Download or read book Emission balances of first and second generation biofuels written by Dorian Frieden and published by CIFOR. This book was released on 2011-12-01 with total page 76 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report examines and compares the greenhouse gas emissions of alternative first-generation and second-generation biofuel production pathways. The emissions balance analysed include greenhouse gas emissions from cultivation, land use change, processing and transport of biofuels. The biofuel production pathways reviewed are: -Biodiesel from palm oil in Indonesia, -Biodiesel from jatropha in South Africa and Mexico, -Bioethanol from sugar cane in South Africa, Mexico and Indonesia, -Bioethanol from wood in South Africa and Mexico, -Fischer-Tropsch diesel from wood in South Africa and Mexico Most calculations are undertaken using a tool developed by the BioGrace project funded by the European Union. For land use change emissions, three default values based on results from the partial equilibrium Global Biomass Optimisation Model (GLOBIOM) are used. An allocation of greenhouse gas emissions to the biofuel and its co-products is done by using the energy allocation method. The results show that wherever a land use change default value for non-wood feedstocks is used, this value dominates by far all other emission sources. Default land use change emissions for pathways using wood as feedstock are minor (short rotation coppice) or negative (wood from existing forests). However, woody feedstocks require second-generation conversion technologies. The least emission intensive first-generation pathways are bioethanol from sugar cane in Mexico and Indonesia due to the high productivity of sugar cane and the simple conversion process. Due to the limited country-specific database, a differentiation between countries or regions could not clearly be made. Differentiation can rather be done for the importance of particular factors such as feedstock productivity in conjunction with fertiliser use, allocation of co-products or the energy demand of specific conversion technologies.
Download or read book Are biofuels sustainable written by Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Environmental Audit Committee and published by The Stationery Office. This book was released on 2008-01-21 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biofuels can reduce greenhouse gas emissions from road transport-but most first generation biofuels have a detrimental impact on the environment overall. In addition, most biofuels are often not an effective use of bioenergy resources, in terms either of cutting greenhouse gas emissions or value-for-money. The Government must ensure that its biofuels policy balances greenhouse gas emission cuts with wider environmental impacts, so that biofuels are only used where they contribute to sustainable emissions reductions. The Government and EU's neglect of biomass and other more effective policies to reduce emissions in favour of biofuels is misguided. The current policy and support framework must be changed to ensure that sustainable bioenergy resources maximise their potential to generate energy for the lowest possible greenhouse gas emissions. In general biofuels produced from conventional crops should no longer receive support from the Government. Instead the Government should concentrate on the development of more efficient biofuel technologies that might have a sustainable role in the future. The Government should seek to ensure that EU policy changes to reflect the concerns raised in this report. This means implementing a moratorium on current targets until technology improves, robust mechanisms to prevent damaging land use change are developed, and international sustainability standards are agreed. Only then might biofuels have a role to play. In the meantime, other more effective ways of cutting emissions from road transport should be pursued. It will take considerable courage for the Government and EU to admit that the current policy arrangements for biofuels are inappropriate. The policy realignments that are required will be a test of the Government's commitment to moving the UK towards a sustainable low carbon economy.
Download or read book Sustainable Production of Second Generation Biofuels written by and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Future Perspectives of 2nd Generation Biofuels written by Rainer Zah and published by vdf Hochschulverlag AG. This book was released on 2010 with total page 333 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fossil independence and substantial reductions in CO2 emissions seem to be possible with 2nd generation biofuels. New technologies allow a full carbon-to-fuel conversion of non-edible plant parts such as straw or wood, and the cultivation of algae or salt-resistant plants uncouples bioenergy from food production. Nevertheless, impacts on biodiversity, global land and water use are widely unclear and their competitiveness with 1st generation biofuels and electric mobility is an open question. An interdisciplinary team of Empa, University of Zurich and the Institute of Climate, Environment and Energy in Wuppertal evaluated the most sustainable production techniques and assessed their potential for our future mobility. Zielpublikum: Energie- und Umweltfachleute, Entwicklungsingenieure, Klima-/Energiebeauftragte, Behörden/Politiker
Download or read book Biofuels and Sustainability written by Kazuhiko Takeuchi and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-07-13 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access book presents a comprehensive analysis of biofuel use strategies from an interdisciplinary perspective using sustainability science. This interdisciplinary perspective (social science-natural science) means that the strategies and policy options proposed will have significant impacts on the economy and society alike. Biofuels are expected to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, revitalizing economies in agricultural communities and alleviating poverty. However, despite these anticipated benefits, international organizations such as the FAO, OECD and UN have published reports expressing concerns that biofuel promotion may lead to deforestation, water pollution and water shortages. The impacts of biofuel use are extensive, cross-sectoral and complex, and as such, comprehensive analyses are required in order to assess the extent to which biofuels can contribute to sustainable societies. Applying interdisciplinary sustainability science concepts and methodologies, the book helps to enhance the establishment of a sustainable society as well as the development of appropriate responses to a global need for urgent action on current issues related to biofuels.
