Time for a European shift on renewable ethanol

If there’s anything we’ve learned from the last two years of EU climate and energy policy, it’s that Europe needs a new way to think about biofuels and their contribution to transport de-fossilization—as well as the strategic importance of ethanol production. As the EU enters a new political cycle with European Parliament elections and a new Commission in 2024, there is some cause for optimism.

At the recent World Ethanol and Biofuels Conference in Brussels, several speakers noted the promising path ahead for ethanol demand worldwide, even if the markets will change and European biofuel regulations sometimes lack coherence. For example, more EU countries have adopted E10 (despite holdouts such as Spain and Italy) and there is growing interest from auto manufacturers in higher ethanol blends like E20. There is also growing interest in using ethanol as a feedstock in the biopolymers industry. These kinds of shifts are essential if the EU wants to achieve its goals for climate change mitigation, food security and energy independence.

Read the latest article from ePURE's David Carpintero in Ethanol Producer Magazine.