Will biofuels emerge from the renewables shadows?
Despite ambitious transport fuel targets and strong growth in biofuel demand, bioenergy has failed to get the publicity it warrants
The International Energy Agency (IEA) labels bioenergy an industry blind spot, critical to the sector's evolution, but receiving less attention than it merits. The agency argues that the world's largest current source of renewable energy, and the one forecast to have the strongest five-year growth trend, deserves more prominence. The breadth of the sector is one factor in its relative obscurity—from wood and charcoal in developing world heating, through wood pellets and chips and agricultural wastes in power generation, to biofuels in the transport sector. Advanced biofuels, from sources as diverse as used cooking oil and genetically modified algae, add to the complexity. "Modern bioenergy i
Also in this section
23 April 2024
Europe must unlock cross-border CO₂ trade if it wants to build a viable CCS sector for the long term
16 April 2024
US and European oil majors snap up smaller players and look to accelerate development in a region deemed to possess all the key elements for successful CCUS deployment
15 April 2024
Demand for credits seen rising 20% this year despite issues around integrity and standardisation
11 April 2024
Volatile allowance prices and small size of voluntary market undermine ability to drive investment, says Oxford Institute for Energy Studies