Investigating The Potential Of Biofuels As A Sustainable Alternative To Fossil Fuels: Deployment Scenarios

Authors

  • Omar Toheeteh Alnhoud Department of Civil Engineering, Al Al-Bayt University P.O. Box 130040, Al-Mafraq, Jordan
  • Habes Ali Khawaldeh Renewable Energy Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Al al-Bayt University, Mafraq, Jordan
  • Mohammad Al-Smairan Renewable Energy Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Al al-Bayt University, Mafraq, Jordan
  • Melad Olimat Renewable Energy Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Al al-Bayt University, Mafraq, Jordan
  • Marya Nikolaevna Zherlykina The Department of Housing and Communal Services, Voronezh State Technical University, Voronezh, Russia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29284/9d4e7j50

Keywords:

Biofuel sustainability, System dynamics modeling, Carbon pricing mechanisms, Resource trade-off analysis, Renewable energy transition.

Abstract

This study proposes a system dynamics (SD) approach to evaluate the long-term sustainability and economic feasibility of biofuels as an alternative to fossil fuels. A Python-based SD model will analyze diverse deployment scenarios. The analysis will incorporate variables such as feedstock types, policy frameworks, technological advancements, and investment rates. Environmental sustainability will be assessed through greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, land and water use, and biodiversity impacts. Economic feasibility will focus on production costs, market dynamics, and return on investment (ROI). Sensitivity analysis will identify the critical parameters that influence outcomes. The research aims to provide actionable policy and investment recommendations by mapping trade-offs between biofuel deployment and interconnected systems (food, water, land). Results will highlight the optimal pathways for scaling sustainable biofuel production and identify key tipping points in the energy transition.

References

1. Abreu, M., Silva, L., Ribeiro, B., Ferreira, A., Alves, L., Paixão, S. M., ... & Gírio, F. (2022). Low indirect land use change (ILUC) energy crops to bioenergy and biofuels—A review. Energies, 15(12), 4348.

2. Adegboye, M. F., Ojuederie, O. B., Talia, P. M., & Babalola, O. O. (2021). Bioprospecting of microbial strains for biofuel production: metabolic engineering, applications, and challenges. Biotechnology for biofuels, 14(1), 5.

3. Ahola-Launonen, J., & Kurki, S. (2022). Dynamics of expectations in the bioeconomy—Hopes, disillusionments, and conflicting futures. Science and Public Policy, 49(6), 819-829.

4. Andersson, Ö., & Börjesson, P. (2021). The greenhouse gas emissions of an electrified vehicle combined with renewable fuels: Life cycle assessment and policy implications. Applied Energy, 289, 116621.

5. Austin, K. G., Jones, J. P., & Clark, C. M. (2022). A review of domestic land use change attributable to US biofuel policy. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 159, 112181.

6. Blimpo, M. P., Dato, P., Mukhaya, B., & Odarno, L. (2024). Climate change and economic development in Africa: A systematic review of energy transition modeling research. Energy Policy, 187, 114044.

7. FAO. (2023). FAOSTAT Land Use Database. Food and Agriculture Organization. http://www.fao.org/faostat///

8. Ginocchi, M., Ponci, F., & Monti, A. (2021). Sensitivity analysis and power systems: Can we bridge the gap? A review and a guide to getting started. Energies, 14(24), 8274.

9. Grandis, A., Fortirer, J. D. S., Pagliuso, D., & Buckeridge, M. S. (2024). Scientific research on bioethanol in Brazil: history and prospects for sustainable biofuel. Sustainability, 16(10), 4167.

10. IEA. (2023). World Energy Outlook 2023. International Energy Agency. https://doi.org/10.1787/3a469970-en

11. IPCC. (2023). Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II, and III to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. IPCC. https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/syr/

12. Iwanaga, T., Usher, W., & Herman, J. (2022). Toward SALib 2.0: Advancing the accessibility and interpretability of global sensitivity analyses. Socio-Environmental Systems Modelling, 4, 18155-18155.

13. Kosamia, N. M., Samavi, M., Piok, K., & Rakshit, S. K. (2022). Perspectives for scale up of biorefineries using biochemical conversion pathways: Technology status, techno-economic, and sustainable approaches. Fuel, 324, 124532.

14. Mandavilli, S. R. (2024). Human trusteeship of the planet: Escalating the environmental movement to the next level. Available at SSRN 5030985.

15. Mayandi, Z. (2024). Palm oil-based biodiesel industry sustainability model using dynamic systems to balance food, energy, and export allocations. Smart Agricultural Technology, 7, 100421.

16. Mostafaeipour, A., Bidokhti, A., Fakhrzad, M. B., Sadegheih, A., & Mehrjerdi, Y. Z. (2022). A new model for the use of renewable electricity to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Energy, 238, 121602.

17. Pahl-Wostl, C., Gorris, P., Jager, N., Koch, L., Lebel, L., Stein, C., ... & Withanachchi, S. (2021). Scale-related governance challenges in the water–energy–food nexus: Toward a diagnostic approach. Sustainability Science, 16, 615-629.

18. Phomsoda, K., Puttanapong, N., & Piantanakulchai, M. (2021). Economic impacts of Thailand’s biofuel subsidy reallocation using a dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) model. Energies, 14(8), 2272.

19. Quiroz, D., Greene, J. M., Limb, B. J., & Quinn, J. C. (2023). Global life cycle and techno-economic assessment of algal-based biofuels. Environmental Science & Technology, 57(31), 11541-11551.

20. Roy, B. B., & Tu, Q. (2022). A review of system dynamics modeling for the sustainability assessment of biorefineries. Journal of Industrial Ecology, 26(4), 1450-1459.

21. Shafiee, S., Jahanyan, S., Ghatari, A. R., & Hasanzadeh, A. (2023). Developing sustainable tourism destinations through smart technologies: A system dynamics approach. Journal of Simulation, 17(4), 477-498.

22. Taheripour, F., Baumes, H., & Tyner, W. E. (2022). Economic impacts of the US Renewable Fuel Standard: An ex-post evaluation. Frontiers in Energy Research, 10, 749738.

23. Talebi, S., Edalatpour, A., & Tavakoli, O. (2022). Algal biorefinery: a potential solution to the food–energy–water–environment nexus. Sustainable Energy & Fuels, 6(11), 2623-2664.

24. Toba, A. L., & Nguyen, R. T. (2022, April). Integrating System Dynamics with Data Science via Graphical User Interface. In 2022 IEEE International Systems Conference (SysCon) (pp. 1-8). IEEE.

25. Yi, Y., Wu, J., Zuliani, F., Lavagnolo, M. C., & Manzardo, A. (2023). Integration of life cycle assessment and system dynamics modeling for environmental scenario analysis: A systematic review. Science of The Total Environment, 903, 166545.

Downloads

Published

2026-03-09

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

[1]
O. T. Alnhoud, H. A. Khawaldeh, M. Al-Smairan, M. Olimat, and M. N. Zherlykina, “Investigating The Potential Of Biofuels As A Sustainable Alternative To Fossil Fuels: Deployment Scenarios”, IJASIS, pp. 183–193, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.29284/9d4e7j50.

Share