Biocombustibles

I N T E R N AT IO N A L

An International Perspective
In the absence of strong government policies, the IEA
projects that the worldwide use of oil in transport will
nearly double between 2000 and 2030, leading to a
similar increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Biofuels,
such as ethanol, biodiesel, and other liquid and
gaseous fuels, could offer an important alternative to
petroleum overthis timeframe and help reduce
atmospheric pollution.

In the short term, conventional biofuel production
processes in IEA countries could help reduce oil use
and thence greenhouse gas emissions, although the
costs may be high. In the longer term, possibly within
the next decade, advances in biofuel production and
the use of new feedstocks could lead to greater, more
cost-effectivereductions. Countries such as Brazil are
already producing relatively low-cost biofuels with
substantial reductions in fossil energy use and
greenhouse gas emissions. This book explores the
range of options on offer and asks whether a global
trade in biofuels should be more rigorously pursued.

An International Perspective

This book looks at recent trends in biofuel production
and considerswhat the future might hold if such
alternatives were to displace petroleum in transport.
The report takes a global perspective on the nascent
biofuels industry, assessing regional similarities and
differences as well as the cost and benefits of the
various initiatives being undertaken around the world.

BIOFUELS FOR TRANSPORT

BIOFUELS FOR TRANSPORT

9:HSTCQE=UVZVW]:
(61 2004 16 1 P1)ISBN 92-64-01512-4 €75
20 04

E N E R GY A G E N C Y

BIOFUELS
FOR
TRANSPORT
An International Perspective

I N T E R N AT I O N A L E N E R GY A G E N C Y

BIOFUELS
FOR
TRANSPORT
An International Perspective

FOREWORD
The IEA last published a book on biofuels in 1994 (Biofuels). Many
developments have occurred in the past decade, though policy objectives
remain similar:improving energy security and curbing greenhouse gas
emissions are, perhaps more than ever, important priorities for IEA countries.
And, more than ever, transportation energy use plays a central role in these
issues. New approaches are needed to cost-effectively move transportation
away from its persistent dependence on oil and onto a more sustainable track.
But technology has made interestingprogress and this will continue in the
coming years, creating new opportunities for achieving these objectives.
It is not surprising that interest in biofuels – and biofuels production – has
increased dramatically in this past decade. Global fuel ethanol production
doubled between 1990 and 2003, and may double again by 2010. In some
regions, especially Europe, biodiesel fuel use has alsoincreased substantially
in recent years. Perhaps most importantly, countries all around the world are
now looking seriously at increasing production and use of biofuels, and many
have put policies in place to ensure that such an increase occurs.
This book takes a global perspective in assessing how far we have come – and
where we seem to be going – with biofuels use in transport. It reviews recentresearch and experience in a number of areas: potential biofuels impacts on
petroleum use and greenhouse gas emissions; current and likely future costs
of biofuels; fuel compatibility with vehicles; air quality and other
environmental impacts; and recent policy activity around the world. It also
provides an assessment of just how much biofuels could be produced in OECD
and non-OECD regions,given land requirements and availability, what the
costs and benefits of this production might be, and how we can maximise
those benefits over the next ten years and beyond.

Claude Mandil
Executive Director, IEA

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This publication is the product of an IEA study undertaken by the Office of
Energy Efficiency, Technology and R&D under the direction of Marianne Haug,...