Europe warily prepares to enter a newly globalized age of biofuels

摘要

Biofuels are growing up in Europe. From an exotic outlet for European Union (EU) agricultural product in the 1990s, to a boutique fuel for the green consumer in the 2000s, now today's industry has filled out and bulked up. In 2011, biofuels are a globally traded business; this industry has transformed some of its pioneering suppliers into household names. But many more European startups lie bloodied by the wayside or limping along the sidewalk.Manufacturers, suppliers, consumers, some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and even pure-play fossil fuels suppliers have had their share of growing pains during the rapid rise of the market. Many biodiesel and bioethanol manufacturers in Europe have exited the industry or have gone bankrupt.