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Biofuels, The Next Renewable Energy

By Ella Kang


What are biofuels?

Unlike other sources of renewable energy, biomass can be transformed into liquid fuels, and are called “biofuels”. Thus, biofuels are derived from biomass (biological materials) such as plant or algae material and agricultural or animal waste, and are produced from any rapidly replenished carbon source. The most common types of biofuels are ethanol (CH3CH2OH) and biodiesel, also including green diesel, methane gas, and biogas. First-generation biofuels are made from sugar crops, starch crops, oilseed crops, and animal fats, then converted through a fermentation process that forms bio alcohols. Second-generation biofuels are made from cellulose, and third-generation biofuels are made from algae, but not produced commercially.


History of biofuels

Biofuels and alcohols were used since the early 1800s for heating, cooking, and lamp lighting. Biofuel production and use continued through the 1990s, and the rising concerns of fossil fuels allowed rapid development of biofuels over the last few decades.


Some statistics

  • By 2050, biofuels could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.7 billion tons per year, which is over 80% of current transportation-related emissions.

  • In the U.S., ethanol is primarily derived by processing and fermenting the starch in corn kernels into high-purity alcohol. 94% of U.S. ethanol is derived from corn, while Brazil uses sugar cane as the primary feedstock.

  • The U.S. and Brazil produced about 84% of the world’s ethanol in 2019.

  • In the 2018-19 season, 5.4 billion bushels of corn, 38% of the U.S. supply, became ethanol feedstock.

  • Biodiesel can be made from animal fats, grease, vegetable oils, and algae. In the U.S., soybean oil, corn oil, and recycled cooking oils are common feedstocks.

  • Biodiesel from algae is an area of ongoing research. Algae could potentially produce 10 to 100 times more fuel per acre than other crops.

(The University of Michigan, Center for Sustainable Systems)


Process of creating biofuels

All biofuels come from plant or animal products- producing advanced biofuels involves several steps. The main process for biofuels involves deconstruction and upgrading. First, the tough rigid structure of the natural elements must be broken down, either through high-temperature deconstruction or low-temperature deconstruction. High-temperature deconstruction uses extreme heat (500 °C~) and pressure in an oxygen-free environment to break down solid biomass into liquid or gaseous intermediates. Low-temperature deconstruction makes use of biological catalysts (enzymes) or chemicals to break down feedstocks into intermediates. Then, the intermediates are upgraded to produce the final product, involving biological or chemical processing. They are processed to remove unwanted or reactive compounds. In the end, the biofuels are ready to be sold into the commercial market.


Pros and Cons of biofuels

Those fuels produced from renewable organic materials can be used in place of fossil fuels like petroleum, propane, coal, and natural gas that are extremely harmful to the environment- it has the potential to lower the negative impacts of fossil fuel production and use. Some advantages of biofuels include:

  • Cost-effective

  • Environmentally benign

  • Producible in large quantities

  • Increased energy gain/security

  • Reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

  • Less exhaustible resource depletion

  • Domestic production; no dependence on unstable foreign supplies

On the other hand, biofuels have some disadvantages because they require the use of abundant land, water, and other resources. Other concerns include:

  • Changes to land use patterns

  • Pressure on water resources

  • Airi and water pollution

  • Increased food costs

  • Higher crop prices

  • Depending on each case, more GHGs might be emitted

  • More subsidy and market interventions required (deadweight loss to the economy)


Major uses of biofuels in today’s society

Those rapidly produced, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly renewable sources of energy can be used as a great alternative for fossil fuels in our daily life. Biofuels in the forms of bioethanol, biodiesel, biogas, butanol, gasoline, methane, and jet fuel can be used, and are being used in transportation, generation of electricity, production of heat, and industrial use to run machine engines.


Biofuels are rising as important renewable energy!


Works Cited


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