BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 2. Bioenergy policies in the transport sector should be integrated into the overall decarbonization policy framework of transport, Trend reports via the latest publication from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
“The overall framework includes policies for the deployment of biofuels and other renewable options, such as mandates, financial and fiscal incentives, renewable fuel standards, support to [research, development, and demonstration] RD&D, as well as city level policies. It also includes the long-term strategy and targets and measures to ensure sustainability. Most importantly, policy makers should put biofuels in the bigger picture that considers the “Avoid-Shift-Improve” approach, supporting infrastructure and energy efficiency measures,” the agency said.
According to the report, in 2020, bioenergy accounted for around 3 percent of global transport fuel demand, primarily in road transport.
The role of bioenergy in decarbonization of road and maritime transport will need to be coordinated with other options, such as electric vehicles and other potential renewable fuels, such as green hydrogen or green ammonia, due to the limited use of biomass as feedstock and potential risks to sustainability, the IRENA explained.
As the agency estimates, electric vehicles are likely to dominate in road transport and will therefore be given high policy priority. In the short to medium term, liquid biofuels derived from waste and residues will continue to be a substitute for fossil fuels in existing internal combustion vehicles, before they are completely reduced in the market.
“A long-term strategy integrating transport with biofuels can ensure the confidence of investors, producers and users. The integrated strategy needs to incorporate road transport and biofuel use for aviation (both domestic and international) and shipping (e.g. inland shipping, fishing, and ocean-going vessels),” the IRENA noted.
The long-term strategy should also coordinate the use of biofuels derived from sustainable raw materials with electrification of road transport in the medium and long term. For example, biofuels may play a bigger role in aviation in the long term, and electric vehicles may dominate urban transport and light vehicles in many way, the report added.
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