Biofuels At What Cost? A review of costs and benefits of Spain's biofuel policies

This report evaluates the costs and benefits of Spain's biofuel policies, focusing on industry support, employment, emission abatement, and the role of biofuels in meeting EU renewable energy targets.

• In 2011, financial support for Spain's biofuel industry was estimated at €213 million to €237 million for ethanol and between €955 million and €1,002 million for biodiesel.
• Carbon abatement costs in 2011 were €488 per tonne of CO2 avoided for ethanol and €194 per tonne for non-land based biodiesel; however, conventional biodiesel resulted in net emissions increases, making abatement costs impossible to calculate.
• Estimates for direct and indirect jobs created by the Spanish biofuels sector in 2011 range from 3,797 to 12,055, with the variance attributed to different job-counting methodologies.
• Spain's energy security was undermined by high import reliance in 2011: over 75% of consumed biodiesel and 73% of ethanol feedstock were imported. Specifically, 95% of biodiesel feedstock was imported, with 90% consisting of Indonesian palm oil and Argentinian soy.

APA

Charles,, A. N. Z. M. (2013). Biofuels At What Cost? A review of costs and benefits of Spain's biofuel policies. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/biofuels-what-cost-review-costs-and-benefits-spains-biofuel-policies

Chicago

Charles,, Alicia Natalia Zamudio,Tom Moerenhout,Christopher. Biofuels At What Cost? A review of costs and benefits of Spain's biofuel policies. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2013. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/biofuels-what-cost-review-costs-and-benefits-spains-biofuel-policies.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Charles, |first1=Alicia Natalia Zamudio,Tom Moerenhout,Christopher |title=Biofuels At What Cost? A review of costs and benefits of Spain's biofuel policies |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=10 September 2013 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/biofuels-what-cost-review-costs-and-benefits-spains-biofuel-policies |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{charles2013biofuels, author = {Charles,, Alicia Natalia Zamudio,Tom Moerenhout,Christopher}, title = {{Biofuels At What Cost? A review of costs and benefits of Spain's biofuel policies}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2013}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/biofuels-what-cost-review-costs-and-benefits-spains-biofuel-policies}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }