The International Energy Agency's (IEA) latest "World Energy Investment 2025" report reveals a significant acceleration in global low-carbon fuel investment. According to the report's forecast, investment in low-carbon fuels such as liquid biofuels, biogas, and low-emission hydrogen will increase significantly by 30% in 2025, reaching nearly $25 billion, a new record high.This growth highlights the deepening global energy system transition towards lower-carbon fuels.

The report notes that many traditional refining companies are actively transforming their business strategies by investing in biofuel production capacity. Data shows that global production capacity for sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel has grown by 25% in 2024, and will further increase by 40% to reach a capacity of 800,000 barrels per day by 2025. The United States has been particularly prominent in this growth, accounting for half of the new capacity.Despite rapid investment growth, the IEA also warns that these low-carbon fuel projects are still highly dependent on government policy support and regulatory frameworks. Without sustained policy support, the long-term sustainability of these investments remains a challenge.

In terms of sub-sectors, bioenergy investment is projected to grow by 13% in 2025, reaching a record $16 billion, although the pace of new capacity additions is slightly slower than the 10% growth in 2024. Approximately half of bioenergy investment is concentrated in the liquid biofuels sector, with the United States and Brazil being the main drivers of investment growth.Meanwhile, biogas investment is projected to increase significantly by 60%, with investment hotspots mainly concentrated in Europe.

However, not all bioenergy sub-sectors are maintaining growth momentum. The report shows that bioplastics investment experienced a significant decline last year, down nearly 33% year-on-year, with investment just exceeding $1 billion, reflecting the technological challenges and market acceptance issues facing the sector. Edited by Xu Shengpeng.