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2% of global electricity is generated from Biofuels

2.36 % Share of global electricity
230 gCO2eq/kWh Carbon Intensity

Biofuels are a type of energy that is derived from living or recently-living biological material, or biomass, such as plant matter, animal waste, and even certain types of fungus. As such, biofuels are considered a renewable source of energy because their primary inputs are readily replenished and available in nature. This form of energy can be used to generate electricity and heat, and can also be used as fuel for transportation. Biofuels are effectively a storage system for solar energy, as the biomass materials they are derived from originally stored the sun's energy through photosynthesis.

To generate electricity from biofuels, the biological material is first processed to extract its stored energy. The most common method of extraction is combustion, where the biofuel is burned to produce heat, which then generates steam. This steam drives a turbine that is connected to a generator, thus producing electricity. There are also other methods such as anaerobic digestion and pyrolysis, which break down the biofuel in an environment without air or at high temperatures respectively. The resulting gases can then be burned to generate electricity.

One of the key advantages of biofuels is their low carbon intensity. The International Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) data reveals the carbon intensity of biofuels stands at 230 gCO2eq/kWh. This is dramatically lower than traditional fossil fuels such as coal and gas, which have a carbon intensity of 820 and 490 gCO2eq/kWh respectively. This means that for each unit of electricity generated, biofuels release significantly less carbon dioxide, thereby contributing less to global warming.

Additionally, biofuels make up a substantial share of electricity generation in many countries. Globally, they contribute to 2.36% of all electricity consumed. In some countries, this percentage is even higher. For instance, in Finland, biofuels generate 10% of the country's electricity. Similarly, in Germany, 10% of electricity is generated from biofuels. In Denmark, that figure is 14%, while in Estonia it is 8%. The highest use of biofuels is found in Guadeloupe, where a remarkable 21% of electricity comes from biofuels.

Moreover, when compared to other low-carbon energy sources like wind, nuclear and solar, biofuels hold their own. Looking at the carbon intensity data from IPCC, these forms of energy produce less carbon dioxide per unit of electricity, with nuclear at 12 gCO2eq/kWh, wind at 11 gCO2eq/kWh and solar at 45 gCO2eq/kWh. From an environmental perspective, this implies that all these energy sources, including biofuels, contribute less to climate change than their fossil fuel equivalents.

In conclusion, biofuels present significant advantages as a source of energy, especially given their low carbon emissions compared with fossil fuels and their substantial contribution to global electricity generation. However, it is paramount that in our pursuit of clean energy, we continue to strongly advocate for the use and expansion of nuclear, wind and solar energy, given their even lower rates of carbon emission.

