Demand For Biofuels Research Articles

A robust disjunctive formulation for the redesign of forest biomass-based fuels supply chain under multiple factors of uncertainty

This article addresses redesigning the forest supply chain (FSC) to produce biomass-based fuels in synergy with existing fossil-based fuel production facilities under uncertainty. The decision-making problem simultaneously considers many aspects in which the forest supply chain must be adapted, including harvesting decisions, new processing facilities and technologies to efficiently produce alternative fuels from residual biomass obtained from multiple points of the supply chain, and changes in the demand for biofuels. The problem is formulated as a robust linear generalized disjunctive programming model that captures its logic and hierarchical nature while providing accurate and efficient results in terms of computational performance. A case study from the Argentinean Forest sector exemplifies the proposed approach.

The influence of biofuel energy production on the exports of the palm oil industry in Malaysia: A panel GMM and robust standard error approach

In recent years, there has been a consistent and significant increase in the consumption of biofuels by countries across the globe. Numerous governments have implemented distinct quotas and objectives aimed at promoting and governing the augmented utilization of biofuels. The demand for biofuel is growing in European countries, which increases the export of biofuel energy in parent countries such as Malaysia. The Malaysian government has suggested receiving different sustainability certifications that are relevant to the biofuel industry. The Malaysian government has made it compulsory to attain environmental sustainability for oil-producing certification. The purpose of this article is to examine the role of biofuel energy production on the exports of the palm oil industry in Malaysia. This study uses the annual data of Malaysian palm oil exporters from 2009 to 2018 and employs the generalized method of moments (GMM) and the robust standard error methodologies. The findings showed that the production of palm oil plays a positive role in the exports of Malaysia’s palm oil industry. This study will serve as a guide for future research in this area and for the authorities when formulating policies regarding exports. It is recommended that these authorities should put extra emphasis on the productivity of the palm oil industry to further enhance Malaysia’s exports of biofuel, and the government needs to implement regulations to protect the environment.

Electrification of Biorefinery Concepts for Improved Productivity—Yield, Economic and GHG Performances

Demand for biofuels will likely increase, driven by intensifying obligations to decarbonize aviation and maritime sectors. Sustainable biomass is a finite resource, and the forest harvesting level is a topic of ongoing discussions, in relation to biodiversity preservation and the short-term role of forests as carbon sinks. State-of-the-art technologies for converting lignocellulosic feedstock into transportation biofuels achieves a carbon utilization rate ranging from 25% to 50%. Mature technologies like second-generation ethanol and gasification-based processes tend to fall toward the lower end of this spectrum. This study explores how electrification can enhance the carbon efficiency of biorefinery concepts and investigates its impact on energy, economics and greenhouse gas emissions. Results show that electrification increases carbon efficiency from 28% to 123% for gasification processes, from 28% to 45% for second-generation ethanol, and from 50% to 65% for direct liquefaction processes. Biofuels are produced to a cost range 60–140 EUR/MWh-biofuel, depending on the chosen technology pathway, feedstock and electricity prices. Notably, production in electrified biorefineries proves cost-competitive when compared to pure electrofuel (E-fuels) tracks. Depending on the selected technology pathway and the extent of electrification, a reduction in GHG emissions ranging from 75% to 98% is achievable, particularly when powered by a low-carbon electricity mix.

Riverine nitrogen footprint of agriculture in the Mississippi–Atchafalaya River Basin: do we trade water quality for crop production?

Increasing food and biofuel demands have led to the cascading effects from cropland expansions, raised fertilizer use, to increased riverine nitrogen (N) loads. However, little is known about the current trade-off between riverine N pollution and crop production due to the lack of predictive understanding of ecological processes across the land-aquatic continuum. Here, we propose a riverine N footprint (RNF) concept to quantify how N loads change along with per unit crop production gain. Using data synthesis and a well-calibrated hydro-ecological model, we find that the RNF within the Mississippi–Atchafalaya River Basin peaked at 1.95 g N kg−1 grain during the 1990s, and then shifted from an increasing to a decreasing trend, reaching 0.65 g N kg−1 grain in the 2010s. This implies decoupled responses of crop production and N loads to key agricultural activities approximately after 2000, but this pattern varies considerably among sub-basins. Our study highlights the importance of developing a food–energy–water nexus indicator to examine the region-specific trade-offs between crop production and land-to-aquatic N loads for achieving nutrient mitigation goals while sustaining economic gains.

