Interest In Biofuel Production Research Articles

Evaluation of Ukrainian Camelina sativa germplasm productivity and analysis of its amenability for efficient biodiesel production

Camelina or false flax ( Camelina sativa ) is an emerging crop that is currently considered one of the most promising feedstock for production of vegetable oil-based liquid biofuels: biodiesel and jet biofuel. Originally, camelina comes from the East European region, where this crop used to be widely cultivated before it was substituted with other oilseed crops, such as rapeseed, sunflower, etc. Due to increasing interest in biofuel production and sustainable agriculture, camelina has re-emerged as a viable oil-rich crop of multiple purposes. However, camelina varieties are not free from some undesirable traits, one of which is low yields. Over the recent years, extensive research efforts have been dedicated to breeding and improving this crop although this work has been restricted by limited genetic diversity of camelina. This limitation can be overcome by using unexploited germplasm, which previously was not involved into the camelina breeding process. In present study, we aimed to evaluate the productivity potential of unexploited Ukrainian spring camelina varieties and to perform comprehensive estimation of their suitability for use as oil feedstock for biodiesel production. The productivity data of all nine existing Ukrainian varieties of spring camelina was assessed for the 2001–19 period, based on the available data. It has been established that average productivity of the analyzed cultivars is 1756 kg/ha in the Ukrainian Forest-Steppe zone and 1146 kg/ha in the Steppe zone. The latter is characterized by a dryer climate, which significantly impacts spring camelina seed yields and thus their oil outputs, which are crucial for biofuel production. Potential rates of FAME- and FAEE-based biodiesel production have been evaluated. The conducted comprehensive analysis suggests that cultivation of spring camelina for biofuel production purposes can be more sustainable and feasible in the Forest-Steppe zone, rather than in the Steppe zone. Finally, a brief investigation of potential obstacles, impacting the production efficiency and feasibility of different biodiesel types, has also been conducted, as well as potential solutions were proposed for them. The obtained results create strong background for further efficient camelina breeding and for analyses of techno-economic feasibility of production camelina-based biofuels in Eastern Europe and specifically in Ukraine. • Performance of unexploited Ukrainian camelina germplasm was first evaluated. • Productivity of Ukrainian varieties of camelina was assessed for the 2001–19 period. • The average camelina yields were 1.76 t/ha in Forest-Steppe and 1.15 t/ha in Steppe. • Camelina oil yields depends more on seed yield, rather than seed oil content. • Biodiesel production rates were 726.53 and 374.96 L/ha in Forest-Steppe and Steppe.

Potential of the microalgae Chlorella fusca (Trebouxiophyceae, Chlorophyta) for biomass production and urban wastewater phycoremediation

The present work focuses on: (1) the evaluation of the potential of Chlorella fusca to grow and synthesize metabolites of biotechnological interest, after being exposed for fourteen days to urban wastewater (UW) from Malaga city (UW concentrations: 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%); (2) the study of the capacity of C. fusca to bioremediate UW in photobioreactors at laboratory scale; and (3) the evaluation of the effect of UW on the physiological status of C. fusca, as photosynthetic capacity by using in vivo Chl a fluorescence related to photosystem II and the production of photosynthetic pigments. C. fusca cell density increased in treatments with 50% UW concentration, followed by the treatment with 100% UW, 75% UW, the control, and finally 25% UW. Protein content increased to 50.5% in 75% UW concentration. Stress induced to microalgal cultures favored the increase of lipid production, reaching a maximum of 16.7% in 100% UW concentration. The biological oxygen demand (BOD5) analysis indicated a 75% decrease in 100% UW concentration. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) levels decreased by 41% and 40% in 50% UW and 100% UW concentration, and total nitrogen (TN) decreased by 55% in 50% UW concentration. The physiological status showed the stressful effect caused by the presence of UW on photosynthetic activity, with increasing impact as UW concentration grew. In the framework of circular economy, we seek to deepen this study to use the biomass of C. fusca to obtain metabolites of interest for biofuel production and other biotechnological areas.Graphical

