1. Editorial
The year 2015 is exciting for the biofuel industry in Europe. Around us, we see technical problems being solved, and solutions demonstrated by new kinds of production and use of biofuels. The social reasons for the European Union to develop biofuels are also stronger than ever: Security of supply motives are demonstrated by the conflict in the Ukraine and the violent conflicts close to the Middle Eastern sources of oil, while greenhouse gas concerns are strengthened by temperature data adding new arguments to the projections of rapid climate change.
At the same time, however, the market conditions and regulation of biofuels are worse than ever in this millennium. Oil prices have fallen to less than half since last summer. And, as illustrated be the response to our questionnaire on Barriers to Biofuels, policies and targets are unclear and regulation contradictory, as set by the EU as well as by Member States.
Production of biofuels from forest residues and cellulosic materials are now demonstrated by several methods by forest industries such as UPM, by traditional refineries such as Preem, by chemical companies such as M&G, by energy companies such as Göteborg Energy, as well as by dedicated biofuel companies. Ability to deliver and utilize standard petrol, diesel and aviation fuels, as well as new types of fuels has been proven in the last couple of years. The industry is now ready for commercial-scale introduction, harvesting economies of scale and facilitating further industrial learning to bring costs to competitive levels.
At the same time, energy efficiency has improved significantly in the transport sector, and admirable industrial development has been seen in the renewable electricity production and battery industries.
Seen together, the development of these industrial capacities makes it possible to successfully take on climate challenges while providing opportunities for Europes well needed economic development. This is a wonderful achievement for the great majority of the world’s present and future population, but not good news for the owners of global fossil fuel reserves.
For owners of oil reserves, security of demand is threatened. The time available to sell the remaining reserves that are available with low costs of extraction appears shorter, and prices could be lowered as it is better to sell barrels at 50 dollars today rather than leaving them in the ground to be without value in a few decades. In this way, determined policies to develop sustainable biofuels may provide immediate returns.
As a result of lower prices, expensive-to-extract resources may be left untouched forever to the benefit of the atmosphere and nature. But lower prices may also delay the further development of biofuels technologies.
Never has it been more important to have biofuel policies in the European Union that are consistent and persistent. With domestic renewable feedstock available, the European challenge is not traditional security of energy supply. The economically important factor will be technology, and energy technology security of supply, as well as long term energy security, will be a direct result of the quality of European industrial policy in this sector.
With great excitement, the European and global industries are now watching the steps taken by the EU, by China and by the US, to provide for biofuel markets. The next round of investments will bring down costs by economies of scale. The policy makers able to attract these investments, will also host companies with competitive sustainable biofuel technologies.
The European Biofuel Technology Platform will contribute to its best ability to European Progress in this constructive competition. With industrial as well as R&D experience the platform is uniquely placed to advise on priorities for research and policies regarding resources, conversion, utilization and value chains of advanced biofuels for Europe in 2015 and the years ahead.
Tomas Kåberger
Chair of the Steering Committee
European Biofuels Technology Platform
2. EBTP Draft Report on “Barriers to Biofuels in Europe”
During 2014, EBTP-SABS prepared a Report on “Barriers to Biofuels in Europe”. The published first draft is now available for stakeholder comment and feedback.
A short questionnaire was sent to Governments, Line Ministries, Agencies and Associations in EU28 and Energy Community Contracting Parties (EnC) in mid-2014. Detailed feedback was received from 14 countries: France, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Latvia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo*, Macedonia, Moldova, Poland and United Kingdom. Responses snapshot the challenges faced in developing national strategies for advanced biofuels, with particular regard to feedstock availability, technology demonstration and market development. As this report mainly lies on the input from the different national agencies it cannot provide a balanced overview across Europe.
The questionnaire consisted of six open questions, aiming at identifying main barriers to biofuels deployment in each country. The questions are based on previously identified factors that influence biofuels deployment. The responses highlight country-specific bottlenecks, but also challenges that are common to all and that would benefit from coordinated policies and integrated solutions.
