Behind Biofuels

I. The problem:

Increased demand for biofuels could have significant long-term impacts on several commodity markets. Current disputes on this issue (with rising prices in today's markets) require responsible policy.

II. The objective:

Introduction of efficient and low-disturbing policy options that enhance biofuels while minimizing the impacts on e.g. food and feed markets and biomass for power and heat.

III. The activities:

Review of current experiences with biofuels and other renewable energy policies and their impacts on other markets; Iterative stakeholder-supported development of low disturbing biofuels policies;
Model-supported evaluation of these policies' impacts on food & feed and lignocellulosic markets; Assessment of selected optimal policies' impact on biofuels development, potentials and costs.

IV. Your role:

a. Help us in finding more appropriate policies
b. Let us help you in defining threats as well as synergies associated with increased market presence of biofuels

List of participants

  1. ECN (Energy research Centre of the Netherlands/Energieonderzoek Centrum Nederland)
  2. VITO (Vlaamse instelling voor technologisch onderzoek N.V.)
  3. CLN
  4. CIEMAT (Centro de Investigaciones Energeticas, MedioAmbientales y Technologicas)
  5. COWI (COWI A/S)
  6. IIASA (International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis)
  7. CHALMERS (Chalmers tekniska hoegskola AB)

The Elobio project is finished, please refer to the publications section for the project deliverables.


Biofuels are liquid or gaseous fuels derived from biomass for use in the transport sector. The most commonly used biofuels today are biodiesel and bioethanol. They can be produced from a variety of agricultural feedstocks and woody biomass. In Europe, the most commonly used raw materials are:
- Wheat and sugar beet for ethanol
- Rapeseed and sunflower oil for biodiesel
Other feedstocks include: maize, palm oil, soybean oil etc. In the mid-term, more advanced, 2nd generation biofuels such as advanced ethanol, FT-diesel and DME are expected to have the best prospects.

more about biofuels