Renewable Fuels: A Key Step Towards Global Sustainability

Dear Colleagues,

Renewable fuels continue to gain attention as a key component in the global pursuit of sustainability, especially in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and addressing climate change. As the world transitions from reliance on fossil fuels to more sustainable energy sources, renewable fuels offer a practical and scalable solution for decarbonizing energy-intensive sectors, including transportation, industry, and power generation. These fuels are produced from natural, replenishable resources such as biomass, organic waste, algae, and renewable electricity, making them a sustainable alternative to conventional fossil fuels.

Around the world, biodiesel and ethanol are among the most widely used renewable fuels in the transport sector. This is because they can be easily blended with traditional fossil fuels in almost any proportion, allowing reduced carbon emissions and dependence on fossil fuels. Another key benefit of biofuels is their ability to integrate into existing fuel infrastructure, enabling their deployment without major changes to the current energy systems.

Other promising renewable fuels are biogas and biomethane, produced through the anaerobic digestion of organic waste. Notably, biomethane, a purified form of biogas with similar properties to natural gas, can be injected into existing natural gas grids. This makes biomethane an attractive option for decarbonizing sectors like heating and heavy industry, where electrification may be challenging.

Hydrogen is another renewable fuel with significant potential for sustainability when produced using renewable energy sources. Hydrogen is particularly promising in hard-to-electrify sectors. Additionally, hydrogen fuel cells provide a clean energy alternative for vehicles, offering longer ranges and faster refueling times than battery-electric vehicles, making them particularly suitable for heavy-duty transport.

The role of renewable fuels in combating climate change cannot be overstated. Compared to fossil fuels, renewable fuels significantly reduce carbon emissions. Moreover, they support the circular economy by repurposing waste materials and utilizing sustainable feedstocks, reducing the overall environmental impact of energy production. Renewable fuels can serve as a critical bridge technology to reduce carbon emissions in the short term in regions where the energy transition to full electrification is slower or technically infeasible.

However, the widespread adoption of renewable fuels faces several challenges. The production of biofuels and biogas often competes with food crops for land and water resources, raising concerns about food security and environmental degradation. In addition, the high production costs of renewable fuels, particularly hydrogen, remain a barrier to large-scale deployment.

Based on before, this Special Issue aims to present and disseminate the latest advancements in:

• Biofuels in transportation;
• Green hydrogen for industry;
• Renewable fuels and carbon neutrality;
• Biogas from organic waste;
• Sustainability of biomass;
• Challenges of renewable fuel production;
• Renewable fuels for aviation;
• Biomethane in power generation;
• Policy support for renewable fuels .

Dr. Manuel Bailera
Guest Editor

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• biofuels
• hydrogen
• biogas
• sustainability
• decarbonization