4.9 Uses and applications of anaerobic fermentation of biomass

what are fossil fuels?

• fuels that are formed over millions of years from the remains of dead organic material considered non-renewable

what is biofuel fermentation?

the fermentation of sugars for plants produces ethanol, which can be used as an additive in fuel or for a fuel itself → biodiesel or biogas

what does non-renewable mean?

a resource that is replenished at a slower rate than it is consumed, will eventually run out

what are the disadvantages of biofuels?

• land requirements large amounts of land is equiped to grow crops

what are biofuels?

• made of organic material, biomass

• biomass - plant and animal material that can be sourced industries (such as agriculture)

• offer an alternative to traditional fossil fuels (are non-renewable)

• carbon neutral

what are first generation bio-fuels?

• a biofuel produced from edible feedstocks e.g, starch and glucose form plants like corn and sugar cane

• main process = fermentation

→ beaks down carbohydrates in biomass into sugars

• converted into ethanol and can be used as a fuel

what is an advantage of first generation fuels?

have a high energy yields and the processes used to convert into biofuels are well understood

what are second generation biofuels?

• a biofuel produced from non-edible feedstocks e.g agricultural waste, wood chips and grasses

• main process is thermochemical conversion

→ breaking bonds between adjacent carbon, hydrogen and oxygen molecules to realise stored chemical energy

what are the advantages of second generation biofuels?

the don’t compete with food crops for land, water and other resources, have the potential to be more environmentally friendly than the first generation biofuels

what are the disadvantages of biofuels?

• food vs fuel

→ makes use of viable cropland for biomass → conflicts with food demands

• cost and difficulty of uptake

→ biofuels are costly

→ biofuels are a relatively new industry and will be difficult to assimilate into our lives

what are the advantages of biofuels?

• climate impacts

→ reduces carbon emissions and is a good substitute for fossil fuels

• energy security

→ acts a renewable energy source which can be used at the same or greater rate at which it is being used up

What is food versus fuel?

As population increases is going to be an increased demand for biofuel and food production. Second generation sources must be used to reduce the competition for edible feed stock.

What are land requirements?

As population increases, there’s gonna be more bio fuel required and needed to be produced therefore we will need more land.

What is energy efficiency?

The production of biofuels must be greater than or equal to the rate of it being consumed