source: F.O. Licht
The Global Renewable Fuels Alliance in cooperation with F.O. Licht released its global annual ethanol production forecast earlier this month.
- The GRFA forecasts ethanol production to hit 88.7 billion liters (23.4 billion gallons) in 2011, "replacing the need for one million barrels of crude oil per day worldwide."
- The GRFA predicts a growth of over 3 percent in global production in 2011, up from 85.8 billion liters 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 liters (13.5 billion gallons) in 2011. This would equal 57% of the globe's forecasted ethanol production for 2011.
- The African continent is forecast to produce 170 million liters of ethanol in 2011.
- A recent World Bank report highlighted Africa’s biofuel potential suggesting that high energy prices and the availability of productive land represent an enormous opportunity for African biofuels production.
- Europe is expected to produce 5.4 billion liters of ethanol this year which is a 15 percent increase over 2010.