Dutch biofuel producer Sunoil Biodiesel has secured regulatory approval to supply its sustainable fuels in Belgium, opening another European market as the company expands its footprint beyond the Netherlands.
The approval adds Belgium to a growing list of European markets where Sunoil is authorised to distribute its waste-based biodiesel products. Belgium’s Federal Public Service Economy lists Sunoil Biodiesel under approved Category C biofuel technical dossiers for FAME, with its three dossiers valid through June 30, 2029.
For Sunoil, however, market expansion is not simply a question of finding new customers. The company says entering a new market requires robust traceability, strong sustainability systems and the ability to meet local regulatory requirements across the supply chain.
That infrastructure is increasingly important as European demand for lower-emission fuels expands and biofuel producers compete across national markets with different certification and compliance requirements. Sunoil says the systems it has established provide a foundation for further growth across Europe.
The company’s expansion comes alongside a push to demonstrate how waste-based biodiesel can be deployed in real-world transport applications. One of its latest examples is the inland barge Birjo II, which has been converted to operate entirely on B100 biodiesel.
The vessel, owned by DK Shipping and operated by BFT Tanker Logistics, now runs on 100 percent biodiesel produced by Sunoil in the Netherlands. The conversion was carried out in collaboration with BFT and allows the barge to transport biodiesel between Sunoil’s facilities and customers while using the same renewable fuel to power its operations.
The move is significant because it demonstrates a pathway for decarbonising existing inland shipping assets without replacing the vessel or its engine. Sunoil said the Birjo II can reduce CO₂ emissions by around 90 percent compared with fossil diesel while continuing normal operations.
The project also creates a practical demonstration of a renewable fuel supply chain running from production and transport to end use. The Birjo II can be fuelled directly from Sunoil’s Kampen facility, integrating the company’s own biodiesel production with its logistics operations.
For Sunoil, the barge is more than a demonstration project. The company sees it as a potential platform for converting and rolling out B100 across additional inland vessels in Europe.
Sunoil Chief Commercial Officer Jeroen Hovius said the project is particularly valuable because the Birjo II operates on Sunoil’s own biodiesel while transporting renewable fuels between the company’s locations and customers. The collaboration with BFT, he said, is focused on practical solutions for making inland shipping more sustainable and could support the conversion of multiple barges to B100 across Europe.
BFT General Manager Johann de Koning said the partnership is centred on reliability, quality and continuity, adding that the Birjo II represents a step toward more sustainable and efficient inland shipping operations.
The Belgian approval adds another commercial outlet to that broader operating model. Sunoil converts certified waste oils and fats, including used cooking oil, into high-grade biodiesel at its production facilities in Emmen and Kampen. The business is supported by trading operations in Amsterdam and serves markets across Europe.
Its biodiesel is positioned both as a lower-emission alternative to fossil diesel and as a blend component for conventional fuels, with applications spanning road transport, marine and inland shipping, energy and other sectors.
Sunoil says its biodiesel can deliver CO₂ emissions savings of up to 90 percent compared with conventional diesel.
The company’s Belgian entry therefore represents more than the addition of another national market. It comes as Sunoil seeks to build a wider European supply network around certified waste-based feedstocks, regulatory compliance and practical applications for renewable fuels.
With Belgium now added to its approved markets and the Birjo II providing a working example of 100 percent biodiesel in commercial inland shipping, Sunoil is positioning its next phase of European growth around both market access and the ability to demonstrate that waste-based fuels can move beyond blending into everyday transport operations.
