Germany’s CropEnergies AG , one of Europe’s largest ethanol producers, said on Wednesday demand for bioethanol is likely to recover as easing coronavirus lockdowns across the region enable more people to use automobiles, reports Reuters.
The company has also significantly increased output of ethanol for disinfectants as fuel demand collapsed after lockdowns were imposed.
“CropEnergies expects to see an improvement in the second quarter compared with the first as the operating and mobility restrictions mandated since mid-March 2020 have been eased in more and more countries,” it said. “This should go hand in hand with an increase in fuel demand.”
Germany and other European Union countries require biofuels, including ethanol, to be blended with gasoline to reduce pollution, so falling fuel sales automatically cut ethanol demand.