The responses quite unequivocally show that technological barriers are being removed, or significantly mitigated; at the same time, new obstacles are jeopardizing the deployment of advanced biofuels industries. Respondents clearly indicate two main weaknesses:
- a frail biomass market that needs to strengthen value chains in the context of a growing competition between different end-uses and relevant variability of prices;
- an unclear regulatory framework where uncertainty about EU strategies and trends couples with inconsistencies at national level and, more generally, with a lack of coherent strategies and action plans for advanced biofuels.
Unquestionably, both factors are deterring investors, so the whole sector is facing a go-slow. On the other hand, non-technological barriers can benefit from soft measures and coordinated actions. The aim of this Report is to feed the debate on how to most effectively overcome such hurdles with the support of the EBTP.
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSC 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.
Helping to overcome Barriers to Biofuels in Europe
The above report provides a snapshot of issues and strategies from a handful of countries in Europe. Comments to the draft report on Barriers to Biofuels is still welcomed. In addition, in 2015, EBTP-SABS will develop more detailed overviews of the main biofuels activities and initiatives in all European countries.
EBTP welcomes updates on national projects, regulations, partnerships and initiatives that can be added to the EBTP website and databases. In particular, the platform will disseminate and highlight innovative activities that are helping to overcome technical, regulatory and financial barriers to advanced biofuels deployment.
Please continue to send your national updates to info@ebtp-sabs.eu
3. EU Legislation Update
Proposals to amend the Renewable Energy Directive and the Fuel Quality Directive
On 9 December 2014, the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council adopted without debate its first-reading position on the proposal to reduce the climate impact of biofuels by amending the Renewable Energy Directive and the Fuel Quality Directive, to reflect concerns over the sustainability and GHG-reduction benefits of some biofuels.
The second reading began on 21st January 2015. Negotiations are covered by the European Parliament Commitee on Environment, Public Health and Security (ENVI) under agenda item: “Amendment to the fuel quality directive and the renewable energy directive (Indirect Land Use Change) ENVI/8/00583”.
The Committee on Environment, Public Health and Security had previously published draft recommendations for the second reading.
The Committee on Industry, Research and Energy also discussed the amendment during its meeting on 22nd January 2015 and will liaise with ENVI, which is leading the negotiation process.
Some of the key areas of ongoing discussion are:
- Debate between the Council and the Parliament regarding:the 7% cap on “conventional” biofuels, and suggestions to reduce it to 6% (6.5% seems a possible compromise);
- The suggestion of a binding minimum of 2.5% advanced biofuels (It seems likely this may be reduced to around 1.5%);
- Committee discussions also included suggestions to extend the timeframe beyond 2020 to motivate investment in biofuels;
- Extending the list of raw materials in Annex 9;
- Whether iLUC should be included as a reporting obligation or as a calculation factor, both or neither.
The above points are based on reports from ongoing committee debates made available in the public domain, they should not be construed as any official position of the European Council, European Parliament or European Commission.
See also Communication from the European Commission regarding the position of the Council.
A policy event "Biodiesel Direct Advantages for Europe" took place in the European Parliament after the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety committee discussion on the iLUC proposals and brought together a wide spectrum of stakeholders. The EBB, EOA and FEDIOL called on EU decision makers to "safe guard existing investments from "the introduction of iLUC methodology, be it for reporting or accounting."
Previously, in June 2014, The EU Energy Council reached political agreement on the proposals. See: Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 98/70/EC relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels and amending Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources (first reading) - Political agreement
See also: Correction to the above document (this affects a single sentence).
See the EBTP "biofuels legislation" page for further background on the proposal.
Timetable for amendment and vote on RED/FQD proposal
- Deadline for tabling amendments is 27 January 2015
- Vote in ENVI Committee is scheduled for 24 February 2015
- Vote in the Plenary will take place around 2 April 2015
Implementation of Article 7a of the Fuel Quality Directive
The long running saga of Article 7a of the FQD continued in January.
The Fuel Quality Directive (FQD) requires a 6% reduction between 2010 and 2020 in the greenhouse gas intensity of all the petrol, diesel and biofuels used for transport. It has taken 5 years to reach an agreement among Member States on Article 7a regarding how best to calculate "well-to-wheel" Life cycle analysis of GHG emissions from fossil fuels.
