Value-Chain of Biofuels: Fundamentals, Technology, and Standardization presents the fundamental aspects of biofuel production, from biomass conversion technologies and biofuels’ end products to related policy regulation and standardization. Sections explore the current biofuels industry, addressing pretreatment, feedstocks, and conversion processes, review different pathways to produce biofuels, including bioethanol, biochar, biogas/bio-hydrogen, bio-oil, biodiesel, and many others, and finally, present policy regulation and standardization on biofuel production, with a focus on applications. Case studies are provided alongside reviews from academic and industry perspectives, discussing economics and lifecycle assessments (LCA) of biofuel production, as well as analyses of supply chains. Offering a comprehensive and timely overview, this book provides an ideal reference for researchers and practitioners working in bioenergy and renewable energy, but it will also be of interest to chemists, bioengineers, chemical engineers, and the agricultural and petrochemical industries. Helps readers gain academic and industry perspectives on biofuel production with the inclusion of lab-based experimentation and informative case studies Contains an exhaustive analysis of biomass conversion technologies for biofuels and biochemicals Provides a clear and concise text that avoids the overuse of jargon and technical language

Value-Chain of Biofuels: Fundamentals, Technology, and Standardization presents the fundamental aspects of biofuel production, from biomass conversion technologies and biofuels' end products to related policy regulation and standardization. Sections explore the current biofuels industry, addressing pretreatment, feedstocks, and conversion processes, review different pathways to produce biofuels, including bioethanol, biochar, biogas/bio-hydrogen, bio-oil, biodiesel, and many others, and finally, present policy regulation and standardization on biofuel production, with a focus on applications. Case studies are provided alongside reviews from academic and industry perspectives, discussing economics and lifecycle assessments (LCA) of biofuel production, as well as analyses of supply chains. Offering a comprehensive and timely overview, this book provides an ideal reference for researchers and practitioners working in bioenergy and renewable energy, but it will also be of interest to chemists, bioengineers, chemical engineers, and the agricultural and petrochemical industries. Helps readers gain academic and industry perspectives on biofuel production with the inclusion of lab-based experimentation and informative case studies Contains an exhaustive analysis of biomass conversion technologies for biofuels and biochemicals Provides a clear and concise text that avoids the overuse of jargon and technical language

In the United States, we have come to depend on plentiful and inexpensive energy to support our economy and lifestyles. In recent years, many questions have been raised regarding the sustainability of our current pattern of high consumption of nonrenewable energy and its environmental consequences. Further, because the United States imports about 55 percent of the nation's consumption of crude oil, there are additional concerns about the security of supply. Hence, efforts are being made to find alternatives to our current pathway, including greater energy efficiency and use of energy sources that could lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions such as nuclear and renewable sources, including solar, wind, geothermal, and biofuels. The United States has a long history with biofuels and the nation is on a course charted to achieve a substantial increase in biofuels. Renewable Fuel Standard evaluates the economic and environmental consequences of increasing biofuels production as a result of Renewable Fuels Standard, as amended by EISA (RFS2). The report describes biofuels produced in 2010 and those projected to be produced and consumed by 2022, reviews model projections and other estimates of the relative impact on the prices of land, and discusses the potential environmental harm and benefits of biofuels production and the barriers to achieving the RFS2 consumption mandate. Policy makers, investors, leaders in the transportation sector, and others with concerns for the environment, economy, and energy security can rely on the recommendations provided in this report.

