2. Module 6 Green Fuels
• 6.1 Definition – benefits and challenges: Comparison of green fuels
with conventional fossils fuels with reference to environmental,
economic and social impacts – public policies and market driven
initiatives
• 6.2 Biomass energy: Concept of biomass energy utilization, types if
biomass energy, conversion process
• 6.3 Wind energy, energy conversion technologies, their principles,
equipment and suitability in Indian context
• 6.4 Tidal and geothermal energy
3. • Understanding green fuels
• The concept associated with green fuels refers to a well innovative
notion that intends to make successive usages of fuels
• These green fuels are derived from the elements like green
hydrocarbons and are generally produced from sources such as
biomass
• However, the production process relates to several processes such as
biological and as well as thermochemical
• It is quite interesting to know that the products of green fuels are
similar to the fuels that cater to diesel fuels, petroleum or gasoline
• It is as well noted that green fuels can also be referred to as
“compatible fuels” that are fully infrastructural
4. • What are green fuels?
• No such proper definition lies for green fuels but can be perceived as
renewable fuels which are actively produced from renewable sources
and mainly make use of elements such as green hydrocarbons
• These fuels are produced with the help of several processes that
include both thermochemical as well as biological processes and
mainly make use of biomass as their source
• Several examples are there such as biofuels and fuels of hydrogen
• The examples of biofuels cater to several vegetable oils such as
methanol, ethanol that are derived from clean energy, biodiesel and
carbon dioxide or biomass
• Hydrogen energy is mainly derived from renewable energy resources
5. • What are the types of green fuels?
• Various numbers of green fuels are found on earth that can be used
instead of non-renewable energy sources thereby, effectively
decreasing their usage and exploitation. Some of the types of green
fuels are as follows.
• Biomass,
• Geothermal energy,
• Wind power,
• Solar energy,
• Hydro energy,
• Biofuels and many more
6. • What is bio petrol?
• Bio petrol is a term that is generally associated with the types of gasoline
produced actively from biomass
• Apart from waste material from animals and plants, the biomass contains
algae and is more commonly known as bio petrol or biogas line
• The composition of bio petrol is just the same as the normal gasoline or
petroleum, as it consists of hydrocarbons
• With hydrocarbons, there lies 6 to 12 atoms of carbons per molecule and
can be successfully used for internal combustion within the internal
structures of the engines
• Bio petrol is a liquid form of fuel making use of animal fats, oils from
vegetables
• Furthermore, it is also noticed that biodiesel displays the notion that they
are easily biodegradable and non-toxic in nature
• These are provided by an effective combination of alcohol with vegetable
oils, facts about animals and many more
7. • How does green fuel work?
• It was an interesting aspect to know how green fuel works
• Green hydrogen is effectively produced from energy sources that are
renewable in nature and also maintains the process of electrolysis by
effectively splitting water
• This is quite different from gray hydrogen that is produced, which is
responsible for greenhouse gasses and blue hydrogen helps in
trapping the greenhouse gasses effectively
8. • How do green fuels affect our daily lives?
• Immense effects are noticed in our daily lives with the application of
green fuels, which are as follows
• The usage of green fuels has successively reduced the emission of
greenhouse gasses by around 30 per cent of the combustion rate
• A proper balance is maintained by effectively focusing on fuel
sensitivity with respect to the environment
• Furthermore, it is also noted that the application of green energy is
responsible for producing more energy referred to as “energy
bounce”
9. • Why are green fuels relevant for the industry?
• As marine and air transport, heavy industry and heat generation all seek to lower
their carbon footprint, green fuels offer important benefits in order to reaching
net zero
• With stricter environment regulations and increasing customer demand for
decarbonization, a timely, yet smooth fuel transition is necessary
• For shipping, the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) has
set a target to reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent in 2050, but many players
in the industry have even more ambitious goals, reaching net zero by 2050 or
even 2040, for example
• Many green fuels can be blended with conventional fuels and used
interchangeably
• SNG and methanol, work in existing storage systems and engines, making the
transition easier and faster
• This flexibility is an important advantage, as shipping and heavy goods transport
may require a range of different green fuels in the future
10. • Big advantages, but what are the challenges?
