This brief focuses on technologies for the sustainable production of liquid biofuels.

Sustainable bioenergy could even out solar and wind variability and replace fossil fuels for industry, transport and buildings.

Este informe presenta los resultados de un taller de IRENA, celebrado en São Paulo en marzo de 2023, que exploró vías potenciales para el desarrollo de la bioenergía en América Latina y emitió recomendaciones clave para facilitar la creación de un mercado de bioenergía en la región.

This report presents the outcomes of an IRENA workshop, held in São Paulo in March 2023, that explored potential pathways for the development of bioenergy in Latin America and issued key recommendations to facilitate the creation of a bioenergy market in the region.

This collection aims to provide a reference for policy makers and practitioners working to scale up bioenergy in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Energy, agriculture, forestry, environment, finance and business experts all seek for solutions to provide energy and also enhance food security, social welfare and environmental sustainability.

Active forest management has helped to boost bioenergy resources. Swedish experience offers valuable lessons for emerging markets.

Advanced liquid biofuels are important for low-carbon transport development. A survey of industry executives highlights regulatory uncertainty as a key market barrier.

This study aims to estimate the potential for sustainable bioenergy production in Africa through such systems, based on the evaluation of yields for 15 short-rotation woody crops.

Methanol is essential for the chemical industry. Largely produced from fossil fuels, it can be made from sustainable, renewable-based energy sources.

Substantial potential exists to expand both food and fuel supply in a sustainable fashion. This report examines sustainable paths for biofuel development.

Biomass has an auspicious future in the world’s supply of renewable energy. REmap 2030, the global roadmap developed by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), foresees a major role for modern, sustainable biomass technologies in efforts to double the share of renewables in the energy mix.

Biomass Potential in Africa, a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the German Biomass Research Centre (DBFZ), compiles recent studies assessing bioenergy potential for the continent, compares their methodologies, benchmarks the results, and identifies the key parameters for those assessments.

This report offers detailed estimates of the biomass resource potential in Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda. With conversion to advanced liquid biofuels, sustainable biomass feedstock could potentially meet or exceed the five countries’ combined fuel needs for transport in 2050, according IRENA estimates.

This report examines the role of renewables in meeting growing energy needs in the agriculture sector in an inclusive and environmentally sustainable manner.

This report explores the options and actions needed to progress towards a decarbonised maritime shipping sector by 2050 identifying a realistic pathway to reach the 1.5°C climate goal.

The report suggests was to improve biogas data collection, including reducing survey costs, improving response rates, simplifying the data collected and using local knowledge about previous projects and programmes.

This technology brief from IRENA examines the multi-dimensional logistical challenges of establishing a steady supply chain for solid biomass.

Southeast Asia has considerable resources to produce liquid biofuels sustainably, using biomass feedstocks that would not cause carbon-dioxide emissions or interfere with food supply. This report offers detailed estimates of biomass resource potential for Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Viet Nam. According to an IRENA assessment, advanced biofuels could provide as much as 7.3 exajoules of primary energy per annum in Southeast Asia by 2050, or half of the region’s total primary bioenergy potential.

Switching to biogas as vehicle fuel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transport sector between 60% and 80% compared to fossil-based fuels like gasoline and diesel.

This field guide presents various methodologies for estimating biogas capacity, production and consumption. Such information can be integrated into national censuses, household surveys and energy surveys.

This IRENA/IEA-ETSAP technology brief provides technical background analyses the potential and barriers for market growth, and offers insights for policy makers on biomass for heat and power.

This technology brief examines the potential of bioethylene for the production of clean bio-ethanol and reduced impact of the chemical industry on the environment.

This brief focuses on biomass co-firing as a transition option towards a completely carbon-free power sector.

This series of technology briefs provides technical background information, analyses market potential and barriers and provides insights for policy makers on key types of renewable energy technology. The briefs, produced by IRENA in collaboration with the International Energy Agency’s Energy Technology Systems Analysis Programme (IEA-ETSAP), cover different technologies or processes:

This working paper reviews approaches to sustainable intensification of pastureland that have had a neutral or positive effect on biodiversity of the affected areas and provides examples through case studies.