Renewable energy biofuel biomass biogas geothermal hydropower solar energy tidal power wave power wind power topics by country 100% renewable energy marketing and policy trends v t e. A major increase in our nations use of some renewable biofuels, such as ethanol, will require an economically viable infrastructure for fuel delivery. Electric power generated with biomass at ethanol plants is renewable and firm, which means it could contribute to. Report to congress dedicated ethanol pipeline feasibility.
Sustainable energy is the need of the century and energy storage will play a characteristic role in integration and operation of future microgrids and smart grid networks. Biological research is key to accelerating the deconstruction of cellulosic biomass into sugars that can be converted into biofuels. It is a liquid fuel which can be blended with gasoline and ethanol and can be used with todays vehicle technology at minimal incremental costs. Even if we had an unlimited supply of fossil fuels, using renewable energy is better for the environment. Reid vapor pressures rvps were determined for alcohol. Department of energy, office of energy efficiency and.
A sustainable energy future depends on an increased share of renewable energy. Ethanol for a sustainable energy future jose goldemberg renewable energy is one of the most efficient ways to achieve sustainable development. Future ethanol will be produced increasingly from cellulose found in crop residues e. Sustainable energy is the practice of using energy in a way that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Increasing its share in the world matrix will help prolong the existence of fossil fuel reserves, address the threats posed by climate change, and enable better security of the energy supply on a global scale. Corn ethanol is an important step for the us but there are much more sustainable biofuelssystems using lignocellulosic biomass there are always. Ethanol has a positive energy balance that is, the energy content of corn ethanol is greater than the energy used to produce it. We modeled superheated steam drying and evaluated the impact on system. Molten salt, when used in solar energy production, can be useful in storing energy. Ethanol for a sustainable energy future semantic scholar.
The following resources related to this article are available online at. A recent article by searchinger et al, published february 7 in the online edition of the journal science, concludes that biofuels production leads to land use changes whose greenhouse gas emissions. It is a bit more complicated than doc brown in the back to the future movie demonstrated. The ministry of energy has set the target of ethanol production under the alternative energy development plan to be 9 and 11. Nrel research thrusts the biorefinery and cellulosic ethanol solutions to underutilized waste residues energy crops key doe. Increasing its share in the world matrix will help prolong the. The growing significance of renewable energy presentation.
Because it is a clean, affordable and lowcarbon biofuel, sugarcane ethanol has emerged as. Such cellulosic ethanol offers a way to get the energy and environmental security benefits of biofuels without disrupting the food supply when the edible corn itself is used. How renewable ethanol can be produced sustainably epure. Most of the new renewable energy sources are still undergoing largescale commercial development. The report, a collective effort with contributions from 7 researchers of. These include brazilian sugarcane ethanol, which, after 30 years of production, is a global energy commodity that is fully competitive with motor gasoline and appropriate for replication in many countries. A copy of the bridge is available in pdf format at.
Pdf ethanol for a sustainable energy future researchgate. The next step for ethanolcellulosic ethanol is turning garbage and plant materials into fuel. Sustainable ethanol goes beyond the headlines, uncovering the benefits and limitations of north americas fuel ethanol industry. Sustainable energy in brazil oxford institute for energy. Methanol as an alternative transportation fuel in the u. Biofuels as an alternative energy source for aviationa survey nasatm2009215587 december 2009. Transport biofuel consumption needs to triple by 2030 to 280 mtoe to be on track with the sustainable development scenario sds. The effect that increased ethanol use has on net co2 emissions depends on how ethanol is made and whether or not indirect impacts on land use are included in the calculations. Ethanol for a sustainable energy future article pdf available in science 31558. Renewable energy is one of the most efficient ways to achieve sustainable development. Opportunities and challenges for a sustainable energy future. Ethanol production and use are becoming more efficient and less.
Of the energy that fuel provides to vehicles a substantial proportion is lost. Biofuels and agriculture a factsheet for farmers american farmers have a great opportunity, now and in the coming years, to help make the nation more selfsufficient in energy, and to reduce air pollution. Currently there are several federal and state subsidies in place, a protective tariff, and a renewable fuel. One of the best ways to achieve such a goal is by replicating the. Ethanol has long been considered the fuel of the future, but concerns about the sustainable production of gasoline in the next century suggest perhaps the future is now. Methanol has attractive features for use in transportation. Firstgeneration biofuels are made from food crops seeds or grains or animal feedstocks.
Ethanol fuel is ethyl alcohol, the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, used as. Sadhika kumar top 10 green technologies that give us hope for a sustainable future. Ethanol has long been considered the fuel of the future, but concerns about the. These include brazilian sugarcane ethanol, which, after 30 years of production, is a global energy commodity that is fully competitive with motor gasoline and appropriate for replication in many. As concern about global warming and dependence on fossil fuels grows, the search for renewable energy sources that reduce carbon dioxide co 2 emissions becomes a matter of. Transport biofuels tracking transport analysis iea. The term biofuel is most commonly associated with ethanol and biodiesel because these renewable liquid fuels are often thought of as replacements for the fossil. This equates to 10% of global transport fuel demand, compared with the.
Sugarcane ethanol is an alcoholbased fuel produced by the fermentation of sugarcane juice and molasses. Brazils production of ethanol fuel from sugarcane dates back to the 1970s, as a governmental response to the 1973 oil crisis. Ethanol from corn has become a major environmental, political, and economic issue for the united states. Sales of ethanol and gasoline in brazil anp, 200312. Sustainable energy an overview sciencedirect topics. A sustainable energy future will require new thinking and new systems essentially a transformation in the way we produce, deliver and consume energy. Alfalfa a sustainable crop for biomass energy production. Brazil is at a crossroad with regard to its sustainable energy future. Increasing its share in the world matrix will help. A sustainable fuel for the future roberta j nichols ford motor company, 8645 n territorial road, plymouth, michigan mi 481705043 development of vehicles that could operate on alternative fuels began in earnest as a response to the oil shocks of the 1970s.
Even if that goal is met, 663 billion gal 250 billion liters annually would. Introduce students to the different classes of biofuels. The thermochemical plants for generation of methanol are expensive they are approximately 1. Brazil is considered the biofuel industry leader and the worlds first sustainable. A breakdown of the average losses of internalcombustionengine cars fleet make up 70% petrol and 30% diesel is. Future applications of biotechnology to the energy industry.
1292 995 1538 841 363 961 896 1069 63 1256 1401 837 339 425 1027 578 34 1592 880 930 537 1548 1019 577 635 990 360 365 861