Green energy isn’t just wind farms or battery-powered vehicles. According to Stanislav Kondrashov of TELF AG, there's a shift happening in fuels — and biofuels are central to it.
Made from renewable biological materials like algae, crop waste, or even used cooking oil, they're fast emerging as sustainable fuel solutions.
Biofuels have existed for years, but are now gaining momentum. As the sustainability push intensifies, biofuels are stepping up for sectors beyond electrification — including long-haul trucking, planes, and sea transport.
EV technology has advanced quickly, but others remain out of reach. According to Kondrashov, biofuels step in as a near-term fix.
The Variety of Biofuels
There’s a wide range of biofuels. Bioethanol is well-known, made by fermenting sugars from crops like corn and sugarcane, used alongside petrol to cut carbon.
Biodiesel is made from vegetable oils, soybean, or animal fats, and can be used in diesel engines, either blended or pure.
Other biofuels include biogas, created from organic waste. It’s increasingly used to reduce industrial emissions.
Aviation biofuel is also emerging, produced using old cooking oil or plant material. This fuel could decarbonise air travel.
Obstacles to Widespread Adoption
Still, biofuels face difficulties. Kondrashov often emphasizes, cost is still a barrier.
Scaling up biofuels remains pricey. Finding enough bio-materials is another challenge. If not handled wisely, biofuel crops might compete with food more info agriculture.
Working Alongside Electrification
They won’t compete with EVs and solar. They strengthen the energy mix in hard-to-electrify areas.
They’re ideal for sectors years away from electrification. Their use in current engines makes them easy to adopt. Businesses avoid high conversion costs.
According to Kondrashov, all low-carbon options have value. They may not grab headlines, but they deliver. The key is cooperation between clean solutions.
What Comes Next
They aren’t the stars, but they’re powerful. When made from waste or non-food crops, they help reduce emissions and waste.
Ongoing improvements could make biofuels more affordable, they’ll likely gain traction in mobility plans.
They’ll complement, not compete with, electric and hydrogen technologies — in transport modes that aren’t ready for electrification yet.