Sowing the Seeds to Fuel the Future

Related News: China Finishes First Passenger Flight with Biofuel

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China’s Hainan Airlines flight on 21st March this year completed the country's first commercial flight using biofuel recycled from waste cooking oil. China is joining the drive to find fossil fuel alternatives and this flight was one in a string of recent  international take offs, demonstrating the opportunities of biofuel as a renewable fuel source. But the passage ahead appears cloudy as debate rages regarding the sustainability of biofuel production.

Global Biofuel Production - 2010

The biofuel revolution seems to be just around the corner. The International Energy Agency (EIA) has a goal for biofuels to meet more than a quarter of world demand for transportation fuels by 2050 in order to reduce dependence on petroleum and coal.[1] The production of biofuels also appears to be leading the future of the automotive industry, where by 2010, 79% of all cars produced in Brazil were made with a hybrid fuel system of bio-ethanol and gasoline[2]. Brazil leads the world in Biofuel production and is the world's first sustainable biofuels economy,[3] primarily by converting feedstock sugarcane waste into ethanol.

Brazilian Eenergy Matrix

However research into the possibilities of biofuels appears to have hardly commenced and is focussed on developing a variety of suitable supply crops whilst improving the oil yields of these crops. Yet biofuel development and use is a complex issue, not just because there are so many biofuel options available but more due to the various unresolved social, economic, environmental and technical issues with its production and use. These include: the effect of moderating oil prices, the "food vs fuel" debate, poverty reduction potential, carbon emissions levels, sustainable production, deforestation, soil erosion, loss of biodiversity and impact on water resources.

Brazil Ethanol Production/ Prices of Petrol Oil and Sugar (1975 - 2009)

Biofuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, are currently produced from the products of conventional food crops, such as the starch, sugar and oil derived from wheat, maize, sugar cane, palm oil and oilseed rape. Some researchers fear that a major switch to biofuels from such crops would create direct competition with their use as both human food and animal feed, whilst claiming that in some parts of the world the economic consequences are already visible. Others look to the enormous areas of idle and abandoned land available worldwide and claim that there is room for a large proportion to be utilised for biofuel by conventional cropping.[4]

Harvesting at the Piricicaba bio-ethanol plant-Brazil Department of Energy and Climate change

The Brazilian agency Embrapa estimates that there is enough agricultural land available in Brazil to increase the existing sugarcane plantation 30 fold without endangering sensible ecosystems or taking land destined for food crops. [6] Most future growth is expected to take place on abandoned pasture lands whilst productivity is expected to improve further based on biotechnology research, genetic improvement, and better agronomic practices, thus contributing to reduce land demand for future sugarcane cultures.[7]

RSB Certification Flowchart Revised March 2014

In 2008, the Roundtable for Sustainable Biofuels, recognised as the International regulating body in the field, released the proposed standards for sustainable biofuels. This included 12 principles:[8]

1. "Biofuel production shall follow international treaties and national laws regarding such things as air quality, water resources, agricultural practices, labour conditions, and more.

2. Biofuels projects shall be designed and operated in participatory processes that involve all relevant stakeholders in planning and monitoring.

3. Biofuels shall significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions as compared to fossil fuels. The principle seeks to establish a standard methodology for comparing greenhouse gases (GHG) benefits.

4. Biofuel production shall not violate human rights or labour rights, and shall ensure decent work and the well-being of workers.

5. Biofuel production shall contribute to the social and economic development of local, rural and indigenous peoples and communities.

6. Biofuel production shall not impair food security.

7. Biofuel production shall avoid negative impacts on biodiversity, ecosystems and areas of high conservation value.

8. Biofuel production shall promote practices that improve soil health and minimize degradation.

9. Surface and groundwater use will be optimized and contamination or depletion of water resources minimized.

10. Air pollution shall be minimized along the supply chain.

11. Biofuels shall be produced in the most cost-effective way, with a commitment to improve production efficiency and social and environmental performance in all stages of the biofuel value chain.

12. Biofuel production shall not violate land rights".

The RSB has subsequently established a set of comprehensive sustainability criteria - the “RSB Certification System,” where biofuels producers that meet the regulation criteria are able to guarantee that their product has been ethically produced. They are able to demonstrate a commitment to the economic, environmental and social sustainability of bio-production whilst at the same time supporting such supply chains worldwide.

Biomass Cycle

A second generation of biofuels, also known as advanced biofuels, are now being developed that can be manufactured from various types of rapidly renewed biomass. Whereas first generation biofuels are made from the easily extracted sugars and vegetable oils found in arable crops using conventional technology, second generation biofuels are made from lignocellulosic biomass or woody crops, agricultural residues or waste. Whilst this has the advantage of abundant and diverse raw material, it’s much harder to extract the required fuel and requires a greater amount of processing. More research, investment and development is clearly needed in what is a huge potential industry.

Biomass Sources

Switchgrass and Miscanthus are the major biomass materials being studied today, due to their high productivity per acre. Cellulose, however, is contained in nearly every natural, free-growing plant, tree, and bush, in meadows, forests, and fields all over the world without agricultural effort or cost needed to make it grow. Its potential is limitless, not to mention the opportunities with conversion of food waste.

China’s Production Capacity for Biofuels Source: Asia Biomass Office

I expect to see China leading the way with further research and development in the near future. However the challenge would appear to be in supporting biofuel development, including the development of new “biomass” technologies, within agreed world standards and by adopting policies and economic instruments that will ensure biofuel commercialization is sustainable.

Responsible commercialization of biofuels would appear to represent an enormous opportunity to enhance sustainable economic prospects throughout the world’s developing nations, whilst reducing dependence on fossil fuels and minimising carbon emissions. 

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