Biofuels, derived from renewable biomass sources, have established a significant presence in the market, with ethanol and biodiesel leading the way. These conventional biofuels have benefited from supportive government policies and mandates, particularly in the United States, Brazil, and the European Union. However, concerns about food security and land use have prompted a shift towards advanced biofuels produced from non-food feedstocks and waste materials. Emerging as a promising complement to biofuels, e-fuels (also known as synthetic fuels or power-to-X fuels) are gaining attention for their potential to provide carbon-neutral liquid fuels. Produced by combining green hydrogen with captured carbon dioxide, e-fuels offer a way to store renewable electricity in a form compatible with existing infrastructure and engines.
The market for both biofuels and e-fuels is being shaped by a complex interplay of factors including technological advancements, policy support, and shifting consumer preferences. The aviation sector, in particular, is emerging as a key driver for sustainable fuel adoption, with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) becoming a focus for airlines and fuel producers alike. As production scales up and costs decrease, these sustainable fuels are expected to play an increasingly important role in decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors like long-distance transport and heavy industry.
This comprehensive market report provides an in-depth analysis of the global biofuels and e-fuels markets, covering the crucial period from 2025 to 2035. As the world seeks to decarbonize the transportation sector and reduce dependence on fossil fuels, biofuels and e-fuels are emerging as key players in the transition to sustainable energy.
Report contents include:
- Role of biofuels and e-fuels in decarbonization efforts, their comparison to fossil fuels, and their place in the circular economy. Analysis of government policies, market drivers, and challenges shaping the industry.
- Comprehensive market forecasts for liquid biofuels from 2020 to 2035, broken down by type and production.
- Sustainability aspects of biofuels, addressing concerns about land use, food security, and lifecycle emissions.
- Key industry developments from 2022 to 2024, providing insight into recent technological advancements, policy changes, and market trends.
- Biofuel Types and Technologies: Detailed analysis of various biofuel types, including solid, liquid, and gaseous biofuels, as well as conventional and advanced biofuels. The report covers production processes, feedstocks, and emerging technologies.
- Feedstock Analysis: biofuel feedstocks, from first-generation crops to advanced feedstocks like algae and waste materials. The report includes SWOT analyses for different feedstock categories.
- Hydrocarbon Biofuels: biodiesel, renewable diesel, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and bio-naphtha, including production processes, market trends, and key players.
- lcohol Fuels: biomethanol, bioethanol, and biobutanol markets, including production pathways, applications, and market forecasts.
- Biomass-Based Gas: biogas, biomethane, biosyngas, and biohydrogen, including feedstocks, production processes, and market applications.
- Chemical Recycling for Biofuels: emerging technologies for converting plastic waste and used tires into biofuels, including pyrolysis and gasification processes.
- E-Fuels: electrofuels (e-fuels), covering production pathways, market challenges, and key players in this emerging sector.
- Algae-Derived Biofuels: potential for algae-based biofuels, including production pathways, market challenges, and key players.
- Green Ammonia: green ammonia as a potential energy carrier and fuel, including production methods, applications, and market projections.
- Carbon Capture for Biofuels: technologies and market potential for producing biofuels from captured carbon dioxide, including direct air capture (DAC) processes.