On 6th October 2014, the EC published a proposal on Article 7a: COM (2014) 617 - Proposal for a Council directive on laying down calculation methods and reporting requirements pursuant to Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels.
On 15th January 2015 the European Parliament narrowly voted in support of a motion to reject the European Commission’s proposal to implement Article 7a. However the vote did not gain a sufficient qualified majority needed to block the proposal. 337 voted to reject the proposal, 325 MEPs supported it, 48 MEPs abstained.
On 15th December 2014, ePure published a press release outlining it's reaction to the EP vote and calling for stronger and longer-term rules for decarbonising transport fuels.
See also ePURE’s Position on FQD Art. 7a Implementation Proposal
4. Global progress on demonstration of advanced technologies at industrial scale
Innovative, integrated technologies for producing advanced biofuels from biomass are increasingly being demonstrated at industrial scale - from pretreatment to valorization of byproducts. The EBTP web site www.biofuelstp.eu includes weekly updates on hot topics relating to advanced biofuel "value chains" covering R&D&D on the principle thermochemical, biochemical and oleochemical pathways, as well as algae, biotechnology, process innovation, and related areas. Recent developments include:
Cellulosic ethanol
Cellulosic ethanol production continue to expand in Europe, and European companies are involved in the commercial facilities now operating in the US and Brazil (as outlined below).
In October 2014, Beta Renewables and BioChemtex announced an agreement with Energochemica SE for the construction of a 55,000 metric ton commercial facility in Strazske, Slovak Republic, to produce cellulosic ethanol from non-food biomass. The plant will use enzymes from Novozymes and yeast from Leaf Technologies.
In September 2014, Poet-DSM Advanced Biofuels LLC commenced production at the $275m 'Project Liberty' cellulosic ethanol facility. The plant will produce ~80 MMly per year of cellulosic ethanol from corn stover and cob, and shares infrastructure with the adjacent ~200 MMly ethanol plant.
Poet (US) and DSM (Netherlands) are in discussions with Suomen Bioetanoli Oy on how to utilize process, yeast and enzyme technology from the respective companies for conversion of cellulose to bioethanol in Finland. In December 2014, the Ministry of Employment and Economy in Finland granted €30m to Suomen Bioetanoli Oy to support development of a 90 MMly commercial cellulosic ethanol plant at Myllykoski.
In October 2014, Abengoa Bioenergy Biomass of Kansas held the official opening of its commercial plant at Hugoton producing 100ML of cellulosic ethanol and 21 MW of renewable energy from biomass (mixture of agricultural waste, non-feed energy crops and wood waste).
In December 2014, construction of the DuPont Cellulosic Ethanol LLC plant in Nevada, Iowa was nearing completion. The plant will produce ~120MMly of cellulosic ethanol from 590000 bales of corn stover. Murex LLC will market the ethanol. See Commercialising Advanced Renewable Fuel in Iowa for facts and figures.
Following a 20-month construction, Brazil's first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol plant at São Miguel dos Campos, Alagoas, began production in September 2014, with current production capacity of ~90 MMly. The cost of the plant was $190m with a further $75m spent on the co-generation system. The plant uses Beta Renewables / Biochemtex PROESA technology. Novozymes supplies the hydrolytic enzymes, and DSM yeasts are used for the fermentation.
In December 2014, production commenced at the $100 million, 40 MMly Raízen Energia S/A commercial Cellulosic Ethanol plant at the Costa Pinto sugarcane mill. The plant, uses technology developed by Iogen Energy, a joint venture of Raízen and Iogen Corp, to convert bagasse into ethanol. Enzymes are supplied by Novozymes.
Meanwhile, BP, UK, has announced that it will cease to develop its cellulosic ethanol technology [as reported in Biofuels Digest on 18th January 2015 and confirmed to the EBTP]:
“The current challenging external business environment is resulting in tough strategic choices having to be made by businesses across BP. In Biofuels, the decision has been taken to cease further development of BP’s proprietary ligno-cellulosic technology. While we believe there is value in the LC technology, we have chosen to focus our biofuels investment on building the profitability and scale of our sugarcane biofuels business in Brazil.This decision will affect ligno-cellulosic activities including a demonstration plant in Jennings, Louisiana, technology center in San Diego, the Highlands feedstock farm in Florida, as well as some activities in Brazil and centrally. We will now explore options to sell these assets and facilities. This decision does not affect our Vivergo bioethanol joint venture in the UK or our bio-butanol joint ventures Butamax and KRL.”
