Page 18 - European Energy Innovation - spring 2018 publication
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18 Spring 2018 European Energy Innovation
INNOVATION IN BIOFUELS
The way to promote innovation
in biofuels
By Emmanuel Desplechin
The European Union is transport will be needed to meet In its new “REmap” report analysing
finalizing a new renewable climate targets. Europe will need to renewable energy prospects for the
energy policy for the 2020- mobilize the best of today’s solutions European Union, the International
2030 period, and – as is at the same time it encourages Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
typical with all difficult policy processes the kind of innovation that fosters also calls for more biofuels – both
– nearly everyone involved is having to tomorrow’s technologies. conventional and advanced – in
make some compromises. achieving EU energy and climate
A couple of new studies from goals.
Each of the EU institutions has international agencies have
offered a different vision for Europe’s highlighted the importance of using “All renewable transport options
transport energy mix, varying from all sustainable options to reduce are needed to realise long-term EU
approximately the status quo to a near- greenhouse-gas emissions in decarbonisation objectives,” the report
total phase-out of crop-based biofuels. transport. states.
Each proclaims to want to shift from
so-called “conventional” to “advanced” The International Energy Agency’s IRENA also takes a realistic look at
biofuels, as if one somehow comes at latest Technology Roadmap states the growth prospects for renewable
the expense of the other. very clearly that greatly increasing electricity in transport. “By 2030 most
consumption of biofuels is essential passenger vehicles sold could be
In fact, Europe needs both. to success. According to the IEA, fully electric or hybrids, and electric
if there is any hope at all for vehicles could potentially account for
That is because under almost any meeting global climate ambitions, 16% of the overall car stock in
scenario for the coming decades governments need to do more to Europe,” the report says. “However,
a massive scale-up of biofuels in encourage the development of even with such quick adoption of
renewable fuels such as ethanol, which electric vehicles, renewable power
when blended with petrol delivers would only account for about 3% of
significant greenhouse-gas emission the energy consumption in the sector
reduction over fossil fuel. by 2030.”
The report’s authors say the transport According to the report, that means
sector’s biofuels consumption must biofuels are vital. “Liquid biofuels –
triple by 2030 in order for the world both advanced and conventional – will
to meet the “2-degree scenario” in still be needed for the existing stock
the fight against climate change. of vehicles with internal combustion
Two-thirds of that increase, they write, engines and for transport modes
should come from advanced biofuels where electrification is still not an
and notably from cellulosic ethanol. option. The use of liquid biofuels could
triple by 2030 compared to 2010
They also point out that “conventional” levels to reach ~66 billion litres.”
or first-generation biofuels will
continue to have an important Advanced biofuels won’t just happen
contribution to make while the massive by themselves because the EU says
scale-up of advanced technology they should. They need time to
is under way. For example, today’s develop and they need a stable policy
ethanol consumption – mainly first- framework that promotes existing
generation – is a key enabler for investments – made in many cases by
cellulosic ethanol market access. the same people who have invested
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