- Company Profiles: Over 230 detailed company profiles covering key players across the biofuels and e-fuels value chain, from feedstock providers to technology developers and fuel producers. Companies profiled include Aduro Clean Technologies, Aemetis, Agra Energy, Agilyx, Air Company, Aircela, Algenol, Alpha Biofuels, AM Green, Andritz, APChemi, Apeiron Bioenergy, Aperam BioEnergia, Applied Research Associates (ARA), Arcadia eFuels, ASB Biodiesel, Atmonia, Avalon BioEnergy, Avantium, Avioxx, BASF, BBCA Biochemical & GALACTIC Lactic Acid, BDI-BioEnergy International, BEE Biofuel, Benefuel, Bio2Oil, Bio-Oils, BIOD Energy, Biofy, Biofine Technology, BiogasClean, Biojet, Bloom Biorenewables, BlueAlp Technology, Blue BioFuels, Braven Environmental, Brightmark Energy, bse Methanol, BTG Bioliquids, Byogy Renewables, C1 Green Chemicals, Caphenia, Carbonade, CarbonBridge, Carbon Collect, Carbon Engineering, Carbon Infinity, Carbon Neutral Fuels, Carbon Recycling International, Carbon Sink, Carbyon, Cargill, Cassandra Oil, Casterra Ag, Celtic Renewables, Cereal Process Technologies (CPT), CERT Systems, CF Industries Holdings, Chitose Bio Evolution, Circla Nordic, CleanJoule, Climeworks, CNF Biofuel, Concord Blue Engineering, Cool Planet Energy Systems, Corsair Group International, Coval Energy, Crimson Renewable Energy, C-Zero, D-CRBN, Diamond Green Diesel, Dimensional Energy, Dioxide Materials, Dioxycle, Domsjo Fabriker, DuPont, EcoCeres, Eco Environmental, Eco Fuel Technology, Electro-Active Technologies, Emerging Fuels Technology (EFT), Encina Development Group, Enerkem, Eneus Energy, Enexor BioEnergy, Eni Sustainable Mobility, Ensyn, EnviTec Biogas, Euglena, Firefly Green Fuels, Forge Hydrocarbons, FuelPositive, Fuenix Ecogy, Fulcrum BioEnergy, Galp Energia, GenCell Energy, Genecis Bioindustries, Gevo, GIDARA Energy, Graforce Hydro, Granbio Technologies, Greenergy, Green COP, Green Earth Institute, Green Fuel, Hago Energetics, Haldor Topsoe, Handerek Technologies, Hero BX, Honeywell, HutanBio, Hyundai Oilbank, Hy2Gen, Hydrogenious LOHC, HYCO1, HydGene Renewables, Ineratec, Infinitree, Infinium Electrofuels, Innoltek, Jet Zero Australia, Jilin COFCO Biomaterial, Jupiter Ionics, Kaidi, Kanteleen Voima, Khepra, Klean Industries, Krajete, Kvasir Technologies, LanzaJet, Lanzatech, Lectrolyst, Licella, Liquid Wind, Lootah Biofuels, Lummus Technology, LXP Group, Manta Biofuel, Mash Energy, Mercurius Biorefining, MOFWORX, Mote, Neogen, NeoZeo, Neste, New Hope Energy, NewEnergyBlue, NextChem, Nexus Fuels, Nordic ElectroFuel, Nordsol, Norsk e-Fuel, Nova Pangaea Technologies, Novozymes, Obeo Biogas, Oberon Fuels, Obrist Group, Oceania Biofuels, O.C.O, OMV, Opus 12 and many more.
Key Topics Covered:
- Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel
- Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)
- Bio-naphtha
- Biomethanol and Bioethanol
- Biogas and Biomethane
- E-fuels and Power-to-X Technologies
- Algae-based Biofuels
- Green Ammonia
- Carbon Capture and Utilization in Fuel Production
- Chemical Recycling of Waste to Biofuels
- Pyrolysis Oil and Bio-oils
- Refuse-Derived Fuels (RDF)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- 2.1. Decarbonization
- 2.2. Comparison to fossil fuels
- 2.3. Role in the circular economy
- 2.4. Government policies
- 2.5. Market drivers
- 2.6. Market challenges
- 2.7. Liquid biofuels market
- 2.7.1. Liquid biofuel production and consumption (in thousands of m3), 2000-2022
- 2.7.2. Liquid biofuels market 2020-2035, by type and production.
