The challenge of biofuels

Oct 2008

It is difficult to know how much ethanol will be needed in countries that already adopted blend mandates but it is estimated at least 1 billion gallons.
Brazil already replaces 20–25% of its gasoline with ethanol, and the introduction of flex-fuel cars means circa 50% of gasoline is now replaced by ethanol.
If the mandates adopted by different countries are met ethanol will replace at least 10% of the gasoline used worldwide by 2022 and the amount of ethanol needed will triple to 30 billion gallons per year, excluding the 21 billion gallons expected to come from cellulosic materials.
Such large demand and the corresponding use of agricultural land needed for its production has as generated a number of objections to the use of biofuels, and the main ones, according to the author, would be:
I. Competition for land for fuel ‘‘versus’’ land for food is causing famine in the world and deforestation of the Amazonia and other tropical forests.
II. On a life cycle basis biofuels do not reduce GHG emissions.
III. Biofuels are only viable in ‘‘niches’’; the Brazilian experience is unique.
IV. Only subsidized production of biofuels is possible.
It is argued here that such concerns are grossly exaggerated and correspond to a simplistic and frequently skewed interpretation of what is really happening in this field.

By: J. Goldemberg

 
download this document:   106 kb
home