IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/enepol/v39y2011i11p6925-6935.html

Sugar rush: Prospects for a global ethanol market

Author

Listed:
  • Hira, Anil

Abstract

In 2005, the major economies of the world, including the G8 and 5 developing nations (Mexico, India, Brazil, China, and South Africa), along with the United Nations, the International Energy Agency, and the European Union launched the Global Bioenergy Partnership to discuss ways to promote the sustained use and production of biofuels around the globe, reflecting growing concerns for finding economically viable substitutes for petroleum. This paper examines whether and if a vibrant global market in biofuels based on sugarcane-based ethanol is economically feasible. The paper finds that while there is already international trading in biofuels, it is highly limited compared with its potential. In the current climate of accelerating fossil fuel prices, biofuels represent an increasingly attractive displacement for some of our fossil fuel addiction. Not only do they substitute for petrol, but they also produce lower emissions. The paper finds that sugarcane ethanol could make an important contribution to substituting for a portion of petroleum and also offer potential benefits for international development.

Suggested Citation

  • Hira, Anil, 2011. "Sugar rush: Prospects for a global ethanol market," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(11), pages 6925-6935.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:39:y:2011:i:11:p:6925-6935
    DOI: 10.1016/j.enpol.2010.05.035
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301421510004064
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.enpol.2010.05.035?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tokgoz, Simla & Elobeid, Amani E., 2007. "Understanding the Underlying Fundamentals of Ethanol Markets: Linkages between Energy and Agriculture," 2007 Annual Meeting, July 29-August 1, 2007, Portland, Oregon 9795, American Agricultural Economics Association (New Name 2008: Agricultural and Applied Economics Association).
    2. Niven, Robert K., 2005. "Ethanol in gasoline: environmental impacts and sustainability review article," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 9(6), pages 535-555, December.
    3. Peters, Jörg & Thielmann, Sascha, 2008. "Promoting biofuels: Implications for developing countries," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(4), pages 1538-1544, April.
    4. Mathews, John A., 2007. "Biofuels: What a Biopact between North and South could achieve," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(7), pages 3550-3570, July.
    5. Matthias Busse & Franziska Jerosch, 2006. "Reform of the EU Sugar Market," Intereconomics: Review of European Economic Policy, Springer;ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics;Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), vol. 41(2), pages 104-107, March.
    6. Delucchi, Mark, 2005. "A Multi-Country Analysis Of Lifecycle Emissions From Transportation Fuels And Motor Vehicles," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt5x20v080, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    7. Hira, Anil & de Oliveira, Luiz Guilherme, 2009. "No substitute for oil? How Brazil developed its ethanol industry," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 2450-2456, June.
    8. Jörg Peters & Sascha Thielmann, 2008. "Promoting Biofuels: Implications for Developing Countries," Ruhr Economic Papers 0038, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universität Dortmund, Universität Duisburg-Essen.
    9. Delucchi, Mark, 2005. "A Multi-Country Analysis of Lifecycle Emissions From Transportation Fuels and Motor Vehicles," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt8nf3606c, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    10. Edmar Fagundes de Almeida & Jose Vitor Bomtempo & Carla Maria de Souza e Silva, 2007. "The Performance of Brazilian Biofuels: An Economic, Environmental and Social Analysis," OECD/ITF Joint Transport Research Centre Discussion Papers 2007/5, OECD Publishing.
    11. Koizumi Tatsuji & Ohga Keiji, 2007. "Biofuels Policies in Asian Countries: Impact of the Expanded Biofuels Programs on World Agricultural Markets," Journal of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization, De Gruyter, vol. 5(2), pages 1-22, December.
    12. Cerqueira Leite, Rogério Cezar de & Verde Leal, Manoel Regis Lima & Barbosa Cortez, Luís Augusto & Griffin, W. Michael & Gaya Scandiffio, Mirna Ivonne, 2009. "Can Brazil replace 5% of the 2025 gasoline world demand with ethanol?," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 34(5), pages 655-661.
    13. Delucchi, Mark, 2005. "A Multi-Country Analysis of Lifecycle Emissions From Transportation Fuels and Motor Vehicles," Institute of Transportation Studies, Working Paper Series qt1z392071, Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis.
    14. Goldemberg, José & Guardabassi, Patricia, 2009. "Are biofuels a feasible option?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 10-14, January.
    15. Schlegel Stephanie & Kaphengst Timo, 2007. "European Union Policy on Bioenergy and the Role of Sustainability Criteria and Certification Systems," Journal of Agricultural & Food Industrial Organization, De Gruyter, vol. 5(2), pages 1-19, December.
    16. Lokey, Elizabeth, 2007. "How the next US president should slow global warming," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(11), pages 5399-5402, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Oliveira, Gustavo de L.T. & McKay, Ben & Plank, Christina, 2017. "How biofuel policies backfire: Misguided goals, inefficient mechanisms, and political-ecological blind spots," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 765-775.