Use of Distiller´s Dried Grains with Solubles (DDGS) from corn or wheat in broiler diets

The production of grain-based bioethanol is increasing due to the rising demand for biofuels and the global decline in fossil fuel sources. Distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) from corn or wheat are the main by-product of bioethanol fermentation, primarily through dry milling technology, and have been used as low-cost animal feed. With the increase in ethanol production from grains, the production of DDGS from corn or wheat also increases. Several studies have found that DDGS has high nutritional value but variable composition, and researchers have found ways to enhance its quality and safety. Various approaches have been proposed to improve the digestibility and nutritional value of DDGS. However, despite its high nutritional value, DDGS has not yet been fully studied and is less utilized in broiler feeding. The benefits and risks associated with the use of DDGS have been studied for a long time, but more research is needed to establish quality and safety standards for DDGS. This review aims to highlight the challenges of using DDGS in broiler chicken nutrition.

Biomass production and fuel characteristics from long rotation poplar plantations

There is an increasing demand for biofuel to replace fossil fuels. One of the key elements in this transition is the securing of a large supply of sustainable biomass. In this study, the feedstock potential of long rotation poplar plantations (12–30 years with diameter of 15 of 30 cm) was determined and the properties of poplar biomass fuel were analyzed with the aim of using thermochemical conversion methods to produce biofuel. Our results demonstrate that Sweden has great potential for producing biofuels from long rotation poplar plantations, with a total of 1.8 million hectares (ha) consisting of arable (0.5 million ha) and forested arable land (1.3 million ha). Based on available land and biomass production potential, our results indicate that 10 million Mg DW could be produced annually. Regions in mid/southern Sweden have the largest potential (larger areas and higher biomass production. Our results further suggest that poplar biomass from these plantations has fuel characteristics similar to forest fuels from other conifer tree species, making the biomass suitable as feedstock for biofuel production based on thermochemical conversion methods. If 25% of the available land were used, 7.6 TWh methanol biofuels could be produced annually from 16 biofuel plants, using 160,000 Mg DW yr−1, primarily located in the southern part of Sweden. Two counties (Skåne and Västra Götaland) would be able to support their biofuel plants using poplar plantations as feedstock. Stable biofuel production in the other counties would depend on collaborating with neighboring counties.

Innovative magnetic catalyst facilitates biodiesel production via transesterification of sunflower and waste cooking oils

ABSTRACT The surging global demand for biofuels, precipitated by concerns regarding fossil fuel limitations and their associated environmental consequences has thrust biodiesel into the spotlight as a promising alternative of energy source. In this research endeavor, a novel magnetic catalyst, denoted as K compounds/Fe3O4, was developed by incorporating potassium into the magnetite structure via sol–gel method. This catalyst was applied in the transesterification reaction to convert sunflower and waste cooking oils to biodiesel. It was found that the most effective catalyst for biodiesel production was synthesized by using potassium nitrate at a concentration of 1 M and calcination temperature of 550°C in the catalyst preparation stage. The K compounds/Fe3O4 catalyst was characterized by XRD, XRF, FTIR, SEM, ASAP, and VSM techniques. SEM images demonstrated the porous structure of the catalyst. The GC-mass analysis confirmed the formation of fatty acid methyl esters. The effects of the operating conditions including reactor temperature (55 to 75°C), catalyst dosage (2.5 to 12.5 wt.%), methanol to oil molar ratio (9:1 to 18:1), time (4 to 14 h) were investigated. The best operating conditions were selected inclusive of temperature 65°C, catalyst dosage 5 wt.%, methanol-to-oil ratio 12:1, and time 8 h, and at these operating conditions, biodiesel production efficiencies of 96.28% and 84.05% were obtained for sunflower and waste cooking oils, respectively. The reusability and regeneration of the K compounds/Fe3O4 were studied for five cycles.

