Biofuels in the European Context

A comprehensive 'Well-to-Wheels Analysis of Future Automotive Fuels and Powertrains in the European Context' has been jointly produced by the Institute for Environment and Sustainability of the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, EUCAR (European Council for Automotive Research) and CONCAWE (European oil industry technical collaboration organisation for environment, health and safety). The first version of the study was adopted as reference for studies by DG-TREN (European Commission Directorate General for Energy and Transport) and IEA (International Energy Authority). In the second version, new aspects were added in the biofuels section: - Comparison of imported and EU-produced ethanol - The black liquor gasification route for making transport fuels in wood pulp mills - Compressed biogas as transport fuel - Updated data in many pathways, especially wheat to ethanol - Refinement of availability and especially cost estimates - Refined estimates of nitrous oxide emissions from biomass crops at EU level - Discussion of competitive uses for biomass - Estimate of cost-to-EU of replacing various proportions of transport fuel with biofuels The study considers all routes to alternative road transport fuels with a significant potential in 2010-2020. For biofuels, this includes: - FAME (biodiesel) from rapeseed and sunflower seed - ethanol from wheat, sugar beet and lignocellulose - hydrogen, DME, methanol and FT liquids from lignocellulose - compressed biogas Lignocellulose comprises farmed wood (or grasses), and woody wastes (including straw). A wide range of automotive power-trains is considered. The study gives energy balance, GHG emissions, availability and costs for each combination. It aims for complete transparency: all input data is specified and referenced, and all assumptions needed to make the calculations are explicitly stated. Wherever possible, primary data from industry sources has been used.

EDWARDS Robert;  VIGNALI Marinka; 

2008-09-15

University of Jordan

JRC33944

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC33944,