New audit reveals EU renewable ethanol industry makes more food than fuel

Independently certified data from European producers show significant production of food, feed and captured biogenic CO₂ along with renewable fuel in 2025, underlining strategic importance of domestic ethanol biorefineries

BRUSSELS, 22 September – European ethanol biorefineries produced more food and animal feed than fuel in 2025, according to audited data released today by ePURE, the European renewable ethanol association.

ePURE members - representing 85% of EU installed ethanol production capacity - and other European producers of renewable ethanol produced 6.61 million tonnes of food and feed co-products and 5.32 million tonnes of renewable ethanol last year, according to the audit.

European renewable ethanol biorefineries also produced 1.15 million tonnes of captured biogenic CO₂, which replaces fossil CO₂ in various industrial applications including beverages and greenhouses. Domestically produced biogenic CO₂ will also be of increasing importance as one of the main feedstocks for the production of e-fuels.

“At a time when food security, energy independence and industrial autonomy are of vital strategic and economic importance, Europe needs domestic renewable ethanol production more than ever,” said Laurent Donceel, Secretary General of ePURE, the European renewable ethanol association. “Forget the ‘food vs. fuel’ nonsense. With European ethanol biorefineries, fuel is a byproduct of food and feed production.”

Nearly all of the crops used by the audited biorefineries were grown by European farmers. 82.5% of the renewable ethanol produced was for fuel use. Of the remaining ethanol production, 10.4% was for industrial use including hand sanitiser, and 7.1% was for food and beverage use.

The audit also showed record-high GHG-saving performance of European producers’ ethanol – 82% on average compared to fossil petrol. This continually improving carbon intensity score confirms the importance of European renewable ethanol as a domestic solution to reducing emissions from petrol and hybrid cars.

ePURE represents 40 member companies and associations with around 50 plants across the EU and UK. The statistics were compiled from ePURE members and other European renewable ethanol producers and certified by auditing firm Copartner.

For more ethanol statistics from 2025, download our full infographic here.

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