• Due to their high energy density, green fuels are well suited for both transport
and power generation
• However, their production is energy-intensive and not yet economically viable
• Even though they are being tried and tested extensively, there is still a lack of
infrastructure for mass production
• Therefore, facilities have to be scaled-up to reduce costs, and renewable power
generation must be expanded
• Today, most hydrogen is not produced from carbon-neutral energy sources, but
with natural gas (gray hydrogen), coal (brown or black hydrogen), nuclear power
(pink or red hydrogen) or from fossil fuels combined with carbon capture (blue
hydrogen)
• But in order to reduce the carbon footprint, green hydrogen is paramount
• Hydrogen requires storage and transportation at either high-pressure or very low
temperatures; conversion to other green fuels with higher energy density can
mitigate that issue
11. • Various Advantages and Disadvantages of Biofuels
• Fuels that have been extracted from plants and crops are known as biofuels
• Of these, the most commonly extracted and used one is Bioethanol or
simply Ethanol and Biodiesel
• It is blended with gasoline and can be used as an alternative fuel for your car
• Plant-based fuels come from renewable sources, can be grown anywhere and
have lower carbon emissions as compared to fossil fuels
• Biofuels not only help a struggling economy by providing jobs but also helps in
reducing greenhouse gases up to much extent by emitting less pollution
• As prices of crude oil are soaring day by day, most people are switching to
biofuels to save money and reduce their dependence on oil
• Biofuels are produced from wheat, corn, soybeans and sugarcane, which can be
produced again and again on demand, so they are sustainable
12. • Various Advantages of Biofuels
• 1. Efficient Fuel
• Biofuel is made from renewable resources and relatively less-flammable
compared to fossil diesel
• It has significantly better lubricating properties.
• It causes less harmful carbon emission compared to standard diesel
• Biofuels can be manufactured from a wide range of materials
• The overall cost-benefit of using them is much higher
• 2. Cost-Benefit
• As of now, biofuels cost the same in the market as gasoline does
• However, the overall cost-benefit of using them is much higher
• They are cleaner fuels, which means they produce fewer emissions on burning
13. • With the increased demand for biofuels, they have the potential of becoming cheaper in
the future as well
• According to the RFA (Renewable Fuels Association) February 2019 Ethanol Industry
Outlook report, “Ethanol remains the highest-octane, lowest-cost motor fuel on the
planet”
• With goals such as reducing drop-in biofuel costs, it aims to “enable high-value products
from biomass or waste resources” and reduction in the cost of producing bio power
• So, the use of biofuels will be less of a drain on the wallet
• 3. Durability of Vehicles’ Engine
• Biofuels are adaptable to current engine designs and perform very well in most
conditions
• It has higher cetane and better lubricating properties
• When biodiesel is used as a combustible fuel, the durability of the engine increases
• There is also no need for engine conversion
• This keeps the engine running for longer, requires less maintenance and brings down
overall pollution check costs
• Engines designed to work on biofuels produce less emission than other diesel engines
14. • 4. Easy to Source
• Gasoline is refined from crude oil, which happens to be a non-renewable
resource
• Although current reservoirs of gas will sustain for many years, they will end
sometime in the near future
• Biofuels are made from many different sources such as manure, waste from
crops, other byproducts, algae and plants grown specifically for the fuel
• 5. Renewable
• Most of the fossil fuels will expire and end up in smoke one day
• Since most of the sources like manure, corn, soybeans, waste from crops
and plants are renewable and are not likely to run out any time soon, it makes
the use of biofuels efficient in nature
• Also, these crops can be replanted again and again
15. • 6. Reduce Greenhouse Gases
• Studies suggest that biofuels reduce greenhouse gases up to 65 percent
• Fossil fuels, when burnt, produce large amounts of greenhouse gases i.e., carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere
• These greenhouse gases trap sunlight and cause the planet to warm
• Besides, the burning of coal and oil increases the temperature and causes global
warming
• To reduce the impact of greenhouse gases, people around the world are using
biofuels
• 7. Economic Security
• Not every country has large reserves of crude oil
• For them, having to import the oil puts a huge dent in the economy
• If more people start shifting towards biofuels, a country can reduce its
dependence on fossil fuels
16. • Biofuel production increases the demand for suitable biofuel crops, providing a
boost to the agriculture industry
• Fueling homes, businesses and vehicles with biofuels are less expensive than
fossil fuels
• More jobs will be created with a growing biofuel industry, which will keep our
economy secure
• 8. Reduce Dependence on Foreign Oil
• While locally grown crops have reduced the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels,
many experts believe that it will take a long time to solve our energy needs
• As prices of crude oil are touching sky high, we need some more alternative
energy solutions to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels
17. • 9. Lower Levels of Pollution
• Since biofuels can be made from renewable resources, they cause less pollution
to the planet
• However, that is not the only reason why the use of biofuels is being encouraged
• They release lower levels of carbon dioxide and other emissions when burnt
compared to standard diesel
• Its use also results in a significant reduction of PM emissions
18. • Disadvantages of Biofuels
• 1. High Cost of Production
• Even with all the benefits associated with biofuels, they are quite expensive to
produce in the current market
