Question

As startling as the information about land use and total water needs is for biofuels, is it unreasonable? For Example, how do these numbers compare with land and water currently used in agriculture? We clearly need an alternative to fossil fuels, and biofuels have recieved a good bit of attention.

Consider biofuels. Surf the web and indentify potential sources of biofuels. Indentify the biofuel source, briefly describe by the biofuel source is promising, briefly discuss how it will be used as a biofuel. Discuss advantages, and disadvantages. Discuss processes and/or other information you have found. Provide complete references for all your sources of information in MLA format.

Biofuel Source : Sugarcane (This is what my project is based on. Sugarcane biofuel.)

Answer 1

Biofuels are the fuels derived from agricultural crops, agricultural or fishery products, municipal wastes, agro-industry, food industry by-products and wastes. There are two types of biofuels – primary biofuel (fuelwood, wood chips organic matter) used for cooking or electricity generation, secondary fuels (biomass) generates ethanol and biodiesel which can be used for vehicles and industrial processes. Liquid biofuels, ethanol is produced from crops containing sugar and starch and biodiesel is obtained from oilseeds which are referred to as first-generation biofuels. Plant matter composed of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin etc., are known as “second-generation biofuel” has capability to convert complex components to liquid fuels.

Biofuel from sugarcane crops requires large land areas to grow them, which can generate increase in competition for natural resources, like land and water. Crop yields depends on the type of crop, place and the production system. Ethanol production from sugar cane produces the highest yields per hectare. Alcohol-based fuel is produced by the fermentation of sugarcane juice and molasses as it is affordable and low-carbon biofuel it has been emerged as a leading renewable fuel for the transportation sector. Sugarcane Ethanol is of two types: Blended with gasoline, and pure ethanol.

Sugarcane is semi-perennial crop and replanting field of sugarcane requires fixed land preparation pay off in future seasons and helps in making appropriate decisions. The sugarcane growing technology gives natural way which can affect average crop yields through changes in the timing of weather.

Sugarcane ethanol is produced by microbial reaction on biomass materials through fermentation, and this production process mainly works in three steps:

• conversion of biomass to fermentable sugars;
• fermentation of sugars to ethanol;
• separation and purification of the ethanol

Advantages of sugarcane ethanol:

• Purifies air – As Ethanol combines oxygen with gasoline and helps to reduce air pollution.
• Reduces Greenhouse emission gas- sugarcane ethanol cuts down carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 90 percent which is better than any other liquid biofuel.
• Ethanol has high-octane which helps to prevent engine knocking and generates more power in compression engines.

• Sugarcane ethanol reduces oil dependency globally.