Biofuels shift toward agricultural residues to reduce emissions

The maritime and transport sectors are increasingly looking toward advanced biofuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To avoid competition with food crops like corn, wheat, and sugarcane, there is a growing emphasis on using bio-residues and waste products from agricultural, forestry, and food-processing industries.

In the maritime sector, regulations such as Fuel EU Maritime and the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III) provide incentives for using residues like used cooking oil, animal fat, and lignocellulosic materials. These act as ‘drop-in’ replacements for conventional oils. While the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has discussed a Net Zero Framework involving GHG pricing, administrations remain divided on its implementation. Currently, approximately 89.8% of in-service shipping tonnage relies on oil fuels, necessitating the use of fuels like fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) or hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) for decarbonization.

In France, biofuels like E85 and E10 are widely used in gasoline, with ethanol making up the vast majority of the volume. Much of this is currently derived from food crops, but the development of ‘advanced’ biofuels from waste is seen as a key strategy to balance energy needs with food security.