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Archive for the ‘Biofuels’ Category

Biofuels are when we use organic matter as fuel by converting it into power for use. By producing biofuels, this is an alternative energy source as we depend on fossil fuels. The ethanol products include under its aegis, derivatives of plants like sugar cane, and also corn and vegetable oils, all part of the biofuels umbrella. Not all of them are designed for use as gasoline, although the International Energy Agency (IEA) say that by 2025, 10 % of the world’s gasoline could be made up of ethanol products, and by 2030, it could be up to as much as 30%. At the moment, the percentage stands at just 2%.

A lot of research is going into biofuels, and it will be some time before we can refine them to make them more economic and practical enough to use. Oregon State University have done a study to prove this. Biofuels have not yet been developed which are as energy efficient as petroleum which makes up our gasoline. To put it simply, energy efficiency is how we measure the usable energy that is derived from the input energy by a certain amount. (Up till now we have not come up with any product where the output energy exceeded that of what was input). What is most important is the end product energy that has been converted and its usefulness for our society’s needs, the effort involved is what we put into the input energy so as to produce which is the end-product. A study by the OSU found that ethanol which is corn-derived was only 20% energy efficient (compared to gasoline that is 75% energy efficient and made from petroleum). Biodiesel fuel had a recorded energy efficiency of 69%. Out of the study came one positive thing: higher than nuclear energy which is effectively efficient, was cellulose-derived ethanol charted as 85% efficient.

The New York Exchange has marked a change in oil for the future, with analysts from many countries having predicted surges in the availability of biofuels, which would offset oil prices, seeing crude oil drop to prices of about per barrel on the international market. On the Chicago Stock Exchange there is more investment activity in future markets on grain, making a “steal” on the oil futures of New York, with investors expecting much better profitability from biofuels to come. By 2030, a consensus of analysts have predicted that biofuels will account for 7% of transportation for all round the world. Demand for and diesel and gasoline will slowly fall dramatically according to one energy market analyst, as government supports the use of the more eco-friendly biofuels and subsidise the manufactures of this fuel.

Many nations support the use of biofuels and its production in developement.

Brazil is the biggest in the production of ethanols that are derived from sugars. Approximately three and a half billion gallons of ethanol is produced in a year.

The greatest oil user is the United States, who already come second behind the largest producer, Brazil, in biofuels.

The European Union now have an excess of four million (British) tonnes in biodiesel production capacity, of which 80% is derived from rapeseed oil. The remaining 20% of the EU’s biodiesel fuels is marginally from palm oil and the rest comprised of soybean oil.

Copyright (c) 2009 Wes Fernley

The recent breathtaking spike in oil prices has finally awakened professionals in the energy field to the very real need for alternatives. As a result, we are seeing liquid fuels developed from plant materials entering the market. Sugar components of various plant materials if fermented will yield an alcohol called bioethanol. Even cellulosic biomass (trees and grasses, for instance) can be used to produce this kind of biofuel. Ethanol, widely used in Brazil as well as in the United States, can, actually, be used in a pure form; however, it is used more as an additive to boost octane in addition to reducing emissions.

Biodiesel, on the other hand, is made from oils—vegetable or animal. Very often, greases are recycled and used for biodiesel. Like ethanol, it can be used in its pure form for diesel engines but is more often treated as an additive. This is the most common biofuel in Europe. The process for producing it from fats and oils is called transesterification.

In 2008, 1.8% of the world’s transport fuel was biofuel. Investment in the production of this new approach to fueling transportation vehicles for the world is expanding rapidly. It was billion in 2007. The liquid biofuels are the most popular ones for these purposes because they can be pumped, and they can directly replace gasoline. Not only do internal combustion engines run cleaner on biofuels, but pollution is also minimized. Biofuels are generally classified as first generation, second generation, and third generation.

First generation biofuels are made from sugar, starch, vegetable oil, or animal fats. Grains such as wheat are fermented into bioethanol; sunflower seeds are pressed to yield vegetable oil for biodiesel. The most common first generation biofuels:

- Bioalcohols

- Biodiesel

- Vegetable Oil

- Bioethers

- Biogas

- Syngas

- Solid biofuels

Second generation biofuels are made from non-food crops such as waste biomass, stalks of wheat, corn, wood, and certain grasses. To avoid the political issues that have arisen from the use of food that is needed for humans and animals to produce fuel, the pressure is on to develop more of these sources. Some of the second-generation biofuels under development:

- Biohydrogen

- Biomethanol

- DMF

- Vio-DME

- Fischer-Tropsch Diesel

- Biohydrogen Diesel

- Mixed Alcohols

- Wood Diesel

Third-generation biofuels are made primarily from algae, which can produce up to 30 times more energy per acre than land crops such as soybeans. However, they have not yet been produced commercially. These are biodegradable and will not harm the environment if they happen to be spilled. Algae can be grown agriculturally. It’s estimated that 15,000 square miles of algae would meet all the needs for petroleum fuel in the United States.

