A technician carries out an experiment on producing biodiesel from waste oil at a laboratory in Sichuan province. (PHOTO: XINHUA)

By CHEN Chunyou

China will expand the use of domestic biodiesel to establish a replicable policy and development path for wider application of biodiesel and other green liquid fuels nationwide, the National Energy Administration (NEA) said in a notice in November.

Derived from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant grease, biodiesel is an internationally recognized green and clean fuel. China has always encouraged the consumption of biodiesel. For example, the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2022 proposed to speed up the construction of a waste recycling system. China's Renewable Energy Law encourages the production and use of bio-liquid fuels, while the 14th Five-Year Plan for the Modern Energy System also calls for the development of biodiesel.

According to the NEA notice, demonstration projects to promote eco-friendly liquid fuels will be piloted in automotive biodiesel and marine biodiesel.

Industrial parks, logistics parks, mining areas, tariff-free zones and free trade zones are being encouraged to use automotive biodiesel while marine biodiesel will be promoted in tariff-free zones, free trade zones and waterways.

The NEA will give priority to eligible pilot demonstration projects for receiving medium- and long-term loans for the manufacturing industry. It will promote the establishment of a biodiesel carbon emission reduction methodology, and push ahead with the inclusion of biodiesel into China's certified emission reduction mechanism.

The NEA will also encourage local governments to conduct demonstration projects across various segments of the biodiesel industry. It proposes to optimize the approval process for the pilot projects and extend financial support for them.