Transportation fuels fuel synthetic biofuels

The role of biocomponents in traffic fuel is increasing. The European Union Directive [1] on the promotion of the use of biofuels for transport purposes states that by the end 2005 traffic fuels should have contained 2% of components produced from renewables. The figure rises to 5.75% by the end of 2010 and up to 20% by the end of 2020. This directive defines biofuel as a liquid or gaseous fuel for transport produced from biomass, biodiesel as a methyl ester produced from vegetable or animal oil, of diesel quality, to be used as biofuel and synthetic biofuel as synthetic hydrocarbons or mixtures of synthetic hydrocarbons, which have been produced from biomass. The European Commission also encourages member states to lower tax rates on pure and/or blended biofuels, to the offset cost premium over petroleum-based fuels [1, 2]. 

The study of biofuels and synthetic fuels is an interdisciplinary science that focuses on development of clean, renewable fuels that can be used as alternatives to fossil fuels. Biofuels include ethanol, biodiesel, methane, biogas, and hydrogen synthetic fuels include syngas and synfuel. These fuels can be used as gasoline and diesel substitutes for transportation, as fuels for electric generators to produce electricity, and as fuels to heat houses (their traditional use). Both governmental agencies and private companies have invested heavily in research in this area of applied science. 

Biofuels. Biofuels are Hquid fuels, primarily used ia transportation (qv), produced from biomass feedstocks. Identified Hquid fuels and blending components iaclude ethanol (qv), methanol (qv), and the ethers ethyl /-butyl ether (ETBE) and methyl /-butyl ether (MTBE), as well as synthetic gasoline, diesel, and jet fuels. 

At the heart of the book stands the question of how the growing energy demand in the transport sector can be met in the long term, when conventional (easy) oil will be running out. Among the principal options are unconventional oil from oil sands or oil shale, synthetic Fischer-Tropsch fuels on the basis of gas or coal, biofuels,... 

Today ethanol and biodiesel (FAME) are the most common biofuels. Alternative fuels from fossil energy sources are mainly LPG and CNG. Synthetic gasoline and diesel from coal (CTL) and natural gas (GTL) are produced mainly in South Africa. Electricity used in battery-electric vehicles plays a minor role today. The fuel consumption for road transport in the world today amounts to about 65 700 PJ per year (IEA, 2006a) in total, the share of alternative fuels for transport at the time of writing was about 2.7% (Table 7.24). 

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