Download or read book Greenhouse Gas Balances of Bioenergy Systems written by Patricia Thornley and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2017-11-27 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Greenhouse Gases Balance of Bioenergy Systems covers every stage of a bioenergy system, from establishment to energy delivery, presenting a comprehensive, multidisciplinary overview of all the relevant issues and environmental risks. It also provides an understanding of how these can be practically managed to deliver sustainable greenhouse gas reductions. Its expert chapter authors present readers to the methods used to determine the greenhouse gas balance of bioenergy systems, the data required and the significance of the results obtained. It also provides in-depth discussion of key issues and uncertainties, such as soil, agriculture, forestry, fuel conversion and emissions formation. Finally, international case studies examine typical GHG reduction levels for different systems and highlight best practices for bioenergy GHG mitigation. For bringing together into one volume information from several different fields that was up until now scattered throughout many different sources, this book is ideal for researchers, graduate students and professionals coming into the bioenergy field, no matter their previous background. It will be particularly useful for bioenergy researchers seeking to calculate greenhouse gas balances for systems they are studying. I will also be an important resource for policy makers and energy analysts. Uses a multidisciplinary approach to synthesize the diverse information that is required to competently execute GHG balances for bioenergy systems Presents an in-depth understanding of the science underpinning key issues and uncertainty in GHG assessments of bioenergy systems Includes case studies that examine ways to maximize the GHG reductions delivered by different bioenergy systems
Download or read book Biofuels Greenhouse Gas Mitigation and Global Warming written by Ashwani Kumar and published by Springer. This book was released on 2018-02-09 with total page 447 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This timely book is a compilation of edited articles by distinguished international scientists discussing global warming, its causes as well as present and future solutions. Social and economic growth at global level is measured in terms of GDP, which requires energy inputs generally based on fossil fuel resources. These, however, are major contributors to increasing levels of CO2, causing 15 tonnes of green house gas emissions per capita. Renewable sources of energy offer an alternative to fossil fuels, and would help reduce this to the 2 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per capita per annum needed to achieve sustainable growth. As such, the book discusses the next-generation of biofuels and all related aspects, based on the editors’ significant investigations on biofuels over the last 30 years. It also presents the latest research findings from research work carried out by contemporary researchers. Presenting global biofuel perspectives, it examines various issues related to sustainable development of biofuels in the contexts of agriculture, forestry, industry and economic growth. It covers the 1st to 4th generation biofuels, as well as the status of biofuel resources and their potential in carbon neutral economy. Offering a comprehensive, state-of-art overview of current and future biofuels at local and global levels, this book appeals to administrators, policy makers, universities and research institutions.
Download or read book Handbook of Bioenergy Economics and Policy Volume II written by Madhu Khanna and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-05-22 with total page 442 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In its second volume, this book aims to link the academic research with development in the real world and provide a historical and institutional background that can enrich more formal research. The first section will include an assessment of the evolution and the state of the nascent second-generation biofuel as well as a perspective on the evolution of corn ethanol and sugarcane ethanol in Brazil. It will also include a historical and institutional background on the biofuel industry in Brazil that has global lessons, and later, provide a technical overview of major analytical tools used to assess the economic, land use and greenhouse gas implications of biofuel policies at a regional and global level. Additionally, the book analyzes the various drivers for land use change both at a micro-economic level and at a macro-economic level. It presents studies that apply regional and global economic models to examine the effects of biofuel policies in the US, EU and Brazil on regional and global land use, on food and fuel prices and greenhouse gas emissions. These papers illustrate the use of partial and general equilibrium modeling approaches to simulate the effects of various biofuel policies, and includes studies showing the effects of risk aversion, time preferences and liquidity constraints on farmers decision to grow energy crops for biofuel production. By presenting the tools of lifecycle analysis for assessing the direct greenhouse gas intensity of biofuels, this handbook investigates the types of indirect or market mediated effects that can offset or strengthen these direct effects. It will include tools to assess the direct and indirect effects of biofuel production on greenhouse gas emissions in the US and Brazil, and ultimately provide a comprehensive background to understand the state of biofuel in the present and how to analyze their implication.
Download or read book Second Generation Biofuels and Biomass written by Roland A. Jansen and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2012-11-05 with total page 239 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This guide to investing in the bioenergy market covers the topic from both a scientific, economic and political perspective. It describes the increasing number of second generation biodiesel projects which are now emerging in anticipation of growing sustainability concerns by governments, and in response to market demands for improved process efficiencies and greater feedstock production yields. The book also closely examines the science and technology involved in second generation biofuels and gives concrete examples, such as in the aviation industry. The result is an essential guide for scientists, investors, politicians and decision-makers in the energy sector.
