Biofuels/Biomass Facts
Algae
Algae have many reasons why they could be consider as one of the most perfect choices for biofuel production. Algae grows 50 to 100 times faster than conventional food crops, and according to some energy experts biofuels produced from algae have the potential to become one of the best alternative energy solution that could one day even be capable enough to replace currently dominant fossil fuels. Additional advantage is that algae are single-cell organisms meaning they do not require freshwater resources or soil for growth, which makes things lot easier.
Source: our-energy.com/
Algae can be cultivated in two ways – in an open pond system (either naturally occurring or engineered) or in an engineered closed system.
Source: our-energy.com/
Biodiesel
In 1897, Rudolf Diesel demonstrated his first engine – running on peanut oil.
Biodiesel from soybeans costs an estimated $2 to $2.50 per gallon to produce. Biodiesel from yellow grease is about $1 a gallon cheaper, but the available supply in the U.S. is much smaller – enough to make 100 million gallons per year. Producers of biodiesel from pure vegetable oil are eligible for a federal excise tax credit of $1 for every gallon blended with conventional diesel. Biodiesel from used cooking oil earns a credit of 50 cents per gallon.
Biodiesel is made through a chemical process called transesterification whereby the glycerin is separated from the fat or vegetable oil. The process leaves behind two products — methyl esters (the chemical name for biodiesel) and glycerin (a valuable byproduct usually sold to be used in soaps and other products).
Source: our-energy.com/
Biodiesel is biodegradable and non-toxic, and typically produces about 60% less net-lifecycle carbon dioxide emissions, as it is itself produced from atmospheric carbon dioxide via photosynthesis in plants.
Source: our-energy.com/
Biodiesel is free from sulphur (< 0,001 %). Biodiesel is easily biodegradable with no hazard to soil or groundwater in the case of accidents.
Source: our-energy.com/
The energy content of biodiesel is about 90 percent that of petroleum diesel.
Source: our-energy.com/
If deforestation, and monoculture farming techniques were used to grow biofuel crops, biodiesel is predicted to become a serious threat to the environment.
Source: our-energy.com/
Cellulose Ethanol
The chief advantage of cellulose is its abundance. Indeed, cellulose is estimated to make up half of all the organic carbon on the planet. In the U.S., ethanol production from corn is expected to hit a limit of 15 to 20 billion gallons per year. Additional feedstocks will be needed to replace a larger share of gasoline demand, now running at 140 billion gallons per year.
A second advantage to processing cellulosic biomass is that it also contains lignin, a natural fiber. Lignin can not be converted to ethanol but can serve as an energy-rich boiler fuel. There is enough lignin in plants to provide all the energy needs of an ethanol production facility, with electricity left over for sale to the power grid.
Ethanol
Ethanol has been widely used throughout the Midwestern United States for many years. Recent legislation creating a Renewable Fuels Standard and the need for octane have prompted the expansion of ethanol blended fuels to new markets across the country. As a result, ethanol is now blended in virtually every gallon of unleaded gasoline in the U.S.
Source: ethanolrfa.org
Cellulosic ethanol has the potential to cut greenhouse gas emissions by up to 86%.
Ethanol readily biodegrades without harm to the environment, and is a safe, high-performance replacement for fuel additives such as MTBE.
Source: energy.gov (PDF)
The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy’s Billion Ton Study found that we can grow adequate biomass feedstocks to displace approximately 30% of current gasoline consumption by 2030 on a sustainable basis with no conversion of U.S. croplands. It determined that 1.3 billion tons of U.S. biomass feedstock is potentially available for the production of biofuelsómore than enough biomass to produce the mandated 3 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol in 2015.
Source: energy.gov (PDF)
Ethanol has a positive energy balance – that is, the energy content of corn ethanol is greater than the energy used to produce it ñ and this balance is constantly improving with new technologies. In the future, most ethanol will come from cellulosic ethanol, which delivers up to ten times more energy than is required for its production.
Source: energy.gov (PDF)
Animals consumed most of the corn produced in the U.S. in 2005 – 54.5% of 11 billion bushels. The rest went to exports (18.2%), ethanol (14.7%), and domestic food consumption (12.4%).
The two largest variables in the cost of ethanol are the cost of corn and the cost of natural gas or other sources of heat needed to process the mixture. When corn costs $2 a bushel, it costs between $1 and $1.20 to make a gallon of ethanol. Because ethanol has only two-thirds the energy content of gasoline, that’s equivalent to $1.50-$1.80 per gallon of gasoline (wholesale), or $50-$60 per barrel of oil. At that price of corn, ethanol is competitive with gasoline with the current subsidy for gasoline blenders when oil costs $30 a barrel or more. It is economically competitive with gasoline without a subsidy when oil costs $50 a barrel or more.
Find Alternative Fuel Stations
Visit: afdc.energy.gov
Tax Incentives for Hybrid Vehicles
Visit: fueleconomy.gov
Energy Tax Credits for Diesels
Visit: fueleconomy.gov
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
U.S. energy consumption is expected to grow 50% percent by 2030. Biofuels must continue to play a significant role as we work aggressively to diversify our nation ís energy sources and provide a balanced portfolio of energy solutions to help meet our growing demand for energy.