India Becomes 4th Largest Biofuel User in 2024, Ahead of China

India has overtaken China as the world’s fourth-largest biofuel consumer in 2024, according to the Statistical Review of World Energy 2025. The country’s biofuel use jumped by 40% in just one year, showing strong progress in clean energy. This is the second year in a row India has beaten China in biofuel usage, though it still lags behind in production.

Biofuel Use Rising Rapidly in India

India used 77 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day (kbbloe/d) of biofuel in 2024, a big jump from the previous year. China, in comparison, used 60 kbbloe/d, up by 18%. The report, prepared by The Energy Institute (EI) along with KPMG and Kearney, shows that India’s biofuel consumption has grown by 31.8% every year between 2014 and 2024.

Biofuels include ethanol, biodiesel, and sustainable aviation fuels. They are cleaner fuels made from natural materials like crops and are seen as a key solution to reduce pollution and carbon emissions.

India Lags Behind in Biofuel Production

Even though India uses more biofuel than China, it still produces less. In 2024, India made 70 kbbloe/d of biofuel, while China made 106 kbbloe/d. India’s production grew 27% in 2024 and has grown 30.4% every year over the last 10 years. Meanwhile, China’s production has increased more slowly overall but saw a 31% rise in 2024 alone.

Global Trends and the Role of Biofuels

Globally, biofuel demand hit a new high of 2.2 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2024. The Asia Pacific region led growth with a 47 kbbloe/d rise, followed by North America at 42 kbbloe/d. The United States remains the biggest biofuel user at 856 kbbloe/d, followed by Brazil, Indonesia, India, and China.

Despite more use of clean fuels, global CO₂ emissions from energy still rose by 1% in 2024—setting a new record for the fourth straight year. Experts warned that while clean energy is growing fast, fossil fuel use is also at record highs, especially in China, which still uses more coal than the rest of the world combined.

What the Experts Say

The review said, “China plays a big role in shaping global energy. It leads both in coal use and renewable energy like solar and electric vehicles. This shows the mixed energy future the world is heading towards.” Biofuels are expected to be an important part of reducing pollution in the transport and industrial sectors.