Biomass gasification
In December 2014, the commercialisation of biomass gasification technology in Europe took an important step forward when methane produced by GoBiGas was injected into the natural gas grid. The GoBiGas facility was inaugurated on 12 March 2014, and converts waste wood to SNG via gasification, followed by gas cleaning and methane production.
BtL
Commercialisation of BtL technology continues to be supported in the US. In October 2014, it was announced that Red Rock Biofuels had been awarded a $70m USDD biofuels contract to use woody biomass to produce ~50m litres of advanced biofuels using Velocys Fischer-Tropsch technology. Velocys is based near Oxford, UK, and in the United States.
In addition, in October 2014, it was announced USDA has reached an agreement with Silicon Valley Bank to provide a $91 million Biorefinery Assistance Program loan guarantee to Cool Planet to help the company complete construction of the commercial facility 'Project Genesis' in Alexandria to produce 10m gallons per years of renewable gasoline. A $168m investment for three production facilities in Louisiana was originally announced by Cool Planet in September 2013.
Pyrolysis
The UPM Lappeenranta Biorefinery, producing wood-based renewable diesel from forestry residue, started commercial production in January 2015. The biorefinery is located on the same site as the UPM Kaukas pulp and paper mill.
Advances in Pyrolysis technology and industrial-scale projects are regularly highlighted in the PyNe IEA Bioenergy Task 34 newsletter. The latest edition for January 2015 includes a feature on the success and progress of Ensyn, Canada.
Butanol
In January 2015, Green Biologics, Abingdon, UK, announced that it is developing a facility in the US using its Clostridium strains and novel fermentation process to produce Butafuel™ at commercial scale. Green Biologics announced it has raised $76m towards acquisition and conversion of a ~85 MMly plant (Central MN Ethanol Co-op) based in Little Falls, Minnesota. Initially the facility will continue to produce ethanol, but aims to start production of of n-butanol and acetone in 2016.
5. Update on EBTP-SABS support activities
The FP7 Coordination and Support Action (609607) EBTP-SABS 'Support for Advanced Biofuels Stakeholders' is approaching mid-term. A number of activities have been implemented in 2014 including the Barriers to Biofuels Consultation and Report, the 6th Stakeholder Plenary Meeting in October 2014, and an overhaul of the EBTP website and databases, developing new stakeholder contacts and links.
Ongoing activities in 2015 include:
- Supporting the Update to the Strategic Research Agenda for Biofuels in Europe
- Mapping of demonstrations and R&D on advanced biofuels in Europe and globally
- Developing profiles of biofuels projects, stakeholders and activities in individual countries
- Developing the deployment database - covering funding, legislation, support and promotional initiatives, financial support mechanisms, and so on - at national and EC level
- Production of fact sheets
- Planning for the next Stakeholder Plenary Meeting
- Continued dissemination of events, reports, RD&D updates, EC and national activities
The latest information is available on the EBTP website at http://www.biofuelstp.eu
Please contact EBTP-SABS with comments, feedback or information via info@ebtp-sabs.eu
6. Links to recent resources on biofuels benchmarking, global biofuels mandates, and the bioeconomy
Benchmarking biofuels - a comparison of technical, economic and environmental indicators
The above benchmarking biofuels article was published in Energy, Sustainability and Society 2014, 4:20 by Franziska Müller-Langer, Stefan Majer and Sinéad O’Keeffe. A selection of biofuel options (biodiesel, bioethanol, biomethane, hydrotreated vegetable oils and fats, lignocellulosic-based fuels) were characterised by their conversion technologies and stage of development. They were analysed, concerning technical (overall efficiency), economic (investments and biofuel production costs) and environmental aspects (GHG performance). Additionally, GHG mitigation costs were calculated with regard to the GHG-based biofuel quota.