Impacts of ground-level ozone on sugarcane production

Sugarcane is a vital commodity crop often grown in (sub)tropical regions which have been experiencing a recent deterioration in air quality. Unlike for other commodity crops, the risk of air pollution, specifically ozone (O3), to this C4 crop has not yet been quantified. Yet, recent work has highlighted both the potential risks of O3 to C4 bioenergy crops, and the emergence of O3 exposure across the tropics as a vital factor determining global food security. Given the large extent, and planned expansion of sugarcane production in places like Brazil to meet global demand for biofuels, there is a pressing need to characterize the risk of O3 to the industry. In this study, we sought to a) derive sugarcane O3 dose-response functions across a range of realistic O3 exposure and b) model the implications of this across a globally important production area. We found a significant impact of O3 on biomass allocation (especially to leaves) and production across a range of sugarcane genotypes, including two commercially relevant varieties (e.g. CTC4, Q240). Using these data, we calculated dose-response functions for sugarcane and combined them with hourly O3 exposure across south-central Brazil derived from the UK Earth System Model (UKESM1) to simulate the current regional impact of O3 on sugarcane production using a dynamic global vegetation model (JULES vn 5.6). We found that between 5.6 % and 18.3 % of total crop productivity is likely lost across the region due to the direct impacts of current O3 exposure. However, impacts depended critically on the substantial differences in O3 susceptibility observed among sugarcane genotypes and how these were implemented in the model. Our work highlights not only the urgent need to fully elucidate the impacts of O3 in this important bioenergetic crop, but the potential implications air quality may have upon tropical food production more generally.

Comprehensive biofuel policy analysis framework: A novel approach evaluating the policy influences

The use of biofuel as an alternative to petroleum-based fuels was started in the 1970s in response to the oil crisis. In last two decades, there has been a massive rise in global utilization of biofuels which represents its growing importance as an alternative fuel source. This rise is attributed to the supportive biofuel policies which stimulate the growth in biofuel production and utilization. The biofuel policy mechanism of major producing countries got specific attention in this study. Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, European Union, India, Japan, Malaysia and the USA jointly controlled 99% of the global biofuel production and utilization. Several policy measures from creating and sustaining biofuel demand to establishing supportive economic and regulatory frameworks are already in place in the aforementioned countries. The study performs compositional policy analysis by developing a framework termed as ‘Comprehensive Biofuel Policy Analysis Framework’. A policy score named ‘Total Policy Measure Support’ is the outcome of the analysis. It reveals that countries with higher scores have better-performing biofuel sectors than the countries with low scores. Countries with moderate scores have inconsistency between their value and biofuel sector performance. It is linked with the absence or less than required focus on single or multiple policy components resulting in an imbalance in the policy framework. This underlines the importance of a balanced policy framework. If there is a lesser or no balance between the different policy components, biofuel production and utilization cannot grow despite high Total Policy Measure Support scores.

Sustainability dilemma of hemp utilization for energy production

With global energy demand rising and climate change targets becoming more ambitious, the use of biomass for combustion will become even more important than it already is. As wood supplies become scarce, leading to increased demand for materials and energy, the demand for alternative solid biofuels for energy use is growing. Using various biobased raw materials seem to be the best way to optimize the value chain of solid biomass fuels. Biomass has high energy density, homogeneous physical properties, easy handling and efficient transportation. Combining multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and life cycle analysis (LCA), this article evaluates the utilization of hemp for a number of uses, including energy generation. The methodology developed combines agrotechnological and sustainability criteria with data analytic techniques for more effective application of hemp products in changing environmental, economic, and geopolitical contexts. According to the results of the research conducted, the use of hemp as an energy source is a viable option only in the short term.

