BIOFUELS:
AN EMERGING SOURCE OF ENERGY
INNOVATORS
Shell has invested in producing advanced biofuels from waste products and cellulosic biomass. For example, Shell opened a demonstration plant at the Shell Technology Centre Bangalore, India. Shell is also one of the largest sugarcane ethanol producers (around 2 billion liters of ethanol per year). Shell partnered with Raizen, which produces ethanol with 70% less CO2 emissions compared with petrol. Raizen first opened its ethanol plant in Brazil in 2015, which produced 15.5 million liters in 2018. It is expected to produce 40 million liters a year. Along with producing biofuels, Shell is also known for blending and distributing biofuels (I.1)
ExxonMobil is funding research programs for new energy sources. It’s main focus is to use algae rather than using food and water supplies. While algae biofuels provide many benefits, one is that algae can be used to manufacture biofuels similar to today's transportation fuels. A renewable, lower-emission fuel can be produced from algae, which naturally produces oils. ExxonMobil and Synthetic Genomics, Inc. (SGI) are working together to identify algae strains capable of high lipid production. In 2018, they began to test algae strains at the California Advanced Algal Facility. Their goal is to have the capability to produce 10,00 barrels a day of algae biofuels by 2025. Some benefits of algae biofuels are: consumption of CO2, lower-emission fuels (half as many greenhouse gases),higher yield ( an acre could produce more than 2,000 gallons) and it can be harvested throughout the year (I.2)
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(I.I.2)
Renewable Energy group focuses on producing biodiesel. Biodiesel is a fuel made from the chemical process known as transesterification. It is made from animal fats, vegetable oils and recycled cooking oils. There are many advantages to using biodiesel. One is that it performs well in fleets and in some cases, it outperforms petroleum diesel. Another advantage is that there is a reduction in carbon monoxide production by 10%. Not only that, biodiesel has been shown to reduce greenhouse gases by 86% and fossil fuel use by 80%. Biodiesel has become very popular among businesses such as Walmart. These organizations want to reduce their carbon footprints by using renewable fuels such as biodiesel (I.3)
(I.I.3)
Fabien Hillairet
Founder of Greenea
(I.I.4)
Greenea focuses on waste-based feedstock and biodiesel and works with leaders of biofuel markets, oil refineries, and biomass power plants and suppliers. Greenea was established in 2007 by Fabien Hillairet and has partnership with more than 50 countries. 80% of the products that Greenea negotiates are waste-products such as used cooking oil, animal fat, crude and refined glycerin, and by-products of oil refining.Some of their conventional proudcts includes soybean and palm oil. Greenea has been distinguished among other market players and has achieved first place for biofuel market analysis in 2018. (I.4)
Gevo is looking into more innovative ways that feedstock for biofuels can reduce carbon output into the atmosphere. Gevo uses sugar and starch feedstocks as well as linicellulosic feedstocks. Some biofuels that Gevo specializes in are: sustainable aviation fuel for jet fuel (which reduces the carbon footprint of air transport), repalcing high-octane gasoline for performance cars and motorsports with renewable isooctane and producing renewabble biodeisel for marine application around the world. Gevo makes renewable biofuels and uses its by-prpoduct to make high-protein animal feed that makes healtheir livestock. The company also helps farmers sequester more carbon in their feilds and encourages them to use improved farming techniques such as low-till methods. (I.5)
Traditional food crops such as corn have been used to make ethanol through fermentation but researchers at UC Berkeley, Energy Biosciences Institutes are searching for ways to non-food biomass such as cellulose for fuel production and create food security. Another aim is to boost the concentration of fuels and make the process more efficient. Researches work with plant, bacteria, and fungi to produce efficient biofuels. The four main areas of focus are "feedstock development,biomass depolymerization, biofuels production, and waste management". (I.6)