HOW ACCURATE IS IT TO DEFINE BIOFUELS AS RENEWABLE ENERGY? A THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS

Currently, energy needs are largely provided from fossil fuels. However, fossil fuels, which have a history of about two hundred years, tend to run out every day. On the other hand, the human population is growing rapidly. In this context, it is of great importance that the resources to meet the energy needs of the growing population are sustainable. Energy sources that meet this definition have entered the literature as “renewable energy”. In the current literature, biofuels are defined as renewable energy sources. Yet, biofuels are fuels of biological origin that depend on agricultural production. Further biofuel production takes place at the expense of the use of land allocated for food production. The reduction of land allocated to food production can directly affect the prices of agricultural products. Therefore, interest in biofuel production has decreased. Is it right to accept biofuels as renewable energy in this form? Our goal is to contribute to the literature by revealing a mistake that is known to be true. For this purpose, both theoretical and empirical analyses were conducted based on “biofuel production” and “agri-food prices”. The United States, the world's largest producer of biofuels, was selected for empirical analysis. In this context, the ARDL model of long-term and short-term relationships between variables was decoded using data containing 1992-2017. The findings revealed the existence of a long-term linear relationship between the two variables.Keywords: Biofuels, Agri-Food Prices, Renewable Energy.JEL Classifications: C1, Q4, Q3DOI: https://doi.org/10.32479/ijeep.11935

Thermo-catalytic reforming of alberta-based biomass feedstock to produce biofuels

The depletion of fossil fuels as well as the greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel use have led to growing interest in biofuel production from biomass. A new technology, thermo-catalytic reforming (TCR), is one of the contributing interests. TCR technology integrates intermediate pyrolysis with a post-reforming stage to convert biomass into a high-quality bio-oil, biochar, and syngas. In this study, experiments were carried out using three Alberta-based biomass feedstocks – hardwood pellets, softwood pellets, and chips – in a 2 kg h−1 laboratory-scale TCR plant. The results show that the composition of the biomass has little effect on product yield and quality. The TCR gases had a higher heating value of 12.5–12.8 MJ kg−1 and a hydrogen content of 13–15 vol %. The produced TCR bio-oil had low water content (~5 wt %) and a heating value of 32–34 MJ kg−1. The high quality of the bio-oil is reflected in the low O/C ratio of 0.15 and TAN of 6–15 mg KOH g−1. The TCR biochar from all three feedstocks had a high heating value and a high carbon content, as well as low O/C and H/C ratios. A parametric study was conducted for the softwood pellets to observe the effect of reformer temperature (500–700 °C) and reactor temperature (400–550 °C). It was observed that at a reformer temperature of 700 °C, the gas yield increases at the expense of a reduction in bio-oil and biochar. The optimum reactor temperature for the TCR of softwood pellets was found to be 500 °C, in terms of both bio-oil quality and yield.

Exploring the potentials of microalgae as an alternative source of renewable energy

The world’s energy needs highly depend on fossil fuels, which were formed over several million centuries. The price of petroleum increases daily and unfortunately, its exploitation is currently at an alarming rate for such essential non-renewable energy. Also, the recent clamour for safe and cheap alternative means of energy generation to mitigate global warming and its detrimental effects is drawing attention towards biofuel production to supplement and possibly, substitute fossil fuels. To this effect, many plant materials have been tested and employed in the past decades for biofuel production. However, a good number of plants used in biofuel production as feedstock are crop plants, which have more economic value as food. Therefore, it is imperative to explore the possibility of biofuel production from non-food sources, hence, we examine the potential of microalgae as an alternative source of renewable energy. Microalgae are of great interest in biofuel production for its high productivity, cosmopolitan nature, easy culturing on waters and land, and noncompeting with conventional agriculture for resources. In view of these, this article focuses on the potentials of microalgae in biofuel production and mitigation of environmental pollution by its considerably low greenhouse gas emissions.

Analysis of the pyrolysis kinetics of wastewater-fed microalgal biomass by a parallel order-based reaction model

ABSTRACT Wastewater-fed microalgal biomass has attracted a considerable interest for biofuel production via pyrolysis in recent years. In this study, thermal degradation behavior and pyrolysis kinetic parameters have been investigated by non-isothermal thermogravimetric analysis. Analysis of the reactive phase showed two partially overlapping devolatilization stages, with degradation peaks at 540–570 K, accompanied by a shoulder at around 590–615 K, and 735–785 K, respectively. Model-free kinetic methods showed a large variation in the activation energy with the conversion degree, suggesting a multi-step reaction scheme. Consequently, a parallel order-based reaction model of three pseudo-components (proteins, carbohydrates and lipids) was applied, showing a good agreement with the experimental data. Based on this approach, the average activation energies were 143, 166 and 61 kJ·mol−1 for proteins, carbohydrates and lipids, respectively, while the average orders of reaction were 2.3, 1.6 and 0.6.

