Biofuels Summary

Biomass is one renewable energy source that can be converted directly into fuel applicable for transportation, called biofuels. Ethanol and Biodiesel are the most common biofuels. Ethanol can be made from both fermentation and gasification. The process of fermenting ethanol is very similar to that of beer brewing, and even though ethanol is first and foremost an alcohol, fuel ethanol is modified to make it undrinkable. It is mostly made of starches and sugars as of now, but scientists are now developing a source of ethanol made of cellulose and helicellulose, which make up the majority of plant cell walls. Gasification involves using high temperatures and low oxygen levels to convert biomass into gas, which can then be chemically converted into ethanol and other fuels. Biodiesel is made from combining alcohol with vegetable oil, animal fat, or recycled cooking oil. Scientists are also developing fuels from microscopic algae as they produce more biomass than terrestrial plants.

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