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

The report assesses the economic and environmental impact of Spain's biofuel industry in 2011, finding high carbon abatement costs for ethanol and net emission increases for conventional biodiesel. It highlights a significant reliance on imported biodiesel and feedstock, primarily from Argentina and Indonesia, which undermines energy security. Additionally, it notes a wide variance in employment estimates for the sector.

• In 2011, financial support for Spain's biofuel industry was estimated between €213 million and €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.
• Spain's energy security benefits were eroded by a high reliance on imports in 2011: over 75 per cent of consumed biodiesel and 73 per cent of ethanol feedstock were imported. Specifically, 90 per cent of biodiesel feedstock came from Indonesian palm oil and Argentinian soy.
• Estimates for direct and indirect jobs created by the Spanish biofuels sector in 2011 vary widely, ranging from 3,797 to 12,055, due to different job-counting methodologies.

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} }