Global impact of multinational biofuel mandates on land use, feedstock prices, international trade and land-use greenhouse gas emissions
M. Banse, F. Junker, A G Prins, E. Stehfest, A. Tabeau, G. Woltjer, H. v. Meijl - Landbauforschung Applied Agricultural and Forestry Research 2 2014 (64)59-72
This aticle analyzes the consequences of enhanced biofuel demand in regions and countries that have announced plans to implement or expand on biofuel policies. The analysis considers not only mandatory blending targets for transportation fuels, but also voluntary ones. The chosen quantitative modeling approach is two-fold: it combines a multi-sectoral economic model (LEITAP) with a spatial bio-physical land use model. This paper adds to existing research by considering biofuel policies in the EU, the US and various other countries with considerable agricultural production and trade, such as Brazil, India and China. Moreover, the combination of the two modeling systems allows for the observation of changes in both economic and bio-physical indicators. The results show that some indicators with high political relevance, such as agricultural prices and greenhouse gas emissions from land use, do not necessarily react proportionally to increasing demand for agricultural products from the biofuel sector. This finding should be considered when designing biofuel policies because these indicators are directly relevant for food security and climate change.
Global biofuels mandates
In December 2014, Biofuels Digest published a list of Biofuels Mandates for 64 countries aound the world covering the Americas, EU, Asia-Pacific and Africa. Mandates in the United States, China and Brazil currently have the biggest impact on global biofuels production.
European Bioeconomy Observatory
The European Bioeconomy Observatory, launched in 2014, provides the latest data and information about bioeconomy, including statistics on investments in research, policy mapping, bioeconomy country profiles, data visualisation and analytical reports. This online resource is managed by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC).
7. Biofuels events in 2015
Several biofuels conferences and symposia take place across Europe this Spring:
World Bio Markets 2015, Amsterdam
On 2 - 4 March 2015, World Bio Markets 2015 takes place in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
New Biofuels 2015 Symposium, Berlin
On 2 - 3 March 2015 the "New Biofuels 2015" Symposium takes place in
Berlin, Germany. The Symposium "New Biofuels 2015" is hosted by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) and the Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR). It aims to evaluate the state of the art in respect of biofuels that have not yet been launched on the market, and to discuss possible development lines. In addition to presenting the results of projects funded by the BMEL, the symposium will feature speeches by international and national experts.
21st ISAF International Symposium on Alcohol Fuels, Gwangju, Korea
On 10-14 March 2015 the 21st ISAF International Symposium on Alcohol Fuels takes place in Gwangju, Korea. The International Symposium on Alcohol Fuels (ISAF) is a non-profit international organization which gathers together specialists, technologists, executives and technical experts from alcohol, alcohol fuels, methanol, ethers and biofuel industries.
Algae Around the World Symposium, Cambridge
On 19 March 2015 an Algae Around the World Symposium will be held at Cambridge University, UK, presenting research into new applications for microalgae. This one-day symposium will consist of three parts:
1) Algal biotechnology research in the UK (in particular PHYCONET funded through BBSRC)
2) Algae in Northwest Europe: Results from the Energetic Algae project EnAlgae is an INTERREG-funded program, with the aim of investigating algal bioenergy pathways.
3) Exploring and exploiting diversity in polar algae
This session, led by the British Antarctic Survey, will showcase the metabolic and genetic variation of microalgae inhabiting some of the most hostile environments on earth, and how this might contribute to biotechnology in future.
Gasification 2015, Prague
On 25-26 March 2015 the Gasification 2015 conference takes place in Prague, Czech Republic, covering all aspects of gasification technology including production of biofuels.
Advanced Biofuels, Biorefinery and Bio-economy: A challenge for Central and East European Countries, Bratislava
On 25-27 March 2015 the ABBE 2015 CEI / JRC joint wokshop is being held in Slovakia, covering international initiatives and programmes in Advanced Biofuels and Bioefineries and other bioproducts. The workshop will discuss current reseach; biomass availability and sustainability; technologies and industrial scale-up; economic, environmental and social aspects; bio-economi policies, legislation and the role of governments; and country reports.
The event will conclude with working group discussions and preparation of recommendations on the way forward, and a final plenary discussion.