Extraction conditions to improve antioxidant and antibacterial activity of carrot seed oil

Competition to secure seeds is intensifying due to an increase in food demand and industrial use of biofuels. Therefore, every year, a large number of seeds are produced, but seeds that have exceeded the warranty period or are of poor quality are also discovered during the inspection process. Therefore, a strategy for utilizing non-commercial seeds as agricultural products is required. In this study, extraction methods for enhancing the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of carrot seed oil from non-commercially available (NG) seeds were explored. For this, the carrot seeds were classified into NG and commercially available grade, and the effects of extraction methods [cold pressed extraction (CE), hexane extraction, and soxhlet extraction] and pretreatments [hydro-priming, freeze-thaw (FT), and microwave] were evaluated. Based on the results of the extraction method evaluation, the CE yield was low, but its biological activity was high, and the method eco-friendly. Therefore, as a result of the pretreatment, high-quality oils with desired physicochemical composition, as well as increased extraction yield and biological activity were achieved. In addition, the optimal pretreatment was found to be five repetitions of FT. The methods described in this study can be used to increase the value of seeds by using NG seeds as useful biological materials.

The type of development promoted by Brazilian National Biofuels Policy

Brazil has implemented the national biofuels policy (RenovaBio), which consists of a government policy targeted to recognize the strategic role of biofuels usage to reach a sustainable energy matrix. Thus, the objective of this study was to verify if RenovaBio policy reflects its objective from the sustainable development point of view. Content analysis was used to identify the perceptions of the players involved in the sustainable development bill on public queries about RenovaBio’s goals. Next, the Brazilian fuel market data was collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regressions. Results showed that RenovaBio presents positive economic and environmental development characteristics since it expands the biofuels market and promotes the reduction of Greenhouse Gases. However, economic and social gaps were evidenced, provoked by poor planning, mostly related to the decarbonization credits market (CBIOs) and the lack of isonomy among the players, the main sources of the insecurity of the policy. Furthermore, it was evidenced that the lack of energy planning compromises the program’s sustainability, which is linked to biofuels produced from food commodities, such as sugar ethanol. Finally, results showed an increase in the demand for biofuels. This increase is not related to price and it is not sufficient to fulfill the program’s goals, which is another compromised characteristic of RenovaBio policy.

Associations Between Biofuel Production and Sustainable Development Goals 2, 6, 7, 13, and 15

Total biofuel demand in areas like transport and energy is set to grow by almost 30% annually to reach 50 billion gallons by 2026. Biofuels' association with sustainable development has been a subject of discussion among researchers and policymakers. Even the most robust studies on this topic examine only a small number of sustainable development indicators across a limited number of countries. This study analyzes whether biofuel production could advance, impede, or have no association with targets of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2, 6, 7, 13, and 15, which relate to biofuel production on a global scale. Correlations between ethanol, biodiesel, and total biofuel production datasets and 23 indicators of the selected targets in 34 of the world's largest biofuel-producing countries for 2009–2019 were compiled and analyzed in the context of the existing literature. Findings suggest that biofuel production has varying associations with SDG targets.

Development of an in vitro regeneration system from immature inflorescences and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing in sudangrass

BackgroundSudangrass (Sorghum sudanense) is a major biomass producer for livestock feed and biofuel in many countries. It has a wide range of adaptations for growing on marginal lands under biotic and abiotic stresses. The immature inflorescence is an explant with high embryogenic competence and is frequently used to regenerate different sorghum cultivars. Caffeic acid O-methyl transferase (COMT) is a key enzyme in the lignin biosynthesis pathway, which limits ruminant digestion of forage cell walls and is a crucial barrier in the conversion of plant biomass to bioethanol. Genome editing by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis without a transgenic footprint will accelerate the improvement and facilitate regulatory approval and commercialization of biotech crops. Methods and resultsWe report the overcome of the recalcitrance in sudangrass transformation and regeneration in order to use genome editing technique. Hence, an efficient regeneration system has been established to induce somatic embryogenesis from the immature inflorescence of two sudangrass cultivars on four MS-based media supplemented with different components. Our results indicate an interaction between genotype and medium composition. The combination of Giza-1 cultivar and M4 medium produces the maximum frequency of embryogenic calli of 80% and subsequent regeneration efficiency of 22.6%. Precise mutagenesis of the COMT gene is executed using the CRISPR/Cas9 system with the potential to reduce lignin content and enhance forage and biomass quality in sudangrass. ConclusionA reliable regeneration and transformation system has been established for sudangrass using immature inflorescence, and the CRISPR/Cas9 system has demonstrated a promising technology for genome editing. The outcomes of this research will pave the road for further improvement of various sorghum genotypes to meet the global demand for food, feed, and biofuels, achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Life Cycle Assessment of a system for the extraction and transformation of Waste Water Treatment Sludge (WWTS)-derived lipids into biodiesel