- 2.8. Sustainability of biofuels
3. INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS 2022-2024
4. BIOFUELS
- 4.1. Overview
- 4.2. The global biofuels market
- 4.2.1. Diesel substitutes and alternatives
- 4.2.2. Gasoline substitutes and alternatives
- 4.3. SWOT analysis: Biofuels market
- 4.4. Comparison of biofuel costs 2024, by type
- 4.5. Types
- 4.5.1. Solid Biofuels
- 4.5.2. Liquid Biofuels
- 4.5.3. Gaseous Biofuels
- 4.5.4. Conventional Biofuels
- 4.5.5. Advanced Biofuels
- 4.6. Refineries
- 4.7. Feedstocks
- 4.7.1. First-generation (1-G)
- 4.7.2. Second-generation (2-G)
- 4.7.2.1. Lignocellulosic wastes and residues
- 4.7.2.2. Biorefinery lignin
- 4.7.3. Third-generation (3-G)
- 4.7.3.1. Algal biofuels
- 4.7.3.1.1. Properties
- 4.7.3.1.2. Advantages
- 4.7.4. Fourth-generation (4-G)
- 4.7.5. Advantages and disadvantages, by generation
- 4.7.6. Energy crops
- 4.7.6.1. Feedstocks
- 4.7.6.2. SWOT analysis
- 4.7.7. Agricultural residues
- 4.7.7.1. Feedstocks
- 4.7.7.2. SWOT analysis
- 4.7.8. Manure, sewage sludge and organic waste
- 4.7.8.1. Processing pathways
- 4.7.8.2. SWOT analysis
- 4.7.9. Forestry and wood waste
- 4.7.9.1. Feedstocks
- 4.7.9.2. SWOT analysis
- 4.7.10. Feedstock costs
5. HYDROCARBON BIOFUELS
- 5.1. Biodiesel
- 5.1.1. Biodiesel by generation
- 5.1.2. SWOT analysis
- 5.1.3. Production of biodiesel and other biofuels
- 5.1.3.1. Pyrolysis of biomass
- 5.1.3.2. Vegetable oil transesterification
- 5.1.3.3. Vegetable oil hydrogenation (HVO)
- 5.1.3.3.1. Production process
- 5.1.3.4. Biodiesel from tall oil
- 5.1.3.5. Fischer-Tropsch BioDiesel
- 5.1.3.6. Hydrothermal liquefaction of biomass
- 5.1.3.7. CO2 capture and Fischer-Tropsch (FT)
- 5.1.3.8. Dymethyl ether (DME)
- 5.1.4. Biodiesel Projects
- 5.1.5. Recent market developments 2023-2024
- 5.1.6. Prices
- 5.1.7. Companies
- 5.1.8. Global consumption
- 5.2. Renewable diesel
- 5.2.1. Production
- 5.2.2. SWOT analysis
- 5.2.3. Global consumption
- 5.2.4. Prices
- 5.3. Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)
- 5.3.1. Description
- 5.3.2. Recent market developments
- 5.3.3. SWOT analysis
- 5.3.4. Global production and consumption
- 5.3.5. Production pathways
- 5.3.6. Prices
- 5.3.7. Sustainable aviation fuel production capacities
- 5.3.8. Challenges
- 5.3.9. Companies
- 5.3.10. Global consumption
- 5.4. Bio-naphtha
- 5.4.1. Overview
- 5.4.2. SWOT analysis
- 5.4.3. Markets and applications
- 5.4.4. Prices
- 5.4.5. Production capacities, by producer, current and planned
- 5.4.6. Production capacities, total (tonnes), historical, current and planned
6. ALCOHOL FUELS
- 6.1. Biomethanol
- 6.1.1. SWOT analysis
- 6.1.2. Methanol-to gasoline technology
- 6.1.2.1. Production processes
- 6.1.2.1.1. Biomethanol from Biogas Reforming
- 6.1.2.1.2. Biomethanol from Hydrothermal Gasification
- 6.1.2.1.3. Anaerobic digestion
- 6.1.2.1.4. Biomass gasification
- 6.1.2.1.5. Power to Methane
- 6.1.3. Methanol Synthesis Companies
- 6.2. Bioethanol
- 6.2.1. Technology description
- 6.2.2. 1G Bio-Ethanol
- 6.2.3. SWOT analysis
- 6.2.4. Alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) & alcohol-to-gasoline (ATG): methanol & ethanol
- 6.2.4.1. ATJ and ATG processes
- 6.2.4.2. Ethanol Feedstocks
