Strategies in Bioethanol Production

As the world continues to seek sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels, bioethanol has emerged as a promising solution. Derived from biomass sources such as corn, sugarcane, and agricultural waste, bioethanol offers numerous environmental benefits while reducing dependence on non-renewable energy sources. To maximize its potential, the bioethanol industry must employ effective strategies throughout production. This blog will explore key challenges and strategies in bio ethanol production that can drive towards a sustainable future.

Feedstock Diversification:

One essential strategy for bioethanol production is diversifying feedstock sources. By utilizing non-food feedstocks such as lignocellulosic biomass, algae, and agricultural residues, the industry can reduce competition with food crops and enhance the overall sustainability of the production process. These alternative feedstocks offer abundant availability, reduce environmental impacts, and contribute to rural development.

Advanced Enzyme Technology:

Improving enzymatic hydrolysis, breaking down complex carbohydrates into simple sugars, is crucial for maximizing ethanol yields. Advanced enzyme technology plays a pivotal role in enhancing the efficiency of this conversion process. Continuous research and development efforts focus on discovering and engineering more effective, robust, and economically viable enzymes. These advancements can significantly improve the yield and cost-effectiveness of bioethanol production.

Process Optimization:

Optimizing the fermentation process is another key strategy to enhance bioethanol production. By carefully controlling factors such as temperature, pH, nutrient availability, and agitation, producers can create optimal conditions for yeast or other microorganisms to convert sugars into ethanol. Genetically modified yeast strains can enhance ethanol tolerance and productivity, resulting in higher yields and improved process economics.

Integrated Biorefineries:

The concept of integrated biorefineries combines bioethanol production with the generation of other valuable products from biomass. Integrated biorefineries can enhance process efficiency and profitability by maximizing the utilization of all biomass components, such as lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose. The co-production of bioethanol, biogas, biochemicals, and other value-added products improves resource utilization, reduces waste, and diversifies revenue streams.

Water and Energy Efficiency:

Efficient use of water and energy resources is crucial for sustainable bioethanol production. Implementing water recycling and reusing strategies can significantly reduce the water footprint of the process, mitigate water scarcity concerns, and minimize environmental impacts. Furthermore, integrating renewable energy sources, such as biomass combustion or solar power, can reduce reliance on fossil fuels, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance the overall environmental performance of bioethanol production.

Process Integration and Optimization:

Integration and optimization of various process steps are vital for improving bioethanol production’s overall efficiency and economics. Process integration involves identifying opportunities for waste heat recovery, co-product utilization, and energy-efficient design. Continuous research and development also focus on optimizing the entire production chain, including biomass pretreatment, fermentation, distillation, and purification processes. These efforts minimize energy consumption, reduce costs, and enhance overall process sustainability.

Policy Support and Collaboration:

Effective policies and regulatory frameworks play a significant role in driving the growth and sustainability of bioethanol production. Governments can provide incentives, subsidies, and mandates for biofuel blending, research and development, and infrastructure development. Collaborative efforts between industry stakeholders, academic institutions, and research organizations are crucial for sharing knowledge, promoting innovation, and addressing everyday challenges.

Overcoming the Challenges of Bioethanol Production for a Sustainable Future

Bioethanol is a renewable fuel source that offers numerous environmental benefits and reduces dependence on non-renewable energy sources. However, despite its promise, bioethanol production faces significant challenges that must be overcome to ensure its sustainability. In this blog, we will discuss the considerable challenges of bioethanol production and explore strategies to overcome them.

Feedstock Availability:

The availability and sustainability of feedstocks are significant concerns for bioethanol production. Most bioethanol is produced from food crops such as corn, sugarcane, and wheat, which compete with food production. Moreover, using food crops as feedstocks can contribute to deforestation, water scarcity, and soil degradation. Diversifying feedstocks to non-food crops, agricultural residues, and forest residues can reduce competition with food crops, enhance sustainability, and promote rural development.

Feedstock Processing:

Another major challenge in bioethanol production is processing feedstocks into simple sugars. Cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin are complex polymers requiring physical and chemical treatments to convert them into simple sugars. These treatments, such as mechanical and chemical pretreatment, can be costly, energy-intensive, and environmentally challenging. Developing innovative and sustainable technologies for feedstock pretreatment can enhance the efficiency of bioethanol production.

Fermentation Efficiency:

Fermentation is a crucial step in bioethanol production, where microorganisms such as yeast convert simple sugars into ethanol. However, fermentation efficiency can be affected by factors such as temperature, pH, nutrient availability, and inhibitory compounds in the feedstock. These factors can reduce ethanol yield, increase production costs, and impact environmental performance. Optimizing fermentation conditions, using genetically modified yeast strains, and developing new technologies can improve fermentation efficiency and reduce production costs.

Water and Energy Use:

Bioethanol production is energy-intensive and requires significant amounts of water and energy. Producing one gallon of ethanol can require up to three gallons of water, while the energy consumption can be as high as 30% of the final product’s energy content. Additionally, bioethanol production relies on fossil fuels, which can offset the environmental benefits of bioethanol. Implementing water recycling and reuse, reducing energy consumption through process optimization, and using renewable energy sources such as biomass combustion or solar power can enhance the environmental performance of bioethanol production.

