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Biofuel Blendstock

Detailed information about biofuel blendstocks is presented on this page.

Emissions estimates use the Argonne National Laboratory's Research & Development Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Technologies (R&D GREET) model (Wang et al., 2023). The underlying source for a value in the table can be seen by placing your mouse cursor over that value.

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Notes: 

  • These results are highly context dependent and may not represent the optimal values for each fuel pathway. We recommend caution—and review of other sources—before making comparisons between the cases reported in the table above.
  • The price shown for a single fuel pathway may differ by fuel type or application because of different tax and distribution costs.

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Key Assumptions

The data and estimates presented here are based on the following key assumptions:

  • Fuel Price: The fuel price (e.g., Lowest Cost, Lowest Emissions) is associated with a single year. Because we do not provide a time-series trajectory, here we show fuel price at a frozen level for all years so we can offer a range of fuel price values. In the levelized cost of driving (LCOD) and emissions charts, this approach clearly distinguishes effects of fuels from those of vehicle technologies because fuels remain constant, whereas vehicle technologies change over time.
  • Fuel Price References: A full description of fuels references is included at the end of this page. In addition, refer to references by hovering your mouse cursor over data in the table; specific references are also included in the data files.
  • Plant characteristics are based on the process designs of the references included here. Refer to references by hovering your mouse cursor over data in the table, which are also included in the data files.  
  • Emissions References: The emissions are based on R&D GREET 2023 (Wang et al., 2023). For Combined Algae Processing (CAP) and Aqueous Phase Reforming (APR) pathways, the emissions references are same as fuel price references. For the biodiesel pathway from transesterification and Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) pathways, the emissions are based on (Xu et al., 2022). For all other pathways including Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ), Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL), and 2,3-butane diol (BDO) and butyric acid biochemical pathways, the emissions are based on R&D GREET 2023 (Wang et al., 2023).

The data downloads include additional details of assumptions and calculations for each metric.

To see additional information, place your mouse cursor over a value in the table. 

Definitions

For detailed definitions, see:

CO2e

NOx

SOx

PM

Fuel price

Renewable diesel

Scenarios

Well-to-tank emissions

Well-to-wheels emissions

References

The following references are specific to this page; for all references in this ATB, see References.

Wang, Michael, Amgad Elgowainy, Uisung Lee, Kwang Hoon Baek, Sweta Balchandani, Pahola Thathiana Benavides, Andrew Burnham, et al. “Summary of Expansions and Updates in R&D GREET® 2023.” Argonne National Lab. (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States), December 1, 2023. https://doi.org/10.2172/2278803.

Xu, Hui, Longwen Ou, Yuan Li, Troy R. Hawkins, and Michael Wang. “Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel Production in the United States.” Environmental Science & Technology 56, no. 12 (June 21, 2022): 7512–21. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c00289.

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