Biofuels: The Basic Facts and Its Benefits

Biofuels: The Basic Facts and Its Benefits

Edith del Rosario Pérez Ibarra

University of Guanajuato

Author Notes:

Edith del Rosario Pérez Ibarra, Department of Languages, University of Guanajuato

This research was supported by Professor Cindy Hagenbaumer, Department of Languages, University of Guanajuato.

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Edith del Rosario Pérez Ibarra, Division de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Department of Chemical Engineering.

Contact: blue_e16@hotmail.com

Abstract

The constant change in climatic conditions on Earth is its desperate call to stop pollution. In the last two decades a wave has involved several countries looking for new sustainable alternatives to petroleum based combustibles. The scarcity and the high prices of the main energy source, oil, have encouraged even more research to find a solution to these problems. By 2010 the world demand of oil was 86.95 million barrels per day and in 2009 it was 84.57 million of barrels per day which represents an increase in the demand of 2.81%. This demand will continue increasing, it is calculated that by 2030 the demand will be 118 million barrels per day which will be difficult to cover completely and the new, green and friendly fuels are an alternative to fully supply the demand. The development of biofuels, besides having benefits to decrease pollution, encourage to the creation of new technology, involving new sciences’ and students in its development and another great benefit is the creation of new jobs. All these factors make the development of the biofuels an important topic that needs the support of scientists, governments and general population.

Biofuels: The Basic Facts and Its Benefits

The global interest in the development of new energy sources, like the alternative energies and the biofuels, has increased due three main factors: fears over energy security, a growing concern over global warming and high oil prices.

Nowadays, around the world 86 million barrels of oil per day are used; with foresight that this demand for liquid fuels will increase to 118 million barrels per day by 2030 this would jeopardize the coverage of such demand owing the lack of technology to produce them or due the shortage of the raw material.

The global climate change has motivated growing interest in every single type of alternative energy source, including biofuels. The biofuels could help to decrease the emission of greenhouse gases from their combustion.

Some countries have mandated the use of these green fuels. For example, in January of 2008 the European Union declared a goal that 10% of vehicle fuel be derived from renewable sources by 2020. The U.S. Energy Security and Independence Act requires that 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels be blended into gasoline by 2022.

According to Smeets (2007) the global potential for biomass that can be converted into fuels varies widely. One recent study concluded that by 2050, biomass theoretically could supply 65% of the world’s current energy consumption, with sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America accounting for roughly half of this global potential. In tropical countries, high crop yields and lower costs for land and labor provide an economic advantage that is hard for countries in temperate regions to match.

All these factors have encouraged the development of new research looking for the best alternative to produce fuels different from the oil and an added benefit is that it could be a source of new jobs and the opportunity to create new technology that would generate advances in different educative institutions.

What are biofuels?

Biofuels are defined as a renewable source of energy, which is produced from biological material or biomass, such as sugar cane, corn, cellulose or vegetable oils. The main goal of production of biofuel is to supplement or even substitute fossil fuels, the amount of which is constantly and rapidly diminishing.

Solid biofuels have been in use ever since man discovered fire. The first form of biofuel that was used by the ancient people was the wood for cooking and heating.

One of the first inventors who convinced the people to use a biofuel (ethanol) was a German named Nikolas August Otto. Rudolf Diesel is the German inventor of the diesel engine that was designed the engine to run on peanut oil.

During the World War II, demand of biofuels increased due to spread of their use as an alternative for imported fuel. In this stage of history, Germany was one of the countries that suffered a serious shortage of fuel. It was during this period that various other inventions took place like the use of gasoline along with alcohol that was derived from potatoes. Britain was the second country which joined to the concept of grain alcohol mixed with petrol. Technological changes took place, during the period of peace the oil prices went down and the use of biofuels was displaced by the oil.

Another pioneer of biofuels was George Washington Carver. He was not directly responsible for inventing biofuels; the scope of his research was instrumental in the development of biofuels as well as other products derived from plants. A big part of his research involved peanuts and soybeans from which he developed literally hundreds of products and applications ranging from clean-burning biofuels to plastics, paint, food products, etc. What has really changed is the way these fuels are processed. Modern farming techniques have resulted in increased yields and efficiency, making these fuels competitively priced with petroleum based fuels.

Kinds of Biofuels

Biofuels can be classified in two categories: first generation and second generation, even some classifications can include third or fourth generation biofuels. This classification is according the kind of raw material needed to produce these green combustibles.

First Generation Biofuels

First-generation biofuels are made largely from edible sugars and starches. First generation biofuels are ethanol produced from corn or sugar cane and biodiesel produced from canola oil, soybean oil, or palm oil, which are produced exclusively for their use as the raw material for biofuels. The technology to produce these exists and they can be and are produced widely now. The only issue about their generation is their cost.

...