Biofuels

How much do they reduce emissions?

The use of biofuels in transport is promoted as a means to tackle climate change, diversify energy sources, and secure energy supply. In addition, biofuels are considered as an option to contribute to the reduction of oil imports and oil dependence, rural development and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. ?

Biofuels are defined as liquid fuels for transport produced from biomass. The term Biofuel is used for the fuels Biodiesel, Bioethanol and HVO. Biofuels are typically mixed with conventional fossil fuels at various percentages, called blends. The recast of the Renewable Energy Directive (2009/28/EC) was published in December 2018 (Directive 2018/2001). This directive refers to the post 2020 framework, and contains a 14 % target for renewable energy in transport by 2030, an increase from the previous 2020 level of 10 %, with a new advanced biofuels sub-target of 3.5 %. Biofuels used for compliance with the target are required to fulfil sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions saving criteria. The greenhouse gas emissions saving from the production and use of biofuels are calculated in accordance with the methodology laid down in Part C of Annex V for biofuels.

This website provides a list of default values for common biofuel production pathways. Default value means a value derived from a typical value by the application of pre-determined factors and that may be used in place of an actual value if direct land use change does not occur. Typical value means an estimate of the greenhouse gas emissions and greenhouse gas emissions savings for a particular biofuel production pathway, which is representative of the Union consumption. As alternative, economic operators can provide their own calculations following the methodology (actual values). The previous directive already (2009/28/EC) introduced a set of sustainability criteria, including criteria protecting land with high biodiversity value and land with high-carbon stock, but did not cover the issue of indirect land-use change. Indirect land-use change occurs when the cultivation of crops for biofuels displaces traditional production of crops for food and feed purposes. Such additional demand increases the pressure on land and can lead to the extension of agricultural land into areas with high-carbon stock, such as forests, wetlands and peatland, causing additional greenhouse gas emissions. The magnitude of greenhouse gas emissions-linked indirect land- use change is capable of negating some or all greenhouse gas emissions savings of individual biofuels. While the level of greenhouse gas emissions caused by indirect land-use change cannot be unequivocally determined with the level of precision required to be included in the greenhouse gas emission calculation methodology, the highest risks of indirect land-use change have been identified for biofuels produced from feedstock for which a significant expansion of the production area into land with high-carbon stock is observed. Therefore, there is a limit of 7% for food and feed crops-based biofuels promoted under the Directive and, in addition, a requirement for Member States to set a specific and gradually decreasing limit for biofuels produced from food and feed crops for which a significant expansion of the production area into land with high-carbon stock is observed. Low indirect land-use change-risk biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels should be exempt from the specific and gradually decreasing limit.

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Bio-Ethanol

Bio-Ethanol is an alcohol produced from various renewable sources such as maize, straw and sugar beet. Bio-Ethanol is blended with fossil petrol to prevent damage to engines.

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Bio-Diesel

Bio-Diesel is a fatty acid methyl esther produced from various biomass sources. Bio-Diesel is blended in with fossil diesel with a percentage up to 7%. This blending is done to prevent damage to engines, since not all engines can handle higher percentages of Bio-Diesel.

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HVO-Diesel

HVO is an abbreviation of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil. HVO is an oil of biomass origin which is thermo-chemically treated with hydrogen to be used for replacement of diesel. HVO can be blended with fossil fuels up to tens of percents.

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Bio-Diesel can be made from the following sources

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rapeseed resource ?

Rapeseed

rapeseed resource ?

Sunflower

soybeans resource ?

Soybeans

palm-oil resource ?

Palm Oil

waste-cooking-oil resource ?

Waste Cooking Oil

animal-fat resource ?

Animal Fat

wheat resource ?

Wheat

maize resource ?

Maize

sugarbeet resource ?

Sugar beet

sugarcane resource ?

Sugarcane

straw resource ?

Straw

cereals resource ?

Cereals

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Impact

Currently the impact of biofuels is limited by the amount of biofuel blended into fossil fuels. Nevertheless, biofuels remain and important part of the European strategy to decrease greenhouse gas emissions.

Today
Future
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Blend savings

To protect engines designed around fossil fuels, the amount of biofuel in renewable fuel products is kept low. As a result the impact on emission savings is also relatively low.

Personal

One car using renewable fuel for entire year on average reduces emissions by 1.23.42.9%, which equals:

153 less kilometers

456 less kilometers

394 less kilometers

Driven that year

European

The EU fully switching to renewable fuels for an entire year on average reduces emissions by 1.23.42.9% which equals:

1.431.623 less cars

3.653.083 less cars

3.155.085 less cars

Driven that year

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Future Blends

In the future, it might be possible to optimize engines for higher percentages of biofuel, perhaps even using 10% biofuel.

Personal Future

One car using 100% renewable fuel for an entire year on average could reduce emissions by 2.34.84.1%, which equals:

306 less kilometers

651 less kilometers

562 less kilometers

Driven that year

European Future

The EU fully switching to 100% renewable fuels for an entire year on average could reduce emissions by 2.34.84.1%, which equals:

2.863.246 less cars

5.218.690 less cars

4.507.265 less cars

Driven that year

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These figures are estimated considering a representative pathway for ethanol or biodiesel or HVO, and considering a representative EU market passenger car as assumed in the WTW-JEC study.

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Want to know more about biofuels?

The use of biofuels in transport is promoted as a means to tackle climate change, diversify energy sources, and secure energy supply. In addition, biofuels are considered as an option to contribute to the reduction of oil imports and oil dependence, rural development and GreenHouse Gas (GHG) emissions reduction.

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European Commission

Do you want to know more about what the European Commission does in terms of research and sustainability? Click here

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