Biofuels (2025)
Summary
Biofuels, derived from the combustion or processing of biomass—a sustainable energy resource, represent a significant pathway toward facilitating the worldwide shift to renewable energy. This report focuses on examining the prospects for renewable fuels such as renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which are types of biofuels manufactured from inedible biomass sources. Government policies and international regulations are driving biofuel adoption across multiple sectors, but policy support remains uneven globally. Many countries have implemented mandates for blending biofuels with gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel to curb emissions. Even in shipping, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is promoting biofuel use, while aviation sector is also gaining regulatory momentum. However, policy approaches vary widely around the world.
The oil and gas industry’s energy transition must incorporate transition fuels and low-carbon energy sources within their portfolios to reduce their carbon footprint. This includes the use of biofuels, either directly or through blending with petroleum fuels to help decarbonize the transportation sector. Although biofuels are predominantly used in transportation, they also have other applications, including heating and aviation. Unlike conventional fuels, biofuels are produced mostly from plants and animal sources, which can be replenished quickly.
Scope
- The oil and gas industry’s energy transition must incorporate transition fuels and low-carbon energy sources within their portfolios to reduce their carbon footprint.
- This includes the use of biofuels, either directly or through blending with petroleum fuels to help decarbonize the transportation sector.
- Although biofuels are predominantly used in transportation, they also have other applications, including heating and aviation.
- To understand the purview of biofuels theme within GlobalData’s Energy Transition Framework.
- Identify the key industry, technology, and macroeconomic trends impacting the biofuels theme.
- Overview of technologies used to produce renewablw fuels.
- Understand the biofuels value chain and the key players in it.
- Includes a snapshot of industry signals such as deals, patents, hirings, and company fillings related to biofuels theme.
- Identify and benchmark key oil and gas companies; and oilfield and services companies based on their competitive positioning in the biofuels theme.
- Executive Summary
- Players
- Technology Briefing
- Biofuels are a key component of the energy transition
- Defining biofuels
- Types of biofuels
- Ethanol
- Biodiesel
- Renewable diesel
- Sustainable aviation fuel
- Applications of biofuels
- Advantages and disadvantages of biofuels
- Biofuel production process
- Pretreatment
- Conversion
- Chemical
- Biomass – the key raw material for biofuels
- Trends
- Industry trends
- Technology trends
- Regulatory trends
- Regulations by region
- Industry Analysis
- Global biofuel production and consumption outlook
- Renewable refineries: investments, trends, operational updates
- Renewable refineries: upcoming projects
- Competitive landscape
- Timeline
- Signals
- M&A trends
- Venture financing trends
- Patent trends
- Company filing trends
- Value Chain
- Biomass sources
- Pre-treatment
- Conversion
- Storage and distribution
- End-use industries
- Companies
- Renewable fuel producers
- Glossary
- Further Reading
- GlobalData reports
- Our Thematic Research Methodology
- About GlobalData
- Contact Us
- List of Tables
- Table 1: Biomass – the key raw material for biofuels
- Table 2: Industry trends
- Table 3: Technology trends
- Table 4: Regulations by region
- Table 5: Renewable refineries: upcoming projects
- Table 6: The key M&A transactions associated with the biofuels theme since 2023
- Table 7: The key venture financing deals associated with the biofuels theme
- Table 8: Renewable fuel producers
- Table 9: Glossary
- Table 10: GlobalData reports
- List of Figures
- Figure 1: Who are the leading players in the biofuels theme, and where do they sit in the value chain?
- Figure 2: The transportation sector accounts for nearly half of global crude oil demand
- Figure 3: GlobalData’s thematic framework for the energy transition
- Figure 4: A wide range of organic matter can be processed into biofuels
- Figure 5: Types of biofuels
- Figure 6: Applications of biofuels
- Figure 7: Advantages and drawbacks of biofuels
- Figure 8: The transportation sector accounted for nearly half of global demand for petroleum products
- Figure 9: Biofuel demand will shift to aviation and maritime fuels by 2030
- Figure 10: Supply for biofuels is anticipated to grow at a steady rate
- Figure 11: Renewable refinery capacity is anticipated to more than double
- Figure 12: roduction capacity for standalone renewable refineries is anticipated to grow
- Figure 13: Besides the US, Panama, Brazil, and China could emerge as major suppliers of renewable fuels
- Figure 14: Active and upcoming breakdown of renewable refineries capacity by region, 2025-2030
- Figure 15: Leading Finnish refiner Neste has also made its mark on the renewable fuels market
- Figure 16: Oil and gas company rankings
- Figure 17: The biofuels story
- Figure 18: M&A activity in the biofuels industry has grown in recent years
- Figure 19: The acceleration of biofuel-related venture capital financing activity started in 2019
- Figure 20: IFP Energies and BASF led in patents activity on biofuels
- Figure 21: illing mentions for the biofuels theme has seen a downtick
- Figure 22: he biofuels value chain
- Figure 23: The biofuels value chain - Pre-treatment
- Figure 24: The biofuels value chain - Conversion
- Figure 25: The biofuels value chain - Storage and distribution
- Figure 26: Our five-step approach for generating a sector scorecard
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