The dilemma and potential development of biodiesel in China - In view of production capacity and policy

China has issued a series of biodiesel-related policies to alleviate energy shortage anxiety and reduce carbon emissions. However, no other provinces or cities in China widely utilize biodiesel except Shanghai. This article firstly conducted a comprehensive estimation of the potential botanical biodiesel capacity in China. Then, we examined why biodiesel advancement in China was stagnated by comparing biodiesel-related policies in pioneer countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. We found the highest mix ratio will be ∼13 % if all potential botanical oils are added to petrochemical diesel and an addition of 3 % blending ratio can be achieved if waste cooking oils are effectively utilized. We concluded that despite the encouragement from policies, insufficient materials and lack of downstream consumptions may be the major reasons for the sluggish development of biodiesel in China. If microalgae biodiesel production technology is overcome in the future, China can compulsorily mix biodiesel on a large scale. This paper provided a comprehensive review of biodiesel-related policies in Malaysia, Indonesia and China, and figured out the key problems that hinder the promotion of biodiesel, helping to understand the dilemma and drive the potential development of biodiesel in China.