Co-Product Utilization:

Bioethanol production generates several co-products, such as distiller grains, which are high-protein animal feed. However, utilizing these co-products can be challenging due to their composition, storage, and transportation. Developing markets and value chains for co-products, such as the production of biochemicals, bioplastics, or biomaterials, can enhance the economic viability of bioethanol production and reduce waste.

Policy Support:

Effective policies and regulatory frameworks can significantly promote the growth and sustainability of bioethanol production. Governments can provide incentives, subsidies, and mandates for biofuel blending, research and development, and infrastructure development. Moreover, effective policies can address environmental, social, and economic concerns related to bioethanol production.

Conclusion

Bioethanol production offers a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. However, it is essential to ensure sustainability by overcoming the challenges of feedstock availability, feedstock processing, fermentation efficiency, water and energy use, co-product utilization, and policy support. Developing innovative and sustainable technologies, optimizing processes, and promoting collaborative efforts between industry stakeholders and policymakers can enhance the viability and sustainability of bioethanol production.

Conclusion:

The strategies outlined above highlight the potential for bioethanol production to significantly contribute to a sustainable energy future. By diversifying feedstocks, leveraging advanced enzyme technology, optimizing processes,

Sustainability is the capability to endure. Sustainability is the long-standing maintenance of welfare that has social, economic, and environmental measures. Also it covers the idea of union, a mutually dependency, and interlinking with every living and non-living thing on earth. This theoretical understanding moves well beyond definitions driven by growth-oriented economic perceptions for the challenges and opportunities for achieving sustainability. This consider humans as offering stewardship, the responsible resource management.

Most of the organizations experience several challenges to achieve environmental sustainability internally and externally. These challenges should addressed by applying opportunities that are available and accessible to these organizations.

The environmental issues on earth have extended radically in the past decades, and they are currently among the main threats and challenges which impact people’s lifestyles and organisational processes worldwide.

All businesses have felt these effects, but usually, under-developed countries carry the highest weight. Our primary goal in this paper is to discuss the trends, opportunities and challenges associated with environmental sustainability, primarily in industries and organisations.

Environmental Sustainability Challenges

Innovation-based scenario

Considerable vitality and rapid growth rates illustrate several markets in developing divisions and innovative companies or organizations. Organizations or businesses in these industries may control their environmental change or effect by creating resourceful ecological policies. This approach without implementing efficient environmental administration structures is the main challenge for reaching sustainability.

However, the rate of market development can counterbalance the environmental effectiveness and achievements the firm is getting. When sales increase fast, enhancements in environmental effectiveness happened quicker than market growth to get total environmental gains or advantages.

This is a significant challenge that several industries and organisations must pass through when they migrate from domestic to international markets or from minor to mass markets. Product, development, and business form innovations contribute significantly to harmonising growth.

High-risk scenario

The situations of minimal manageability and minimal development rates of the market proposed a condition where environmental sustainability is a complex challenge. This is an instance of erosion directives, air standard guidelines, climate directives, and condition services, such as fisheries, tourism, etc. The difficulty derives partially from the point that these gains are mutually created. Also from the fact that they are all spatially and partly unconnected to the organisation and industry structure.

Consequently, new green global authority needs to advance this challenges by engaging several organisations from varied institutional fields, including science, economics, politics, etc. For example, companies like PepsiCo Inc have been following an international policy on environmental sustainability. Some companies have decreased energy and water usage to decrease greenhouse discharge and reduce packaging and waste cost.

Climate Change

Climate change caused by human activities and its impacts on international development is an element of the broader challenge of attaining environmental sustainability. It needs a change of the process, amount of output, supply, and usage.

Since the international economy is factually unsustainable currently and cannot take in more economical. As increase in population also cause severe hazards of global destabilization or deterioration. The population rise directly cause increasing greenhouse discharges and their effects, the areas exploiting for goods and services prices, raised water shortage, increased oil prices, and so forth.

Environmental Sustainability Opportunities

Energy Efficiency

Industries and organisations have a technology that has considerably reduced non-renewable energy needs in housing. This sustainability trend sometimes achievable to build entirely passive houses that do not depend on all active systems for environmental management.

Enhancement to energy effectiveness engages decisions concerning the construction services and envelope. This can be either mechanical or electrical. Presently, insulation degrees in almost all housings are under the best possible levels, and related environmental changes continue to rise.

Glazing technologies provide industries and organisations such as Barclays banks enough opportunities to go considerably above their performance. Also the total price of developments, if minimal, matches up to future substitution required by elevating energy prices.

Industries must invest in renewable energy technologies. Because they have the possible environmental standard and stand for an opportunity to create or produce future incomes. Renewable energy that abides by dependable environmental quality is usually called Green Power. In order to differentiate it from other renewable resources which engages major ecological concerns such as the James Bay project .

Durability

Enhancing the durability decreases frequent incarnate energy and expenses related to protection, repair and replacement. Thus helps in attaining envelope durability in the durations of cold climate interprets into massive degrees of thermal insulation. However it is located outboard of the system or organisation.

Durable ends, fittings, machines and equipment must be chosen to balance the service life of the housing arrangement and envelope. Else the housing or building as a system will face challenges related to disparity durability.

Adaptability & Flexibility

Several industries, organisations, or business housings are destroyed since they grow outmoded and cannot efficiently contain new uses. Many reconstruction finances undergo consumption by issues linked to nonflexible and maladaptive housing systems.

