The transport sector is one of the fastest growing, consumes around one-third of global energy, and offers some of the greatest potential to move the energy system into a post fossil-age. While the transition to a renewables-based electricity system is well underway, moving to a renewables-based transportation system is more challenging. Transportation has a lower share of renewable energy than any other sector of the economy. Recent analysis by IRENA shows that quadrupling the share of renewables in transportation – from about 3% at present to 11% or more in 2030 – is not only necessary, it is doable with existing technologies. In an article published last week by Huffington Post, IRENA Director General Adnan Z. Amin describes the three key steps that are necessary to achieve this target:
1) Accelerating the electrification of the transportation sector
By 2030, electric vehicles would represent about 10% of all passenger vehicles. Electric cars should become more and more affordable in order to drive consumer demand and this can be accomplished by achieving economies of scale as production increases. Availability and convenience of charging infrastructure is another essential requirement to drive consumer demand. Development of charging stations requires strong policy action.
2) Making the sustainable transportation choices easier
As the share of global population living in urban areas increases, achieving sustainable urban mobility is essential to reduce CO2 emissions and health-damaging pollutants. Planning of innovative mobility systems such as bike lanes, bike and car sharing, integrated public transports, would encourage people to reduce the use of private cars. At the same time, the creation and use of high-speed trains should be given incentives especially in inter-city transports.
3) Scaling up the production of advanced biofuels
Even with the full implementation of the above measures, liquid fuels will continue to be essential, especially in sectors such as aviation and heavy freight. For this reason, advanced biofuels are needed and their industrial deployment must be accelerated dramatically. By 2030, 40 new commercial-scale plants per year should be needed, and this will require aggressive national policies to create the necessary incentives.
The long-term prospects for advanced biofuels discussed at EUBCE 2016
To compete with petroleum-based gasoline and diesel fuel, advanced biorefineries will have to be built more cheaply, operate more efficiently, and produce more valuable co-products than we’d thought before. In view of concerns over food supplies and carbon sequestration, innovative strategies are needed to ensure that enough biomass feedstock can be sustainably produced on existing forest and farm lands. The technology status and market prospects for production of advanced liquid biofuels will be presented at the workshop “Long-Term Prospects for Advanced Liquid Biofuels”, organized jointly by IRENA and ETA-Florence on 7 June at the EUBCE 2016 in Amsterdam. Drawing upon perspectives of leaders in energy project finance, biofuel industry and the aviation industry for which advanced liquid biofuels will be vital to provide a sustainable long-term fuel supply.
