Analiza ekonomske opravdanosti proizvodnje biodizela u pogonima malog kapaciteta

Abstract

This paper examines the economic feasibility of producing biodiesel in a small-scale production plant with an annual capacity of 1,000 tons. Based on average raw material prices (rapeseed oil, sunflower oil, soybean or sunflower seeds) in the period 2017-2021, the production cost of biodiesel ranges from 101 to 114 RSD per litre, depending on the raw material used. Using oilseeds as raw materials instead of vegetable oils results in lower unit cost of biodiesel, due to revenue from oil cakes, but requires extra investment in oil presses and silos, which significantly increases investment costs. Moreover, the economic advantage of using oilseeds as raw materials is lost even with a small drop (by 5% in the case of soybean) in the selling price or sales volume of the oil cake. Manufacturing biodiesel for producers' own fuel needs is economically feasible as the unit cost of biodiesel was 25-34% lower than the retail price of Eurodiesel in the observed period. However, at the estimated production costs, the retail price of biodiesel, which would also include sales costs, excise duties and value-added tax, cannot be lower than the retail price of Eurodiesel. Assuming the complete exemption of biodiesel from excise, it could become price-competitive with fossil diesel in the domestic fuel market.