French Régiolis Class train using 100 % biodiesel ( B100 ). By Florian Pépellin - Own work , CC BY-SA 4.0 , https :// commons . wikimedia . org / w / index . php ? curid = 81762569 π www . valve-world . net Valve World August 2023
Bioenergy
A Ford Taurus fueled by ethanol in New York City .
jet fuel ; sustainable aviation fuel – SAF ) is used to fuel aircraft , either partially ( blended with conventional fuel ) or 100 %. It is made from biomass using pyrolysis processed with a Fischer-Tropsch process ; using alcohol from waste fermentation ; or from synthetic biology through a solar reactor .
Biogas
Biogas is made by putting organic waste inside a closed container and allowing it to undergo anaerobic digestion , a process in which microbes break down organic matter to produce CO2 and methane ; the latter can
be used further to produce electricity , power vehicles ( trains , buses , automobiles ) or heat homes , or liquefied to produce bio-LNG . The residue from this process can be converted into biofertiliser . Europe is the largest producer , especially Germany , with twothirds of Europe ’ s capacity . China and the USA are large producers , and the remaining production comes from the rest of Asia , notably Thailand and India .
Projects
Several recent and ongoing projects demonstrate the versatility of modern biorefineries ( biomass treatment plants ). In 2021 Eni began production in a refinery in Gela , Sicily , Italy . The plant recycles cooking oil and fats from fish and meat processing to produce biodiesel , bionaphtha , bioLPG and bio-jet fuel . The company is planning to convert an industrial site near Livorno on Italy ’ s west coast into a biorefinery . It will consist of a biogenic feedstock pre-treatment unit , a 500,000 tonne / year Ecofining™ plant , and a plant to produce hydrogen from methane gas . Eni is also studying a possible biorefinery in Malaysia along with Japan ’ s
Pros and cons
Bioenergy is a somewhat controversial industry . Is it worth supporting , given recent advances in wind , solar , storage and green hydrogen ? Using wood as a biomass can lead to deforestation , meaning less absorption of CO2 . The land taken up by growing biomass is competitive with food production . The potential for abuse is considerable : subsidies granted for forest residues have been used to cut down whole trees ( 2 ) . Traditional burning of biomass to produce heat , as practiced in poor countries , is polluting and harmful to health . But modern bioenergy production , with proper safeguards and using advanced technology such as carbon capture and scrubbing to reduce emissions , has its place in the circular economy . It is only logical to recycle landfill gas , to prevent it seeping into the atmosphere , or to recycle residues and waste to create biofuels .
French Régiolis Class train using 100 % biodiesel ( B100 ). By Florian Pépellin - Own work , CC BY-SA 4.0 , https :// commons . wikimedia . org / w / index . php ? curid = 81762569 π www . valve-world . net Valve World August 2023
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