Transport now accounts for about 20% of global Green House Gas (GHG) emissions and this figure is growing faster than for any other sector. The growing transport sector has become the main driver for increasing global primary demand. Alternatives to reduce the dependence on oil and simultaneously reduce GHG emission for transport are under development. Biofuels have the potential to address these two issues.
Current biofuels (first generation biofuels) like bioethanol and biodiesel are produced from the products of conventional food crops but this production competes with their use as food and animal feed in some part of the world.
New types of experimental bioenergy are currently emerging such as future second generation biofuels produced from a much broader range of feedstock including the entire biomass of dedicated energy crops (perrenial grass, forestry, by-products from food and feed production...) and third generation derived from microorganisms like yeast, bacteria or microalgae producing lipides or biohydrogen.
The scientific and technical innovations needed to produce the cheapest and most sustainable biofuels have to be discussed, together with their advantages, the present state of research and scientific and technological obstacles to be overcome