if you talk to some one,and he dont speak a word, it mean you talk to much
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if you talk to some one,and he dont speak a word, it mean you talk to much
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Posted by eRg 0 comment
The biofuel sector is in its infancy, yet bioethanol production is already equal to one-half of one percent of total petroleum production in the world. Biodiesel lags far behind, only contributing one-twentieth of one percent compared to the world's total petroleum fuel production.
How good biofuels are is highly subjective based on location and feedstock. Most research is either highly proprietary, or just getting underway, or both. Biofuel converts solar energy, at its best, at a rate of only around .15%. So while biofuels such as ethanol from sugar cane in Brazil and diesel from oil palms in West Africa are undoubtedly economically viable, they cannot replace petroleum. There isn't enough land. Genetically engineered algae may change all of that, of course.
The biofuel component of the bioenergy sector is certainly an important one.
The International Energy Agency did an analysis and projection of oil consumption measured in Million tons of oil equivalent (Mtoe) from 1971 to 2030. Whereas in 1971 transport consumption of oil to total oil was roughly 50%, by 2030 transport will account for around two thirds of oil consumption. More concerning, total oil consumption is predicted to increase to 5,000 Mtoe, more than doubling the total consumption of 1971 (1). A significant portion of this increase in consumption is driven by the developing economies and is therefore very difficult to reduce due to their rapid economic growth. Both in terms of reduction of CO2 emissions from this increasing consumption as well as reducing the dependency on oil as the primary product the demand for viable biofuels will increase in the years to come. From the same analysis bioethanol production was estimated at around 30 million tons per year in 2004 and biodiesel at only an estimated 2,5 million tons per year as of 2004.
The demand is thus clearly there for a substitute to oil, and would be even more pronounced if this substitute could be "greener." As regards biofuels however, the key imperative would seemingly remain the economic viability of the substitute. As Nobel prizewinner, Sydney Brenner, once noted "the only 'omics' that really counts in Biotechnology is economics. (2)
How then do you consider the viability of a project, whether it be biodiesel or bioethanol?
It should be noted from the outset, that there is a perplexing myriad of country, location, and project specific data that cannot possibly be covered in a short article such as this. Further, it may be quite possible that a specific project may have other factors specific to that project that completely erode the assumptions of this article. This is exacerbated by the lack of published and scientific data available. That is not in any way whatsoever saying that a huge a mount of scientific research has not been done on biofuels, but simply that a) the biofuel field is in itself a huge field of study, b) new technological advances have presented themselves (or are in the pipeline) that affect current assumptions, c) some advances are driven by economics and these will present themselves by way of company performances in the future.
This article focuses on environmental analysis of the biodiesel and bioethanol industries. Focus is mainly placed on a PEEST analysis (Political, Economic, Environmental, Social, and Technical). The Social and Technical factors are covered briefly. This analysis is not intended to be exhaustive and is intended only to highlight some of the salient points pertinent to such an analysis and reflect on some of the current thinking around these factors. Strategists might argue that there are a number of other environmental analytical techniques which should be applied to an environmental scan of the industry; again such an analysis would be so extensive that it falls outside the scope of this article. Further, the focus of this article is mainly on the external environment as it is far too complex a subject to cover internal environmental factors affecting a project, and even the external environment is only approached from a generic approach so as not to create undue complexity.
Posted by eRg 0 comment
Ethanol fuel is ethanol (ethyl alcohol), the same type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages. It can be used as a fuel, mainly as a biofuel alternative to gasoline, and is widely used in cars in Brazil. Because it is easy to manufacture and process, and can be made from very common crops, such as sugar cane and maize (corn), it is an increasingly common alternative to gasoline in some parts of the world.
What is Bioethanol?
The principle fuel used as a petrol substitute for road transport vehicles is bioethanol. Bioethanol fuel is mainly produced by the sugar fermentation process, although it can also be manufactured by the chemical process of reacting ethylene with steam.
The main sources of sugar required to produce ethanol come from fuel or energy crops. These crops are grown specifically for energy use and include corn, maize and wheat crops, waste straw, willow and popular trees, sawdust, reed canary grass, cord grasses, jerusalem artichoke, myscanthus and sorghum plants. There is also ongoing research and development into the use of municipal solid wastes to produce ethanol fuel.
Ethanol or ethyl alcohol (C2H5OH) is a clear colourless liquid, it is biodegradable, low in toxicity and causes little environmental pollution if spilt. Ethanol burns to produce carbon dioxide and water. Ethanol is a high octane fuel and has replaced lead as an octane enhancer in petrol. By blending ethanol with gasoline we can also oxygenate the fuel mixture so it burns more completely and reduces polluting emissions. Ethanol fuel blends are widely sold in the United States. The most common blend is 10% ethanol and 90% petrol (E10). Vehicle engines require no modifications to run on E10 and vehicle warranties are unaffected also. Only flexible fuel vehicles can run on up to 85% ethanol and 15% petrol blends (E85).
What are the benefits of Bioethanol?
Bioethanol has a number of advantages over conventional fuels. It comes from a renewable resource i.e. crops and not from a finite resource and the crops it derives from can grow well in the UK (like cereals, sugar beet and maize). Another benefit over fossil fuels is the greenhouse gas emissions. The road transport network accounts for 22% (www.foodfen.org.uk) of all greenhouse gas emissions and through the use of bioethanol, some of these emissions will be reduced as the fuel crops absorb the CO2 they emit through growing. Also, blending bioethanol with petrol will help extend the life of the UK’s diminishing oil supplies and ensure greater fuel security, avoiding heavy reliance on oil producing nations. By encouraging bioethanol’s use, the rural economy would also receive a boost from growing the necessary crops. Bioethanol is also biodegradable and far less toxic that fossil fuels. In addition, by using bioethanol in older engines can help reduce the amount of carbon monoxide produced by the vehicle thus improving air quality. Another advantage of bioethanol is the ease with which it can be easily integrated into the existing road transport fuel system. In quantities up to 5%, bioethanol can be blended with conventional fuel without the need of engine modifications. Bioethanol is produced using familiar methods, such as fermentation, and it can be distributed using the same petrol forecourts and transportation systems as before.
Labels: Technology
Posted by eRg 0 comment
Money is not everything, but everything needs money