WORLD BIODIESEL UTILIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES IN CHINA
生物柴油利用概况及其在中国的发展思路

The stocks of fossil fuels, currently the major energy source driving the global socioeconomy, is being heavily depleted due to increasing anthropogenic activities worldwide, and its burning contributes to global climate warming and air pollution. In contrast, biodiesel is an alternative non-toxic, biodegradable, and renewable alternative energy source. This paper discusses the essence, properties and the development of biodiesel fuels, mainly in European countries; discusses the international supply and demand of soybean and rapeseed, the main biodiesel feedstock; and analyzes the production and consumption of edible plant oils in China and its balance as it is affected by international biodiesel development. Considering that domestic foodstuffs and plant oil production currently are insufficient to feed the 1.3 billion people in China due to limited agricuhural lands, ultimately ways are needed to grow biodiesel feedstock on unproductive agricultural lands, such as saline-alkaline lands, poor soil, desertified soils, and plough-withdrawn land.