• As of now, the interest and capital investment being put into biofuel production is
fairly low, but it can match demand
• If the demand increases, then increasing the supply will be a long term operation,
which will be quite expensive
• Such a disadvantage is still preventing the use of biofuels from becoming more
popular
19. • 2. Monoculture
• Monoculture refers to the practice of producing the same crops year after year,
rather than producing various crops through a farmer’s fields over time
• While this might be economically attractive for farmers but growing the same
crop every year may deprive the soil of nutrients that are put back into the soil
through crop rotation
• The problems with growing a single crop over large tracts of land are many
• First, growing only one crop changes the environment in terms of the food
available to pests, and they are free to destroy an entire crop
• Secondly, we could treat the pests mentioned above with pesticides, but a few of
those pests will inevitably be resistant to the chemicals we use to kill them, and
that can inhabit a single field of crops
• The next problem comes with genetic engineering when we decide to modify the
crop that is resistant to the pest without the need for pesticides
20. • It is still likely that at least a few pests aren’t affected by the modification, and the
problem remains
• Thus, the key to healthy crops worldwide is biodiversity that is simply having lots
of different types of plants and animals around
• 3. Use of Fertilizers
• Biofuels are produced from crops, and these crops need fertilizers to grow better
• The downside of using fertilizers is that they can have harmful effects on the
surrounding environment and may cause water pollution
• Fertilizers contain nitrogen and phosphorus
• They can be washed away from soil to nearby lakes, rivers or ponds
21. • 4. Shortage of Food
• Biofuels are extracted from plants and crops that have high levels of sugar in
them
• However, most of these crops are also used as food crops
• Even though waste material from plants can be used as raw material, the
requirement for such food crops will still exist
• It will take up agricultural space from other crops, which can create a number of
problems
• Using existing land for biofuels may not cause an acute shortage of food;
however, it will definitely put pressure on the current growth of crops
• One major worry being faced by people is that the growing use of biofuels may
just mean a rise in food prices as well
• Some people prefer using algae, which grows in very inhospitable regions and has
a limited impact on land use
• However, the problem with algae is water use
22. • 5. Industrial Pollution
• The carbon footprint of biofuels is less than the traditional forms of fuel when
burnt
• However, the process with which they are produced makes up for that.
Production is largely dependent on lots of water and oil
• Large scale industries meant for churning out biofuel are known to emit large
amounts of emissions and cause small scale water pollution as well
• Unless more efficient means of production are put into place, the overall carbon
emission does not get a very big dent in it
• It also causes an increase in NOx
23. • 6. Water Use
• Large quantities of water are required to irrigate the biofuel crops, and it may
impose strain on local and regional water resources, if not managed wisely
• In order to produce corn-based ethanol to meet local demand for biofuels,
massive quantities of water are used that could put unsustainable pressure on
local water resources
• 7. Future Rise in Price
• Current technology being employed for the production of biofuels is not as
efficient as it should be
• Scientists are engaged in developing better means by which we can extract this
fuel
• However, the cost of research and future installation means that the price of
biofuels will see a significant spike
24. • As of now, the prices are comparable with gasoline and are still feasible
• Constantly rising prices may make the use of biofuels as harsh on the economy as
the rising gas prices are doing right now
• 8. Changes in Land Use
• If the land is used to grow a biofuel feedstock, it has to be cleared of native
vegetation, which then leads to ecological damage done in three ways
• First, the damage is caused by destroying local habitat, animal dwellings, micro-
ecosystems, and reduces the overall health of natural resources of the region
• The native forest is almost always better at removing CO2 from the atmosphere
than a biofuel feedstock partly because the CO2 remains trapped and is never
released by burning as with fuel stock
25. • Secondly, the damage is done in the carbon debt created
• When it is needed to deforest an area and prepare it for farming as well as to
plant the crop, this leads to the production of greenhouse gases and puts the
region at a net positive GHG production even before a single biofuel is produced
• Estimates have shown that deforesting native land can actually produce a carbon
debt that can take up to 500 years to repay
• Finally, changing land to an agricultural status almost always means fertilizers are
going to be used to get the most yields per area
• The problem is runoff and other agricultural pollution
• Thus, creating more farmland is likely to damage waterways and energy used in
treatment plants, and other mitigation strategies lead to an even larger carbon
debt
26. • 9. Global Warming
• The biofuels, which are mostly hydrogen and carbon, burning them produce
carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming
• It is true that biofuels produce less GHG emissions than fossil fuels, but that can
only serve to slow global warming and not stopping or reversing it
• Therefore, biofuels may be able to help ease our energy needs, but they won’t
solve all of our problems
• It can only serve as substitutes for the short term as we invest in other
technologies
• 10. Weather Problem
• Biofuel is less suitable for use in low temperatures
• It is more likely to attract moisture than fossil diesel, which creates problems in
cold weather
• It also increases microbial growth in the engine that clogs the engine filters