Download or read book Environmental Impact of Biofuels written by Marco Aurelio Dos Santos Bernardes and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2011-09-06 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book aspires to be a comprehensive summary of current biofuels issues and thereby contribute to the understanding of this important topic. Readers will find themes including biofuels development efforts, their implications for the food industry, current and future biofuels crops, the successful Brazilian ethanol program, insights of the first, second, third and fourth biofuel generations, advanced biofuel production techniques, related waste treatment, emissions and environmental impacts, water consumption, produced allergens and toxins. Additionally, the biofuel policy discussion is expected to be continuing in the foreseeable future and the reading of the biofuels features dealt with in this book, are recommended for anyone interested in understanding this diverse and developing theme.
Download or read book Handbook of Biofuels Production written by Rafael Luque and published by Woodhead Publishing. This book was released on 2016-05-19 with total page 772 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Handbook of Biofuels Production, Second Edition, discusses advanced chemical, biochemical, and thermochemical biofuels production routes that are fast being developed to address the global increase in energy usage. Research and development in this field is aimed at improving the quality and environmental impact of biofuels production, as well as the overall efficiency and output of biofuels production plants. The book provides a comprehensive and systematic reference on the range of biomass conversion processes and technology. Key changes for this second edition include increased coverage of emerging feedstocks, including microalgae, more emphasis on by-product valorization for biofuels’ production, additional chapters on emerging biofuel production methods, and discussion of the emissions associated with biofuel use in engines. The editorial team is strengthened by the addition of two extra members, and a number of new contributors have been invited to work with authors from the first edition to revise existing chapters, thus offering fresh perspectives. Provides systematic and detailed coverage of the processes and technologies being used for biofuel production Discusses advanced chemical, biochemical, and thermochemical biofuels production routes that are fast being developed to address the global increase in energy usage Reviews the production of both first and second generation biofuels Addresses integrated biofuel production in biorefineries and the use of waste materials as feedstocks
Download or read book Second generation Biofuels written by Miguel A. Carriquiry and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Mass Balance Modeling and Life Cycle Assessment of Microalgae derived Biodiesel Production written by Juhong Yuan and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biofuels produced from agricultural starch, sugar and oil crops such as corn, sugarcane, and palm, or first-generation biofuels, are produced at commercial scales worldwide. Though most biofuels are produced with the intent to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and fossil fuel dependency, these first-generation biofuels have increasingly been shown to be problematic; achieving little to no reduction in GHG emissions compared to their fossil fuel counterparts, competing with food and feed crops, and causing direct and indirect land use change. Second generation biofuel feedstocks, such as microalgae, are hoped to reduce or eliminate the drawbacks of first-generation feedstocks. This dissertation investigates the environmental impacts of biodiesel production from microalgae, with the main focus on primary energy requirements and life cycle GHG emissions. The dissertation includes a critical review of existing studies; a mass balance model of a simulated microalgae biodiesel production system; a detailed life cycle assessment (LCA) of the production system with a variety of technology options for each step of the production process; and a scenario analysis with alternative utilization scenarios for the primary co-product from the system, lipid-extracted algal biomass residual. In addition to assessing and informing technology choices and strategies for environmentally preferable pathways among current algal biodiesel technologies, this research also addresses an important methodological issue in LCA, co-product allocation, and proposes some possible solutions to reduce the uncertainty caused by this issue. Results of the critical review show that significant variation exists among existing LCA studies of algal biodiesel production, which arises from inconsistency in both parameter assumptions and methodological choices. Even after a meta-analysis was conducted, which corrected for some differences in scope and key assumptions, the reviewed studies show a large range in life cycle primary energy and GHG emissions; 0.2 to 8.6 MJ per MJ of algal biodiesel, and -30 to 320 g of CO2e per MJ of algal biodiesel. This range is so large that very little can be concluded regarding the potential for algal biodiesel to meet the goals of second-generation biofuels, and provides the motivation for development an independent and original model for algal biodiesel production. A mass balance model for an integrated algal oil and biogas system was developed to understand nutrient, water and carbon flows and identify recycling opportunities. The model showed that recycling growth media and recovering nutrients from residual algal biomass through anaerobic digestion can reduce the total demand for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) by 66% and 35%, respectively. Freshwater and carbon dioxide requirements can also be reduced significantly under these conditions. The mass balance model provided the basis for developing a LCA model capable of incorporating multiple technology options and identifying preferable pathways. The LCA found the best performing scenario consists of normal nitrogen cultivation conditions (as opposed to nitrogen deficient conditions which can increase algal lipid content, but decrease overall productivity), a combination of bioflocculation and dissolved air flotation for harvesting algal cells from cultivation media, centrifugation for dewatering of separated algae, oil extraction from wet biomass using hexane solvent, transesterification of algal oil to biodiesel, and anaerobic digestion of biomass residual with the liquid digestate returning to cultivation ponds. This pathway results in a life cycle energy requirement and GHG emissions of 1.08 MJ and 73 g CO2-equivalent per MJ of biodiesel, with cultivation and oil extraction dominating energy use and emissions. This result suggests that current technologies can neither achieve a positive net energy return for algal biodiesel, nor achieve substantial reductions in CO2e emissions compared to petroleum diesel. A comparison between different scenarios for using the major co-product from algae biodiesel production, lipid-extracted algal biomass residual, suggests that utilizing the co-product within the production system for nutrient and energy recovery is preferable than utilizing it outside as animal feed from a life cycle perspective. A number of possible ways to allocate the environmental burdens between co-products were tested. Among them, system expansion and economic allocation return favorable results compared value-based allocation methods; however, there are still unsolved issues when applying system expansion, for example, current practices do not consider future market values in the context of a consequential LCA. This dissertation shows that the near-term performance of biodiesel derived from microalgae does not achieve the significant reductions in fossil energy dependence and GHG emissions hoped for from second-generation feedstocks. Furthermore, there is substantial uncertainty in technology performance and other key modeling parameters that could influence these findings. However, some promising, but still uncertain technologies, such as hydrothermal gasification, have the potential to achieve greater reduction in life cycle GHG emissions and energy consumption.
