▁trans ester ified ▁sun flow er ▁oil , ▁and ▁ref ining ▁it ▁to ▁dies el ▁fuel ▁standards , ▁was ▁initi ated ▁in ▁South ▁Africa ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁By ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁the ▁process ▁for ▁producing ▁fuel - quality , ▁engine - test ed ▁b iod ies el ▁was ▁completed ▁and ▁published ▁intern ation ally . ▁An ▁Aust rian ▁company , ▁G ask oks , ▁obtained ▁the ▁technology ▁from ▁the ▁South ▁African ▁Agricult ural ▁Engine ers ; ▁the ▁company ▁ere cted ▁the ▁first ▁b iod ies el ▁pilot ▁plant ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 8 7 , ▁and ▁the ▁first ▁industrial - scale ▁plant ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁( with ▁a ▁capacity ▁of ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁tons ▁of ▁rap ese ed ▁per ▁an num ). ▁ ▁Through out ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 0 s , ▁plants ▁were ▁opened ▁in ▁many ▁European ▁countries , ▁including ▁the ▁Czech ▁Republic , ▁Germany ▁and ▁Sweden . ▁France ▁launched ▁local ▁production ▁of ▁b iod ies el ▁fuel ▁( re ferred ▁to ▁as ▁di ester ) ▁from ▁rap ese ed ▁oil , ▁which ▁is ▁mixed ▁into ▁regular ▁dies el ▁fuel ▁at ▁a ▁level ▁of ▁ 5 %, ▁and ▁into ▁the ▁dies el ▁fuel ▁used ▁by ▁some ▁capt ive ▁fle ets ▁( e . g . ▁public ▁transport ation ) ▁at ▁a ▁level ▁of ▁ 3 0 %. ▁Ren ault , ▁Pe uge ot ▁and ▁other ▁manufact ur ers ▁have ▁cert ified ▁tr uck ▁engines ▁for