Shifting Away from Fossil Fuels: Exploring Biofuels’ Key Role in Transportation Decarbonization
When discussing biofuels, we typically refer to fuels that exhibit reduced carbon emissions when utilized in vehicles. Indeed, the increasing popularity of bio-based fuels is driven by a commitment to environmentally friendly products characterized by low carbon content. This shift reflects a broader effort to identify sustainable alternatives to traditional fossil fuels. Moving away from fossil fuels in not expected to occur in the near future and there has been a common misconception about the end of oil! Carefully looking at the chart below, the fossil fuel production is increased vigrously in the last 10 to 12 years.
The emergence of new oil recovery (EOR) and exploration techniques has led to the discovery of additional oil and gas resources. While the transition to alternative energy sources such as hydrogen, solar, wind, and biofuels will gradually reduce the reliance on fossil fuels, oil and gas are expected to remain significant components of the energy mix in the near future. The primary emphasis of this transition is to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels over time (chart shows the beginning of the decline of fossil fuels).
In place of fossil fuels, more sustainable and reliable alternatives will emerge as clean energy providers and biofuels is one of them!
Exploring Biofuels: Types, Challenges, and Opportunities for Sustainable Energy
- First Generation: These are conventional bio-fuels and is often produced from food grade biomass such as corn, soybean or sugarcane mostly. Biomass is fermented through chemical processes which transform oils, sugars, and starches in the biomass into liquid fuels. First-Gen biofuel market and technologies are well established (for eg ethanol from corn) and most countries are blending ethanol into petrol (for eg India and US).
- Second Generation: Second-generation biofuels are derived from non-food sources such as perennial grasses and rapidly-growing trees, such as hybrid poplar, willow, or eastern white pine, which typically have a growth cycle of 5–7 years. Although the process of converting these materials into fuel is more complex and less mature, extensive research has been conducted on their potential economic and environmental benefits compared to first-generation biofuels. Second-generation biofuel crops offer several advantages over their first-generation counterparts: 1) They do not need to be replanted annually, 2) switchgrass can remain productive for up to 10 years, and 3) perennial crops require fewer pesticides, fertilizers, and water for cultivation.
- Third and Fourth Generation: In recent years, there has been increasing attention on third and fourth generation biofuels. Third-generation biofuels originate from algae or specially engineered crops, which excel in converting biomass into fuel efficiently. Fourth-generation biofuels aim to capture and sequester carbon dioxide during biomass production and fuel manufacturing processes using carbon capture technologies. Considerable research is underway to assess the commercial viability of these two generations of biofuels.
Worldwide Discussion — Food Vs. Fuel: The increase in first-generation biofuels is primarily driven by mandates requiring specific levels of renewable fuel to be mixed with transportation fuel. However, there are growing environmental concerns regarding the swift growth of first-generation biofuel production, particularly its potential impact on global food supply. Consequently, there’s a growing interest in exploring “second-generation” biofuel crops, which are derived from non-food sources. Nonetheless, the debate persists, as even non-food crops like switchgrass can serve as feed for livestock.
What necessitates the development of innovative biofuel production technologies?
Expanding biofuel production to advanced feedstocks is critical to ensure minimal impact on land, feed cost and other environmental concerns. The primary aim is to increase the efficiency of the biofuel production process. Currently, the main sources of the non-food raw materials for biofuel production are used cooking oil and waste animal fats. However these feedstocks are limited in quantity, therefore it is necessary to develop and implement new technologies to boraden the production of biofuels from non-food crops. Novel production processes like cellulose ethanol and biomass-based Fischer-Tropsch (bio-FT) have the potential to use various non-food crops but the cost of biofuel production is still 2 — 3 times higher than that of fossil fuels. However, it is anticipated that this cost could decrease by up to 27% over the next decade.
Technologies yet to be commercialized: the alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) route from ethanol production is expected to become commercialized soon and other companies are exploring the utilization of novel oilseed crops in order to convert conventional refineries into biorefineries. Hydrothermal liquefaction and fast pyrolysis are still at the low level of technology readiness.
Why Haven’t Biofuels Emerged as a Sustainable Alternative to Fossil Fuels, Despite their Potential? Examining the Predominance of Electric Vehicles.
The answer to this question is complex and requires careful consideration. The widespread acceptance of electric vehicles is primarily influenced by governmental policies, incentives, and significant investments from the private sector. Electric vehicles have a history spanning a century, gaining popularity in the late 1990s. In contrast, biofuel-powered vehicles have a more recent emergence, with the use of biofuels becoming prevalent in the 1970s as a response to the oil crisis.
However, biofuel-powered vehicles face several challenges, including concerns about land use, competition with food crops, limited feedstock, technical hurdles, and high costs. On the other hand, electric vehicles have benefited from notable advancements in battery technology, substantial infrastructure investments, government incentives, and a clear developmental roadmap, facilitating their widespread adoption.
In 2023, more than 13 million electric vehicles were sold, with an anticipated growth of 25–30% in 2024.
Why hybrid vehicle with sustainable biofuels are better than pure electric vehicles?
Although electric vehicles don’t emit exhaust gases directly, research indicates that the production of batteries for EVs contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions throughout their lifecycle. Therefore, in transitioning to cleaner energy sources, combining biofuels with the electrification of vehicle fleets could offer even greater benefits. One study found that hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) fueled by bio-methane emitted the lowest average greenhouse gas emissions (59.5 gCO2e/km) compared to fully electric vehicles and internal combustion engines (IC) using biofuels. This demonstrates that hybrid vehicles utilizing biofuels represent a viable and readily available technological solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impact in fleet decarbonization efforts.
Conclusion:
In summary, the integration of biofuels and electrification presents a viable approach for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector. Hybrid vehicles powered by sustainable biofuels represent a practical solution for advancing environmental objectives in fleet decarbonization initiatives. Further investigation is essential to enhance the competitiveness of biofuels compared to other clean energy alternatives.
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References:
Tracking Biofuels Supply. Retrieved from https://www.iea.org/energy-system/low-emission-fuels/biofuels
Energy Institute — Statistical Review of World Energy (2023). Retrived from https://ourworldindata.org/fossil-fuels
Global Electricity Review 2023. Retrieved from https://ember-climate.org/insights/research/global-electricity-review-2023/
Hybrid vigor: Why hybrids with sustainable biofuels are better than pure electric vehicles. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esd.2023.101261
