The Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA) in cooperation with F.O. Licht released its global annual ethanol production forecast today. The GRFA forecasts ethanol production to hit 88.7 billion litres in 2011 replacing the need for one million barrels of crude oil per day worldwide. This highlights the growing impact that ethanol production is having on reducing the world's reliance on crude oil.
The GRFA predicts a growth of over 3 per cent in global production in 2011, up from 85.8 billion litres in 2010. Global production has now surpassed 550 million barrels of ethanol per year according to data compiled by F.O. Licht.
The United States continues to be the largest ethanol producer in the world with production levels expected to reach over 51 billion litres (13.5 U.S. gallons) in 2011.
The African continent has tremendous potential for biofuels production; however, production levels remain very low despite recent efforts by some countries to kick-start biofuel programs. The African continent is forecast to produce 170 million litres of ethanol in 2011, despite sub-Saharan Africa having one billion hectares of rain fed, crop producing land that could be producing biomass for ethanol according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.
A recent World Bank report highlighted Africa's biofuel potential suggesting that high energy prices and the availability of productive land represent and enormous opportunity for African biofuels production.
This year will be critical for Europe as member counties ramp up their production and use of ethanol to meet the European Union's Renewable Energy Directive. Europe is expected to produce 5.4 billion litres of ethanol this year which is a 15 per cent increase over 2010.
World Ethanol Fuel Production in Million Litres
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Europe 1,627 1,882 2,814 3,683 4,615 5,467
Africa 0 49 72 108 165 170
Americas 35,625 45,467 60,393 66,368 77,800 79,005
Asia/Pacific 1,940 2,142 2,743 2,888 3,183 4,077
World 39,192 49,540 66,022 73,047 85,763 88,719
Source: F.O. Licht
The Global Renewable Fuels Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting biofuel friendly policies internationally. Alliance members represent over 65 per cent of the global biofuels production from 44 countries. Through the development of new technologies and best practices, the Alliance members are committed to producing renewable fuels with the smallest possible footprint.