Download or read book Food versus Fuel written by Frank Rosillo-Calle and published by Zed Books. This book was released on 2010-11-01 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Food versus Fuel presents a high-level introduction to the science and economics behind a well-worn debate, that will debunk myths and provide quality facts and figures for academics and practitioners in development studies, environment studies, and agricultural studies. Compiled by an internationally renowned scientist and authority, and to include perspectives from 'pro' and 'anti' biofuels experts and activists, from the North and South, the aim of this book is to bring a balanced approach to the current debate on the major issues affecting the development of biofuels in a concise and clear manner in order to provide an informed, nuanced but accessible introduction, grounded in science and economics rather than conjecture and controversy.
Download or read book Biofuel Crops written by Bharat P. Singh and published by CABI. This book was released on 2013 with total page 537 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Providing comprehensive coverage on biofuel crop production and the technological, environmental and resource issues associated with a sustainable biofuel industry, this book is ideal for researchers and industry personnel. Beginning with an introduction to biofuels and the challenges they face, the book then includes detailed coverage on crops of current importance or with high future prospects, including sections on algae, sugar crops and grass, oil and forestry species. The chapters focus on the genetics, breeding, cultivation, harvesting and handling of each crop.
Download or read book Land Use and Greenhouse Gas Implications of Biofuels written by Xiaoguang Chen and published by . This book was released on 2015 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This paper examines the changes in land use in the U.S. likely to be induced by biofuel and climate policies and the implications of these policies for GHG emissions over the 2007-2022 period. The policies considered here include a modified Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) by itself as well as combined with a cellulosic biofuel tax credit or a carbon price policy. We use a dynamic, spatial, multi-market equilibrium model, Biofuel and Environmental Policy Analysis Model (BEPAM), to endogenously determine the effects of these policies on cropland allocation, food and fuel prices, and the mix of first- and second-generation biofuels. We find that the RFS could be met by diverting 6% of cropland for biofuel production and would result in corn prices increasing by 16% in 2002 relative to the business-as-usual baseline. The reduction in GHG emissions in the U.S. due to the RFS is about 2%; these domestic GHG savings can be severely eroded by emissions due to indirect land use changes and the increase in gasoline consumption in the rest of the world. Supplementing the RFS with a carbon price policy or a cellulosic biofuel tax credit induces a switch away from corn ethanol to cellulosic biofuels and achieves the mandated level of biofuel production with a smaller adverse impact on crop prices. These supplementary policies enhance the GHG savings achieved by the RFS alone, although through different mechanisms; greater production of cellulosic biofuels with the tax credit but larger reduction in fossil fuel consumption with a carbon tax.
Download or read book Biofuel Technologies written by Vijai Kumar Gupta and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-01-26 with total page 533 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Biofuels are considered to be the main potential replacement for fossil fuels in the near future. In this book international experts present recent advances in biofuel research and related technologies. Topics include biomethane and biobutanol production, microbial fuel cells, feedstock production, biomass pre-treatment, enzyme hydrolysis, genetic manipulation of microbial cells and their application in the biofuels industry, bioreactor systems, and economical processing technologies for biofuel residues. The chapters provide concise information to help understand the technology-related implications of biofuels development. Moreover, recent updates on biofuel feedstocks, biofuel types, associated co- and byproducts and their applications are highlighted. The book addresses the needs of postgraduate researchers and scientists across diverse disciplines and industrial sectors in which biofuel technologies and related research and experimentation are pursued.
