Variety of energy crops for biofuel production: Potential in Lao PDR

¹ Energy Engineering Program, Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
² Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
³ Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
⁴ Centre for Alternative Energy Research and Development, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand

^* Corresponding author: tanwon@kku.ac.th

Abstract

This study investigates the feasibility of biodiesel and ethanol production in Lao PDR to diminish dependence on fossil fuel imports and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Laos’ tropical monsoon climate and abundant arable land present significant prospects for biofuel production from energy crops such as cassava, sugarcane, oil palm, and jatropha. A data-centric methodology employing governmental reports, national energy statistics, and scholarly literature. Data on fuel usage from 2015 to 2022 were examined to assess the influence of biofuel blends (B10, B20, E10, E20) on CO₂ emissions. Results indicate that B10 and B20 biodiesel blends can decrease CO₂ emissions by 8.95% and 17.91%, respectively, whilst E10 and E20 ethanol blends attain reductions of 9.88% and 19.75%, respectively. These data illustrate the dual advantages of biofuels: decreasing carbon intensity and mitigating reliance on fossil fuels. However, even with these good results, the study shows how important strong government policies, private sector investments, and new technologies are for helping the biofuel business grow. This study offers critical insights about energy crop regions and fuel mixing techniques to mitigate CO₂ emissions.