Biofuels in Transport Conference

Hosted by the German Renewable Energy Agency, the one-day conference explored whether biofuel producers should focus on blending with conventional fossil-based transportation fuels or whether they should target specific sectors, such as aviation.  IRENA’s keynote address, which focused on key opportunities for renewables in transport, highlighted the growing potential for renewables in transportation through electric vehicles, as well as the increase in renewable energy integration in power grids.  The conference, which was attended by European policymakers and the public, provided IRENA with an opportunity to describe the role that liquid biofuels play in helping to achieve climate objectives, and that there are ways to produce feedstocks for these biofuels that are socially and environmentally sustainable.  In addition, participants better understood that blending mandates will survive only as long as internal combustion engines remain on the road, and that aviation is among the strongest niches for biofuels because its great requirements for energy density make it harder to electrify.