European Algae Biomass 2015, Amsterdam
On 22-23 April 2015, the European Algae Biomass 2015 conference in Amsterdam will have a heavy focus on case study examples of latest technologies in operation in the global algae industry. It will also discuss the technical challenges faced when optimising the cultivation of algae, and study the current and future commercial markets for algae products and the challenges faced during the commercialisation process including the views from three different end markets.
Joint EBTP / RHC Platform Workshop on Torrefaction, in conjunction with the 6th AEBIOM European Bioenergy Conference, Brussels
On 4-5 May 2015 the 6th AEBIOM European Bioenergy Conference taks place in Brussels, Belgium, including on 4th May a Joint Workshop on Torrefaction, will be held by the European Technology Platform on Renewable Heating & Cooling (RHC-Platform) and the European Biofuels Technology Platform (EBTP). More details to follow.
Topics to be covered by the AEBIOM Bioenegy Conference include:
- EU 2030 climate and energy framework - 27% target for RES
- EU Energy Security
- Biomass sustainability
- Air emissions
Final meeting of SECTOR: Production of Solid Sustainable Energy Carriers by Torrefaction, Leipzig
On 6-7 May 2015, the final meeting of the FP7 project SECTOR: Production of Solid Sustainable Energy Carriers by Torrefaction will convene in Leipzig.
This event will present the project results of he different work packages on torrefaction, densification, demonstration, logistics and end-use as well as potentials, value-chains and standardisation indifferent sessions. There will also be a panel discussion on the strategy and perspectives for market implementation of torrefied material. Additionally, participants are invited to join an excursion to the technical centre and biogas research plant of DBFZ (Deutsches Biomasseforschungszentrum gemeinnützige GmbH).
Other Biofuels and bioenergy Events in 2015
Full details and links are included in the EBTP website events database.
25-26 March 2015
Lignofuels Americas 2015
Milwaukee, WI, United
7-8 May 2015
2nd International Conference on Renewable Energy Gas Technology, REGATEC 2015
Barcelona, Spain
1-4 June 2015
EUBCE 2015: 23rd European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Vienna, Austria
10-11 June 2015
Oleofuels 2015
Frankfurt, Germany
23 June 2015
From bugs to business: Unlocking the Bioeconomy in Europe
Venue to be confirmed (See www.industrialbiotech-europe.eu).
25-27 August 2015
International Congress and Expo on Biofuels and Bioenergy
Valencia, Spain
26-29 October 2015
IEA Bioenergy Conference 2015
Berlin, Germany
8. Recent Reports on Advanced Biofuels and Related Topics
Links to a number of new biofuels reports have been added to the EBTP Reports Database. Links to biofuels presentations are also included on relevant pages of the EBTP website. Recent examples include:
Rapeseed - Opportunity or Risk for the future?!
UFOP
This concise report provides facts and figures on the cultivation and use of rapeseed and provides a more optimistic outlook on its continued use as a valuable feedstock for production of biofuels, feeds and other bioproducts in Europe.
Assessment of sustainability standards for biojet fuel
Ecofys on behalf of IATA
Contents of the report include:
- Overview of global legislation on biofuels
- Overview and comparison of relevant voluntary schemes (e.g. 2BSvs, Bonsucro EU, ISCC EU, RSB EU RED, RSPO-RED)
- Development of proposals for harmonisation
- Policy recommendations and next steps
Fertiliser and Biofuel Policies in the Global Agricultural Supply Chain: Implications for Agricultural Markets and Farm Incomes
von Lampe, M. et al., OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papers
This report analyses policies along the agricultural supply chain, in particular support measures for fertilisers and for biofuels. It uses the OECD Fertiliser and Biofuel Support Policies Database that covers polices in 48 countries (including the EU and its Members) and assesses the market effects of these policies with a computable general equilibrium model, MAGNET.