Invasiveness of biofuel crops: implications for energy research and policy in Botswana

ABSTRACT In developed countries, biofuel development was largely driven by a desire to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increasing energy security, whereas in developing countries, in addition to energy security, the quest for rural development and employment creation incited an interest in biofuel production. Notwithstanding the benefits of biofuels, there are reservations about their potential invasiveness. These concerns stem from the fact that the traits that characterize an ideal biofuel crop such as rapid growth rate, tolerance to drought and low soil fertility as well as pest and disease resistance, match those of invasive plants. The objective of this paper was to review literature on experiences of other countries on invasiveness of biofuel crops, with a view to providing lessons for biofuel production in Botswana. The review has revealed that most plants proposed for biofuel production are classified as invasive. The review concludes with recommendations for the Government of Botswana: Improve the cultivation of indigenous wild plants with high oil content for biodiesel production, screening of exotic species through a science-based risk-assessment procedure to evaluate their invasive potential before embarking on large-scale cultivation, and development of appropriate management practices and regulations to mitigate risk of invasion.

The effects of biofuels on food security: A system dynamics approach for the Colombian case

There has been a growing interest in biofuel production to reduce oil dependence in the transportation sector. However, this has also sparked a debate on how the introduction of biofuels may jeopardize food security. In this paper we evaluate the effects of biofuel production on food security using system dynamics. First, we developed a system dynamics model to understand the long-term interaction between food production, biofuel production and livestock farming. Then, we calibrated and applied the model to the Colombian case. The base scenario results show that the introduction of biofuels to Colombia reduces the country’s agriculture-allocated land by 2030. This, in turn, leads to a decrease in food supply and an increase in food prices. Alternative scenarios suggest that policies focused on increasing land use efficiency, especially with livestock, could have a larger impact on food security and biofuel production in Colombia. This is due to the fact that said policies foster the co-existence of bioenergy and food production. Our simulation model could be relevant to other countries in order for them to assess their food policies and biofuel strategies. The model could especially be relevant in the developing world, where similar political and environmental conditions may be present.

Unique mitochondrial genome structure of the green algal strain YC001 (Sphaeropleales, Chlorophyta), with morphological observations

:We characterized the complete sequence of the mitochondrial genome of the freshwater green algal strain YC001, known as ‘Ettlia sp.’, which is of great interest for biofuel production. The size of the mitogenome was 52,489 base pairs (bp), with 49.0% GC content. It consisted of 49 mitochondrial genes typical of the Chlorophyceae, including 16 protein-coding genes, 27 transfer RNA genes and six ribosomal RNA genes as well as three introns within cox1 (6832 bp), rnl4 (1805 bp) and cob (1107 bp). We determined that YC001 is a species of Coelastrella on the basis of molecular phylogenetic analyses and microscopic observations. A unique feature of this mitogenome is the presence of three different types of inverted repeats between trnL and trnI and between nad4 and cox1 as well as the presence of orf215, orf755 and one additional copy of the trnM gene, all of which enable a comparison with an available sister taxon, Acutodesmus obliquus.

Energycane (Saccharum spp. × Saccharum spontaneum L.) Biomass Production, Reproduction, and Weed Risk Assessment Scoring in the Humid Tropics and Subtropics

There is growing interest in biofuel production, and energycane (Saccharum spp. × S. spontaneum L.) has been proposed as an important biofuel and biomass crop. However, little is known about the growth and ecology of this new crop, especially in the tropics. The present study evaluated the performance of 14 energycane clones, elephantgrass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach.), and two sugarcane (S. officinarum L.) varieties in the humid tropics of Costa Rica, and eight energycane clones in the subtropics of Florida. In the tropics, energycane's growth and biomass production were highly variable when comparing clones. However, the best performing clones US85‐1006, US88‐1006, and US78‐1014 produced almost twice the dry biomass (>64 Mg ha−1) compared with sugarcane varieties Pindar and Q‐132 (21–39 Mg ha−1). In the subtropics, energycane fresh (52–79 Mg ha−1) and dry (20–30 Mg ha−1) weights were less than half of those in the tropics. Energycane clones flowered in both environments, but pollen viability was three to four times higher (>40%) in the tropics than in the subtropics, although viable seeds were found only in the tropics. Weed risk assessment (WRA) scores were higher in the tropics than in the subtropics and varied among clones. The results confirmed that energycane is a promising feedstock for biomass production and could play an important role as a bioenergy crop when grown in the tropics and subtropics, but due to genotype × environment interactions, the tradeoff between biomass production and weedy and invasive risk must be assessed for each individual clone and environment.

