EU renewable ethanol reduced GHG emissions by 79% compared to fossil fuel in 2024, new report

Production and use of renewable ethanol from ePURE members and other EU producers reduced greenhouse-gas emissions by an average of 79% compared to fossil fuels in 2024, according to newly certified data.
As EU policymakers consider how best to decarbonise road transport, the new high level of GHG savings once again confirms the importance of renewable ethanol as a replacement for fossil fuel in the petrol and hybrid cars that Europeans continue to favour.
“Once again, ethanol’s sustainability credentials are confirmed by this new GHG savings certification,” said David Carpintero, director general of ePURE, the European renewable ethanol association.
“At a time of geopolitical and economic uncertainty, the strategic importance of European bioethanol refineries is greater than ever.”
“By converting multipurpose crops grown by European farmers into food, feed, renewable fuel and biogenic CO2, ethanol biorefineries help achieve EU goals for food security, energy independence, climate change mitigation and industrial and agricultural autonomy.”
The high GHG saving performance of EU ethanol was accompanied by significant production of food and feed co-products (6.9 million tonnes of commercial product) and of captured biogenic CO2 (1.5 million tonnes) – more ways in which ethanol production contributes to EU food security and offsets fossil resources.
Once again, European bioethanol refineries produced more food and feed co-products than renewable ethanol – more food than fuel.
The 2024 findings were compiled from ePURE members and other EU producers and certified by auditing firm Copartner.
ePURE’s membership includes 20 producing companies with around 50 refineries across the EU and UK, accounting for about 85% of EU renewable ethanol production.