PA Farm News -- Biofuels

Biofuels - A Primer
By Paul Craig, Senior Cumberland County Extension Educator
CARLISLE -- Within the past few years there has been increasing interest in the development of alternative fuels in the United States and most developing countries around the world. In his 2006 State of the Union Address President Bush set a goal to replace 75% of oil imported from the Middle East with biofuels by the year 2025. With any issue there are positive and negative impacts on any decision that will be made. Let’s take a look at the history of biofuels and some of the impacts of our use of these energy alternatives.

Introduction
Biofuels are defined as any fuel derived from recently living organism or their by-products such as manure from livestock. Biofuels are defined as a renewable energy source. Other definitions call any fuel containing at least 80% by volume that is derived from living organisms as a biofuel. Biofuels are a form of stored solar energy. Energy from the sun is captured by plants through photosynthesis and converted into sugars, starches, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. These plant materials can be converted into energy directly or the waste product resulting from livestock and poultry production used for production of energy in biogas.

Biofuels are considered to be relatively safe for the environment. When blended with conventional fuels the total production of air pollutants is reduced, primarily sulphur, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. Since biofuels are rapidly biodegraded they present a significantly reduced environmental risk in the event of a spill into soil or water. Another advantage of biofuels is that the production of plants to produce biofuels consumes carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Many researchers state that this factor results in a net decrease in the amount of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

By 2005 it is estimated that 15% of the world’s energy consumption was derived from biofuels. Most of this energy used in developing countries for a direct heating source. Today, production of biofuels to replace natural gas and oil is in active development. The focus research and development is to use cheap organic matter (starch, sugars, cellulose, animal and sewage wastes) to make liquid biofuels with high net energy gains.

History
Surprisingly most of the earliest engines developed by automobile manufacturers were designed to run on biofuels such as ethanol and peanut oils. However when crude oil was discovered in the late 1800’s the result was a far cheaper energy source and vehicles were rapidly converted to fuels made from petroleum. During World War II the Germans had large facilities that produced ethanol from potatoes and blended this with petroleum to fuel their machinery. However following the war the discovery of vast petroleum resources in the Middle East again resulted in a vast supply of relatively inexpensive fuels. With rising oil prices, concerns about future limits and availability of oil, greenhouse gas emissions and political instability in the Middle East there has been renewed interest in the production of biofuels. Currently there are approximately 60 ethanol plants in operation or under construction in the United States, most in the corn growing region of the Mid West.

Production of Biofuels
There are basically three types of biofuels: ethanol, biodiesel and methane. Ethanol is made from plant sugars and starches using a fermentation and distillation process, much in the same way that beer and liquors are made. Biodiesel is made using a chemical conversion process using such plant derived oils such as soybean, sunflower, canola or palm oils. Newer crops and processes are being developed that are being touted as additional bio-energy crops including switchgrass, trees, jojoba, and coconuts and from cellulose and hemicellulose found in plant wastes.

Another source of biofuels is the production of methane from the anaerobic digestion of organic matter, primarily animal and human wastes. Methane can be burned and used to run a generator. Many dairy and livestock farms are using this technology today to produce electricity for use on their operations.

The Future
Biofuels will not be the answer to all of the needs of the world to meet energy demands. Some researchers question whether the total energy produced from crops is actually more than the total energy required to grow the crops when fertilizer, harvesting and transportation energy requirements are considered. Another factor is competition for the crop. Already due to demand for ethanol the price of corn is more than double last year’s price. This cost increase will lead to higher prices for poultry, swine, beef and dairy products.

New energy technologies will surely evolve in the production of biofuels. Today we are only at the starting point in production methods. Additional strategies must be included in an energy policy including greater efficiency of transport vehicles, energy conservation, and diversity of our energy sources. To find out more about biofuels do a search on Google. You’ll find more than 3.7 millions hits.

Paul H. Craig is the Penn State Cooperative Extension Educator for Agronomic Crop Production serving the Capital Region. Penn State is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity, and the diversity of its workforce. Penn State Extension in Cumberland County is located at 1100 Claremont Road, Carlisle PA 17015, phone 717-240-6500 e-mail CumberlandExt@psu.edu.