In recent years, the demand for biofuels has been growing exponentially, as has the interest in biodiesel produced from organic matrices. Particularly interesting, due to its economic and environmental advantages, is the use of the lipids present in sewage sludge as a raw material for the synthesis of biodiesel. The possible processes of this biodiesel synthesis, starting from lipid matter, are represented by the conventional process with sulfuric acid, by the process with aluminium chloride hexahydrate and by processes that use solid catalysts such as those consisting of mixed metal oxides, functionalized halloysites, mesoporous perovskite and functionalized silicas. In literature there are numerous Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies concerning biodiesel production systems, but not many studies consider processes that start from sewage sludge and that use solid catalysts. In addition, no LCA studies were reported on solid acid catalysts nor on those based on mixed metal oxides which present some precious advantages, over the homogeneous analogous ones, such as higher recyclability, prevention of foams and corrosion phenomena, and an easier separation and purification of biodiesel product. This research work reports the results of a comparative LCA study applied to a system that uses a solvent free pilot plant for the extraction and transformation of lipids from sewage sludge via seven different scenarios that differ in the type of catalyst used. The biodiesel synthesis scenario using aluminium chloride hexahydrate as catalyst has the best environmental profile. Biodiesel synthesis scenarios using solid catalysts are worse due to higher methanol consumption which requires higher electricity consumption. The worst scenario is the one using functionalized halloysites. Further future developments of the research require the passage from the pilot scale to the industrial scale in order to obtain environmental results to be used for a more reliable comparison with the literature data.

Algae biofuel: A futuristic, sustainable, renewable and green fuel for I.C. engines

The major need for the economical development of any nation is to provide uninterrupted supply of energy to its increasing demand year-on-year. The worldwide scenario of declining petroleum reserve and the problem of environmental damage caused due to the emissions by petroleum fuels have created a focus on biofuels. At present, the algae fuel is considered as a third generation biofuel, as the source is non-edible and can been grown in any kind of water of any nature, even in waste and sea water, without the requirement of fertile land. Further, Algae has become a prominent feedstock to fulfill the growing demand for biofuels by virtue of its rich energy content, faster and high growth rate per unit cultivation area. But, still there are many practical challenges to implement the algae biofuel as a leading source of energy. This article provides an overview of the prospects and challenges of algae biofuel to become a futuristic, sustainable, renewable, and green energy fuel of the world.

Transgene-Free Genome Editing for Biotic and Abiotic Stress Resistance in Sugarcane: Prospects and Challenges

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is one of the most valuable food and industrial crops. Its production is constrained due to major biotic (fungi, bacteria, viruses and insect pests) and abiotic (drought, salt, cold/heat, water logging and heavy metals) stresses. The ever-increasing demand for sugar and biofuel and the rise of new pest and disease variants call for the use of innovative technologies to speed up the sugarcane genetic improvement process. Developing new cultivars through conventional breeding techniques requires much time and resources. The advent of CRISPR/Cas genome editing technology enables the creation of new cultivars with improved resistance/tolerance to various biotic and abiotic stresses. The presence of genome editing cassette inside the genome of genome-edited plants hinders commercial exploitation due to regulatory issues. However, this limitation can be overcome by using transgene-free genome editing techniques. Transgene-free genome editing approaches, such as delivery of the RNPs through biolistics or protoplast fusion, virus-induced genome editing (VIGE), transient expression of CRISPR/Cas reagents through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation and other approaches, are discussed. A well-established PCR-based assay and advanced screening systems such as visual marker system and Transgene killer CRISPR system (TKC) rapidly identify transgene-free genome edits. These advancements in CRISPR/Cas technology speed up the creation of genome-edited climate-smart cultivars that combat various biotic and abiotic stresses and produce good yields under ever-changing conditions.