- Agricultural Algae

- Ethanol from Living Algae

- Helioculture (collection of carbon dioxide from the air using solar power)

For the non-scientist, this seems somewhat complicated, but more and more professionals in the appropriate fields are switching to this quickly-emerging industry, and we can hope that many of the problems the world faces now in obtaining energy without jeopardizing our environments will see solutions in the coming years.

Oil prices have always been a concern. Recent events, along with increased awareness of the environment, have shown us the need for the creation of alternative means of energy.

Many different options have been proposed. Nuclear power is possible but comes with obvious safety concerns. Solar and wind look like viable options, but don’t seem to be getting large amounts of support. Another option is biofuel, which involves using the energy of organic materials to replace the function of fossil fuels. Ethanol is perhaps the most widely used of these, especially in Brazil and the United States, and is used most commonly as a blend with regular fuel.

Another kind of biofuel is biodiesel, which is made from either vegetable oils or animal oils. It’s actually possible with today’s technology to take the fat that comes from the grills at McDonalds and recycle this into usable fuel! As with ethanol, it can be used purely on its own but is commonly just a supplement to be added with other fuel. It’s currently the most common biofuel in Europe. The process of turning animal and vegetable oils into usable fuel is known as transesterification.

1.8% of the world’s transport fuel was biofuel in 2008. This figure seems small, but investment in these technologies is continually increasing, and will inevitably create new technological breakthroughs and a rise in popularity. Biofuels come in many different forms, and are commonly categorized into first, second and third generation.

First generation fuels are made from food crops such as sugar, starch and animal or oil fats. Grains can be made into bioethanol, and sunflower seeds into vegetable oil and then biodiesel. These are the most common first generation biofuels: Biodiesel, bioalcohols, vegetable oil, bioethers, solid biofuels, Syngas and biogas.

From non-food crops like waste, stalks of wheat and corn we get the second generation of biofuels. Since first generation biofuels are made from edible sources, the hunt is on to create more second-generation technology that can avoid a food shortage that may occur. They include biohydrogen, biomethanol, mixed alcohols and wood diesel.

Third-generation biofuels are the most complex, and come usually from algae, which produces a large amount of energy. While the advantages of third generation fuels would be great, since it’s virtually impossible for them to cause environmental damage, the technology has so far not been sufficiently developed to allow these biofuels to be produced commercially. It’s been put forth that 15,000 square miles of algae could supply all the petroleum fuel required by the United States.

These new technological developments show just how exciting the field of biofuel is, and the great benefits it can provide to the environment. The current environmental problems and massive fuel prices could perhaps be fixed forever with the further development of second and third generation fuels. Who knows what will be powering us fifty years from now?

According to our research report “Global Biofuel Market Analysis”, the biofuel industry has substantially grown across the world on the back of strong demand (both ethanol and biodiesel) for road transport. We have also found that governments of both the developing and developed nations are supporting biofuel developments for the diversification of energy sources and the improvement of environment. Thus, the global ethanol and biodiesel production is expected to grow at a CAGR around 5% and 4% respectively between 2010 and 2019.

The report has examined the biofuel industry at the regional level. The Americas (US, Canada and Brazil) dominate the global ethanol market and accounts for around 90% of the world total ethanol production. However, the EU has a strong foothold on the biodiesel market and accounts for over two-third of the total biodiesel production in the world.

Our report gives a deep insight into the trends prevailing in different regions of the world. Apart from the Americas and EU, we have also covered the Asia-Pacific biofuel market. India and China are the emerging biofuel markets both in terms of production and consumption.

“Global Biofuel Market Analysis” provides an extensive research and rational analysis of the global biofuel market. The report contains thoroughly analyzes current market trends in both developed and emerging economies in context of statistical data. The report also covers the government initiatives which help to increase demand for biofuel. 

We have also provided the industry forecast based on correlation of past drivers, challenges and opportunities for expansion. The report includes forecast analysis of ethanol production and consumption as well as biodiesel production and consumption. We have studied the cost involved in biofuel production for major biofuel producers worldwide. 

