Environment and perspectives of alternative fuels in urban transport in Brazil

In this paper the perspectives for the use of alternative fuels in urban transport are evaluated, as responses to environmental pressures in the country, within a time period up to the year 2010. Reacting, initially, to specific legislation to control emissions of pollutants, new technologies and energy saving materials, the reorientation of planning activities and new energy sources, which are environmentally more sustainable than the traditional ones, are emerging in Brazil and elsewhere. The environmental question, the security of energy supply and the interests of the automobile and oil industries are seen as factors pushing forward the development of alternative fuels, while the likely evolution of oil and oil product prices and the cost trends of the alternative fuels are identified as restricting factors. The main alternative fuels for motor vehicles used in urban reformulated gasoline and Diesel oil synthetic fuels obtained from fossil resources, compressed natural gas-CNG-, liquefied natural gas-LNG-, liquefied petroleum gas -LPG-, electricity, hydrogen and fuels from renewable sources.