Environmental Policy Guide to Renewable Fuels

BIOFUELS are fuels synthetically produced from organic material. The two main types of biofuels are bioethanol, which can be used in gasoline engines, and synthetic diesels.

Biofuels have the potential for CO2 reduction because only the CO2 absorbed during the crop’s growth is released when the fuel is burned.

1. FIRST GENERATION BIOFUELS
Are largely derived from the fruit or grain of the plant. Cultivation can compete with food production. When produced in a sustainable manner, first generation biofuels still represent an important step in the right direction. Large amounts of such biofuels are being produced in countries such as Brazil, where the CO2 savings are substantial.

BIOETHANOL (First Generation) Can be used as a gasoline replacement in FlexFuel cars and is sold as E85 (85% Bioethanol, 15% Gasoline). It offers net CO2 reduction of between 20 – 80%, dependent on production method on a Well-to-Wheel basis.

BIODIESEL (First Generation) Produced using crops such as soya, rapeseed and sunflowers, it can be blended with diesel (Biodiesel 10%, Diesel 90%) and used in diesel cars.

2. SECOND GENERATION BIOFUELS
Are produced from agricultural residue and waste materials (biomass), and have a high yield per unit area. Such fuels have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 90 per cent. As second generation biofuels utilise the inedible parts of existing crops they do not compete with food production, nor do they require destruction of natural habitats to expand.

CELLULOSE ETHANOL (Second Generation) Is a biofuel for use in FlexFuel engines as a gasoline replacement. Its advantage is that it uses biomass, such as crop waste, as the raw material as opposed to foodstuffs. It offers consistently high CO2 reductions of 90% on a Well-to-Wheel basis, whilst remaining sustainable.

BIOMASS-TO-LIQUID (BTL) (Second Generation) Is a biofuel aimed at replacing diesel through an advanced process utilising biomass as the raw materials. It offers consistently high CO2 reductions of 90% on a Well-to-Wheel basis.
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