Biofuels: First and Second Generation

Ayrton Jos Vasconcelos Rosendo da Silva

Biofuels are renewable energy that can be obtained from biomass made with organic
compounds of plant and animal origin. This source of energy has been widespread in the world
as a way to reduce the damage caused by global warming. This is only possible because biofuels
help release carbon dioxide (

). Plants absorb the carbon dioxide released by the vehicle in

order to produce more biomass in a process called photosynthesis. As there is a balance between
what is released and what is consumed, the damage to the environment is smaller.
The growing use of biofuels is due primarily to environmental issues and the rising price
of oil. With non-renewable fuels, that process does not happen mainly due to the residues that
were retained on Earth for thousands of year. Petroleum, for example, is the result of the
accumulation of organic material. When it is burned, it releases carbon dioxide from thousands
of years. However, there is no mechanism, currently, to capture it, so it is concentrated in Earth's
atmosphere.
When it comes to the source for the production of biofuels, we can separate them into
two categories: first and second generation biofuels. The most used products in the production of
both kinds of biofuels are sugar cane, sugar beet, palm oil, sunflower seed, corn, castor oil,
firewood, animal dung, agricultural waste, among others sources. These plants, fruits and seeds
produce an oil that is used in its pure form or blended with existing fossil fuels. These are first
generation biofuels. Second generation biofuels are produced from the remains of plants used in
the production of the first generation biofuel process and the production of food.
The first-generation biofuels can promote some benefits in relation to the release and
consumption of CO2 and can help to improve domestic energy security. However, concerns are
centered on the sourcing of feedstocks, including the impact that the production of this kind of
biofuel can provide on biodiversity and competition with food crops.
The three main types of first generation biofuels are biodiesel (bio-esters), ethanol, and
biogas. The production of these biofuels is already happening on a large scale and has been
breaking records every year. Their production process is considered today an 'established
technology'.
Biodiesel is produced from natural agricultural products, mostly vegetable oils, and
animal fat. For its production, a preparation of the raw material is conducted, from which is
followed by transesterification reactions, where the oil or fat reacts with an alcohol in the
presence of a heterogeneous or homogeneous catalyst. Then, the resulting product is separated
into two phases, which later will be the final products: biodiesel (methyl esters) and glycerin.
This is a biodegradable fuel and produces much less pollutants than the corresponding fossil fuel,
diesel, being less harmful to the environment.
Bioethanol is produced from biomass. Typically results from the fermentation of simple
sugars, for example sucrose, or from carbohydrate polymers, such as starch. Fermentation is the
process of transforming sugars into ethyl alcohol (ethanol) and carbon dioxide (CO2) by the
action of a certain group of important microorganisms. These microorganisms are designed to
provide uniform, rapid and high-yield ethanol fermentation. They can develop in the presence or
absence of oxygen and in a normal brew cycle, the oxygen in the beginning of the process is
used until it is completely consumed. The yeast, microorganisms should be tolerant to large
variations in temperature, pH level and high alcohol concentrations, but these species
of yeast will produce ethanol only in an anaerobic environment. Since ethanol has many
advantages and few negative influences on the environment, it represents one of the most
plausible and popular solutions for replacing fossil biofuels, and therefore the main substitute for
gasoline
The biogas, or biomethane, is also obtained from the decomposition of organic waste
(biomass). Biomass is converted inside an anaerobic digester, where the organic matter
originates methane and carbon dioxide, the main constituents of this fuel. Biogas is a fuel that
pollutes less when compared with fossil fuels, because the CO2 released, as happens in the
production of biodiesel, is absorbed at the level of the plant, allowing it to complete the Carbon
Cycle.
The second-generation biofuels, especially second-generation ethanol, are produced
starting from the same production base of first-generation biofuels. There is no need to increase
the planted area, so they do not compete with each other. This biofuel is extracted from bagasse
and straw of certain plants. In other words, any material removed from plants that do not have as
target the food industry can, in theory, be a source for the production of second-generation
biofuels.
Plant waste (plant biomass) represents one of the most plentiful and underused biological
resources on the planet, and is viewed as the main raw material for second-generation biofuels.
The main component of plant biomass is lignocellulose, which comprises half of the plant matter
produced by photosynthesis. Lignocellulose consists of three types of polymers, cellulose,
hemicellulose and lignin that are strongly intermeshed and chemically bonded by noncovalent
forces and by covalent cross-linkages (as cited in Prez et al., 2002). These chemical bonds are
the studies of many researchers behind the production of second generation bioethanol.
The process of production of second-generation ethanol is similar to the common ethanol,
with the difference that the raw material must pass through some pre-treatments prior to
fermentation. However, this pre-treatments end up being the main drawback in the production of
second-generation ethanol, as the lignocellulosic polymers need to be transformed into simple
sugars, that can be assimilated by the microorganisms during fermentation.
The production and use of biofuel bring several advantages, mainly due to the
considerable reduction of the harmful environmental effects unlike other types of fuel. Currently,
some countries are promoting the use of biofuels as a way to reduce the GHG (greenhouse gas)
emission (D. Fernanda et al., 2007) and new research on second-generation biofuels can help
reduce conflicts generated in relation to the use of food to produce fuel (B. Martin, 2008).










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