The federal government mandate to produce 36 billion gallons annually by 2022 has prompted a recommitment to biofuel production.
There has been a cap on ethanol made from corn which is set at 15 billion gallons, the rest must come from other sources such as plant waste or dedicated biofuel crops that grow on marginal land. The new fuel must also reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions, when compared with petroleum, by at least 50 percent.
The problem with corn ethanol is that it doesn't reduce greenhouse gas emissions by very much at all.
The holy grail of new biofuels research is finding ways, on a massive and sustained scale, to extract sugar locked away in huge piles of plant material now considered waste, such as corn husks, straw and wood chips.
A very promising source of potential biofuel is algae because it produces more energy than other biofuels. The speed with which algae reproduces makes its use even more attractive.
As a means of reducing the carbon footprint of the petroleum industry, biofuel has still got a great deal of distance still to travel. Finding a viable source for the creation of ethanol will be a challenge in itself.
Showing posts with label Biofuel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Biofuel. Show all posts
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Monday, February 25, 2008
Virgin Atlantic Biofuel Flight
A Carbon Footprint Step Forward, Or Not?
I think one notable point can be made from the story that has been picked up be every news agency around the globe today – Virgin Atlantic and Sir Richard Branson make great headlines.
The story is, of course, that a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 has made a test flight from London to Amsterdam powered by biofuel. At least, that’s the headline. The reality is that the plane contained a 20% biofuel mix in one of its four main fuel tanks. The biofuel was made from a mixture of coconut and babassu oil.
Sir Richard Branson, in his statement to the media (yeah, surprise, surprise, Branson talking to the media, wonders never cease) said, “The demonstration flight will give us crucial knowledge that we can use to dramatically reduce our carbon footprint.”
Colour me unimpressed because herein lies the problem. The whole biofuel continues to rage over whether biofuel actually makes any difference at all in terms of lowering carbon emission and reducing the carbon footprint of a company.
Virgin, in using coconut and babassu oil have taken the issue of using potential food source and food crops out of the equation, but studies still suggest that clearing land for these crops can generate more carbon emissions than the savings made out the other end.
Biofuels still have a long way to go before the claim that using some in a test flight will lead us towards cleaner flying has wings. Great marketing for Virgin though and considering the guy making the pretty speeches after the demonstration and the frenzy of news coverage…well, I’d just say mission accomplished.
As for the carbon footprint, I think it might be sticking around at Virgin for a little while longer.
I think one notable point can be made from the story that has been picked up be every news agency around the globe today – Virgin Atlantic and Sir Richard Branson make great headlines.
The story is, of course, that a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 has made a test flight from London to Amsterdam powered by biofuel. At least, that’s the headline. The reality is that the plane contained a 20% biofuel mix in one of its four main fuel tanks. The biofuel was made from a mixture of coconut and babassu oil.
Sir Richard Branson, in his statement to the media (yeah, surprise, surprise, Branson talking to the media, wonders never cease) said, “The demonstration flight will give us crucial knowledge that we can use to dramatically reduce our carbon footprint.”
Colour me unimpressed because herein lies the problem. The whole biofuel continues to rage over whether biofuel actually makes any difference at all in terms of lowering carbon emission and reducing the carbon footprint of a company.
Virgin, in using coconut and babassu oil have taken the issue of using potential food source and food crops out of the equation, but studies still suggest that clearing land for these crops can generate more carbon emissions than the savings made out the other end.
Biofuels still have a long way to go before the claim that using some in a test flight will lead us towards cleaner flying has wings. Great marketing for Virgin though and considering the guy making the pretty speeches after the demonstration and the frenzy of news coverage…well, I’d just say mission accomplished.
As for the carbon footprint, I think it might be sticking around at Virgin for a little while longer.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Biocrude: Fuel From Waste
I don’t think there’s much doubt that first generation biofuels are not the answer to solving the carbon emission problems that stem from burning fossil fuels. However, it looks as though there may just have been a major breakthrough in the search for a viable second generation solution with a biocrude that has been produced from green waste and paper.
Developed by the CSIRO and Monash University in Australia, the Furafuel process uses green waste such as forest thinnings, household waste and crop residues as a source for a biocrude which is said to be more stable than any being produced around the world. Dr Steven Loffler of CSIRO Forest Biosciences says, “the oil that we've made is both stable and also PH neutral, so the advantage of that is that it can be held in storage for as long as it needs to before further processing”. This is compared to other second generation biofuels which, when left in storage begin to thicken after only a short time into a gum.
