The Biofuel And Biomass Industry

Thirdly, the cost of biofuel is high because its production and infrastructural cost is humongous. To create biofuel, large tracts of land need to be cleared for setting up the plant. This is not feasible because of global economic meltdown whose one major disadvantage is the rising food prices. If the land that could be better used for producing the much needed food crops, there is no need to use the same land for generating biofuels (FAO 07). Furthermore, the cost of establishing and running a biofuel plant runs into billions. Where would the money come from? Of course, the people have to pay for them, doubly, first for purchasing biofuel and secondly in the form of taxes. Ironically, the common man cannot afford such expenses given the current economic situation, which if not controlled will create more problems in the future like unemployment, an issue more important than debating biofuels and diesel fuels (Stern 07).

The United States currently has the realistic capability of meeting roughly 64 percent of its gas demand with alternative fuels. This plan of alternative fuels relies mostly on BioDiesel from algae, while also utilizing ethanol from corn. As for the other 36 percent of our demand, we can rely on our own crude oil production by utilizing natural gas (CNG). A great attribute of all of these fuel sources is that they can be distributed

In a typical supply chain, raw materials are procured and items are produced at one

Energy, especially from fossil fuels, is a key ingredient for all sectors of a modern economy and plays a fundamental role in improving the quality of life in less developed economies. In 2007, India is ranked fifth in the world in terms of energy demand; accounting for 3.6% of total energy consumed, and is expected to grow at 4.8% in the future. India imports 70% of the oil it uses, and the country has been hit

Biofuels are biologically derived fuels obtained in a renewable way from organic waste. These organic remains usually come from sugar, wheat, corn or oilseeds. They all reduce the total volume of CO2 emitted into the atmosphere as they absorb it as they grow and emit virtually the same amount as conventional fuels when they burn, resulting in a closed cycle process. Biofuels are often mixed with other fuels in small proportions, 5 or 10%, providing a useful but limited reduction of greenhouse gases. In Europe and the United States, legislation has been in place requiring suppliers to mix biofuels to certain levels. This legislation has been copied by many other countries that believe that these fuels will help to improve the planet through the reduction of gases that produce the so-called 'Greenhouse Effect '.

To solve the rigorous threat to earth from global warming, bio-fuels serve as the most feasible source of energy all over the world. The environmental and economical performance of bio-fuel as compared to fossil fuel was analyzed by full Life Cycle Analyses (LCA) in Spain. The Spanish government CIEMAT, carried out two LCA’s so as to compare ethanol-ethanol mixtures with gasoline, and biodiesel-biodiesel mixtures with fuel oil according to ISO 14040-43 standards, these standards evaluate energy and mass balance for two or more objects. It was concluded that carbon dioxide emission during utilization of bio-fuel are lower than fossil fuel and bio-fuel requires less primary energy to be processed than fossil fuels. Bob Dinneen, President and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association submitted the letter to the editor of The Gazette in which he marked that “On an environmental level, conventional ethanol is reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 34% compared to petroleum, including hypothetical land use change emissions” (qtd. in renewable fuel association). As the raw material for

For over forty years now, scientists and researchers have been tirelessly searching for an alternative to fossil fuels. Biofuels have become an interesting contender in the search for the replacement of the non-renewable energy source. Biofuels have been used throughout history for over thousands of years. There is a large debate over biofuels and its true impact on the environment. Those involved in the discussion debating whether biofuels have any real overwhelming benefits compared to fossil fuels could argue for its usage. According to recent research performed by the University of Michigan, biofuels may not be the best alternative for fossil fuels. Regardless of its impact on the environment, biofuels are becoming more popular particularly when the price of oil rises.

Both biodiesel and ethanol are derivatives of biomass that have been processed to create a liquid biofuel. Both types of biofuels have been touted as secure and environmentally safe alternatives to fossil fuels, however the research verifying these claims is extensive but often contradicting. In the following paper, the efficiency and quality of the two types of biofuel will be discussed. The effects of variables such as source materials and production techniques on efficiency and quality will be considered. Due to the limited scope of this paper however, only generalized net analyses of ethanol and biodiesel production will be considered. The production of ethanol requires one of two source materials, cellulose