European Investors and Land Acquisitions in Sub-Saharan Africa

The article examines the European share in large-scale land acquisitions in Sub-Saharan Africa. The paper aims to identify correlation between biofuels policy and large-scale land acquisitions in Sub-Saharan Africa and the consequences of this phenomenon. It first identifies the backgrounds that caused the increased interest in biofuel production and, consequently, African land acquisition in recent years. Then, it examines growth in the number of land transactions that take place on the continent. Finally, the paper investigates the share of European capital in land transactions. The last section outlines the consequences of this phenomenon and provides a set of recommendations to address land policies in African developing countries.

A Conceptual Framework for Implementing Sustainable Livelihoods and Innovation in Biofuel Production among Smallholder Farmers

There has been renewed interest in biofuel production globally as a response to the continuous increase in oil prices, the depletion of fossil fuels and as nations move towards a low carbon economy. The paper is a work in progress and is part of my PhD thesis. From the literature review, four approaches are identified which have led to the development of biofuels. A conceptual framework is proposed to identify elements of sustainability and innovation in biofuel production by smallholder farmers. The conceptual framework is proposed to enable a smooth transition towards a green economy; for promoters of biofuels to meet the challenges of an uncertain, complex and changing environment; and to discover the extent to which this affects community livelihoods and sustainability. The sustainable livelihoods approach provides the foundation on which the conceptual framework is developed. It is evident from the research that as the world embraces new technologies towards a low carbon economy, these technologies have special effects on the livelihoods of the smallholder farmers.

Biofuels Get in the Fast Lane: Developments in Plant Feedstock Production and Processing

In recent years, high volatility in oil prices and global climate change led to an increased interest in biofuel production to reduce dependency on foreign fossil fuel. Domestically produced plant feedstocks are environmentally friendly renewable substitutes for fossil-derived fuel and are expected to stabilize fuel prices. Plant-derived energy can offer rural development and other environmental, social and energy security benefits for local societies. Crops, grasses, trees, forest-residues and aquatic plants, all can be used as potential biofuel feedstocks. To meet the increased global and regional demand for bioenergy, evaluation and improvement of current and emergent plant feedstocks is urgently needed to reduce the cost of the resulting biofuels.

Germination ofPanicum virgatumcultivars in a NaCl gradient

Abstract. With increased interest in biofuel production, the conversion of agricultural lands (known to concentrate salts) as well as other marginal lands will be critical in establishing a switchgrass-based renewable biofuel industry. In this study three cultivars (Trailblazer, Cave-in-Rock, and Blackwell) of Panicum virgatum (switchgrass) were germinated in a NaCl gradient of 0.0, 0.0504, 0.1002, and 0.1546 molar solutions. Three replicates were run, lasting 20 days each, from September 2010 to November 2010. Each replicate consisted of six samples for each cultivar:concentration combination, for a total of 72 samples per replicate. A two-way ANOVA indicated that for all three replicates percent germination was significantly affected by salinity concentration, cultivar type, and salinity concentration x cultivar type (p<0.05). Furthermore, post hoc results showed that nearly every combination of cultivars and concentrations with respect to percent germination was significant. In all, the data from all t...

