Biodiesel Law Approved in Argentina
by Paula Alvarado, Buenos Aires on 02.20.07
A biodiesel law that aims to foment biofuels production for the internal Argentinean market was finally approved last week, after being in hold for two years. With this paper, the government expects that biofuels offer reaches 5% of the internal market in three years. According the Federal Planning Minister, Julio de Vido, by 2010 there will be a 600 thousand cubic meters production of biodiesel and 250 thousand cubic meters production of biometanol. To promote the production, the law establishes taxes devolution, the possibility to amortize investments in this field, and also the option not to pay the taxes applied to regular liquid and gaseous fuels. Even though the government recognized the law was just a start and aimed specialists to contribute to improve it, president Kirchner assured that this was the country’s entrance into the “renewable fuels era”. According to Héctor Huergo, a well-known local journalist specialized in the country business, soy and corn, which are two of the main sources for biofuels, are among the greatest Argentinean harvests. The country produces more than 45 million tons of soy a year, which can give up to 8 million tons of oil, the equivalent to 9 million cubic meters of biodiesel. Seems like good times are coming for green fuels in the country, with the news of big investments coming to this area, and also the First Biofuels Congress of the Americas taking place in Buenos Aires next March. Learn more about Biodiesel and green fuels in our How to Green Your Car guide (Picture: book cover from ‘Biodiesel: Growing a New Energy Economy’). ::Via La Nacion newspaper and Clarin
This is BS, and I'm an argentinean and I'll tell you why:
First we've been paying the most absurd prices for gas in history: in 2001 the price of gas went up to $9 (and I mean US dollars) a gallon, while the barrel was, what? $14?
Second we've never ever imported oil, cuz our internal production is more than enough, the problem is that the states likes to tax the crap out of everything,
Plus cars here are both heavily underpriced and obsolete, thanks to the state-sponsored protectionism against car imports (too bad theres almost no internal industry to rely on). So basically, most diesel cars here wont be able to run on biodiesel, nor will the gas-powered ones on ethanol either.
For what I see this girl paula doesnt know anything about law, becos this new law is bullcrap, it gives the private oil companies the upper hand by prohibiting the sale of pure biofuels and limiting the mix by a mere 5%. I mean seriously, what the hell is that?
And lets not talk about hybrids and such, since car brands here (which are mostly european) bring the most outdated crap they can find and we're forced to buy it or walk, 'cause this is a closed market.
BTW, is ironic some of you see soy as a solution seeing most of our forrests are being burned down completely for more soy fields, and the fact most of our rivers are polluted due to the heavy use of pesticides from such "great" companies as Monsanto.
Yes, I'm no expert in law or cultivation, but this is a debate space, not a scientific paper, and this is a piece of news related to the topics this blog covers, so I thought it was relevant to post it.
I never mentioned it was the best thing that happened to Argentina, just reflected some words from the government and a specialized journalist in the country issues (because, as I mentioned, I’m no expert). I knew already that soy cultivations are way controversial, so you’re probably right in the fact that I should have done more research about it and at least mention the known drawbacks. But as I said, there’s no opinion in the article. The only reference to an opinion is the last sentence, and it’s just a supposition based on other pieces of news (the investments and the Biofuels Congress of the Americas).
If you would like to share your expertise in law and harvesting with us I’ll be glad to post an update to this. Otherwise thanks for commenting, and I will do my best to study the soy issue.
I'm sorry if I was kinda rude, I didnt meant to.
I'm not calling your article BS but this whole biofuel scam from this half-assed government we have.
There's been a lot of biofuel facilities built by the years with no funding or help that were destroyed by stupid laws like these that limit the use of alternative sources of energy.
For example, now the government wants to use corn for ethanol instead of sugar cane. Corn is one the worst things to get ethanol from in the world (the other two being rocks and a sober guy) since is not only counter-efficient (as you're using more fuel to make than the power you'll get from the final product) but also polluting as well.
Is enough the US is making it (since they dont have sugar cane fields and dont want to import) but why should we do it to? With the current low prices of sugar, a heavy production of ethanol is what Tucuman need to get out of this economic stagnation.