Biofuel renewable energy is a biomass-based fuel that is commonly used as a long-term alternative to fossil fuel combustion. Biofuels have a low carbon intensity, which means they don’t contribute to global warming directly. Biofuel formulations have been suggested as a way to recycle materials from waste streams such as logging residues and cooking oil.
Biofuel renewable energy demand in the world hit 200 billion liters in 2018, up 17percent from the previous year. Because of the share of biodiesel and ethanol in road transport, biodiesel accounted for approximately 3.7percent of total fuel consumption.
In 2018, the world produced 166 billion liters of ethanol, with Brazil and the United States accounting for 90 percent of total production. The European Union is the world’s largest biodiesel manufacturer, accounting for 53% of global production.
What Exactly Is Biofuel Renewable Energy?
Biofuels are fuels made from biomass, which includes all substances extracted from plants and animals. Traditionally, biomass has been used as a source of energy in the form of wood, charcoal, or animal waste. Unprocessed primary biofuels, such as firewood, are separated from refined secondary biofuels in general. Liquid biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, have become increasingly common in transportation in recent years.
The most widely used liquid biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel. Ethanol can be manufactured from any raw material that contains a substantial amount of sugar (such as sugar cane or sugar beet) or starch by fermentation and distillation (e.g. corn, wheat or cassava).
Biodiesel is made by mixing vegetable oil or animal fat with alcohol in a chemical reaction. Rapeseed, soybean, palm, or coconut oil, for example, may be used.
Biobutanol is a less well-known fuel that has the potential to be a viable substitute. Biodiesel is made from algae or bacteria, while ethanol is made from biomass fermentation. This fuel can be used in regular gasoline engines without any modifications. Biobutanol reduces fuel mileage losses due to its high octane content.
First Generation Biofuels
Current liquid biofuels, known as “first-generation biofuels,” use only sugar, starch, or oil, and therefore only a small portion of the energy in plant content. However, cellulose and lignin make up the rest of the plant material. To improve performance, “second-generation biofuel” technologies based on these components are being developed.
There are still major technological obstacles to address in order to make lignocellulosic ethanol production competitive on the market, but once these processes are commercially feasible, they will be able to use agricultural and forestry waste materials, municipal waste, and new crops like fast-growing trees or grass.
Since large-scale production of biofuels from crops necessitates a large amount of ground, liquid biofuels can only partially replace fossil fuels. The current supply meets less than 1% of global transportation fuel demand.
According to projections, the percentage of world fertile land used for crop cultivation for the production of liquid biofuels will rise from 1% in 2004 to about 4% in 2030. This rising field and first-generation biofuel technologies could meet 5% of the world’s transportation fuel needs. This could happen twice if second-generation biofuel technologies were commercially available.
Biofuels Have A Range Of Advantages
- Unlike fossil fuels, biofuels are produced from renewable resources.
- Pollutant emissions from biofuels are smaller. Since ethanol ensures full combustion, it reduces carbon monoxide emissions.
- Biofuels do not contribute to global warming since the released carbon dioxide is absorbed by the raw materials.
- Biofuel renewable energy is less costly than fossil fuels.
- Biofuel renewable energy unlike other renewable energy sources like wind and solar can provide a large amount of energy that is better suited for transportation applications with a relatively small amount of energy.
