ABSTRACT
The importance of infrastructure, markets, and distribution for the candidate bioenergy project will depend on the type of project. Changing patterns in biofuels production mean changing patterns both in agricultural activities affected by bioenergy land use and in industries and households dependent on biofuels. The existence of rural road networks obviously plays a familiar facilitating role for bioenergy feedstock production systems—like tree plantations and sugarcane fields. And in practice, bioenergy projects may sometimes have to piggyback on agricultural programs or programs for “integrated rural development” in order to justify any needed new transportation facilities. Large commercial bioenergy ventures like fuel alcohol distilleries or region-wide direct combustion electricity schemes may have enough local impact to stimulate the development of transport infrastructure throughout the region. Schemes for improving the economics of other bioenergy fuels have also looked to by-products for help.
