Biofuels supplied 3 % of the energy used worldwide for road transportation in 2011. In the United States which is the largest biofuel producer in the world, biofuels generated 4 % of the energy used for transportation in 2011. In 2009, in Brazil, which is the second largest biofuel producer in the world, a total of 23 % of the energy for road transportation came from biofuels. Large-scale biofuel production in the world can substantially reduce emissions from the transport sector. In this chapter, we discuss the present status of biofuel production in the world, as well as some of the challenges relating to the environment and to the use of land, that result from large-scale biofuel production.
Some long-exploited biofuels, such as wood, can be used directly as a raw material that is burned to produce heat. The heat, in turn, can be used to run generators in a power plant to produce electricity. A number of existing power facilities burn grass, wood, or other kinds of biomass.
Biofuels have been produced since the early 1800s, when a blend of camphene and alcohol was the common fuel for lamps. While there intermittent bursts of biofuel development and use in the following decades, biofuels didn't become more prevalent until the 1990s. Concerns over the rising price of oil and the emission of greenhouse gases have helped to maintain the development and production of biofuels over the last two decades.
Biofuels are made from plant or animal products. Some are produced by the extracting of sugar or starch from crops and then fermenting it to make alcohol. Other biofuels are made by the decaying of organic matter and the capturing of the resultant gases. This infographic provides a brief overview of the process.
History Of Biofuel
Biofuels are substitutes for conventional fossil fuels, such as petroleum, propane, coal, and natural gas. Common U.S. agricultural products including switchgrass and soybeans are specifically grown for biofuel production. Biofuels can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase energy security by providing an alternative to fossil fuels. By 2050, biofuels could reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 1.7 billion tons per year—equivalent to more than 80% of current transportation-related emissions.
Advantages of Biofuel
1. Efficient Fuel
Biofuel is made from renewable resources and is relatively less flammable than fossil diesel. Plus, it has significantly better lubricating properties than its counterpart.
Even more, biofuel causes less harmful carbon emissions compared to standard diesel and can be manufactured from various materials such as sugarcane, corn, etc.
2. Cost-Benefit
Currently, biofuels cost the same price in the market as Gasoline, although there’s a likelihood that their increasing demand could induce the need for more efficient extraction methods, making them much cheaper in the future.
3. Durability of Vehicles’ Engine
Biofuels are adaptable to current engine designs and perform very well in most conditions. It has higher cetane and better lubricating properties than fossil fuels. Even more, the engine’s durability increases when biodiesel is used as a combustible fuel.
Disadvantages Of Biofuel
1.High cost of production
biofuels are derived from renewable resources, such as crops and waste materials, which are more expensive to grow and process than fossil fuels.
2. Use fertilizers
Biofuels are produced from crops that need fertilizers to grow better. The downside of using fertilizers is that they can harm the surrounding environment and cause water pollution.
3. Shortage of Food
Biofuels are extracted from plants and crops that have high levels of sugar in them. However, most of these crops are also used as food crops.
