Biofuels hydrogen

However, to overcome present barriers, sustainable energy vectors should be developed in a harmonized way, taking into account all possibilities and related technologies, and not be limited to one or few sources. For example, in the transportation sector, several technologies present great potential biomass conversion into biofuels, hydrogen fuel cells, hybrid engines and the exploration of metal... 

See also Biofuels Capital Investment Decisions Hydrogen Kinetic Energy, Historical Evolution of the Use of Methanol Natural Gas, Processing and Conversion of. 

Biofuel generation from sweet sorghum Fermentative hydrogen production and anaerobic digestion of the remaining biomass. Biores. Technol. 99 (1), 110-119. 

Hydrotreating has been proposed by Arbokem Inc. in Canada as a means of converting Grade Tall Oil into biofuels and fuel additives. However, this process is a hydrogenation process which produces hydrocarbons rather than biodiesel. Recently a process for making biodiesel from crude tall oil has been proposed. It relies on the use of an acid catalysts or of an acyl halide for the esterification reaction, but no information is given on the properties of this fuel, particularly concerning the oxidative stability. 

Alternative fuel programs is the theme of Chapter three. Subjects include hydrogen, methanol, syn gas, biofuels, fueling methods, safety and storage. The chapter ends with a discussion of cost issues. 

The same holds true for hydrogen however, biomass yields more kilometres when used via hydrogen in fuel-cell cars than liquid biofuels in ICE cars (see Fig. 7.5). Moreover, as hydrogen is produced via gasification, it is equivalent to second-generation biofuels, as it can use feedstock that does not interfere with the food chain. 

In the renewable scenario, 50% of the hydrogen must come from renewable sources from 2020 on. Biomass is the cheapest renewable option, but has a limited potential, as the competition between hydrogen, biofuels and other uses has to be considered. Offshore wind via electrolysis could, therefore, play a very important role for hydrogen production after 2020. Onsite SMR also dominates here in the early phase. 

The HyWays project has concluded that hydrogen can reduce the C02 emissions from road transport by over 50% much of the remaining emissions come from goods transport where no hydrogen fuel was assumed (HyWays, 2007). In contrast, biofuels can only supply a fraction of today s transportation energy demand (6% to 15% within the EU), if the competing use of biomass in the stationary sector is taken into account (JEC, 2007) (see also Chapter 7). 

If renewable targets are set, biomass gasification is the cheapest renewable hydrogen supply option however biomass has restricted potential and competition of end-use, for instance, with other biofuels or stationary heat and power generation. Biomass gasification is applied in small decentral plants during the early phase of an infrastructure roll-out and in central plants in later periods. 

The alternative fuels and drive systems available only seem to be viable on the mass market, if the oil price stays above 60 to 70 /bbl for a sustained period. Oil prices peaked above 140 /bbl in summer 2008 and many experts believe that stable oil prices over 100 /bbl could be reached in the next one or two decades. The higher the market prices of fossil fuels, the more competitive low-carbon alternatives will become The principal choice here is between biofuels, electricity and hydrogen, provided that they are produced either from low/zero-carbon feedstock or that the C02 generated during their production is captured and stored. But higher priced conventional oil resources, on the other hand, can also be replaced by high-carbon alternatives such as oil sands, oil shale or synthetic fuels from coal and gas. 

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