca. 126,000 t annually) are largely out of operation since 2008. Nevertheless, the results suggest that with the introduction of appropriate measures there is a realistic basis to fulfil the goals set by the National Renewable Energy Action Plan which requires that the annual biodiesel production from domestic sources should reach 98,000 t by 2020 in Serbia.