Abstract
The transition from fossil to bio-based fuels is a requisite for reducing CO2 emissions in the aviation sector. Jet biofuels are alternative aviation fuels with similar chemical composition and performance of fossil jet fuels. In this context, the Hydroprocessing of Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) presents the most consolidated pathway for producing jet biofuels. The process for converting esters and/or fatty acids into hydrocarbons may involve hydrodeoxygenation, hydrocracking and hydroisomerization, depending on the chemical composition of the selected feedstock and the desired fuel properties. Furthermore, the HEFA process is usually performed under high H2 pressures and temperatures, with reactions mediated by a heterogeneous catalyst. In this framework, supported noble metals have been preferably employed in the HEFA process; however, some efforts were reported to utilize non-noble metals, achieving a similar performance of noble metals. Besides the metallic site, the acidic site of the catalyst is crucial for product selectivity. Bifunctional catalysts have been employed for the complete process of jet biofuel production with standardized properties, with a special remark for using zeolites as support. The proper design of heterogeneous catalysts may also reduce the consumption of hydrogen. Finally, the potential of enzymes as catalysts for intermediate products of the HEFA pathway is highlighted.
Highlights
The global energy demand for 2020 was estimated to reduce by 6% compared to the previous year [1]; the total energy demand is supposed to return to the level of pre-crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic by early 2023 [2]
According to the authors bibliographic research, biojet fuel is the term most commonly used to refer bio-based alternative aviation fuels, biojet fuel is the term most commonly used to refer bio-based alternative aviation fuels, here we proposed to use jet biofuel instead of biojet fuel
Biofuels bear the potential to mitigate the carbon footprint of the aviation sector and to diversify the energy matrix and, impulse the transition of an economy based on fossil fuels to that based on biofuels
Summary
The global energy demand for 2020 was estimated to reduce by 6% compared to the previous year [1]; the total energy demand is supposed to return to the level of pre-crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic by early 2023 [2]. Energy conservation and efficiency; electrification in the end-use sectors; hydrogen and its derivatives such as e-ammonia and e-methanol; carbon capture, storage and utilization; and bioenergy coupled with carbon capture and storage [5] Among these components to reduce CO2 emissions, renewable fuels and biomass-based carbon removal technologies play a key role in the decarbonization efforts [5]. Beyond the mitigation of CO2 emissions in the atmosphere, the implementation of biofuels in the aviation sector may potentially diversify and/or complement the energy matrix to reduce the dependence on fossil fuels, for which prices are constantly fluctuating; biofuels may ensure security and energy independence [18,19]. The utilization of microalgae oil [32], lignin [33], waste cooking oil [34] and fish discards [35] and the respective pathways for producing jet biofuels were reported. Here we proposed to use jet biofuel instead of biojet fuel
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