Bioenergy and renewable energy

Bioenergy and renewable energy

Bioenergy is one of many diverse resources available to help meet humanity’s rising demand for energy. It is a form of renewable energy that is derived from recently living organic materials known as biomass, which can be used to produce transportation fuels, heat, electricity, and products Bioenergy refers to all types of energy derived from the conversion of recently living organic materials known as biomass, which are available on a renewable basis. Nowadays, biomass used in Europe includes wood from forests, agricultural crops and residues, by-products from wood and the agricultural industry, herbaceous and woody energy crops, municipal organic wastes, manure, and could potentially integrate algae and marine biomass in the future. The use of biomass constitutes a carbon neutral energy source as carbon emissions derived from its combustion are offset by the carbon dioxide captured through the photosynthesis process of plants. Hence, biomass represents an alternative energy source to fossil fuels, playing an important role in lowering greenhouse gas emissions and achieving a climate neutral economy in 2050 as established in the European Green Deal. First generation Biofuels have become a large sector in the last two decades thanks to mandates introduced in various parts of the world. In Europe biodiesel dominates and makes use of rapeseed oil, soy oil, palm oil or used cooking oil, while in the U.S. bioethanol distilled in corn milling plants is the main product. Brazil, another large player makes use of cane sugar as the main feedstock and further benefits from having a fleet of “flex” cars fitted to accommodate either pure bioethanol or gasoline. Brazil is the leading sugar exporter and further benefits from having a large installed sugar refining capacity to which an ethanol distilling capacity has been added. Brazil also produces biodiesel from soy oil and animal fats. Argentina consumes and exports its soy oil-made biodiesel via a well-known process called transesterification, which produces nine parts of biodiesel for every part of glycerol (glycerine). In Indonesia and Malaysia palm oil dominates as the biodiesel feedstock. There has been a lot of lab and field research carried out on algae feedstock fed on CO2 emitting plants and grown in tanks or reservoirs, as well as dedicated algae production in open air ponds, however bottlenecks related to scaling up have remained a key barrier to mass production and commercialisation. Because hydrogen can be produced from biowaste or from purified water, and although mass production, storage and distribution is years away from being a reality, it should be considered as part of the bioenergy matrix made up of renewable technologies. According to a blog published by Veolia, a waste management company, only 0.1% of hydrogen is currently made using renewable energy sources. Because trading blocs such as the EU have set CO2 emission reduction policies and targets, bioenergy has become a tool of paramount importance to mitigate the effects of fossil fuel consumption. According to Ember, a London-based independent energy think tank, all top ten 2021 emitters were coal and lignite plants, Germany and Poland accounted for more than half of all EU power sector emissions, and coal power emissions were up by a whopping 17% in 2021 compared to 2020. The EIA forecasts global biofuel demand to grow by 4% per annum from 2018-2026 to 186 billion litres, with Brazil and the U.S. remaining the largest markets.

Keywords

Keywords: biofuel mandates, renewable energy, bioenergy, bioethanol, biodiesel, biogas, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, biomass, biowaste, wood, forests, alternative energy source, greenhouse gas emissions, climate neutral economy, transportation fuels, heat, electricity, woody energy crops, municipal organic wastes, manure, algae, feedstock, marine biomass, sugar refining, corn milling, ethanol distillation, glycerine, glycerol, biodiesel plants, bioethanol plants, used cooking oils, UCO, animal fats, oilseeds, sugar cane, beetroot sugar, palm oil, rapeseed, sunflower seed, Ember, CO2 emissions, carbon dioxide, international Energy Agency, IEA