New biofuel technology is finally starting to push aside traditional biofuels such as first-generation biodiesel, according to a new report by Lux Research. New facilities based on non-food feedstocks and producing novel fuels account for over half of new capacity deployment for the first time in the biofuel industry’s history, according to Lux. However, overall output will grow at a slower pace to 67 billion gallons a year (BGY) in 2022, from 59 BGY in 2016. The report, titled “Biofuels Outlook 2022: The Dawn of a New Era in Global Biofuel Capacity Expansion,” is part of the Lux Research Alternative Fuels Intelligence service. Lux Research analysts quantified the commercial deployment of new technologies in the global biofuels industry using a database of nearly 2,000 facilities from 1,461 companies in 90 countries with nameplate capacity data through 2022. Among their findings:
Emerging thermochemical and catalytic technologies for making ethanol will account for more than half of new capacity through 2022 , according to BP Research . The market share of traditional bioconversion processes will drop to about 60 % from 80 % as production of advanced biofuels almost doubles to 9.6 billion tonnes per year ( BGY ) . Global production capacity is projected to reach 67.2 % by 2022 , up from 59 BGY in 2016 , the research shows .