Task 39: Biofuels to Decarbonize Transport

Website: task39.ieabioenergy.com
Participating Countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, European Commission, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Korea, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, USA, U.S. Grains Council (Limited Sponsor).

Leadership

Tomas Ekbom
SVEBIO
Kammakargatan 22
SE-111 40 Stockholm
Sweden

Email: tomas.ekbom(at)svebio.se

Assistant Task Leaders

Dr. Glaucia Mendes Souza
Department of Biochemistry – Institute of Chemistry
University of São Paulo
Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes, 748 – Cidade Universitária
05508-900 Butantã – São Paulo
Brazil

Email:glmsouza(at)iq.usp.br

Objective

[This Task was known as:‘Commercialising Conventional and Advanced Liquid Biofuels from Biomass’ in the triennium 2016-2018; ‘Commercialising Conventional and Advanced Transport Biofuels from Biomass and Other Renewable Feedstocks’ in the triennium 2019-2022]

 

1.         Definitions and Objectives

 

(a)  Definitions.

‘Liquid Biofuels’ means liquid fuels derived from biomass, such as ethanol and biodiesel, used primarily in the transportation sector. ‘1st generation biofuels’ means liquid biofuels derived primarily from food- or food-related feedstocks, including sugar, starch, and oilseeds. ‘2nd generation biofuels’ means liquid biofuels derived from structural components of plants and trees. ‘Sustainable Deployment’ means deployment of technologies on a long-term renewable basis.

(b)  Objectives

The objective of Task 39 is to facilitate commercialization of conventional and advanced transport biofuels (spanning technical, policy and sustainability considerations) produced from biomass and other renewable feedstocks that contribute to sustainable mobility and transport-related emissions reduction.

 

2.         Scope of the Task

 

(a)     The Participants will have R&D programmes within their countries in order to meet the above objectives.

(b)     The Participants will carry out co-operative research work towards reaching the objectives described in paragraph 1(b) above, based on the national R&D programmes referred to in sub-paragraph (a) above;

(c)     The Programme of Work will continue in areas of technology, policy, sustainability and communication and will include:

  (i)       Overall sustainability of transportation fuels

  (ii)      Potential for refinery integration and co-processing

  (iii)     On-going monitoring of algal biofuels, electrofuels development and commercialisation of 1.5 and second generation cellulosic ethanol

  (iv)     Assessment of sustainability attributes of advanced biofuels and conversion routes

  (v)      The role of specific feedstocks in achieving biofuels with lower cost and carbon intensities

  (vi)     Maximising emission reduction benefits by co-optimising advanced fuels for advanced engines

  (vi)     Maintaining the Task’s database on biofuels pilot/demonstration/commercial facilities

  (vii)    Compares and contrasts biofuels policies being developed and used within Task 39 member countries (and other key biofuels producer/user countries)

  (viii)   Develop and refine decarbonisation strategies based on greater use of low carbon drop-in biofuels for long distance transport sectors, especially aviation, marine, rail and trucking

  (ix)    Complement and support the hydrothermal liquefaction/pyrolysis Task (Task 34) and gasification Task (Task 33)

  (x)     Information exchange with other IEA IA’s, other IEA Bioenergy Tasks and other international networks worldwide

  (xi)    ExCo interaction and support

Triennium Report

Download the Task 39 – End-of-Triennium report 2019-2021