Adaptability and flexibility reflections in housing systems need an assessment of widespread typology, which states the essentials of function and form while relating to the peculiarities of cultural position and temporal tenancy. An evaluation of these housing forms, which have provided various recreation series, offers an appealing difference to several current testing experiments.

Conclusion

Environmental sustainability has been the primary concern of governments, organisations and industries since it dramatically affects their process. To ensure environmental sustainability, stability is necessary between the protection of the ecological system, growth of the economy and safety of the social and cultural welfare of the people.

Business organisations may have advantages from environmental sustainability to a higher level. This will decrease dangerous effects on land, water, and air and assist them in adhering to statutory requirements.

Developed and underdeveloped countries are attending to climate change and the future environment, which has be essential for companies to integrate this impression into sustainability policies.

What is a Flex-Fuel?

Flex or flexible fuel is an alternative renewable fuel with a combination of petrol and different types of concentrated ethanol or methanol. Extraction of bioethanol is from sugar or residual crops or other multiple biomass. Flex fuel vehicle is the alternative fuel adaptive vehicle. Flex Fuel Vehicles (FFV) have spread throughout the automotive industry during the past 20 years and offer customers a fuel choice other than traditional gasoline.

What to know about Flex Fuel

E10

‘E10’ fuel is about 5 to 10 per cent ethanol-petrol blend. Currently, most vehicles manufactured after 2008 can support E10 without much difficulty. In 2008, The Society of Indian automobile manufacturers (SIAM) set up fuel material compatibility countermeasures for the vehicles manufactured from 2008 onwards.

E15

Any Flex Fuel vehicles or vehicles 2001 model year and newer are approved to use E15. Motorcycles, heavy-duty vehicles, motorsport vehicles and vehicles older than 2001 are not authorised to use E15. The EPA has approved another blend, E15, in all light-duty cars since 2001. Manufacturers responsible for nearly 95% of U.S. light-duty vehicle sales endorse the use of E15 in their model year 2022 automobiles, according to a review of owner’s manuals by the trade group RFA.

E25

E25 contains 25% ethanol. This blend has been widely used in Brazil since the late 1970s. In 2022, BMW and Mini go a step further by approving the use of gasoline containing up to 25% ethanol (E25) in the latest model.

E85

E85 is a gasoline-ethanol blend containing between 51% to 85% ethanol. It depends on the season and geographic region of the distributor. E85 sold during colder months often has lower levels of ethanol to produce the vapour pressure necessary for starting the engine in cold temperatures.

E98

E98, 98% ethanol, is a popular fuel for some types of race cars. Consistency of the energy is also paramount as most ethanol available at the retail dispensers can contain 70-90% ethanol. The stoichiometric ratio for ethanol is 9.0:1. E98 can be used as a race fuel or blended with other gasoline to make the desired ethanol concentration. This product is designed to meet ASTM standard D4806 standard specification for Denatured Fuel Ethanol for blending with gasoline.

Compatible Vehicle (Flex Fuel Vehicle)

• Flex-fuel vehicles with modified internal combustion engines using traditional petrol with ethanol blends (E85) are usually the most compatible.
• There is another alternative A badge with Flex-Fuel on the vehicle’s rear that may indicate it is compatible with the alternative fuel.
• Having a yellow gas cap is a good indication that the car can use flex fuel. A sure sign would be a cape-less fuel filler with a yellow ring around the nozzle, which signals E85.
• Using any octane level of gasoline in a flex-fuel vehicle is acceptable. The sensors in an FFV detect whether the fuel is pure gasoline or 85% ethanol. It then makes necessary changes for optimal fuel injection and timing of combustion.
• Putting E85 in a car not designed for flexible fuel can be harmful. Always refer to the owner’s manual for specifications on fuel to use in your vehicle.
• Technically, the first FFV was Henry Ford’s Model T in 1908, as it used an adjustable carburettor and could run on gasoline, ethanol, or both. From a modern standpoint, however, one of the first Flex Fuel vehicles that could run on E85 was the mid-to-late ‘90s Ford Taurus, following Ford’s experimental M85 methanol-powered vehicles.
• A few examples of new vehicles with an FFV option include the 2020 Ford Transit Connect Transit Wagon LWB, 2020 Chevrolet Impala, 2020 Ford F-150, 2019 Ford Escape, 2019 Chrysler 300, 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLA240 4MATIC, as well as several other Fords, Chevrolets, GMCs, Toyotas, Nissans, Rams, and Dodges.

Implementation

Brazil

Brazil has the world’s largest and most successful biofuel programs, involving ethanol fuel production from sugarcane. It is also considered the world’s first sustainable biofuel economy. In 2006 Brazilian ethanol provided 18% of the country’s road transport sector fuel consumption needs. Brazilian ethanol fuel production in 2011 was 21.1 billion litres (5.6 billion U.S. liquid gallons), down from 26.2 million litres (6.9 billion gallons) in 2010. A supply shortage took place for several months during 2010 and 2011. The prices climbed to the point that ethanol fuel was no longer attractive for owners of flex-fuel vehicles. The government then reduced the minimum ethanol blend in gasoline to reduce demand and keep ethanol fuel prices from rising further. Hence, ethanol fuel import dependency has been dependent on the united states.