Materials from Pyrolysis and IEA Bioenergy seminars, October 2014
CLEEN, IEA Task 34, IEA Bioenergy, November, 2014
Pyrolysis seminar:
- IEA Task 34 on Pyrolysis, Douglas C Elliott, PNNL, USA
- Status of Joensuu demo plant, Joakim Autio, Valmet, Finland
- Status of Empyro pyrolysis plant in NL, Bert van de Beld, BTG, NL
- Bio-oil business in the dawn of commercialization, Jerkko Starck, Green Fuel Nordic, Finland
- Combustion of fast pyrolysis bio-oil, Marko Kylä-Sipilä, Oilon, Finland
IEA Bioenergy seminar
- IEA Bioenergy in a nutshell, Kai Sipilä, VTT & Marjatta Aarniala, Tekes
- High-value products from biomass residues and waste via gasification - Task 33, Ilkka Hannula, VTT
- Future directions for biogas, Jukka Rintala, Tampere University of Technology
- Climate impacts of bioenergy – what should bioenergy be compared with?, Sampo Soimakallio, VTT
- Developing International Bioenergy markets: challenges and opportunities for Finnish stakeholder, Tapio Ranta, LUT
- Biomass feedstocks for energy markets - strategies to compete with fossil fuels, Antti Asikainen, Metla
Greenhouse gas impact of marginal fossil fuel use
Ecofys on behalf of the European Oilseed Alliance (EOA), the European Biodiesel Board (EBB) and the European Vegetable Oil and Proteinmeal Industry (FEDIOL), November 2014
Study on Asian Potential of Biofuels Market
Edited by Kaoru Yamaguchi for Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia ERIA
This study focused on the Asian potential on the two types of biofuel - bioethanol and biodiesel. The objectives are to find the methods and policies for promoting the sustainable use of biofuels. The study is endorsed and supported by the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), with a Working Group (WG) set up to oversee and coordinate the study. The WG is composed of biofuel policymakers from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand; and researchers from The Institute of Energy Economics, Japan (IEEJ), who conducted the study and prepared the study report.
Future of the European Forest-Based Sector: Structural Changes Towards Bioeconomy
European Forest Institute
This report was mainly funded by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Agriculture and Food, as well as the Basque Government and the Cooperation Platform Forest Wood Paper (FHP), Austria. The purpose of this report is to provide an outlook of the European forest-based sector for the next 10–20 years.
Using Recent Land Use Changes to Validate Land Use Change Models
B. A. Babcock and Z. Iqbal, Centre for Agriculture and Rural Development, Iowa State University
Economics models used by California, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the EU Commission all predict significant emissions from conversion of land from forest and pasture to cropland in response to increased biofuel production. The models attribute all supply response not captured by increased crop yields to land use conversion on the extensive margin. However, this study concludes that the pattern of recent land use changes suggests that existing estimates of greenhouse gas emissions caused by land conversions due to biofuel production are too high because they are based on models that do not allow for increases in non-yield intensification of land use. Intensification of land use does not involve clearing forests or ploughing up native grasslands that lead to large losses of carbon stocks.
The State of the Biofuels Market: Regulatory, Trade and Development Perspectives
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
This reports updates the initial study carried out by UNCTAD on the state of the biofuels markets, which was first published in 2006. In doing so, this 2013 update attempts to cover the main developments since 2006 in the biofuels sector, examining issues of production in key countries and regions, international trade, consumption trends, as well as evolving regulatory and political debates on this important theme.
9. Recent news from other biofuels and bioenergy organisations
Recent newsletters from other biofuels and bioenergy organisations:
IEA Bioenergy Task 34 - Pyrolysis Newsletter: PyNe 36
Newsletter 38 from IEA Bioenergy Task 39
This issue features a Biofuels country update from the Netherlands, an update on Task 39’s ongoing work, and a short summary of some of other relevant news in the Biofuels area (such as the expansion of cellulosic ethanol in the US and Brazil).
Fourth issue 2014 of the IEA AMF Newsletter
Includes contributions from a team of authors in North America, Europe and Asia.
European Biogas Association (EBA) Newsletter: January 2015
The latest news, views, events and reports on biogas technology and market development in Europe.
This newsletter is produced on behalf of the EBTP by the EBTP-SABS project team, funded under FP7. The broad aim of EBTP-SABS is to enhance communciations and networking among Advanced Biofuels Stakeholders from research, industry, government, NGOs, feedstocks production, end use and related areas in all European countries.
The contents of this newsletter are copyright © EBTP-SABS 2015
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