Economic and environmental impacts of biofuels in Indian context

Abstract

Carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the major greenhouse gases, is released when fossil fuels are burned. Over the past decade, there has been a significant progress in global energy recovery from biomass resources and the use of biofuels as a renewable and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Biofuels are considered a carbon–neutral energy source, due to the fact that the CO2 through photosynthesis is captured by the plants during their growing period. The commonly used feedstocks for the production of biofuels are sugar cane, corn and vegetable oils etc. However, in order to minimize the impact on land use, food and feed prices, and other environmental factors; advanced feedstocks such as agriculture residue, algae, aquatic biomass, and waste derived feedstock are strongly suggested. The aim of this work is to review about different available feedstock for biofuel production, generations of biofuels, and its application as automotive fuels. The study concludes with recent advancements in modern biofuel production technology, significant policy implications, challenges and the prospects of biofuel in India.