US

The United States produces and consumes more ethanol fuel than any other country. Ethanol used as a fuel dates back to Henry Ford, who, in 1896, designed his first car, the “Quadricycle”, to run on pure ethanol. Most vehicles on the road today in the U.S. can run on blends of up to 10% ethanol. Motor vehicle manufacturers already produce cars that run on much higher ethanol blends. In 2007 Portland, Oregon, became the first city in the country to mandatorily sales to be at least 10% ethanol within city limits. But in recent years, many cities also projected the necessity of ethanol blends due to non-attainment of federal air quality goals.

Europe

Bioethanol consumption in Europe is the largest in Sweden, France and Spain. Germany’s bioethanol market vanished entirely after the removal of federal tax incentives in 2015. Europe produces equivalent to 90% of its consumption (2006). Germany had about 70% of its consumption, Spain 60% and Sweden 50% (2006). There are 792 E85 filling stations in Sweden, and in France, 131 E85 service stations, with 550 more under construction.

China

China is promoting ethanol-based fuel on a pilot basis in five cities in its central and northeastern regions. It is to create a new market for its surplus grain and reduce petroleum consumption. Under the program, Henan will promote ethanol-based fuel across the province by the end of this year. Officials say the move is of great importance in helping to stabilise grain prices, raise farmers’ income and reduce petrol-induced air pollution.

Thailand

Thailand already uses a large scale of 10% ethanol (E10) in the local market and selling E20 in 2008, and by year-end, only two gas stations were functional with selling E85. Some of the cassava stock held by the government is now converted into fuel ethanol. Cassava-based ethanol production is being ramped up to help manage the agricultural outputs of both cassava and sugar cane. With its abundant biomass resources, the fuel ethanol program will be a new means of job creation in rural areas while enhancing the balance sheet of fuel imports.

India

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, ‘Nitin Gadkari, has emphasised the adoption of alternative fuels, which will be import substitutes, cost-effective, pollution-free, indigenous, and discourage the use of Petrol or diesel. During an event held on 20 October 2021, The minister assured the media regarding the government’s influence on all vehicle manufacturers to make flex-fuel engines under the Euro VI emission norms in the next six-eight months.

Current Scenario

In the US, only two automakers, Ford and General Motors offer the FFVs model in the year 2022. ’11’ 2022 models will be available as FFVs, with the four GM offerings sold only to fleet purchasers. According to the Renewable Fuels Association, that’s down from more than 80 different models from eight manufacturers, available to consumers as recently as the model year 2015. In India, On Tuesday, Toyota began pilot-testing its Corolla Altis flex fuel hybrid car. The sedan, imported from Toyota Brazil, is powered by flex-fuel technology, which allows the engine to run on fuel blended with a higher percentage of ethanol, reducing gasoline consumption, along with a hybrid powertrain.

Future

Flex fuel might be new to India, But it has been used in other countries since the 1990s. Brazil, the USA, Canada, and Sweden are some countries that have a significant flex-fuel user base. Car manufacturers that produce cars for this market could offer flex-fuel vehicles by next year to comply with proposed government regulations. Implementing Flex Fuel sooner would reduce the country’s pollution and decrease the import margin. But current investment in electric powertrains by different companies would ensure difficulty in the sooner implementation of flex fuels.

The first World Energy Day was on July 11 of 1924. Over 1700 experts from 40 countries marked that energy issues can influence growth and the future of mankind and accept that a permanent world energy organization should be established. It is celebrated world wide to make sure access to economical, reliable and contemporary energy for all by 2030. It is marks the important role in leading economic growth, human development and environmental sustainability.

In 2012 World Energy was created by the World Energy Forum and has been celebrated each year since October 22. The objectives of World Energy Day are to raise awareness about energy usage and ensure the safe and green energy for all people. It also targets on reducing carbon emission .

It aims to raise awareness of the importance of saving natural resources for climate change, environmental protection, and sustainability. All these elements contribute to increasing energy sustainability and efficiency.

The 2022 motto is “Energy transition – full speed ahead!”. This will include discussions on the far reaching transformation of policies and technologies for achieving climate neutrality and how to raise the pace of change. Thus World Energy Day aims to raise the importance of saving our natural resources for sustainability. All these contribute to increase energy efficiency as of the report from Sub-Saharan Africa.Here most of the people gains access to electric power has begun to outrun population growth recently.

The main objectives of World Energy Day

From the beginning, World Energy Day was a good chance to raise awareness about the importance of saving natural resources. Eventually, topics like sustainability, climate change, conservation and efficiency are all part of this ongoing conversation. But energy access for all has taken on an important priority since an estimated 900+ million are living without energy access today.

Ensuring the affordability of sustainable energy for everyone by identifying the need for developing national policies to consider a shared global energy perspective. The objectives also strengthen policies to execute and develop mechanisms to exchange experience between various countries through the world. This includes encouraging the development of resources to run after the common good of everyone by continuing the wise use of fossil fuels in the world economy.

Energy efficiency and its importance

Saving energy, improving efficiency, and conservation are the factors use to explain ways we can lower our overall energy consumption. There are several reasons why we would do this in order to use energy most efficiently:

• Lower the cost of energy 
• Reduce the threat to the environment and thus save our natural resources
• The worst predicted influence of climate change are about to happen — and much faster than climatologist expected. Climate change is the major problem,but there’s a lot we should do about it in our day to day life. Individual actions to lower greenhouse gas emissions can help reduce climate change.

