Biofuel

The impact of the U.S. renewable fuel standard on food and feed prices

This briefing paper reviews evidence of the impacts of the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) on food prices, with a focus on corn and soy, and presents new analysis on the impact of the RFS on U.S. livestock farmers. Studies examining the relationship between food prices and biofuel demand conclude …

Burning land, burning the climate: the biofuel industry's capture of EU bioenergy policy

There is overwhelming evidence of the harm caused by the European Union’s current bioenergy policy to people in developing countries, to the climate and to Europe’s own sustainable development. The policy is on a collision course with the Paris climate agreement and the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. This …

Innovation outlook: advanced liquid biofuels

IRENA’s Renewable Energy Innovation Outlook series analyses the emerging developments making renewable energy technologies (RETs) increasingly competitive in the world’s energy markets and systems. Renewable mini-grids, offshore wind technologies, advanced liquid biofuels, and ocean energy technologies open the series, with other key technologies, infrastructure, applications and products to follow. The …

Bioethanol in Africa: a case for technology transfer and South-South cooperation

Sustainable biofuels have an important role to play in Africa’s development. Sugarcane bioethanol is currently the most cost-effective commercial biofuel and has the highest energy balance. The bioethanol industry, like sugar production, has matured in technological terms. Yet processes could be optimised and productivity further improved, with more efficient use …

The renewable route to sustainable transport

Energy use in transport accounts for around one-third of global final energy consumption, and demand is growing rapidly, at about 1% annually. Transport has the lowest renewable energy share of any sector, making progress in this area crucial for the global transition to a sustainable energy system. Recognising the sector’s …

Biofuels policy in Indonesia: overview and status report

A summary of the history and current state of biofuels policy in Indonesia, highlighting the tension between the country’s renewable energy policy and the ambition in reducing its carbon emissions. Increasing domestic use of palm oil biodiesel is a pressing strategic issue for Indonesia. As the world’s 15th-largest motor vehicle …

Sustainable fuelwood management in West Africa

Climate change, sustainably managed renewable raw materials and energy from biomass are some of the major challenges facing mankind in the 21st century. Globally, wood is the most important locally available renewable energy source for the human population. In Africa, fuelwood and charcoal production is the dominant use of woody …

Scientists discover new method to turn carbon monoxide into biofuel

A gasoline station attendant pumps diesel into a car at a filling station on March 23, 2010 in Berlin, Germany. Scientists have discovered a way to convert lethal carbon monoxide gas into a biofuel. Scientists have found a way to make the biofuel ethanol, using a bacteria that feeds on …

US-India join hands in exploring petroleum and energy sector

Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan met his American counterpart, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to discuss issues in petroleum and energy sector. The United States and India have agreed to take several key steps in petroleum and energy sector, aimed towards achieving the ambitious goal …

Ecological impacts of palm oil expansion in Indonesia

Reviews the environmental impacts of palm oil production for biofuel in Indonesia, including greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, and air and water pollution. Palm oil is the most widely used vegetable oil in the world and is a major feedstock for biodiesel and renewable diesel globally. Indonesia is the world’s leading …

OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2016-2025

The recent period of high agricultural commodity prices is most likely over, say the OECD and FAO in their latest 10-year Outlook. But the two organisations warn of the need to be vigilant as the probability of a major price swing remains high. The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2016-2025, published today, …

Fueling development: sugarcane expansion impacts in Brazil

With the growing effort to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and the inevitable shift towards renewable energy, sugarcane and ethanol production are forecast to expand worldwide. This paper studies the multiple local impacts of the sugar, ethanol and bioelectricity producing mills in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, where …

Fueling development: sugarcane expansion impacts in Brazil

With the growing effort to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and the inevitable shift towards renewable energy, sugarcane and ethanol production are forecast to expand worldwide. This paper studies the multiple local impacts of the sugar, ethanol and bioelectricity producing mills in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, where …

From green slime to jet fuel: algae offers airlines a cleaner future

As airlines struggle to find cleaner ways to power jets and with an industry-wide meeting on CO2 emissions just months away, scientists are busy growing algae in vast open tanks at an Airbus site at Ottobrun, near Munich. The European aerospace group is part-financing the Munich Technical University project to …

BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2016

The BP Statistical Review of World Energy provides high-quality objective and globally consistent data on world energy markets. The 65th edition of the BP Statistical Review of World Energy sets out energy data for 2015, revealing a year in which significant long-term trends in both the global demand and supply …

Potential for advanced biofuel production from palm residues in Indonesia

Indonesia’s goals of national greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction and biofuel production could be pursued synergistically through the promotion of more sustainable palm oil and biofuel production practices. One strategy to produce low-carbon renewable energy is to create advanced biofuel from unused palm residues. Biofuel made from palm fronds, trunks, …

Fuel From 'Bionic Leaf' Can Lessen Pressure on Farmlands, Scientists Say

Researchers from Harvard University have managed to have developed a new clean technology to drastically turn sunlight into fuel. This could shrink the need for large plantations to grow crops for biofuels, while fighting climate change at the same time. According to CS Monitor, researchers compare their invention with the …

Tracking Clean Energy Progress 2016

The annual Tracking Clean Energy Progress (TCEP) report highlights the development and deployment of key clean energy technologies year on year. An excerpt of the publication Energy Technology Perspectives (ETP), which lays out pathways towards a sustainable energy system in 2050, this comprehensive overview tracks the evolution of select technologies …

KSRTC to run 1,700 buses on biofuel from June 5

The move would also save money for the corporation as it gets a rebate of Rs five per litre of biofuel. To cut down the emission of greenhouse gases, the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) will roll out buses running on biodiesel from June 5 (world environment day). The …

Prospecting for energy-rich renewable raw materials: Sorghum stem case study

Sorghum vegetative tissues are becoming increasingly important for biofuel production. The composition of sorghum stem tissues is influenced by genotype, environment and photoperiod sensitivity, and varies widely between varieties and also between different stem tissues (outer rind vs inner pith). Original Source

Land grabbing and human rights: the involvement of European corporate and financial entities in land grabbing outside the European Union

In early research on land grabbing, the initial focus was on foreign companies investing abroad, with a particular focus on those based in countries such as China,Gulf States, South Korea, and India. In recent years, it has become evident that the range of countries land investors originate in is far …

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