Biofuels: Creation & the Dark Side
- Sylvia Rose
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 9 hours ago
Biofuels, made from organic materials, promise a renewable alternative to fossil fuels. While the sunny side of biofuel touts its benefits, realistic expectations are not as bright.
Biofuel promotes energy independence and is claimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). Energy independence is an important factor as the world moves toward deglobalization.
Biofuels and fossil fuels differ in origin. Biofuels are considered renewable resources while fossil fuels are finite resources accumulated over millions of years.
It's easy for investors to get carried away with green technology idealism without taking a necessary walk on the dark side of biofuels. Burning biomass creates many environmental and health problems, including greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution and ecosystem damage.
About Biofuel
Biofuel is any fuel derived from biomass, which is organic matter from plants and animals. It includes crops like corn, soybeans, and sugarcane, as well as algae, agricultural waste and animal manure.
In sugarcane biofuel, most production is absorbed by the domestic market. It's sold as either pure ethanol fuel (E100) or blended with gasoline (E27). An alcohol-based fuel, it's produced by the fermentation of sugarcane juice and molasses.
In the US, 45% of corn croplands are used for ethanol production. Corn is the main feedstock used for producing ethanol fuel in the United States. It's fermented by yeast, which create ethanol and CO2.
Animal manure, burned in many countries since the dawn of civilization, can produce biofuels, primarily through anaerobic digestion by bacteria to generate biogas. This mix of methane and CO2 can be used for heat, electricity or as a transport fuel.
Unlike fossil fuels, which require millions of years to form, biofuels can be replenished in a short time. Major types of biofuels are biodiesel, ethanol, and biogas. Wood pellets and algae are also growing concerns.
Types of Biofuel
Ethanol
Primarily produced from corn in the US and sugarcane in Brazil, ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel blended with gasoline. It's used to improve octane ratings.
Ethanol and ethanol-gasoline mixtures burn cleaner and have higher octane levels than gasoline without ethanol. They also have higher evaporative emissions from fuel tanks and dispensing equipment.
These evaporative emissions contribute to formation of ground-level ozone and smog. Gasoline also needs extra processing to reduce evaporative emissions before blending with ethanol.
Ethanol in fuel can cause corrosion, dry out rubber parts, and attract water, with potential engine damage and reduced fuel efficiency. Fuel ethanol is highly flammable.
Biodiesel
Made from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled greases, biodiesel can be used in diesel engines in pure form or blended with petroleum diesel.
Biodiesel, while considered a renewable alternative, presents such problems as increased NOx emissions, lower energy output compared to diesel, and storage issues causing mold growth and poor fuel quality.
NOx are a group of highly reactive nitrogen oxides, mainly nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). These are major contributors to air pollution, especially from combustion processes.
Biodiesel is flammable. Its production uses hazardous chemicals like methanol (wood alcohol) thus needs careful handling and storage.
Biogas
Produced through anaerobic digestion of organic waste by microorganisms like bacteria, biogas is mainly methane (50-75%) and carbon dioxide (25-45%). It can be used for electricity generation, heating, and transportation.
Impurities in biogas can cause health issues like pulmonary paralysis, asthma, respiratory diseases, and fatalities. They can contribute to global warming, subsequently droughts, flooding, malnutrition and other disasters.
Wood Pellets
By making wood pellets from waste or byproduct fiber, the debris becomes low carbon biofuel. Ideally, the CO2 produced when burning wood pellets is offset by the CO2 absorbed by trees as they grow.
Trees have a limit. The Amazon Rainforest is now producing more CO2 than it absorbs.
According to the University of British Columbia, wood pellets burning in presence of oxygen release more CO2 than the great polluter, coal. Wood also has a higher water content, making it less efficient for combustion.
Other factors include deforestation. Wood waste is already often used in products like particle board and masonite, which have sizeable markets. High carbon emissions during production and combustion are a concern.
Algae
Algae has 20%–80% oil content, which can be converted into different types of fuels such as kerosene oil and biodiesel. It's currently used in biodiesel production.
While algae is still researched as a biofuel in itself, today it may be used as a way to absorb some of the the flue gas CO2 produced during biofuel manufacturing. One of the major problems using algae as biofuel is the massive water resources it needs.
Biofuels: Related Problems
Land Use Competition: Using land for biofuel production can compete with food production, potentially driving up food prices and contributing to deforestation in some regions.
Cost: Producing biofuels may be costlier than fossil fuels due to material and processing expenses.
Water Usage: Cultivating biofuel crops can require significant amounts of water, placing strain on water resources in water-scarce areas.
"Food vs. Fuel" Debate: The ethical dilemma of diverting food crops for fuel production remains a major concern, particularly in regions with food insecurity. Also, increase in biofuel demand can cause food prices can rise significantly.
Life-Cycle Emissions: The overall carbon footprint of biofuels depends on the entire production process, including farming, processing and transportation. In some cases, the full life-cycle emissions of biofuels may be comparable to or even higher than those of fossil fuels.
Technological Limitations: The efficiency and cost-effectiveness of some biofuel production methods still need research.
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