PUBLICATION - From biofuels to e-fuels: an assessment of techno-economic and environmental performance
Congratulations to Etienne de Chambost, Louis Merceron and Guillaume BOISSONNET from the CEA I-Tésé for publishing this article in Sustainable Energy & Fuels
👉 Context:
The energy transition, alongside sufficiency measures, demands massive electrification supported by low-carbon electricity. However, carbon-based molecules will remain vital, especially in sectors like long-distance transport (aviation and shipping) and chemicals. Biogenic, atmospheric, or recycled carbon sources offer key alternatives to fossil fuels in the shift toward a circular carbon economy, aligning with sustainability goals like the Renewable Energy Directive (RED III).
🧐 The aim of this article:
Based on 183 case studies, this work analyzes thermochemical conversion processes for fuel production, using lignocellulosic biomass, CO2, and low-carbon hydrogen from electrolysis.
Nine biofuel, e-fuel, and e-biofuel processes are evaluated, producing liquid hydrocarbons, synthetic natural gas, or methanol. Material and energy balances, determined using ProSimPlus®, compare carbon conversion and energy efficiency. Economic analysis estimates investment and production costs for industrial-scale units, while greenhouse gas (GHG) assessment considers different electricity mixes and biomass supply chains.
🔎 Main results
The results show that substituting biomass with hydrogen improves carbon conversion: from 35–40% for biofuels to 65–70% for e-biofuels, and up to 80–85% for e-fuels with carbon capture. Hybrid energy sources boost energy efficiency for e-biofuels (61.3%) compared to biofuels (50.3%). However, using electricity (100 € per MWh) raises production costs, which are heavily dependent on electricity price assumptions. Aligning e-fuel and e-biofuel production with RED III requires a largely decarbonized electricity mix, while more comprehensive emission assessments are necessary for biofuels and e-biofuels, considering potential land-use impacts of massive biomass production.
👉 Read the article: https://bit.ly/4ahdHF6