RESEARCH: Using macroalgae as a biofuel feedstock can reduce land and fertilizer requirements
March 25th, 2010 by CATF,Article: Goh, C.S. and K.T. Lee. A visionary and conceptual macroalgae-based third-generation bioethanol (TGB) biorefinery in Sabah, Malaysia as an underlay for renewable and sustainable development. Renewable and Sustainable Review. Vol.14(2), Pp. 842-848
The large majority of biofuels produced worldwide come from terrestrial plants, increasing competition for agricultural land and reducing some of the original benefits of the fuel source. This paper proposes that macroalgae such as seaweed could be a better biofuel feedstock, since the production of these algae does not require arable land or fertilizers. The feasibility of converting seaweed carbohydrates to ethanol is still in question, but recent research is outlined in this paper. Additionally, the operation of a potential biorefinery site for this material in Malaysia is described in detail.
The complete article can be downloaded here.
RESEARCH: Bioethanol may be more water intensive than initial estimates due to a shift toward more intensive irrigation infrastructure
March 10th, 2009 by CATF,Article: Y.Chiu et al (2009). Water Embodied in Bioethanol in the United States. Environ Sci Techno., 3 (8), pp 2688–2692
Previous studies have estimated that the production of one liter of bioethanol in the United States requires 263-784 liters of water, but this figure ignores the varying irrigation practices from region to region. Taking these practices into account, the range of water consumption is actually 5 to 2138 liters depending on the actual area where the corn is produced. However, in recent years bioethanol production has shifted towards areas with more intensive irrigation infrastructure, so the industry has increased its total water consumption 246% from 1.9 trillion liters to 6.1 trillion liters between 2005 and 2008, while production only increased 133% from 15 to 34 billion liters during this period.
The full article can be downloaded here.
RESEARCH: Processes of biological component conversion into biofuels
February 12th, 2009 by CATF,Article: KR Jegannathan et al (2009). Harnessing biofuels: A global Renaissance in energy production? Renewable and Sustainable Energy Review. Vol. 13(8), pp.2163-2168
Jegannathan et al examine current research into the processes by which biological feedstocks are converted into biofuels. Bioethanol, biogas, and biodiesel can be produced using either chemical or biological catalysts. Conventional methods of production all use chemical catalysts, however, because the chemical processes are currently cheaper, although the biological processes are less damaging to the environment and are being heavily researched. The authors capably outline the typical production processes used to produce the three main biofuels.
The full article can be downloaded here.