An international lead for universal energy access

Innovations in decentralize energy systems permits the problem of energy access to notify. The IEA report states the people without access to electric power fell to 1.1 billion down from 1.6 billion. Now a days India is leading , focussing to reach complete electrification 10 years than the target set under the UN Sustainable Development Goals .

West makes the conversion from fossil fuels to renewable energy, an estimated 1.1 billion people through out the world. But the most of them in sub-Saharan Africa, are without access to electricity still. To spot this day, KhaitanBioEnergy look at the needs to be done in investment of technology to make universal access to energy a reality.

How can we achieve it? 

Developed countries have not observed consistent and reliable electricity a luxury for some time now. With many observing consistent electricity, it is an intolerable fact that there remain areas with irregular access to electricity. Reliable energy is the main driver of human progress. Acquiring electricity makes communities guarded, helps small businesses survive and even flourish.Also powers necessary services such as schools and clinics.

 By providing a good environment for investments, innovations and new industries that incentivize growth and provide jobs for developing economies. The government’s immense efforts over the last decades have put it on of the main success stories ever in electrification.

Subsequently, authorities have used solar, energy storage batteries and LED lighting to supply 80% of previously unconnected villages with power.

Some countries are still without electricity.

The IEA estimates that supplying electricity for all by 2030 will need an annual investment of $52 billion. The extra investment, 95% needs to be spent to sub-Saharan Africa. South Sudan with the least level of electricity access in the world. Utility organisations in developing countries often cannot pay for to hook small, scattered rural communities up to the grid. Same way, high connection costs for informal housing and the effect of power theft on services are unaccompanied by electricity.

About 110 million of the 600 million people living without access to electicity in Africa . In Kenya, approximately 70% of off-grid homes are within just 1.2 KM of a power line.

Moreover, even in resource-rich Europe, the European Union (EU) about 50 million people lack from energy , whereas they hardly heat their homes and finds utility bills in time.

Can renewable energy sufficient for energy gap?

Of the 1.2 billion people have gained access to electricity since 2000, nearly all have done so via connection to the main grid, with 70% getting access to power generated from fossil fuels . Recently the number of people gaining access to electric power in Sub-Saharan Africa starts to outrun population growth.

However declining costs for solar power, decentralized solutions, off-grid and mini-grid systems etc results electrifying sub-Saharan Africa that helps to achieve with clean energy.

Nowadays, renewables have been the source of over one-third of new connections, while decentralized renewables are the source of 6% of new electricity access.

The World Energy Council expects solar and wind to rise from 4% globally in 2016 to 42% in 2060. Moreover, renewables have provided more than a third , IEA expects this shift to accelerate by 2030. It should be noted that providing energy access for all would not result in a net increase in global greenhouse gas emissions. Energy demand and related CO2 emissions would only increase by around 0.2%. This would be more than offset by net GHG reductions resulting from reduced use of biomass for cooking.

Achieving universal energy access

The solution to electrifying detached communities lies in the deployment of decentralized and renewable energy sources. Mini- and off-grid systems provide communities agency over their energy utilization and independence from the main grid, while renewables are becoming highly inexpensive and thus more viable for smaller, developing sites.

Increased investment into these technologies is integral to currently unelectrified homes receiving affordable and reliable power. According to the IEA report, universal electrification would require an annual investment of $52bn, representing more than twice the level mobilized under present norms. 

Of the additional investment, 95% needs to focus on sub-Saharan Africa. Detail geospatial modelling suggests that decentralized systems, led by solar photovoltaic in off-grid systems and mini-grids, are the cheapest method for 3 quarters of the extra connections needed in sub-Saharan Africa.

About a $350m electrification program in Nigeria is expected to attract $410m in private investment and create a market for mini and off-grid energy solutions. Based on this scheme, the Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency is mapping more than 200 sites for mini-grid development.

The extreme global temperatures and weather conditions caused by climate change have led nations across the world to step up clean energy efforts. With technological innovations causing prices of solutions such as wind and solar to dip and installations to soar. However, despite renewables’ growing grasp of the energy market, the industry still faces the problem of universal energy access.

To mark World Energy Day, KhaitanBioEnergy looks at global energy access and the measures underway to improve it. However, authorities need to do much more work if the target of universal electrification is to be obtain by 2030.

On this World Energy Day, let’s pledge to help build a sustainable future for the future generations . India provides a key example of a nation working to rapidly electrify. The Modi government pledged to electrify every home in the region by December 31 2018, under an INR163 bn (US$2.5bn) scheme known as ‘Saubhagya Yojana. Since then, authorities have supplied 80% of previously unconnected villages with power, using solar energy storage batteries and LED lighting.

What is synthetic fuel

What is synthetic fuel?

A liquid fuel not from natural crude oil is a synthetic fuel, and synthetic fuels are artificial alternatives to conventional gasoline or diesel. In its simplest form, a synthetic fuel combines hydrogen and carbon atoms to form a compound known as an alkene — usually Ethene, which consists two carbon atoms and four hydrogen atoms.

Nevertheless, there is much variance in how individual companies go about obtaining to an end product that could be pump into the fuel tank of vehicles. Some synthetic fuels use mind-bending chemical processes, and others start as a literal load of old garbage.