Potential of Near- and Mid-infrared Spectroscopy in Biofuel Production

For many decades, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been used to determine the composition of animal feedstuffs and grains. More recently, mid-infrared spectroscopy (mid-IR) has also been examined for similar determinations. These spectroscopic methods offer the potential for rapid and accurate determination of organic constituents, such as fiber components and protein, of forages, by-products, and grains at reduced cost and greatly increased speed (minutes instead of hours or days). Because they are nonchemical in nature, they result in a large reduction (90% or more) in the chemical wastes associated with standard chemical-based assay methods. The same components of interest for biofuel production (cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, starch, protein, oil, etc.) are those that have already been determined by NIRS/mid-IR for evaluating grains and animal feedstuffs. Therefore, these techniques would appear to be a natural match for evaluating feedstocks for biofuels, and the literature shows that efforts in this direction are being successfully tested and instituted. For this discussion, an overview of where such efforts are and the potential for NIRS/mid-IR in producing biofuels will be covered. For example, while there are similarities between the needs of the biofuels industry and the analysis of animal feedstuffs, there are also both practical and technical differences between the two that will likely impact how NIRS/mid-IR is developed for biofuels. As an example, grain analysis for protein is performed on a large scale by government agencies such as the Canadian Grain Commission and U.S. Grain Inspection Service, while at least in the United States, animal feedstuff analysis is performed by state or independent laboratories for individual farmers. For biofuels, this might well result in most analysis being performed by the large corporations converting the feedstocks to biofuels, as opposed to the individual producer having analysis performed at an independent laboratory. Similarly for animal feedstuffs, measurements of fiber (neutral detergent fiber or NDF, acid detergent fiber or ADF, and lignin) and protein are carried out. These fiber measurements often consist of more than one type of fiber component with some being computed by difference (hemicellulose = NDF – ADF) and are empirical at best. Whether such empirical estimates will be sufficient for assessing biofuels or whether new spectroscopic methods for directly measuring the components of interest (cellulose, etc.) will need to be developed is a question to be answered when components other than starch for ethanol or oil for biodiesel become common.

Domain analysis of a modular alpha-L-Arabinofuranosidase with a unique carbohydrate binding strategy from the fiber-degrading bacterium Fibrobacter succinogenes S85.

Family 43 glycoside hydrolases (GH43s) are known to exhibit various activities involved in hemicellulose hydrolysis. Thus, these enzymes contribute to efficient plant cell wall degradation, a topic of much interest for biofuel production. In this study, we characterized a unique GH43 protein from Fibrobacter succinogenes S85. The recombinant protein showed α-l-arabinofuranosidase activity, specifically with arabinoxylan. The enzyme is, therefore, an arabinoxylan arabinofuranohydrolase (AXH). The F. succinogenes AXH (FSUAXH1) is a modular protein that is composed of a signal peptide, a GH43 catalytic module, a unique β-sandwich module (XX domain), a family 6 carbohydrate-binding module (CBM6), and F. succinogenes-specific paralogous module 1 (FPm-1). Truncational analysis and site-directed mutagenesis of the protein revealed that the GH43 domain/XX domain constitute a new form of carbohydrate-binding module and that residue Y484 in the XX domain is essential for binding to arabinoxylan, although protein structural analyses may be required to confirm some of the observations. Kinetic studies demonstrated that the Y484A mutation leads to a higher k(cat) for a truncated derivative of FSUAXH1 composed of only the GH43 catalytic module and the XX domain. However, an increase in the K(m) for arabinoxylan led to a 3-fold decrease in catalytic efficiency. Based on the knowledge that most XX domains are found only in GH43 proteins, the evolutionary relationships within the GH43 family were investigated. These analyses showed that in GH43 members with a XX domain, the two modules have coevolved and that the length of a loop within the XX domain may serve as an important determinant of substrate specificity.

1,3-Propanediol production potential of Clostridium saccharobutylicum NRRL B-643

Owing to the significant interest in biofuel production in the form of biodiesel, vast amount of glycerol as a waste product is produced all over the world. Among the economically viable and ecologically acceptable solutions for the safe disposal of this waste, biotechnological conversion of glycerol into a valuable bioplastic raw material, namely 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO) seems to be very promising. In this study, 1,3-PDO production potential of Clostridium saccharobutylicum NRRL B-643 was studied and the results were compared with other types of anaerobic microorganisms (Clostridium spp., Pantoea agglomerans, Ochrobactrum anthropi, Chyreseomonas luteola, and Klebsiella pneumoniae) and aerobic microorganisms (Lactobacillus spp.). The results were important for understanding the significance of C. saccharobutylicum NRRL B-643 among other well-known 1,3-PDO producer species. According to the screening results only C. saccharobutylicum (B-643) was able to consume feed glycerol almost entirely. However, 1,3-PDO production yield was found to be 0.36mol/mol which is lower than that of Clostiridium beijerinckii (B-593). B-593 showed the highest value of production yields with 0.54 mol/mol. This microorganism is seen as a promising type for further 1,3-PDO studies, because it has the highest substrate utilization percentage among others. In this regard, this microorganism may have an important role in tolerating and converting glycerol during fermentation into 1,3-PDO.