- 6.2.4.3. Methanol-to-Gasoline (MTG) and Methanol-to-Jet (MTJ) processes
- 6.2.4.4. Companies
- 6.2.5. Cellulosic Ethanol Production
- 6.2.6. Sulfite spent liquor fermentation
- 6.2.7. Gasification
- 6.2.7.1. Biomass gasification and syngas fermentation
- 6.2.7.2. Biomass gasification and syngas thermochemical conversion
- 6.2.8. CO2 capture and alcohol synthesis
- 6.2.9. Biomass hydrolysis and fermentation
- 6.2.9.1. Separate hydrolysis and fermentation
- 6.2.9.2. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF)
- 6.2.9.3. Pre-hydrolysis and simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (PSSF)
- 6.2.9.4. Simultaneous saccharification and co-fermentation (SSCF)
- 6.2.9.5. Direct conversion (consolidated bioprocessing) (CBP)
- 6.2.10. Global ethanol consumption
- 6.3. Biobutanol
- 6.3.1. Production
- 6.3.2. Prices
7. BIOMASS-BASED GAS
- 7.1. Feedstocks
- 7.1.1. Biomethane
- 7.1.2. Production pathways
- 7.1.2.1. Landfill gas recovery
- 7.1.2.2. Anaerobic digestion
- 7.1.2.3. Thermal gasification
- 7.1.3. SWOT analysis
- 7.1.4. Global production
- 7.1.5. Prices
- 7.1.5.1. Raw Biogas
- 7.1.5.2. Upgraded Biomethane
- 7.1.6. Bio-LNG
- 7.1.6.1. Markets
- 7.1.6.1.1. Trucks
- 7.1.6.1.2. Marine
- 7.1.6.2. Production
- 7.1.6.3. Plants
- 7.1.7. bio-CNG (compressed natural gas derived from biogas)
- 7.1.8. Carbon capture from biogas
- 7.2. Biosyngas
- 7.2.1. Production
- 7.2.2. Prices
- 7.3. Biohydrogen
- 7.3.1. Description
- 7.3.2. SWOT analysis
- 7.3.3. Production of biohydrogen from biomass
- 7.3.3.1. Biological Conversion Routes
- 7.3.3.1.1. Bio-photochemical Reaction
- 7.3.3.1.2. Fermentation and Anaerobic Digestion
- 7.3.3.2. Thermochemical conversion routes
- 7.3.3.2.1. Biomass Gasification
- 7.3.3.2.2. Biomass Pyrolysis
- 7.3.3.2.3. Biomethane Reforming
- 7.3.4. Applications
- 7.3.5. Prices
- 7.4. Biochar in biogas production
- 7.5. Bio-DME
8. CHEMICAL RECYCLING FOR BIOFUELS
- 8.1. Plastic pyrolysis
- 8.2. Used tires pyrolysis
- 8.2.1. Conversion to biofuel
- 8.3. Co-pyrolysis of biomass and plastic wastes
- 8.4. Gasification
- 8.4.1. Syngas conversion to methanol
- 8.4.2. Biomass gasification and syngas fermentation
- 8.4.3. Biomass gasification and syngas thermochemical conversion
- 8.5. Hydrothermal cracking
- 8.6. SWOT analysis
9. ELECTROFUELS (E-FUELS)
- 9.1. Introduction
- 9.1.1. Costs
- 9.1.2. Benefits of e-fuels
- 9.1.3. Production pathways
- 9.2. Green hydrogen
- 9.2.1. Electrolyzer Technologies
- 9.3. CO2 capture
- 9.3.1. Overview
- 9.3.2. CO2 Capture Systems
- 9.3.3. Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology for e-fuel production
- 9.4. Syngas production
- 9.4.1. Overview
- 9.4.2. Syngas Production Technologies
- 9.4.2.1. Reverse Water Gas Shift (RWGS)
- 9.4.2.2. Direct Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis: CO2 to Hydrocarbons
- 9.4.2.3. Low-Temperature Electrochemical CO2 Reduction
- 9.4.2.4. Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOECs)
- 9.4.3. Solar power in E-Fuels
- 9.4.3.1. Overview
- 9.4.3.2. Key advantages
- 9.4.3.3. Projects
- 9.4.4. Companies
- 9.5. E-methane
- 9.5.1. Overview
- 9.5.2. Methanation
- 9.5.2.1. Thermocatalytic methanation
- 9.5.2.2. Biological methanation
- 9.5.2.3. Companies
- 9.6. E-methanol