Country/Region Watts / person % TWh
Finland 158.7 W 10.0% 7.7 TWh
Guadeloupe 99.1 W 20.6% 0.3 TWh
Denmark 90.5 W 14.3% 4.6 TWh
Germany 61.7 W 9.5% 45.1 TWh
Estonia 54.6 W 8.0% 0.6 TWh
Belize 48.5 W 17.2% 0.2 TWh
Netherlands 46.3 W 6.1% 7.1 TWh
Luxembourg 44.6 W 5.3% 0.2 TWh
Réunion 43.3 W 11.8% 0.3 TWh
Eswatini 43.1 W 27.1% 0.5 TWh
EU 42.7 W 6.0% 166.3 TWh
United Kingdom 41.7 W 8.6% 24.6 TWh
South Korea 41.1 W 3.1% 18.7 TWh
Japan 40.0 W 4.5% 43.6 TWh
Cuba 38.8 W 19.4% 3.8 TWh
Uruguay 38.8 W 9.4% 1.2 TWh
Portugal 32.0 W 5.0% 2.9 TWh
Belgium 29.7 W 3.7% 3.0 TWh
Austria 29.3 W 3.6% 2.3 TWh
Mauritius 29.0 W 11.5% 0.3 TWh
Lithuania 28.5 W 5.2% 0.7 TWh
Canada 27.2 W 1.4% 9.1 TWh
Czechia 26.7 W 3.4% 2.5 TWh
Chile 26.4 W 5.1% 4.5 TWh
Thailand 22.8 W 6.5% 14.3 TWh
Guyana 21.3 W 12.2% 0.1 TWh
Brazil 21.3 W 5.9% 39.9 TWh
Croatia 19.1 W 3.7% 0.7 TWh
Guatemala 18.3 W 19.6% 2.8 TWh
Slovakia 17.0 W 2.9% 0.8 TWh
Ireland 16.5 W 2.1% 0.7 TWh
United States 16.4 W 1.1% 48.3 TWh
Fiji 16.1 W 11.5% 0.1 TWh
Latvia 13.4 W 3.4% 0.2 TWh
People's Republic of China 13.0 W 1.8% 162.1 TWh
Honduras 12.7 W 9.5% 1.1 TWh
Spain 12.6 W 2.0% 5.3 TWh
Italy 12.5 W 2.3% 6.5 TWh
New Zealand 12.5 W 1.3% 0.6 TWh
Turkey 10.8 W 2.5% 8.0 TWh
Hungary 10.6 W 2.1% 0.9 TWh
Australia 10.0 W 0.9% 2.3 TWh
The World 9.7 W 2.4% 671.8 TWh
Laos 9.4 W 1.5% 0.6 TWh
Nicaragua 8.7 W 8.7% 0.5 TWh
Ecuador 8.5 W 4.0% 1.3 TWh
Singapore 8.5 W 0.8% 0.4 TWh
El Salvador 8.1 W 5.4% 0.5 TWh
Slovenia 7.9 W 1.0% 0.1 TWh
France 7.2 W 0.8% 4.1 TWh
Belarus 6.6 W 1.3% 0.6 TWh
Indonesia 6.2 W 4.8% 15.0 TWh
Poland 6.2 W 1.3% 2.1 TWh
Norway 6.0 W 0.2% 0.3 TWh
Malaysia 5.6 W 0.9% 1.6 TWh
Cyprus 5.5 W 1.1% 0.1 TWh
French Guiana 4.9 W 0.9% 0.0 TWh
Jamaica 4.8 W 2.8% 0.1 TWh
Argentina 4.7 W 1.3% 1.9 TWh
Serbia 4.1 W 0.7% 0.3 TWh
Vanuatu 3.6 W 14.3% 0.0 TWh
Bulgaria 3.6 W 0.5% 0.2 TWh
Zimbabwe 2.7 W 3.9% 0.4 TWh
Sudan 2.4 W 5.7% 0.9 TWh
Romania 2.3 W 0.7% 0.4 TWh
Colombia 2.3 W 1.2% 1.0 TWh
Philippines 2.3 W 2.0% 2.3 TWh
India 2.2 W 1.5% 27.2 TWh
Dominican Republic 2.1 W 1.1% 0.2 TWh
Ukraine 2.0 W 0.7% 0.8 TWh
Cambodia 1.6 W 1.9% 0.2 TWh
Israel 1.4 W 0.2% 0.1 TWh
Congo - Brazzaville 1.4 W 1.7% 0.1 TWh
Sri Lanka 1.4 W 1.6% 0.3 TWh
Panama 1.3 W 0.4% 0.1 TWh
Qatar 1.3 W 0.1% 0.0 TWh
Lebanon 1.2 W 0.3% 0.1 TWh
Mexico 1.2 W 0.3% 1.3 TWh
Peru 1.1 W 0.6% 0.3 TWh
Tanzania 1.1 W 7.1% 0.6 TWh
Puerto Rico 1.1 W 0.2% 0.0 TWh
Republic of China (Taiwan) 1.0 W 0.1% 0.2 TWh
Papua New Guinea 1.0 W 1.9% 0.1 TWh
Paraguay 1.0 W 0.1% 0.1 TWh
Mali 1.0 W 5.6% 0.2 TWh
Gabon 1.0 W 0.7% 0.0 TWh
Bolivia 0.9 W 0.9% 0.1 TWh
Angola 0.9 W 1.7% 0.3 TWh
Costa Rica 0.9 W 0.3% 0.0 TWh
South Africa 0.8 W 0.2% 0.4 TWh
Senegal 0.7 W 1.7% 0.1 TWh
Russia 0.7 W 0.1% 0.8 TWh
Zambia 0.6 W 0.6% 0.1 TWh
Jordan 0.6 W 0.3% 0.1 TWh
Myanmar (Burma) 0.6 W 1.2% 0.3 TWh
Mozambique 0.5 W 0.7% 0.1 TWh
Moldova 0.4 W 0.2% 0.0 TWh
Pakistan 0.4 W 0.6% 0.8 TWh
Kenya 0.3 W 1.1% 0.1 TWh
Uganda 0.3 W 2.7% 0.1 TWh
Morocco 0.1 W 0.1% 0.0 TWh
Malawi 0.1 W 1.4% 0.0 TWh
Ghana 0.1 W 0.1% 0.0 TWh
Burundi 0.1 W 2.2% 0.0 TWh
United Arab Emirates 0.1 W 0.0% 0.0 TWh
Syria 0.1 W 0.1% 0.0 TWh
Ethiopia 0.0 W 0.2% 0.0 TWh