Biofuels for maritime transportation: A spatial, techno‐economic, and logistic analysis in brazil, europe, south africa, and the usa

Francielle Carvalho; Joana Portugal‐pereira; Martin Junginger; Alexandre Szklo

doi:10.3390/en14164980

Biofuels for maritime transportation: A spatial, techno‐economic, and logistic analysis in brazil, europe, south africa, and the usa

Francielle Carvalho^*, Joana Portugal‐pereira, Martin Junginger, Alexandre Szklo

^*Corresponding author for this work

Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Low or zero carbon fuels are crucial for maritime transportation decarbonization goals. This paper assesses potential localities for maritime biofuels (biobunkers) production in Brazil, Europe, South Africa, and United States considering geographical, logistic, and economic aspects. This assessment combines georeferenced and techno‐economic analyses to identify suitable fuel production hotspots based on not only plant performance and costs but also on logistic integration and biomass seasonality. Five technology pathways were considered: Straight vegetable Oils (SVO), Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils (HVO), Fischer–Tropsch Biomass‐to‐liquids (FT‐BTL), Alcohol oligomerization to middle distillates (ATD), and Hydrotreated Pyrolysis Oil (HDPO). Findings reveal that biomass concentration in Brazil makes it the region with highest biobunker potential, which are mostly close to coastal areas and surpasses regional demand. Although other regions registered more limited potentials, hotspots proximity to ports would enable fossil fuel replacements in these areas. For all cases, biobunker costs (USD 21–104/GJ) are higher than conventional marine fuels prices (USD 11–17/GJ). Only 15% of the hotspots’ carbon prices that would allow its competitiveness are lower than USD 100/tCO2. Alternatives to incentivize biobunker production would be, first, to establish mandatory fuel blends and second, to join forces with other sectors that would be benefited from the co‐production of advanced biofuels.

Original language	English
Article number	4980
Pages (from-to)	1-26
Journal	Energies
Volume	14
Issue number	16
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/en14164980
Publication status	Published - 13 Aug 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank the Brazilian Coordination of Superior Level Staff Improvement (CAPES) and CNPq for financial support, Utrecht University collaboration in the Doctoral Exchange Program and the researchers Rick Hoefnagels, Bothwell Batidzirai, and Lotte Visser for the cooperation during the development of this work. This work also received support from the NAVIGATE project of the European Union?s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no 821124.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Funding

The authors would like to thank the Brazilian Coordination of Superior Level Staff Improvement (CAPES) and CNPq for financial support, Utrecht University collaboration in the Doctoral Exchange Program and the researchers Rick Hoefnagels, Bothwell Batidzirai, and Lotte Visser for the cooperation during the development of this work. This work also received support from the NAVIGATE project of the European Union?s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no 821124.

Keywords

Biomass residues
GIS
IMO
Logistics
Maritime biofuel
Transport fuels

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.3390/en14164980Licence: CC BY

energies-14-04980-v2Final published version, 10.3 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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abstract = "Low or zero carbon fuels are crucial for maritime transportation decarbonization goals. This paper assesses potential localities for maritime biofuels (biobunkers) production in Brazil, Europe, South Africa, and United States considering geographical, logistic, and economic aspects. This assessment combines georeferenced and techno‐economic analyses to identify suitable fuel production hotspots based on not only plant performance and costs but also on logistic integration and biomass seasonality. Five technology pathways were considered: Straight vegetable Oils (SVO), Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils (HVO), Fischer–Tropsch Biomass‐to‐liquids (FT‐BTL), Alcohol oligomerization to middle distillates (ATD), and Hydrotreated Pyrolysis Oil (HDPO). Findings reveal that biomass concentration in Brazil makes it the region with highest biobunker potential, which are mostly close to coastal areas and surpasses regional demand. Although other regions registered more limited potentials, hotspots proximity to ports would enable fossil fuel replacements in these areas. For all cases, biobunker costs (USD 21–104/GJ) are higher than conventional marine fuels prices (USD 11–17/GJ). Only 15\% of the hotspots{\textquoteright} carbon prices that would allow its competitiveness are lower than USD 100/tCO2. Alternatives to incentivize biobunker production would be, first, to establish mandatory fuel blends and second, to join forces with other sectors that would be benefited from the co‐production of advanced biofuels.",

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AU - Junginger, Martin

AU - Szklo, Alexandre

N1 - Funding Information: The authors would like to thank the Brazilian Coordination of Superior Level Staff Improvement (CAPES) and CNPq for financial support, Utrecht University collaboration in the Doctoral Exchange Program and the researchers Rick Hoefnagels, Bothwell Batidzirai, and Lotte Visser for the cooperation during the development of this work. This work also received support from the NAVIGATE project of the European Union?s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement no 821124. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

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AB - Low or zero carbon fuels are crucial for maritime transportation decarbonization goals. This paper assesses potential localities for maritime biofuels (biobunkers) production in Brazil, Europe, South Africa, and United States considering geographical, logistic, and economic aspects. This assessment combines georeferenced and techno‐economic analyses to identify suitable fuel production hotspots based on not only plant performance and costs but also on logistic integration and biomass seasonality. Five technology pathways were considered: Straight vegetable Oils (SVO), Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils (HVO), Fischer–Tropsch Biomass‐to‐liquids (FT‐BTL), Alcohol oligomerization to middle distillates (ATD), and Hydrotreated Pyrolysis Oil (HDPO). Findings reveal that biomass concentration in Brazil makes it the region with highest biobunker potential, which are mostly close to coastal areas and surpasses regional demand. Although other regions registered more limited potentials, hotspots proximity to ports would enable fossil fuel replacements in these areas. For all cases, biobunker costs (USD 21–104/GJ) are higher than conventional marine fuels prices (USD 11–17/GJ). Only 15% of the hotspots’ carbon prices that would allow its competitiveness are lower than USD 100/tCO2. Alternatives to incentivize biobunker production would be, first, to establish mandatory fuel blends and second, to join forces with other sectors that would be benefited from the co‐production of advanced biofuels.

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JO - Energies

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ER -

Biofuels for maritime transportation: A spatial, techno‐economic, and logistic analysis in brazil, europe, south africa, and the usa

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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Cite this