Production Costs of Major Biofuel Chains

The US is the leading global producer of biofuels, in particular bio ethanol from maize. Other leading biofuel producers are Brazil with bio-ethanol based on sugar cane and the European Union for bio-diesel based mainly on rapeseed oil. However, of these three leading producers, only bio-ethanol production in Brazil is economically viable in comparison to fossil fuel alternatives. All the other producers rely to varying degrees on public support and blending mandates with petrol to ensure growing production. See graph below: