Biofuel Usage

There is a lot of debating about the green credentials of biofuels as critics claim that producing them in fact may lead to more carbon emissions due to several factors, including deforestation. Controversy notwithstanding, biofuel usage is increasing due to political support.

Take the example of Sweden, which has adopted measures to boost biofuel usage. The Scandinavian country gives free parking and congestion charge to those whose car runs on biofuels. In the UK a mandate says biofuels must account for 2.5% of transport fuel supplier's sales by volume while in Germany a 1.2% biodiesel blend is obligatory. Across the European continent the number of stations selling biofuels is increasing as a consequence of the European Biofuels Directive, which will see biofuel usage account for 5.75% of the market by 2010.

Brazil is an example of a country leading the way in biofuel usage. Two thirds of the country's light fleet is flex fuel and more recently the government announced that as of January 2010 the country's fleet of diesel fuel vehicles will be required to run on a 5 percent biodiesel blend, up from 4 percent at present. The raise is expected to boost biodiesel production levels to 2.4 billion liters (634 million gallons) in 2010. Three quarters of the light vehicles in Brazil, or 15.4 million units, currently run on a blend of 25% ethanol (sugar cane biofuel).

Biofuel usage is set to get a further boost when the aviation industry gets in the act.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently announced it is looking for a biofuel for its commercial flights and that it would be certified by the end of 2010. Biofuel usage is part of the aviation industry's attempts to reduce carbon emissions.