 Modern transportation fuels demand uniform physical properties from varying feedstocks with chemical compositions mainly synthesized from petroleum or other fossil fuels. 

 The term gasoline implies that many components are synthesizing using cracking or reforming techniques. Thus, gasoline is rather than synthetic fuel, and reformulate gasoline contains a more significant fraction of petroleum molecules. 

Fuels from oil sands and heavy oil come under the same term as petroleum-based fuels. Liquid fuels from coal, peat, natural gas, and oil shale are synthetic fuels. Renewable biomass from photosynthesis gets converted into a variety of synthetic fuels. Coal gasification and natural gas reforming are sources of synthesis gas. That is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide(CO), the essentials for producing synthetic fuels.

How is it made?

  Independent of origin, Ethanol, methanol, and biodiesel comes under the term synthetic fuel. Coal gasification and natural gas reforming are sources of synthesis gas, a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

To understand the manufacturing of renewable synthetic fuels, firstly, you must understand what fossil fuels are. They consist of a large number of various hydrocarbon molecules.

The key to component synthetic fuels is syngas. Syngas is a mixture of hydrogen (H) and carbon monoxide, and it is essential to produce liquid hydrocarbon fuel like jet fuel, diesel, or gasoline. Turning syngas into fuel is a confirmed industrial process, using coal and natural gas as feedstocks, which is not sustainable. So that is precisely where the challenge lies: producing sustainable syngas. This production requires a large amount of energy, and to produce it sustainably, it needs to come from a renewable resource like biomass, solar, wind or hydro.

Synthetic fuels can be created via several different processes. One of these processes is coal liquefaction. Usually, this process generates large amounts of carbon dioxide, making it a wrong alternative to conventional fuels.

However, it is also possible to create synthetic fuels through a method that captures carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This technique is receiving appreciation and investment from car makers and other industries.

The process works like this:

1. Obtain Carbon dioxide either directly from the atmosphere or industrial plants. Various methods exist for these processes.
2. Renewable energy sources are avail to produce hydrogen. This can use to power hydrogen cars. 
3. Then, hydrogen and carbon dioxide combine into synthetic methanol, which can then be convert into synthetic petrol and diesel.

 

Process :

The processes used to generate synthetic fuels broadly fall into three divisions: Indirect, Direct and Biofuel processes.

Indirect conversion

This type of conversion has the broadest deployment worldwide. About 260,000 barrels per day are produced by this method.

Indirect conversion broadly attributes to a step in which biomass, coal or natural gas converts to syngas through gasification or steam methane reformation. Then the syngas undergoes many processes and then converted into a liquid transportation fuel using any conversion techniques depending on the end product.

The primary technologies that produce synthetic fuel from syngas are Fischer–Tropsch synthesis and process is Methanol-To-Gasoline conversion( MTG). In the Fischer–Tropsch process, syngas act in the presence of a catalyst, transforming into liquid products and potential waxes.

The process of generating synfuels through indirect conversion is coal-to-liquids (CTL), gas-to-liquid (GTL) or (BTL), depending on the initial feedstock. Some projects combine coal and biomass feedstocks, creating hybrid-feedstock synthetic fuels called Coal and Biomass To Liquids (CBTL).

Indirect conversion process technologies are available to produce hydrogen, mainly for use in fuel cell vehicles, either as a slipstream co-product or as a primary output.

 

Direct conversion 

Direct conversion means coal or biomass feedstocks converts straightly into intermediate or final products, thus avoiding conversion to syngas via gasification. These conversion processes are of two different methods: Pyrolysis & carbonization and hydrogenation.

Biofuel processes

One example of a Biofuel-based synthetic fuel process is Hydrotreated Renewable Jet (HRJ) fuel. There are different types of these processes under development, testing and certification process for HRJ aviation fuels is beginning.

There are two such processes. One using solid biomass feedstocks and one using bio oil and fats. The process uses solid second-generation biomass sources like grass or woody biomass. It then uses pyrolysis to produce a bio-oil, which undergoes stabilization and deoxygenation to produce jet-range fuel. The process then undergoes deoxygenation, followed by hydrocracking and isomerization to produce jet fuel.

The primary source of synthetic fuel

Generally, there are three methods for the production of renewable syngas. Furthermore, eventually, eco-friendly synthetic fuels are known as biofuels. These are mainly from biomass, e fuels- produced with renewable electricity, and solar fuels- manufactured with solar heat. All three methods mainly go through syngas, a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The syngas then turns into liquid fuels via industrial gas-to-liquid processes. These three methods are called Biomass-to-Liquid, Power-to-Liquid, and Sun-to-Liquid, respectively.

Biomass-to-Liquid produces biofuels

Even though several processes exist to change biomass into liquid fuels, the most scalable and versatile in terms of feedstock unergoes the gasification of biomass. Specifically, biomass changes at high temperatures into syngas. The heat input needed to drive the process is usually created by burning a part of the biomass. Feedstocks can be crops such as sugar cane, corn waste(stubble) biomass, or algae. Biofuels are the only form of renewable synthetic fuels that are readily available on the market in small quantities. 

Even though several processes exist to convert biomass into liquid fuels, the most scalable and most versatile in terms of feed stock goes through the gasification of biomass. Specifically biomass converts at high temperatures into syngas. The heat input require to drive the process is usually generated by burning a part of the biomass itself. Feedstocks can be any crops such as sugar cane or corn waste(stubble) biomass or algae. Biofuels are the only type of renewable synthetic fuels that are already available on the market in small quantities.

