Charting the global energy landscape to 2050: Sustainable fuels

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Sustainable fuels can provide GHG reductions comparable to BEVs and are applicable in multiple sectors

Reaching ambitious decarbonization targets is projected to require multiple decarbonization measures. One such measure—sustainable fuels—could help reach those decarbonization targets. Sustainable fuels include biofuels such as hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), or bioethanol, and synthetic fuels (synfuels) such as ammonia or methanol. They can be used as drop-in fuels in conventional internal combustion engines (ICE). Even though the costs of using sustainable fuels are projected to be higher than alternatives in the long term, the use of 100 percent renewable diesel, such as HVO, can achieve comparable life-cycle greenhouse-gas (GHG) reduction to the use of electric vehicles (EVs), allowing for faster decarbonization of existing fleets in the short term.

The demand for sustainable fuels is expected to triple over the next 20 years

Uptake of sustainable fuels is projected to increase by level of decarbonization ambition

Sustainable fuels are needed to meet 2030 decarbonization targets

Regulatory ambitions may require the use of all decarbonization measures

New advanced feedstocks will likely be necessary to meet the growing demand for sustainable fuels

New advanced feedstocks will be necessary to meet the growing demand for sustainable fuels.

Investments in sustainable fuels are gaining momentum

Most investments focus on HVO, and the pipeline could reach 46Mt of sustainable fuels
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