Pipeline sharing: Potential capacity analysis of biofuel transportation through existing pipelines

In response to resource depletion and tightening carbon emissions policies, the product oil is gradually being substituted by biofuels and faced with falling demand. A large number of studies have been done on the optimization of the biofuel supply chain, but few of them have considered the existing petroleum pipelines for policy reasons. Market-based reforms in the oil and gas industry have provided the possibility of pipeline sharing, whereby pipeline owners can use the remaining delivery capacity to transport other liquid fuels that are allowed into the pipeline, such as biofuels, thereby increasing pipeline benefits and reducing biofuel logistics costs. This paper develops a logistics optimization model considering multi-product pipeline scheduling from the perspective of biofuel suppliers and proposes a pipe-rail transportation mode to assess the optimization potential of logistics costs. Finally, this paper verifies the feasibility of the proposed approach using a logistics system in a region of China as a practical case study and conducts a sensitivity analysis on whether changes in the demand for product oil and biofuels affect the choice of pipeline opening location, concluding that there is no effect within a 4-fold increase in biofuel production and a 0.78-fold decrease in product oil demand.

A production planning model for biorefineries with biomass perishability and biofuel transformation

We model and solve a production planning problem over a discrete-time horizon of a biorefinery that treats different types of biomass and transform them either into bioenergy or biofuel. Both biomass and biofuel can be stored. Storage of biofuel serves to match the supply with the demand of both bioenergy and biofuel. Deterioration of biomass, which was rarely studied in the bioenergy production literature, is modeled and its impact on storage decisions is analyzed. The proposed model has two main characteristics: (i) controlling inventory of the perishable biomass while considering different ages for the stored biomass and (ii) biomass can be transformed into either bioenergy or biofuel, which in turn can be stored and then transformed into bioenergy. The applicability of the developed model is shown through several numerical experiments. The results show that first, perishability can lead to profit losses that cannot be neglected. Second, there is a threshold value on the perishability rate above which perishability does not have any longer impact on the profit. Third, storage and transformation of biofuel results in considerable increase in profit and smoother production at the facility even when there is a high fluctuation in price and demand. Fourth, when the decision maker imposes a maximum age on biomass to enhance quality and reduce health risks, the model provides guidelines on how to make this decision with the lowest impact.

Techno-economic analysis of biofuel production from construction and demolition wood waste

ABSTRACT The increase in the amount of waste generated from construction and demolition (C&D) has raised concerns regarding landfill space and greenhouse gas emissions. One of the waste management practices that can remedy these issues is to convert the C&D wood waste into biofuel. The technical aspects, environmental benefits, and economic feasibility of such a practice may vary from one case to another and should be evaluated before implementation. In this study, techno-economic feasibility of establishing a biofuel production plant, which uses C&D wood waste delivered to the City of Vancouver (CoV)’s landfill in British Columbia, Canada is conducted. In addition, the GHG emission reduction of biofuel production compared with landfilling the C&D wood waste is investigated. According to the results, the average GHG emissions from landfilling all the waste is 24,350 tonnes of CO2 eq. while the emissions from biofuel production are 11,156 and 10,539 tonnes CO2 eq. for the biofuel production plant using diesel-based and electric-based equipment pieces, respectively. The GHG emission reductions are then monetized and included in the economic analysis. Results indicate that biofuel production is economically feasible only if the impacts of GHG emission reduction are considered. Moreover, sensitivity analysis and scenario analyses are performed on financial parameters, wood waste supply, biofuel demand, plant capacity, and plant ownership schemes. Based on these analyses, the biofuel selling price is the most impactful financial parameter on the outcome of economic feasibility. A 50% change in the biofuel selling price results in 42% and 45% change in NPV of the project for diesel-based and electric-based equipment, respectively. Furthermore, the ownership scheme, where CoV and a partner split the ownership and the partner operates the plant is the best option, with a net present value of more than $69 million.