Power-to-Liquid produces e-fuels

E-fuels are produced from renewable powers such as solar, wind, or hydro power. The Power-to-Liquid process depends on a series of energy conversion steps. Firstly renewable electricity is generated which then drives an electrolyzer that splits water in hydrogen and oxygen. Next, the hydrogen is mixed with carbon dioxide and turned into syngas via the reverse water gas shift (RWGS) reaction .It is a process that conducts at high temperatures and driven with electricity. E-fuels can be produced with any type of renewable electricity. However, electricity storage for continuous operation remains a challenge.Hence it limits the application to few regions with an extraordinarily cheap and continuous renewable electricity supply .On the other hand it requires the integration of expensive battery technology for its working.

Sun-to-Liquid produces solar fuels

Solar fuels obtaining from solar heat that drives a thermochemical reactor. In this reactor, carbon dioxide and water are convers to syngas. Just like e-fuels, solar fuels are not yet available on the market. Sunny regions offer ideal conditions for the production of solar fuels, mainly deserts and semi-arid regions with high solar radiation. The solar heat during the day can store by inexpensive thermal energy storage to enable energy cycle of the production of fuels. Storage makes solar fuel plants self-sufficient and independent from any framework.

Why synthetic fuel necessary in future energy systems

It is clear that the benefits to energy systems from the stores of fossil fuel-based energy will not be able to replace without some other form of fuel-based energy storage. All energy systems have benefited from the stored chemical energy intrinsic in fossil fuels that has allowed a decoupling of primary energy supplies from the final use demand on a grand scale. Despite the fact that synthetic fuels are expensive, if policy makers wish to encourage them to grow in market share, then they could consider providing protected markets for them to compete within. Also to provide subsidies, or by costing fossil fuels with a carbon price that helps to close the cost gap.

The creation of synthetic fuels also provides a highly dispatchable demand to help integrate greater levels of weather-dependent renewables, which will be increasingly desirable in future energy systems that rely on primary electricity from renewables to a much greater degree.

The question simply put is not whether we will continue to need fuels in future energy systems, but the type of fuels that will be suitable in a highly eco-friendly.

Flex fuel engines have an injection system that can operate with gasoline, with any mixture ratio of gasoline and ethanol, or with pure ethanol. Which means they are capable of running on 100% petrol or 100% bio-ethanol or a combination of both. Regardless of the supply, customers are supple when it comes to the choice of fuel and are able to respond to possible price developments immediately. Clearly flexibility with the choice of fuel is the key argument for buying vehicles with flex fuel engines. The market share of such flex fuel engines are high while other markets still show great potential to establish those systems. The main advantages of Flex Fuel Engines for Your Vehicle is resource saving mobility with ethanol as fuel. Flex Fuel Strong Hybrid Electric Vehicles (FFSHEV) basically houses an electric motor which powers the vehicle alongside the traditional petrol engine.

Dual fuel vehicle means the engine that uses two fuels (gas and diesel) together. Bi Fuel means the engine could run on either fuel but separately. On the other hand FFV is capable of running on either petrol or ethanol or a combination of both. Hence it is a combination of Dual fuel vehicle and Bi fuel vehicle.

How do flex fuel engines work using ethanol?

A flex fuel car looks just like any other kind of car. The main differences between the two lie with the engine and fuel system. Flex-fuels vehicles can run on regular gas, various ethanol blends and other types of fuel . Production of ethanol is mainly by fermenting agricultural residues. The main ethanol blends on the market today are E85 and E95, which get their names from their compositions. E85 is 15 percent unleaded gas and up to 85 percent ethanol . While E95 typically used in diesel powered vehicles is up to 95 percent ethanol. An engine that runs on regular petrol can also run on flex fuel which means any car with the spark-ignition engine can run on this flex fuel .

Components that comprise the fueling system of flex fuel vehicles are also crafted to be ethanol compatible. Otherwise higher water content of ethanol could cause rust to form and damage the fuel system from the inside out. Despite these different components, maintenance costs for FFVs are generally the same as for other vehicles, and sometimes are even lower, since flex fuels burn fuel more cleanly .

Comparison of flex fuel Vs gasoline vehicles

Apart from few differences, a flex fuel engine and a gasoline car have almost similar components.

Flex Fuel Engine

• Battery: The battery provides electricity to start the engine and power vehicle electronics/accessories.  
• Electronic control module (ECM): The ECM controls the fuel mixture, ignition timing, and emissions system; monitors the operation of the vehicle; safeguards the engine from abuse; and detects and troubleshoots problems.    
• Exhaust system: The exhaust system channels the exhaust gases from the engine out through the tailpipe. There is a 3 way catalyst to reduce engine-out emissions within the exhaust system. 
• Fuel filler: A nozzle from a fuel dispenser attaches to the receptacle on the vehicle to fill the tank. 
• Fuel injection system: This system introduces fuel into the engine’s combustion chambers for ignition.        
• Fuel line: A metal tube or flexible hose (or a combination of these) transfers fuel from the tank to the engine’s fuel injection system.
• Fuel pump: A pump that transfers fuel from the tank to the engine’s fuel injection system via the fuel line.        
• Fuel tank (ethanol/gasoline blend): Stores fuel on board the vehicle to power the engine.            
• Internal combustion engine (spark-ignited): Here fuel inject into either the intake manifold or the combustion chamber, where it is combined with air, and the air/fuel mixture is ignited by the spark from a spark plug.            
• Transmission: Transfer mechanical power from the engine and/or electric traction motor to drive the wheels.          

