Spain 2009 mandatory biofuel blend set at 3.9 pct

MADRID Oct 9 (Reuters) - Petrol and diesel sold in Spain will have to contain a minimum of 3.9 percent of their biofuel equivalents in 2009, compared to the original target of 3.4 percent, an Industry Ministry spokesman said on Thursday.

Spain is confident of reaching its target of 5.83 percent of mandatory biofuel blend in conventional fuels by 2010, the spokesman said.

The European Parliament's influential industry committe voted to lower the key 10 percent target for mandatory blend in road transport fuels for 2020 in mid September, sparking criticism from biofuel producers.

The committee endorsed the EU's overall 10 percent target by volume but voted that at least 4 percent should come from other sources such as electricity and hydrogen, leaving just 6 percent coming from traditional biofuels.

One of Spain's major biofuel producers Abengoa (ABG.MC) restarted operations at its 156,000 tonne capacity bioethanol plant in Salamanca, Northern Spain at the end of August.

At 1036 GMT, Abengoa shares were up 2.27 percent, while Spain's IBEX leading share index shed 1.05 percent. (Reporting by Jonathan Gleave; editing by James Jukwey)