Exclusive: The EU wants to increase the uptake of biofuels for the aviation and maritime sectors to cut pollution from heavy transport. Ukraine could play a key role.
The European Commission is planning to boost the use of biofuels to cut emissions in heavy industry transport as part of its revamp of the upcoming bioeconomy strategy, according to a leaked document seen by Euronews.
Aviation and maritime remain the 'Achilles heel' of decarbonisation under the EU27's energy and climate transition goals. The sectors remain highly reliant on fossil fuels and account for around 8.4% of the EU's total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according to EU data.
Despite ongoing EU investments to develop clean power, sustainable fuels for heavy transport aren't available on scale. The EU executive is proposing to boost the use of crops and trees for biofuel production in a bid to slash GHG emissions.
"Demand is expected to rise from 2025", mainly driven by ReFuelEU Aviation and FuelEU Maritime," reads the document, referring to the bloc's laws designed to increase the uptake of renewable fuels in heavy transport.
Environmental groups have long criticised the use of biofuels as unsustainable, arguing that it could jeopardise food security and the ability of forests to trap CO2 from the atmosphere.
Biofuels
Biofuels are categorised by source, with each category known as a “generation.”
First-generation biofuels are derived from food crops like corn and sugarcane, second-generation biofuels are derived from inedible vegetation and agricultural waste, and third-generation biofuels are derived from algae.
However, the block is far from having the capacity to produce enough biofuels.
A 2023 audit from the European Court of Auditors found that sustainability issues, biomass availability and costs are limiting the deployment of biofuels. It also noted that the lack of a long-term perspective in EU biofuels policy has affected investment.
According to a recent report from the European Environment Agency (EEA), Europe’s resource use of nature-based materials exceeds the domestic capacity of ecosystems to regenerate green resources and absorb CO2.
In 2022, biomass use for energy in Europe accounted for 29%, the leaked document stated, noting that this figure has increased by 14% over the past 10 years.
Ukrainian imports?
A recent trade deal on agriculture signed between the EU and Ukraine could fulfil the bloc's demand for biofuels.
Kyiv's vast agricultural land size of 41.3 million hectares — 68.5% of Ukraine's total land — of which 32.7 million hectares were arable land, according to 2024 research from the European Parliament.
The new deal includes safeguards limiting imports of certain sensitive products such as grains and oil. If these a lifted, Ukraine could end up playing a key role in the supply chain.
Bioeconomy strategy
The Commission will announce on Tuesday the third review of the bioeconomy since its launch in 2012. It is meant to support goals like food security, climate action and competitiveness.
The sector has generated up to €2.7 trillion in 2023, according to the document, up from the €812 billion in 2022.
"The EU’s bioeconomy is a dynamic driver for competitiveness and is of strategic importance," read the document.
However, international competition, notably from the United States and China, and persistent barriers in the single market are slowing deployment and risk diverting innovation to non-EU markets, according to the document.