For FREE SAMPLE of this report visit: http://www.rncos.com/Report/IM098.htm

Check DISCOUNTED REPORTS on: http://www.rncos.com/

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Biofuels have become talk of the town these days. These are obtained from biomass and utilize many renewable energy sources. These fuels also use plant matter as the raw material. Solid biomass is known to be the most common types of bio-fuels. The consistent rise in the price of fossil fuel has affected the world economy. The introduction of biofuels has come as a rescue to this problem. In fact, these have acted as a complete replacement for most of our energy requirements. However, prior to completely trusting this renewable energy source, it is important to know about the pros and cons of using biofuels. Stated below are some of the significant biofuels pros and cons.

Biofuels Pros and Cons:

The most obvious pros of using biofuel is the independence it allows from oil that can be bought from outside the United States. The best part is that the emissions coming from direct usage in automobiles is far lesser as compared to those from conventional fuels such as gasoline.

Other benefits:

Biofuels are extracted from the plant oils or animals. This facilitates recycling. This in turn, turns the trash into something resourceful.
Biofuels are cost-effective. In fact, these are considered to be the only fuel available at affordable price.
The best thing about biofuel is that they are safer and can be easily transported from one place to another sans posing any potential risk on the health of consumers.
When using biofuel, there is no peculiar gasoline stench. It is also sulfur-free. Additionally, it aids in eliminating acid rain.
Bio fuel can be used by all vehicle engine types.

Cons of using biofuels:

The traditional petroleum products produce more energy than biofuel. This may result in power loss in engines.
It is true that biofuel can function with most engines but there are just a few specifically designed for this type of fuel.

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As people are waiting for “them” to make biofuel available as a source of energy there are many of us who have been using forest biofuel to heat our homes for generations. This biofuel is sold on the free market without government subsidies or a need for more research and development.

Wood can be made into many biofuel products like methane, alcohol, or diesel and it can be burned directly to power electric generators to produce electricity. All of these are expensive and energy intensive. After refining wood into these biofuels the cost and energy used has not made wood biofuel a viable source of energy. The exception to that is burning wood to generate electricity which has experienced some commercial success.

What people often overlook is a form of wood biofuel that requires very little or no processing and that is wood as a heating fuel. While people are waiting for biofuel they are still using fossil fuels to heat their homes when they could switch today to an economically proven biofuel heat source which is to burn wood.

Since there is little or no processing required, direct heating with wood is more efficient than turning wood into another fuel such as diesel or electricity. The raw material is directly converted to the desired product which is heat.

The most basic form of wood biofuel is simple firewood for wood stoves and fireplaces. This is a very desirable form of energy for many homes but it’s not for everyone. Burning firewood does have some disadvantages such as wood handling, it can be messy and can produce smoke. Although modern wood stoves have come a long way in reducing emissions and efficiency. Modern wood stoves can burn with no visible smoke. Burning firewood is not as convenient as other heat sources since you have to continually feed fuel into the fire.

The alternative to fireplaces and firewood stoves is wood pellet stoves. Wood pellets require more processing but pellet stoves are more efficient than firewood stoves so it makes up for the difference. A pellet stove combines the use of renewable biofuel with the convenience of traditional electric, gas or oil heating systems.

Pellet stoves have automatic fuel feeding systems and are thermostatically controlled. Wood pellets are available today and have been proven as a heat source that is competitive and can even cost less than fossil fuels.

Both firewood and wood pellets are available as a practical source of forest biofuel that you can start using today. Which one you choose depends on your situation and preferences.

Learn more about wood pellets and learn more about firewood as biofuels.

As renewable energy incentives continue to arise in the European Union, the message to go green has been heard in the United Kingdom.  Biofuels are one of source of renewable energy that the UK has begun to research and develop in recent years.  Several European countries have set a target year of 2020 as the point at which a certain percentage of fuels must be produced by means of renewable resources.  Though Britain itself has not set this goal exactly, the nation understands the importance of furthering the environmental cause.

The majority of biofuels in the United Kingdom appear as biodiesel.  Though engines that have been modified to run on pure plant oils are obviously able to run on biofuels, a great number of engines still do not have that capability, so it is common to chemically process vegetable oil into biodiesel.  In the UK, standards have mandated that any diesel engine can utilize biodiesel in mixtures of up to 5% without any type of labeling.

In order to reduce harmful emissions during transport and encourage the use of biofuels, the United Kingdom created the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO).  15 suppliers are responsible for most of the fossil fuel used in the UK for transport, and the RTFO has designated them as obligated suppliers.  Last year, these obligated suppliers were required to produce 2.5% biofuels as part of their output.  To ensure compliance with the RTFO its administering body, the Renewable Fuels Agency, instructs the obligated suppliers to produce Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates (RTFC) at the end of the year.  For every liter of biofuel reported, either by supplying the fuel directly or by trading with another, the supplier receives one RTFC.  This also creates possible revenue that can be used to fund more biofuel efforts in the United Kingdom.

