WHAT ARE BIOFUELS?
• These are fuels that are produced through contemporarily biological
processes such as agriculture and anaerobic digestion. Usually, they are
derived either directly from plants or indirectly from agricultural, commercial
and domestic waste.
• Fuels derived from biomass which is any matter derived from plants or
animals.
• A fuel such as ethanol produced from biological
raw materials.
WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF BIOFUELS?
There are two types of biofuels classified according to the source and type.
These are primary and secondary biofuels.
• Primary biofuels such a firewood, woodchips and pellets are the organic
material used in their natural form as harvested. They are directly combusted
in their natural form to supply cooking fuel heating purposes or energy
generation.
• Secondary biofuels in the form of solids (e.g. charcoal), liquids( such as
ethanol, biodiesel and bio-oil) or gases (e.g. biogas, synthesis gas) can be
used for wider range of application such as traction and high-temperature
industrial processes.
ETHANOL
Ethanol is an alcohol, same as that found in beer and wines (although the
ethanol used as a fuel is modified to be undrinkable). It is formed by
fermentation of biomass high in carbohydrates such as oats, corn, barley and
wheat.
In Brazil and other countries producing ethanol use sugarcane as the main
feedstock.
In the state of Texas, there are farms of corn
specifically grown for the production of biofuels
and the rest is used to manufacture organic fertilizers.
BIO-DIESEL
Produced by combining vegetable oil or animal fat with an alcohol in
presence of a catalyst in a chemical process referred to as
transesterification.
Oil for biodiesel production can be produced from any oil crop seed,
the most popular being rapeseed in Europe and soybean in Brazil. In
tropical countries it is obtained from palm and coconut oils.
Biodiesel can be blended with the ordinary diesel fuel or combusted
in its pure form but has an energy content about 90% to that of pure
diesel.
EFFICIENCY OF BIOFUELS IN ELECTRICITY
PRODUCTION?
Rock Bottom!!
A large amount of biofuel is required to sustain 1000 KWh of electricity.
BIO-ENERGY CYCLE
COMPARISON BETWEEN BIOFUELS AND FOSSIL FUELS
BIOFUEL YIELD BY CROP
ENERGY GENERATION
ENERGY GENERATION
BIOFUEL PRODUCTION BY COUNTRY
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF BIOFUELS
• Spills and surface contaminations
They are not 100% safe but are much safer than fossil fuels.
Biofuels are made of biological molecules and hence
biodegradable. Therefore, in time of a spillage, bacteria living
in soil are able to break it down to less harmful molecules.
• Atmospheric contamination and acid rain
Contain a large amount of Nitrogen which when mixed with
other compounds in the air leads to acid rain.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF
BIOFUELS?
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Global warming
Gases emitted using the production and application
(factories, traction etc.) when released to the environment
can lead to global warming if there is an accumulation of
these greenhouse gases.
Recommendations
1. With legislative acts concerning use of biofuels
2. Education on the need of agro-biodiversity
3. Utility of other forms of energy such as renewable
energy i.e. solar and wind.
