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Biofuel
Background It may surprise advocates of solar and wind energy , but bioenergy accounts for 55 % of renewable energy and over 6 % of the world ’ s energy supply , or five times the combination of wind and solar PV ( 1 ) . This sector of the renewable energy industry has been growing rapidly and has received a further boost from rising energy prices following the Russian invasion of Ukraine , sanctions on its oil and gas exports and the Europeans ’ replacement of Russian piped gas with more expensive LNG from the USA . The IEA considers bioenergy to be an important part of the transition to net zero emissions . Demand is rising more quickly in Brazil , India and Indonesia than elsewhere . All have abundant feedstocks and are net energy importers . Not only these countries but also North American and European governments have programs and directives in place to boost bioenergy production with the help of subsidies and incentives : for example , the USA ’ s Higher Blends Infrastructure Incentive Program .
Biomass It is usual to distinguish three generations of biomass ( the organic feedstock used to create biofuels ):
1 . Edible crops such as corn , sugarcane , palm oil or soybeans , which are used to make ethanol .
2 . Non-food biomass such as waste ( agricultural or domestic ), wood , switchgrass , etc . For example , several pilot projects are scaling up production of cellulosic ethanol , especially in the USA and Europe .
3 . Algae , which can be cultivated on non-arable land and have higher oil content , making them ideal for biodiesel and jet fuel . Algae production has recently gained renewed interest through efficiency gains , for instance closed-loop systems that recycle water and nutrients . It is also gaining interest as a means of wastewater treatment through biosorption , bioaccumulation and intracellular degradation .
Production cycle of algae with biogas upgrading and nutrient recovery using anaerobic digestion .
Date announced
Description 31 / 8 / 2023 POET reopens its refurbished bioprocessing facility in Cloverdale , Indiana , USA .
3 / 2024 Hitachi Energy wins contract to recover and repurpose excess heat from data centers to heat various premises belonging to Fortum , including homes , public facilities , and businesses .
22 / 5 / 2024 Copenhagen Malmö Port ( CMP ) and Green2x partner to build one of the world ’ s largest biofuel plants in the port of Malmö , Sweden .
13 / 8 / 2024 Verbio commences commercial production of corn-based ethanol at its biorefinery in Nevada , Iowa , USA
20 / 8 / 2024 Weltec refurbishes biogas WtE plant near Melbourne , Australia .
17 / 9 / 2024 Woodland Biofuels plans to build a large , $ 1.35 billion biofuel plant in St John the Baptist Parish , USA .
9 / 2024 Unconventional Gas Solutions announces commissioning of two of Novilla ’ s biogas upgrading plants in the US states of Michigan and Wisconsin . The innovative system uses a multi-stage , membrane-based treatment process that tolerates very high H 2
S concentrations of up to 30,000 ppm . Table . Major biofuel and district heating projects
24 Heat Exchanger World February 2025 www . heat-exchanger-world . com