To achieve sustainable development, the transition from a fossil-based economy to a circular economy is essential. The use of renewable energy sources to make the overall carbon foot print more favorable is an important pre-requisite. In this context, it is crucial to valorize all renewable resources through an optimized local integration. One opportunity arises through the synergy between bioresources and green hydrogen. Through techno-economic assessments, this work analyzes four local case studies that integrate bio-based processes with green hydrogen produced via electrolysis using renewable energy sources. An analysis of the use of webGIS tools (i.e., Atlas of Biorefineries of IEA Bioenergy) to identify existing biorefineries that require hydrogen in relation to territories with a potential availability of green hydrogen, has never been conducted before. This paper provides an evaluation of the production costs of the target products as a function of the local green hydrogen supply costs. The results revealed that the impact of green hydrogen costs could vary widely, ranging from 1% to 95% of the total production costs, depending on the bio-based target product evaluated. Additionally, hydrogen demand in the target area could require an installed variable renewable energy capacity of 20 MW and 500 MW. On the whole, the local integration of biorefineries and green hydrogen could represent an optimal opportunity to make hydrogenated bio-based products 100% renewable.

This study assesses the long-term potential of European biorefineries toward 2050 by combining georeferenced bioresource data, regulatory eligibility, and technological performance across the EU-27. It links spatially explicit biomass availability with RED-compliant biofuel pathways, distinguishing between options that can be deployed immediately and those with greater long-term scaling potential. The results indicate that maritime biofuel production is strongly shaped by regional resource endowment. Used cooking oil supports only limited production of FAME and HEFA, with modest outputs concentrated in a few highly urbanized or industrialized areas. In contrast, lignocellulosic and wet biomass pathways offer much larger and more geographically distributed potentials. Methanol from gasification and synthesis, liquefied biomethane, liquefied biohydrogen, and microbial-oil-based routes emerge as the most scalable options, supported by regions rich in agricultural residues, forestry resources, municipal organic waste, and manure. Quantitatively, methanol shows the highest standalone potential, reaching about 19.17 Mtoe/y. Liquefied biomethane and liquefied biohydrogen can reach about 23.74 Mtoe/y and 21.37 Mtoe/y, respectively. By comparison, FAME and HEFA reach 18.57 Mtoe/y and 17.92 Mtoe/y, although only about 0.99 Mtoe/y and 0.96 Mtoe/y come directly from used cooking oil. The most promising hotspots are located in Spain, France, Germany, Poland, Romania, northern Italy, northern Finland, and parts of eastern Europe. Overall, the findings show that Europe’s maritime biofuel supply will depend on a strong match between regional feedstock availability, conversion pathway, and regulatory suitability, making a portfolio-based strategy essential.