The UK is not rushing blindly into the biofuel effort.  The government is aware of the controversy surrounding biofuels and the possibility of higher food costs due to a portion of the crops being designated for biofuel production.  Addressing these concerns, the United Kingdom has proposed that idle farmland be used for biofuels crops.  Additionally, the plans for a biofuels power plant in Avonmouth with the capacity to power nearly 25,000 homes, was shot down by city council.  Because the plant would have been fueled by palm oil, the councilors at Avonmouth voted against its construction because of the potential negative impact on the rain forests that would supply the palm oil.  This would have been blatantly counterproductive to ensuring the health of the environment.

With planning and research, the United Kingdom will continue to promote biofuels as one of the nation’s leading renewable energy sources.

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Copyright (c) 2010 Alison Withers

According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation food and bioenergy crops are now competing for land, water and other resources in many parts of the world.

The FAO argues that the rising price of basic foods in 2007 – 08 that generated food scarcity worries and import restrictions in some countries wasn’t caused only by poor harvests in major producing countries and high oil and energy prices raising the cost of inputs like fertilizers and irrigation as well as the transport costs of inputs and food.

The speculation on the commodity markets was also partly driven by the rising demand for liquid biofuel, it says.

The environmental argument for using bio-diesel made from oilseed rape, or bio-ethanol, manufactured from wheat, maize or sugar, is the significantly lower carbon dioxide emissions over the full cycle of production and use compared with fossil fuels.

Not surprisingly the prospect of a smaller carbon footprint and greater energy security has encouraged Governments around the world to offer tax breaks to encourage use of biofuels and to set targets for the inclusion of biofuels in transport and other fuels.

When there was an over-supply of commodities like food it was fine, but not once it was clear that global population growth and diet change were together generating increased demand for food while climate change with its associated droughts and storms seemed to be limiting the world’s productive capacity.

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), confusingly, takes the view that the increase in biofuels production has NOT been the dominant driver of food price inflationfor certain crops and certain countries.

It cites long-term factors – like the failure to accord the importance it deserved to the agricultural sector during the last decades, plus distorted agricultural markets and the dismantling of policies supporting domestic markets in developing countries – as being far more accountable for the present food crisis than biofuels.

It argues that where biofuels have had an impact, the relationship between biofuels and food price spikes should be interpreted more as a policy failure than as an intrinsic and unavoidable consequence of the production of biofuels. Nevertheless plainly bioenergy can provide opportunities to increase rural incomes and employment.

But while rising commodity prices imply potential greater profits from switching land to crops for biofuels they also arguably lead to the destruction of vast areas of rainforest, as trees are felled to make way for palm oil plantations in countries like Brazil and Malaysia, and to the threat of creating “a monocultural desert, devoid of biodiversity, across vast swathes of the British countryside”.

According to Andre Croppenstedt, an economist with the Agricultural Development Economics Division of the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, biofuel production need not compete with food production if biofuel demand generates increased incomes for farm households and this in turn is invested in raising productivity of all farm activities, including food production.

UNCTAD also argues that what’s needed in the longer term is support for investment efforts aimed at enhancing the agricultural productivity of developing countries, particularly of small farmers, and making sure that these investments increase farmers’ ability “to capture a larger share of the growing agricultural revenues”

Whatever the pros and cons of the arguments there is a finite amount of available crop-producing land,

So there needs to be greater investment in the resources and support farmers need to improve their land’s yield while farming sustainably.

One way of doing that would be to support the efforts of biopesticide developers with globally agreed and quicker regulation of their new generation low-chem agricultural products and with Government investment towards the costs of developing more environmentally friendly crop protection and yield enhancing products.

Even if such higher yielding methods come to market, however, land availability still sets limits to how much cna be produced.

Investment should therefore be also coupled with promoting the development of second-generation biofuels – based on converting cellulose resources such as grass and fast-growing trees into fuels – to help to limit the direct competition between food and fuel associated with most first-generation biofuels.

The EC Climate Change Initiative accepted that second generation biofuels produced from materials like straw and forestry residues could enable far greater reductions in Greenhouse gases.

It also advocates selecting an overall production chain that can use a high yielding biomass crop to improve land use efficiency.

For instance most oils seed crops only produce a few tonnes per hectare per annum, sugar and starch crops may generate 5 to 10 tonnes, while significantly greater yields come from woody plants – or from conventional crops like cereals if the straw can be used.

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