Increasing world market prices for fossil fuels, driven by limited reserves, growing demand
and instability in producing regions, now render renewable fuels economical. Such fuels are
also a pathway to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigating climate change.
The transport sector which is almost totally dependent on fossil fuels, particularly for
powering personal vehicles and trucks, is the most concerned sector. Biofuels, defined as
solid, liquid or gas fuels derived from biomass, are today the only direct substitute for fossil
fuels on a significant scale particularly in transport sector. Biofuels are considered
environmentally friendly because the CO2 emissions they produce during combustion is
balanced by the CO2 absorbed by the plants growth. To be a viable substitute for fossil fuels,
an alternative fuel should not only have superior environmental benefits over the fossil fuels it
substitutes, be economically competitive with it, and be available in sufficient quantities to
make meaningful impact on energy demand, but it should also provide a net energy gain
over the energy invested to produce it and have minimal effect on food security...
{This handbook was elaborated in the framework of the SWEETFUEL project (grant agreement number 227422), supported by the European Commission
