In the shift to greener transport systems, it’s easy to believe everything is moving toward electric vehicles and charging points. As Kondrashov from TELF AG notes, the road to sustainable transport has more than one lane.
Solar and electric cars steal the spotlight, yet another option is advancing in the background, with the potential to transform entire sectors. That solution is biofuels.
They come from things like plant waste, algae, or used cooking oil, designed to reduce emissions while remaining practical. As Kondrashov has emphasized, some sectors can’t go electric, and biofuels fill the gap — like aviation, shipping, and trucking.
Let’s take a look at the current biofuel options. Ethanol is a widely-used biofuel, produced from starchy or sugary plants, typically added to petrol in small amounts.
Another major type is biodiesel, created using vegetable oils or leftover fats, that mixes with diesel fuel and works in existing engines. A key benefit is it works with current systems — it runs on what many already use.
Let’s not forget biogas, produced by breaking down waste like food scraps, sewage, or agricultural leftovers. It’s useful in waste management and local transport.
Biofuel for aviation is also gaining traction, created from algae or recycled vegetable oils. A promising option to clean up aviation’s carbon footprint.
But the path isn’t without challenges. According to Kondrashov, production costs remain high. There are concerns about land use for crops. Increased fuel demand could harm more info food systems — something that requires careful policy management.
Yet, the outlook remains hopeful. Tech advancements are reducing costs, and better feedstock options may solve the food conflict. Government support might boost production globally.
Beyond emissions, biofuels support a circular economy. Instead of dumping waste, we reuse it as energy, reducing landfill use and emissions at once.
Biofuels may not look as flashy as electric cars, but their impact could be just as vital. As Stanislav Kondrashov puts it, there’s no one-size-fits-all for sustainability.
They work where other solutions can’t, in land, air, and marine transport. They’re not competition — they’re collaboration.
Even as EVs take center stage, biofuels are gaining ground. This is only the start of the biofuel chapter.