Biofuel production first-generation biofuels

The first-generation biofuels can be identified as ethanol, which was produced via the alcoholic fermentation of cereals, and hio-oil or biodiesel, which was extracted from seeds such as sunflower, rapeseed, or palm. The use of cereals and sunflowers was rejected by public opinion and some scientific environments, because their use for energy production conflicted with their use as foodstuffs. In fact, the diversion of cereals to the production of ethanol for transport has led to a rise in the price of flour and derived goods, especially in Mexico. The same situation has arisen for some bio-oils, such that the source was shifted to palm-oil which, essentially, is produced in Asian countries such as Malaysia. 

First generation bioethanol and biodiesel production, which mainly makes use of cereal grains and vegetable oils, represents a growing source of high quantities of protein as a valuable by-product. Sanders et al. (2007) estimated that a 10% substitution of fossil transportation fuels worldwide by first generation biofuels would result in an annual production of 100 million tonnes of protein - about four times the proteins requirement of the world s human population. A direct result of this would be the saturation of traditional protein markets. New opportunities would therefore emerge for chemical production from proteins. 

Like coal, indigenous first-generation biofuels from Europe are not competitive with the products of large foreign producers. For second-generation technologies, the biomass resources shown in Table 12.5 can be rich sources of either classical biofuels or hydrogen production. 

A second generation of biofuels, produced from the woody parts of plants, including waste products such as stalks and leaves firom plants grown for food production, could help to avoid partially the above-mentioned problems and it is estimated that this second generation of biofuels contribution will surpass the first generation beyond 2030 [3]. 

First generation biofuels (ethanol in particular) face three major criticisms (1) intensification of their use leads to competition with food resources ( efood versus fuel debate), (2) ethanol production from com grain requires significant consumption of fossil resources, in such a way that there are minimum benefits from the carbon emissions perspective, and (3) there is a requirement of land to grow com. 

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