STUDIES REGARDING THE POTENTIAL OF BIODIESEL PRODUCTION IN THE NORTH-EAST DEVELOPMENT REGION OF ROMANIA

It is well known that the conventional fuels are responsible for environmental pollution. On the other hand, the unconventional sources for energy and biofuels are more environmentally friendly with a lower pollution degree than the conventional ones. Following the European Union Directive 2003/30/EC regarding the use of biodiesel in mixture with conventional diesel and its gradual replacement, Romania has either to produce its own percentage of biodiesel for the mixture or to import it. In this paper, the authors intend to present the history of biodiesel production, and the future potential of biodiesel production in Romania, especially in the Northeast Region. The analysis covers economic, social, and pedo-climatic conditions for raw material crops for biodiesel production. Also in this paper are presented the main vegetable sources for biodiesel production and the most representative factories of biodiesel in Romania. The study is made from 2004 until present, the results have been presented by relevant graphics and tables.