Roberto Guajardo Jr.

ES 2013
December 7, 2016
Second Generation Biofuels: Environments second chance to survival.

As the worlds population keeps growing, the demand for natural resources has increased
dramatically over the past decade. Resources like water and food are vital for all living organisms. However,
these two resources have been facing scarcity problems for years, and now this scarcity is expanding into
oil and gas. It is estimated that the oil we currently have will last up to 40-50 years and natural gas only for
only 64 more years. [6] So what will happen if the world ran out of those two very important resources?
Scientists and researchers are starting to look for alternatives for fossil fuels.

Biofuel, which is composed out of several types of fuel, is the environmental friendly alternative
solution to the fossil fuel scarcity. There are important differences between this type of fuel and fossil fuel,
as well as advantages and disadvantages of First and Second Generation Biofuel generations, I will also
discuss what we can expect from biofuel in the future.

So, what is the difference between biofuel and fossil fuel? According to the Be Energy Efficient,
an environmental non-profit organization, biofuel is any fuel whose energy is obtained through a process
of biological carbon fixation. [1] and fossil fuel according to Environmental Science for a Changing World
textbook is Nonrenewable resources like coal, oil and natural gas that were formed over millions of years
from the remains of dead organisms. [4] We can easily deduct from these definitions that biofuel depends on
what we can produce, like corn or other plants and it can be renewed in a short time frame, while fossil fuel
depends on how the Earth act (pressure of the earths movement, heat and other factors) and its production
can take millions of years, therefore it is considered not renewable.

Currently, fossil fuel is used worldwide as the primary source of energy. Although fossil fuel has
helped with the creation of energy, the resources required to make this fuel are becoming scarce and they
are polluting our environment. Multiple governments are trying to find solutions to the oil scarcity problem
we are facing with trying to meet the population and industry demands. This is where biofuels come in,
with a greener alternative as a renewable fuel.

Ethanol is a clear example of a useful alternative for gasoline. It has been around for quite some
time now. This fuel can be used with no problem on petrol engines as a substitute for gas. Ethanol can be
produced by the fermentation and distillation of the sugar cane; it can also be created by other fruits or
plants but it would be expensive. [1]
 There are two type of biofuels: First Generation Biofuels and Second Generation Biofuels. The
First Generation Biofuels are mostly based on sugar, vegetable oil or starch. Examples of First Generation
Biofuels are: Ethanol, Propanol, Biodiesel, Biogas amongst others. Second Generation Biofuels are based
from sustainable feedstock. This means that Second Generation Biofuels are based from what is available
like algae and other plants or agricultural residues. This generation of biofuel is also concerned about the
environmental impact its production may cause. Second Generation Biofuels include: Algae based biofuels,
Biohydrogen, Methanol, Fischer-Tropsch Biodiesel and others.

First Generation Biofuels have been around for decades, and even though they have opened the
world of alternative fuel, they came with a price. First Generation depends primarily on food, this has
caused some controversy around the world. There is not enough fertile land in the world for farming for
food and biofuel components at the same time. As the population has been increasing during the past years,
there have been more demands for energy and food. [8] This has an impact on the cost of food and the cost
of biofuel.

In 2007-2008 food prices spiked while the production and stock decreased exponentially because
of the First Gen Biofuel production. [8] Countries who lack the means and power to purchase or grow food
had to rely upon imports to feed their people at a great economic cost. In addition to this, researchers
analyzed how much ecological footprint and carbon dioxide production the manufacturing of Biofuel truly
created; making this biofuel alternative not a good one because it did not meet their claimed environmental
benefit. Researches decided to move on, and to explore more options.

Second Generation Biofuels are still being researched and tested. Even though it is still too soon to
tell, researchers predict a decrease in the cost of food and biofuel production. Thanks to all the criticism
that First Gen received, they put Second Gen on the spotlight expecting it to solve all the problems that
First Gen had (greenhouse gas emission reductions, less land use and more food and water available).
Everything depends on the oil price will be in the next 5 to 10 years, but things are shifting towards Second
Generation Biofuels being the solution for the transportation sector to become more sustainable. [9] All these
improvements are due thanks to the technologies, which keep advancing, helping create new inventions
and discover new solutions.

One kind of Second Generation Biofuel is the Fischer-Tropsch Biodiesel, which is one of the most
[10]
advanced biofuel conversion technologies made of feedstocks, synthesis gas and liquid biofuel. In
Germany, a sample production for Fischer-Tropsch liquids from biomass is under development. This type
of fuel would be a source of low or none sulfur diesel fuel and it will be free of carbon dioxide. Syntroleum,
a United States company, has already produced more than 1 million liters of diesel and jet fuel from Fischer-
Tropsch Biodiesel. and it has already been tested by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and
the United States Department of transportation (DOT).

The United States Air Force is the largest consumer of fuel, they were the first ones to look for new
alternative fuel sources. This is why Syntroleum is also testing the biodiesel with the United States Air
Force in hopes to develop a synthetic jet fuel blend that will help to stop relying on imported petroleum. If
this were to be true, the Pentagon estimates that by 2020, the United States Air Force will reduce its use of
imported crude oil by half and fulfill their fuel needs with the alternative sources like Fischer-Tropsch
Biodiesel. [11]

Methanol fuel is another type of Second Generation Biofuel. Its first appearance was in 1973 after
the first oil crisis. Methanol is considered an alternative fuel for internal combustion and other types of
engines. Many racing cars use methanol as their primary fuel because of the high power it can provide and
the low cost when compared to gasoline. In 1982 study, ten automakers made sixteen different auto models,
from light duty vehicles to van and buses, in order to test the alternative fuel and compare it with the
traditional gasoline. After testing M85 (Mix of 85% Methanol and 15% premium unleaded) and gasoline
vehicles, the results were surprisingly good for methanol. Even though M85 had lower fuel economy than
gasoline vehicles because of its lower energy density, M85 vehicles performed the same or even better than
[12]
its competitor, gasoline vehicles, and methanol emissions were less reactive. After this test, many
automakers started selling Flex-Fuel Vehicles which is an alternative fuel vehicle with an engine capable
to run more than one type of fuel, them being typically gasoline and methanol stored in the same common
tank. This was a milestone in the alternative fuel world. After this they were able to prove that alternative
fuel is much better for the environment while fulfilling the same capabilities as fossil fuel.

Once the Second Generation Biofuel finishes full development and is commercialized, there will
be a transition from First Generation Biofuel to Second Generation Biofuel because of the benefits I
mentioned before. In order for this to happen we still need to wait another 5+ years of research and testing.
Second Generation Biofuel has not been able to be commercialized because the technology needed to be
mass produced is still not available. As the oil and natural gas are running out, Biofuels are gaining
momentum to become the primary source of fuel for the world. And even though there were some problems
and controversies with First Generation Biofuel, scientists and researchers have learned from their mistakes
and are making Second Generation Biofuel better in performance while being better for the environment. I
am hopeful it wont be too long for the rest of the world to follow Swedens steps into becoming a fossil
fuel free country.
 Bibliography

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