Lignocellulose
The plant wastes being targeted for conversion into biofuels contain chemicals known as lignocellulose, which is increasingly favoured around the world as a raw material for the next generation of bio-ethanol as they are renewable and potentially greenhouse gas neutral. Materials such as lawn clippings, tree trimmings and other materials that households already put in their green bins for removal by local councils.
The Advantages of Biocrude Are Many
Some of the big disadvantages I noted in my earlier discussion about biofuels would be addressed with the development of this biocrude. Issues such as the food vs fuel crops debate and forest clearing for agricultural crops, both of which have the potential to be more harmful than the fuel they’re replacing, would no longer be an issue.
The development of this biocrude would also put another couple of entries into the advantages column. The source of biocrude could come from household green waste and paper, of which there is between 1 and 2 million tonnes going into landfill in Australia alone.
Add to this the plan to operate from small regional facilities close to the source of the bio-material converting it into the crude oil and then shipping the crude which would be much more efficient and would produce much less greenhouse gas emissions than moving the bulkier solid material to a large central facility.
Cost of Biocrude
It’s still very early days in this process and one of the unanswered questions that will be a huge factor towards the success or failure of the project is how much the biocrude will cost to produce. At this stage no cost analysis has been performed although Dr Loffler believes that it will at least be as competitive as current crude production.
Developed by the CSIRO and Monash University in Australia, the Furafuel process uses green waste such as forest thinnings, household waste and crop residues as a source for a biocrude which is said to be more stable than any being produced around the world. Dr Steven Loffler of CSIRO Forest Biosciences says, “the oil that we've made is both stable and also PH neutral, so the advantage of that is that it can be held in storage for as long as it needs to before further processing”. This is compared to other second generation biofuels which, when left in storage begin to thicken after only a short time into a gum.
Lignocellulose
The plant wastes being targeted for conversion into biofuels contain chemicals known as lignocellulose, which is increasingly favoured around the world as a raw material for the next generation of bio-ethanol as they are renewable and potentially greenhouse gas neutral. Materials such as lawn clippings, tree trimmings and other materials that households already put in their green bins for removal by local councils.
The Advantages of Biocrude Are Many
Some of the big disadvantages I noted in my earlier discussion about biofuels would be addressed with the development of this biocrude. Issues such as the food vs fuel crops debate and forest clearing for agricultural crops, both of which have the potential to be more harmful than the fuel they’re replacing, would no longer be an issue.
The development of this biocrude would also put another couple of entries into the advantages column. The source of biocrude could come from household green waste and paper, of which there is between 1 and 2 million tonnes going into landfill in Australia alone.
Add to this the plan to operate from small regional facilities close to the source of the bio-material converting it into the crude oil and then shipping the crude which would be much more efficient and would produce much less greenhouse gas emissions than moving the bulkier solid material to a large central facility.
Cost of Biocrude
It’s still very early days in this process and one of the unanswered questions that will be a huge factor towards the success or failure of the project is how much the biocrude will cost to produce. At this stage no cost analysis has been performed although Dr Loffler believes that it will at least be as competitive as current crude production.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Biofuels
We've had a look at the carbon footprint and ways in which we can reduce our personal carbon footprint. On a global scale, one of the proposed solutions to the problem of carbon emissions from transportation has been the growing biofuel industry. The question of whether biofuels are contributing in the fight against increased greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect and are really the saviour we hope they'll be still rages.
What Is Biofuel?
Man has been using biofuels for millenia for heating and cooking purposes. Throwing a branch on a fire and huddling around it for warmth is an example of biofuel use in its simplest form. It’s only relatively recently that biofuels have been developed in a liquid form which may be used in petrol and diesel engines giving us our first sign that we are well on our way to replacing high polluting fossil fuels as our energy source in transportation. The issue of whether the production of biofuel as a liquid fuel is a more greenhouse friendly solution than using the traditional fossil fuels has become a hotly debated topic and later on there are a list of the pros and cons of biofuels.
Types of Biofuels
Firstly, though a little bit of a distinction should be made between two types of biofuels that are currently in the spotlight. First generation biofuels have been available for years now while second generation biofuels are close to becoming a reality.
First generation biofuels are made from food crop feedstocks while second generation biofuels are made from agriculture and forestry waste such as the straw left over after havesting a crop.
When looking at first generation biofuels there are two that are used commercially: ethanol and bio-esters.
Ethanol is made from sugar crops and corn / maize crops by fermenting the sugars produced in the plants. The ethanol is distilled out of the resultant solution. The way current gasoline specifications are regulated, ethanol can only be blended with standard fuel up to 10% in the US and 5% in Europe. Additionally, ethanol has lower fuel economy performance than gasoline so, although producing ethanol is cleaner than fossil fuel, more is needed to run your car.
