Biofuel Application as a Factor of Sustainable Development Ensuring: The Case of Russia

Abstract

Diffusion of the biofuels (BF) using is justified by opening up the opportunities for obtaining fuel and energy from previously inaccessible sources and by the existence of energy-deficient regions, in particular in Russia. Works of different scientists on the problems of creating and using BF were the methodological basis of this study. Information on the state and prospects of the development of renewable energy sources in Russian regions was collected from regulatory documents and was obtained by employing a questionnaire survey. For the study of the collected materials, the different methods of comparative analysis, and the methods of expert assessments were used. The results of the Status-Quo analysis of BF production in Russia have shown that the creation of BF performed relatively successfully. However, there are many more perspectives, connected with expanding the utilization of the different raw materials. Also, the analysis of organizational and economic mechanisms applied for production of BF and the obtained data on several organizations-producers allowed for proposing six indexes for the assessment of the BF production effectiveness. It is suggested that BF production in Russia will contribute to the sustainable development of a number of the country’s regions in the near future.