BIO-TIC Workshop on Advanced Biofuels

Although at present the production of advanced biofuels world-wide is still quite low, various policy drivers both in the EU and elsewhere provide a significant incentive for their future development. A wide range of advanced biofuels can be produced through IB processes, using a wide range of technologies. As yet, there is no one favoured technology and the suitability of different technologies will vary based upon a wide range of factors including feedstock availability, desired end product and infrastructure availability. Increasing oil prices and (for some technologies) the potential to produce co-products and switch products according to market demand may help overcome the high final product costs for biofuels compared to fossil derived fuels. Despite these advantages, many hurdles exist to the full exploitation of advanced biofuels production in the EU. These include:

• Feedstock supply, cost and sustainability are significant barriers to advanced biofuels.
• Prices for advanced biofuels are high, partially due to the regulatory framework in the EU, but also due to high feedstock, labour, processing and infrastructure costs.
• Public concern over the ethics of using arable land for biofuels production and concerns over food security.
• Poor definition of what constitutes a waste material and an incomplete knowledge of the direct and indirect effects of using these waste materials on the environment and other industrial sectors.

This workshop aims to identify workable solutions to the major hurdles hampering the development of the advanced biofuels sector in the EU. It will consider, amongst other issues:

• Where should the industry focus its outreach efforts to achieve maximum impact?
• Should the EU focus on promoting market demand, through mandates and incentives such as taxes on fossil fuels?
• To what extent can different funding models help de-risk investments?
• To what extent is it feasible for advanced biofuels to be produced alongside secondary and potentially higher value products as part of a biorefinery approach?