Dublin, Ireland
July 11, 2008
In the European Union (EU),
transport is responsible for an estimated 21% of all greenhouse
gas emissions that are contributing to global warming and this
percentage is rising. In order to meet sustainability goals, in
particular the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions agreed
under the Kyoto Protocol, it is therefore essential to find ways
of reducing emissions from transport. In light of this
objective, along with diversifying fuel supply sources and
developing long-term replacements for fossil oil, the European
Commission proposed targets for biofuels in transport fuel by
2020 among the member states. This binding is a part of
long-term energy package, which includes an overall binding 20%
target for renewable energy. Under this, each member state will
have to establish National Action Plans for their specific
objectives and sectoral targets.
Biofuels have been produced on an industrial scale in Europe
since the 1990s but production significantly accelerated
starting in the early 2000s, largely in response to rising
petroleum prices and favorable legislation passed by EU
institutions and Member States. Biofuels have been promoted as
part of the EU strategy to encourage renewable energy and their
production and use has expanded rapidly. Although EU measures
have applied equally, most of the time, to biodiesel and
ethanol, biodiesel production has developed at a faster rate.
Biodiesel accounts for 80% of European biofuels production and
ethanol for the remaining 20%. European Union is by far the
biggest producer of biodiesel in the world and the reason for
the big share of biodiesel is that the majority of the cars in
the EU are diesel cars, and as such there is a diesel deficit.
The most important feedstock for EU biodiesel is rapeseed.
Despite producing a significant portion of global biodiesel and
increasing production of biofuel for transport, the EU faces a
number of significant challenges in the coming years. Most
important is the limited availability of land to cultivate
biodiesel input crops such as rapeseed, although Ukraine's EU
accession could help alleviate this constraint. A further
challenge is that even with the use of the most advanced
production technologies, biofuels produced in the EU are not
cost competitive with fossil fuels at current oil price levels.
New input crops and production methods could make biofuels more
competitive.
Key topics covered:
* European Energy Market
* Current Energy Scenario
* Future Energy Market
* Issues Concerning Energy Markets
* Role of Biofuels
* Future of Biofuels in Europe
* Market Drivers
* Climate Change
* Air Pollution
* High Oil Prices
* Energy Security
* Exhaustion of Fossil Fuels
* Issues to Biofuel Developments
* Costs
* Lack of Infrastructure
* Land Availability
* Need for more Public Support
* Policies and Regulations
* Incentives for Biofuel use
* Support from Regional Policy
* Aid for Energy Crops
* Country Reviews
* Government Policies
* Major Players
* Key Projects
* Case Study of Projects
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