    2. Ge, Jianping & Lei, Yalin & Tokunaga, Suminori, 2014. "Non-grain fuel ethanol expansion and its effects on food security: A computable general equilibrium analysis for China," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 346-356.
    3. Jana, Kuntal & De, Sudipta, 2015. "Polygeneration using agricultural waste: Thermodynamic and economic feasibility study," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 648-660.
    4. Magdalena Modelska & Michal J. Binczarski & Piotr Dziugan & Szymon Nowak & Zdzisława Romanowska-Duda & Adam Sadowski & Izabela A. Witońska, 2020. "Potential of Waste Biomass from the Sugar Industry as a Source of Furfural and Its Derivatives for Use as Fuel Additives in Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(24), pages 1-15, December.
    5. Ladislav Kristoufek & Karel Janda & David Zilberman, 2015. "Co-movements of Ethanol Related Prices: Evidence from Brazil and the USA," CAMA Working Papers 2015-11, Centre for Applied Macroeconomic Analysis, Crawford School of Public Policy, The Australian National University.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Cavalcanti, Marcelo & Szklo, Alexandre & Machado, Giovani & Arouca, Maurício, 2012. "Taxation of automobile fuels in Brazil: Does ethanol need tax incentives to be competitive and if so, to what extent can they be justified by the balance of GHG emissions?," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 9-18.
    2. Kovacevic, Vujadin & Wesseler, Justus, 2010. "Cost-effectiveness analysis of algae energy production in the EU," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(10), pages 5749-5757, October.
    3. Ma, Hengyun & Oxley, Les & Gibson, John & Li, Wen, 2010. "A survey of China's renewable energy economy," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 14(1), pages 438-445, January.
    4. Ictsd, 2008. "Biofuel Production, Trade and Sustainable Development," Price Volatility and Beyond 320193, International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD).
    5. Carol McAusland & Nouri Najjar, 2015. "Carbon Footprint Taxes," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 61(1), pages 37-70, May.
    6. Christopher R. Knittel, 2012. "Reducing Petroleum Consumption from Transportation," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 26(1), pages 93-118, Winter.
    7. Morten Simonsen & Hans Jakob Walnum, 2011. "Energy Chain Analysis of Passenger Car Transport," Energies, MDPI, vol. 4(2), pages 1-28, February.
    8. Whitehead, Jake & Franklin, Joel P. & Washington, Simon, 2015. "Transitioning to energy efficient vehicles: An analysis of the potential rebound effects and subsequent impact upon emissions," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 250-267.
    9. Hirte, Georg & Tscharaktschiew, Stefan, 2013. "The optimal subsidy on electric vehicles in German metropolitan areas: A spatial general equilibrium analysis," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 515-528.
    10. Stephen M. Wheeler, 2017. "A Carbon-Neutral California: Social Ecology and Prospects for 2050 GHG Reduction," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 2(4), pages 5-18.
    11. Stephen M. Wheeler, 2017. "A Carbon-Neutral California: Social Ecology and Prospects for 2050 GHG Reduction," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 2(4), pages 5-18.
    12. Morales, Marjorie & Quintero, Julián & Conejeros, Raúl & Aroca, Germán, 2015. "Life cycle assessment of lignocellulosic bioethanol: Environmental impacts and energy balance," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 1349-1361.
    13. Perdiguero, Jordi & Jiménez, Juan Luis, 2011. "Sell or not sell biodiesel: Local competition and government measures," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(3), pages 1525-1532, April.
    14. Yang, Liuqing & Takase, Mohammed & Zhang, Min & Zhao, Ting & Wu, Xiangyang, 2014. "Potential non-edible oil feedstock for biodiesel production in Africa: A survey," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 461-477.
    15. Batista, T. & Freire, F. & Silva, C.M., 2015. "Vehicle environmental rating methodologies: Overview and application to light-duty vehicles," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 192-206.
    16. Mirzabaev, Alisher & Guta, Dawit & Goedecke, Jann & Gaur, Varun & Börner, Jan & Virchow, Detlef & Denich, Manfred & von Braun, Joachim, 2014. "Bioenergy, Food Security and Poverty Reduction: Mitigating tradeoffs and promoting synergies along the Water- Energy-Food Security Nexus," Working Papers 180421, University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF).
    17. Rahman, Syed Masiur & Khondaker, A.N., 2012. "Mitigation measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance carbon capture and storage in Saudi Arabia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(5), pages 2446-2460.
    18. Diermeier, Matthias & Schmidt, Torsten, 2014. "Oil price effects on land use competition: an empirical analysis," Agricultural Economics Review, Greek Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 15(01), pages 1-17.
    19. Kalim Shah & George Philippidis & Hari Dulal & Gernot Brodnig, 2014. "Developing biofuels industry in small economies: Policy experiences and lessons from the caribbean basin initiative," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 229-253, February.
    20. Bell, David R. & Silalertruksa, Thapat & Gheewala, Shabbir H. & Kamens, Richard, 2011. "The net cost of biofuels in Thailand--An economic analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(2), pages 834-843, February.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:enepol:v:39:y:2011:i:11:p:6925-6935. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/enpol .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.