- 9.6.1. Overview
- 9.6.2. E-Methanol Production
- 9.6.3. Direct methanol synthesis
- 9.6.4. Companies
- 9.7. SWOT analysis
- 9.8. Production
- 9.8.1. eFuel production facilities, current and planned
- 9.9. Electrolysers
- 9.10. Prices
- 9.11. Market challenges
- 9.12. Companies
10. ALGAE-DERIVED BIOFUELS
- 10.1. Technology description
- 10.2. CO2 capture and utilization
- 10.3. Conversion pathways
- 10.3.1. Macroalgae
- 10.3.2. Microalgae / Cyanobacteria
- 10.3.2.1. Microalgae cultivation for biofuel production
- 10.3.2.2. Open cultivation systems
- 10.3.2.3. Closed photobioreactors (PBRs)
- 10.3.3. Companies
- 10.3.4. Projects
- 10.4. SWOT analysis
- 10.5. Production
- 10.5.1. Algal Biofuel Production
- 10.6. Market challenges
- 10.7. Prices
- 10.8. Producers
11. GREEN AMMONIA
- 11.1. Production
- 11.1.1. Decarbonisation of ammonia production
- 11.1.2. Green ammonia projects
- 11.2. Green ammonia synthesis methods
- 11.2.1. Haber-Bosch process
- 11.2.2. Biological nitrogen fixation
- 11.2.3. Electrochemical production
- 11.2.4. Chemical looping processes
- 11.3. SWOT analysis
- 11.4. Blue ammonia
- 11.4.1. Blue ammonia projects
- 11.5. Markets and applications
- 11.5.1. Chemical energy storage
- 11.5.1.1. Ammonia fuel cells
- 11.5.2. Marine fuel
- 11.6. Prices
- 11.7. Estimated market demand
- 11.8. Companies and projects
12. BIOFUELS FROM CARBON CAPTURE
- 12.1. Overview
- 12.2. CO2 capture from point sources
- 12.3. Production routes
- 12.4. SWOT analysis
- 12.5. Direct air capture (DAC)
- 12.5.1. Description
- 12.5.2. Deployment
- 12.5.3. Point source carbon capture versus Direct Air Capture
- 12.5.4. Technologies
- 12.5.4.1. Solid sorbents
- 12.5.4.2. Liquid sorbents
- 12.5.4.3. Liquid solvents
- 12.5.4.4. Airflow equipment integration
- 12.5.4.5. Passive Direct Air Capture (PDAC)
- 12.5.4.6. Direct conversion
- 12.5.4.7. Co-product generation
- 12.5.4.8. Low Temperature DAC
- 12.5.4.9. Regeneration methods
- 12.5.5. Commercialization and plants
- 12.5.6. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) in DAC
- 12.5.7. DAC plants and projects-current and planned
- 12.5.8. Markets for DAC
- 12.5.9. Costs
- 12.5.10. Challenges
- 12.5.11. Players and production
- 12.6. Carbon utilization for biofuels
- 12.6.1. Production routes
- 12.6.1.1. Electrolyzers
- 12.6.1.2. Low-carbon hydrogen
- 12.6.2. Products & applications
- 12.6.2.1. Vehicles
- 12.6.2.2. Shipping
- 12.6.2.3. Aviation
- 12.6.2.4. Costs
- 12.6.2.5. Ethanol
- 12.6.2.6. Methanol
- 12.6.2.7. Sustainable Aviation Fuel
- 12.6.2.8. Methane
- 12.6.2.9. Algae based biofuels
- 12.6.2.10. CO2-fuels from solar
- 12.6.3. Challenges
- 12.6.4. SWOT analysis
- 12.6.5. Companies
13. BIO-OILS (PYROLYSIS OIL)
- 13.1. Description
- 13.1.1. Advantages of bio-oils
- 13.2. Production
- 13.2.1. Biomass Pyrolysis
- 13.2.2. Plastic Waste Pyrolysis
- 13.2.3. Catalytic Pyrolysis of Plastic
- 13.2.4. Costs of production
- 13.2.5. Upgrading
- 13.3. Pyrolysis reactors
- 13.4. SWOT analysis
- 13.5. Applications
- 13.6. Bio-oil producers
- 13.7. Prices
14. REFUSE-DERIVED FUELS (RDF)
- 14.1. Overview
- 14.2. Production
- 14.2.1. Production process
- 14.2.2. Mechanical biological treatment
- 14.3. Markets (238 company profiles)
16. REFERENCES