Bio-esters are produced by a chemical reaction between vegetable oils from products such as rapeseed and soyabeen oil and alcohol. The result is a liquid which can then be blended with diesel to create biodiesel. Bio-esters can be used in low concentrations in current vehicles or in a pure form in modified vehicles.
The carbon emission reduction generated from the use of these two types of biofuels comes in at around 3% and 2.5% respectively.
We’ll turn our attention to second generation biofuels which are made from agricultural and forestry waste. A process has been developed to make a product known as cellulose ethanol from straw using enzymes. Potentially, the use of cellulose ethanol solves many of the problems that have arisen during the creation of the first generation biofuels, such as using a potential food source.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Biofuels
When discussing the pros and cons of biofuels, it’s probably fairest to concentrate solely on first generation biofuels because that’s what’s currently in commercial use.
Advantages
What Is Biofuel?
Man has been using biofuels for millenia for heating and cooking purposes. Throwing a branch on a fire and huddling around it for warmth is an example of biofuel use in its simplest form. It’s only relatively recently that biofuels have been developed in a liquid form which may be used in petrol and diesel engines giving us our first sign that we are well on our way to replacing high polluting fossil fuels as our energy source in transportation. The issue of whether the production of biofuel as a liquid fuel is a more greenhouse friendly solution than using the traditional fossil fuels has become a hotly debated topic and later on there are a list of the pros and cons of biofuels.
Types of Biofuels
Firstly, though a little bit of a distinction should be made between two types of biofuels that are currently in the spotlight. First generation biofuels have been available for years now while second generation biofuels are close to becoming a reality.
First generation biofuels are made from food crop feedstocks while second generation biofuels are made from agriculture and forestry waste such as the straw left over after havesting a crop.
When looking at first generation biofuels there are two that are used commercially: ethanol and bio-esters.
Ethanol is made from sugar crops and corn / maize crops by fermenting the sugars produced in the plants. The ethanol is distilled out of the resultant solution. The way current gasoline specifications are regulated, ethanol can only be blended with standard fuel up to 10% in the US and 5% in Europe. Additionally, ethanol has lower fuel economy performance than gasoline so, although producing ethanol is cleaner than fossil fuel, more is needed to run your car.
Bio-esters are produced by a chemical reaction between vegetable oils from products such as rapeseed and soyabeen oil and alcohol. The result is a liquid which can then be blended with diesel to create biodiesel. Bio-esters can be used in low concentrations in current vehicles or in a pure form in modified vehicles.
The carbon emission reduction generated from the use of these two types of biofuels comes in at around 3% and 2.5% respectively.
We’ll turn our attention to second generation biofuels which are made from agricultural and forestry waste. A process has been developed to make a product known as cellulose ethanol from straw using enzymes. Potentially, the use of cellulose ethanol solves many of the problems that have arisen during the creation of the first generation biofuels, such as using a potential food source.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Biofuels
When discussing the pros and cons of biofuels, it’s probably fairest to concentrate solely on first generation biofuels because that’s what’s currently in commercial use.
Advantages
- Biofuels lower the use of unrenewable resources such as coal and oil.
- Power levels of carbon emissions are produced when measured from well to wheel. The greatest benefit will come from locally grown product.
- Air pollutants when burning biofuel blended products are greatly reduced.
Disadvantages
- Rainforest clearing has proceeded in order to create large scale agricultural land devoted to biofuel crops.
- A potential source of food is being used for food when world wide starvation continues to be a problem.
- Carbon emissions generated harvesting and hauling biofuel crops, particularly internationally, largely negates the carbon emission savings.
- Even greater levels of greenhouse gas is produced by clearing of tropical forests to plant sugar cane crops. Soil degradation, peat drainage and waste burning create even greater levels of carbon emissions.
- Large scale biofuel plantations in countries such as Indonesia and Brazil are unsustainable.
As can be seen, the idea that biofuels are the clean, green and sustainable answer to the growing oil shortage and emissions of greenhouse gases problem is premature at this stage. More definitive studies must be undertaken if the first generation biofuels are going to be a successful option, for the sake of the industry and the planet. It appears that there has been an initial grab for cash with little regard to the environmental consequences, in fact the very problems that are supposed to be solved.
Fortunately there is a lot of research and development going into the production of second generation biofuels with a very interesting breakthrough made in the creation of biocrude. This is an area that we will look at in a little bit more detail.
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