A biofuels is a fuel that is produced through biological processes, such as agriculture rather than a fuel produced by geological processes. Hence a biofuel is a fuel which is gained from the living matter. A biofuel is a hydrocarbon that is made from a living organism hence we humans end up using this to power something. In a short amount of time, if a hydrogen fuel is produced from organic matter hence this is known as a biofuel being produced. Biodiesel is an fuel which is similar to fossil diesel. Therefore biofuel is any fuel from which energy is gained through a process of biological carbon fixation. Biodiesel can be produced from vegetable oil, animal oil/fats and waste cooking oils. A well known process used to convert these oils

Henry Ford, in 1925, dubbed biofuels “the fuel of the future”. Today, Mr. Ford’s prediction is coming true because biofuels are proving to be one of the most promising sources of alternative energy. Biofuels are popular because they only release the CO2 that was collected during photosynthesis. They solve many of the problems that fossil fuels present: greenhouse gases, emissions, resource depletion, and foreign oil dependency. On the other hand, biofuel production has drawbacks such as resource requirements, air and groundwater pollution, and usage of space. The best material to invest in as a biofuel company is switchgrass lignocellulose, using the process of catalytic pyrolysis to better combat the fuel crisis.

How does biomass work? Our project is on Biomass Energy. Biomass energy is a renewable energy resource from living or recently living plants or animals materials which can be used as fuel. Many different types of biomass is wood, dead plants, dead animals, garbage, corn. Biomass is a renewable energy source because the energy in it comes from the sun, but also because biomass/bioenergy can grow again over a short period of time compared with the long time that it takes to grow fossil fuels. Through the process of photosynthesis, chlorophyll in plants captures the sun's energy by converting carbon dioxide from the water and air from the ground into carbohydrates. When burned, they turn back into water and carbon dioxide and release the energy

Increased energy demands, the need for dependence on oil imports, and rising oil prices have created a new found interest in renewable, biomass fuels. The U.S. Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) added onto the Renewable Fuel Standard that required that all U.S. transportation fuels contain at least 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2022. Algae biofuels have the potential to make a significant contribution to achieving these goals and having our nation become an energy independent country. The U.S. federal government has invested over $800 million in biofuels research as part of the American Recovery and Renewal Act. These funds have been given to the Department of Energy - Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Biomass Program to invest in research, development, and finding ways to create an algae-to-biomass a commercialized farm and product. A few private companies are also making substantial investments in the algae to biomass area. With all the interest in algae as biomass, it is possible that algae could become the best sustainable oil option for the United States.

Biomass is the use of organic matter to make electricity. Organic matter such as trees and plants are burned and heat water to create steam. The steam created from boiling water is used to turn turbines to create electricity. Biomass can also be used to create Methane which is used to create even more electricity.

Jevanni CousinsProfessor ReidSCC 101 Biofuel’s Future in the U.S. and the WorldOne of the major problems confronting the United States and the World today, is the growing lack of fossil fuels and the accrual emissions of carbon into the atmosphere. The United States is still dependent on fossil fuels today such as coal despite numerous efforts to decrease that dependency, and are also relying on imported oil from multiple foreign countries particularly in the Middle East. The use of fossil fuel has generated great anxiety in greenhouse gas emissions and governments from all over the world, including the United States which is leading the effort in combating this issue. The problems have grown so huge in this century that President Barack Obama made it a major initiative during his administration to overcome it. He once said “we cannot drill our way to energy but must fast-track investments in renewable sources of energy like solar power, wind power and advanced biofuels” (Obama). In this paper, I will discuss biofuels, the types biofuels, along with its potential and challenges that it may face in our growing society. In recognition of the issues that exist due to fossil fuels, the United States elective bodies has been preaching the encouragement for the uses of biofuels, which has prompt an increase in

This essay focuses on two renewable energy resources. First of all, biofuel is now accepted as alternative energy in worldwide. The figures continue upward trend in the biofuel production. ‘An annual growth rate of 6.8% from 2006 to 2030 is expected for total biofuels consumption in the transport sector’ (International Energy Agency: 2008 cited in Zhou, et al., 2009:S11). Significant leaders of the biofuel market are Brazil, the United States and the European Union. The results of research indicated that 92% of the world’s ethanol is produced by Brazil and US together, while 90% of the world’s biodiesel manufactured by the EU. In addition, several developing countries in Asia such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines have an enormous potential for biofuel production. Now these countries are