Biomass to Biofuel Supply Chain Design and Planning under Uncertainty: Concepts and Quantitative Methods explores the design and optimization of biomass-to-biofuel supply chains for commercial-scale implementation of biofuel projects by considering the problems and challenges encountered in real supply chains. By offering a fresh approach and discussing a wide range of quantitative methods, the book enables researchers and practitioners to develop hybrid methods that integrate the advantages and features of two or more methods in one decision-making framework for the efficient optimization of biofuel supply chains, especially for complex supply chain models. Combining supply chain management and modeling techniques in a single volume, the book is beneficial for graduate students who no longer need to consult subject-specific books alongside mathematical modeling textbooks. The book consists of two main parts. The first part describes the key components of biofuel supply chains, including biomass production, harvesting, collection, storage, preprocessing, conversion, transportation, and distribution. It also provides a comprehensive review of the concepts, problems, and opportunities associated with biofuel supply chains, such as types and properties of the feedstocks and fuel products, decision-making levels, sustainability concepts, uncertainty analysis and risk management, as well as integration of biomass supply chain with other supply chains. The second part focuses on modeling and optimization of biomass-to-biofuel supply chains under uncertainty, using different quantitative methods to determine optimal design. Proposes a general multi-level framework for the optimal design and operation of biomass-to-biofuel supply chains through quantitative analysis and modeling, including different biomass and waste biomass feedstock, production pathways, technology options, transportation modes, and final products Explores how modeling and optimization tools can be utilized to address sustainability issues in biofuel supply chains by simultaneously assessing and identifying sustainable solutions Presents several case studies with different regional constraints to evaluate the practical applicability of different optimization methods and compares their performance in real-world situations Includes General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS) codes for solving biomass supply chain optimization problems discussed in different chapters

Biomass Supply Chains for Bioenergy and Biorefining highlights the emergence of energy generation through the use of biomass and the ways it is becoming more widely used. The supply chains that produce the feedstocks, harvest, transport, store, and prepare them for combustion or refinement into other forms of fuel are long and complex, often differing from feedstock to feedstock. Biomass Supply Chains for Bioenergy and Biorefining considers every aspect of these supply chains, including their design, management, socioeconomic, and environmental impacts. The first part of the book introduces supply chains, biomass feedstocks, and their analysis, while the second part looks at the harvesting, handling, storage, and transportation of biomass. The third part studies the modeling of supply chains and their management, with the final section discussing, in minute detail, the supply chains involved in the production and usage of individual feedstocks, such as wood and sugar starches, oil crops, industrial biomass wastes, and municipal sewage stocks. Focuses on the complex supply chains of the various potential feedstocks for biomass energy generation Studies a wide range of biomass feedstocks, including woody energy crops, sugar and starch crops, lignocellulosic crops, oil crops, grass crops, algae, and biomass waste Reviews the modeling and optimization, standards, quality control and traceability, socioeconomic, and environmental impacts of supply chains

The last decade has witnessed major crises in both food and energy security across the world. One response to the challenges of climate change and energy supply has been the development of crops to be used for biofuels. But, as this book shows, this can divert agricultural land from food production to energy crops, thus affecting food security, particularly in less developed countries. The author analyses the extent to which biofuels feedstocks fit within the national food security strategy, agro-export orientation, and rural development plans and policies of developing economies. Two case studies, from Tanzania in East Africa and Borneo in Malaysia, are considered in detail, using the non-edible crop of jatropha as an example of how compromises can be reached to balance food and energy goals as well as export markets. The author develops a novel integrated approach, the Institutional Feasibility Study, as the basis of her analysis. She addresses key issues such as: how do global initiatives for green growth, energy security and sustainable development incorporate biofuels industry development? Does global biofuels trade present meaningful foreign and local investment opportunities for developing countries? To what extent does biofuels feedstock production help with poverty reduction and agricultural sector modernization? What role do the EU and the US commitments to biofuels blending targets play in the rapid industry development in developing countries? How does the biofuels industry fit within existing formal and informal institutional frameworks? Who are the winners and losers in the biofuels global value chain?

Biofuels made from algae are gaining attention as a domestic source of renewable fuel. However, with current technologies, scaling up production of algal biofuels to meet even 5 percent of U.S. transportation fuel needs could create unsustainable demands for energy, water, and nutrient resources. Continued research and development could yield innovations to address these challenges, but determining if algal biofuel is a viable fuel alternative will involve comparing the environmental, economic and social impacts of algal biofuel production and use to those associated with petroleum-based fuels and other fuel sources. Sustainable Development of Algal Biofuels was produced at the request of the U.S. Department of Energy.