  Gasoline Car

• Battery: The battery provides electricity to start the engine and power vehicle electronics/accessories.
• Electronic control module (ECM): The ECM controls the fuel mixture, ignition timing, and emissions system.Similarly it monitors the operation of the vehicle, safeguards the engine from abuse, detects and troubleshoots problems.            
• Exhaust system: The exhaust system channels the exhaust gases from the engine out through the tailpipe. A three-way catalyst is there to reduce engine-out emissions within the exhaust system.            
• Fuel filler: A nozzle from a fuel dispenser attaches to the receptacle on the vehicle to fill the tank.    
• Fuel injection system: This system introduces fuel into the engine’s combustion chambers for ignition.            
• Fuel line: A metal tube or flexible hose (or a combination
• ) transfers fuel from the tank to the engine’s fuel injection system.            
• Fuel pump: A pump that transfers fuel from the tank to the engine’s fuel injection system via the fuel line.            
• Fuel tank (gasoline): This tank stores gasoline on board the vehicle until engine require it.            
• Internal combustion engine (spark-ignited): In this configuration, fuel inject into either the intake manifold or the combustion chamber. Then it is combined with air, and the air/fuel mixture is ignited by the spark from a spark plug.            
• Transmission: The transmission transfers mechanical power from the engine and/or electric traction motor to drive the wheels.            

The Mechanism Behind Flex-Fuel Vehicles    

The engine of a FFV is designed to run on more than one type of fuel .Usually gasoline or a combination of fuel is stored in the same tank . When you start the engine a sensor mounted in the fuel line can detect the percentage of fuel blend . The ethanol/methanol/gasoline ratio, or the fuel’s alcohol concentration and sends a signal to an electronic control module. The electronic control module then adjusts the engine’s fuel delivery control to compensate for the different fuel mixtures.The engine then delivers the precise amount of fuel into the engine via injectors. Rest, it works similar to a conventional engine.

In order to ascertain the exact proportion of gasoline and ethanol in the fuel tank the engine management parameters should set accordingly.The virtual sensor to helps in adjusting the fueling rate. Knowledge of the ratio between the two fuels is necessary because of the different parameters of the various fuels . Nowadays, physical alcohol sensors have become more common, especially in markets with challenging emissions and on-board diagnostics requirements.

During a re filling time the sensors check the fuel tank level sensor. This helps get an approximate value for the volume of fuel . Thereby use an algorithm to allow the EMS to calculate two approximate new values of the stochiometric Air Fuel Ratio( AFR ). And then it check that the fuel added was either gasoline or a combination. On restarting it monitors the O₂ sensors and looks for a perturbation in their signal. Once when the AFR is swinging in the rich or lean direction it adjusts the operating parameters gradually until it locks on to the new value and the vehicle has been ‘conditioned’. Figure shows a representation of a sensor detection system. The initial swings to the new AFR is quite rapid, but an extended period of conditioning is necessary .

Since flex fuel engines are increasingly popular they are not a miracle solution. The good news is they enable us to consume fewer fossil fuel as plant-based bio ethanol is a renewable energy source. It also burns much more cleanly, which is great for the entire environment. But flex fuels get fewer miles than gasoline-powered vehicles. Also they can be pricier and there aren’t many gas stations selling E85. Higher blending of ethanol results in higher manufacturing costs which translates to pricier vehicles. Some engine parts especially those that come in contact should be replaced with a compatible product to avoid corrosion. Despite all these ,automotive companies say that they are ready to move with government regulations on ethanol blending of E20 by 2025. Government officials have said that many popular car making companies have agreed to make flex fuel engines in coming future.

 

Paddy straw is a central field-based residue that is produced in large amounts in Asia. In reality, it could theoretically produce 187 gallons of bioethanol from the total area if the technology were available. However, an increasing proportion of this paddy straw encounters field burning, and this improper management results in high fuel prices and air pollution. For the past 25 years, conservation farming has continued to evolve. There is now less burning and, therefore, less soil cultivation and increased crop stubble retention. This trend is growing because of the need to improve water use and protect soils from erosion. As climate change is a threat to development, there is a growing interest in alternative uses of agricultural remnants.

What is stubble burning?

Crop stubble is the straw and crown of plants left on the field after harvest. Stubble consists straw and chaff discharged from the harvester. It is also known as ‘residue’ or ‘trash’. Managing this agricultural waste is one of the complex tasks that farmers must be concerned with. Usually, farmers burn stubble to manage weeds and diseases and reduce biomass to make sowing better. This is no longer a good option, as many other alternatives manage the residuals.

There are primarily two types of residues from rice cultivation that have potential in terms of energy—straw and husk. Although the technology of using rice husk is thoroughgoing in many Asian countries, paddy straw, as of now, is rarely using as a source of renewable energy. One of the principal reasons for the major use of husk is its easy procurement, i.e., it is possible at the rice mills. Collecting paddy straw is tedious, and its availability is tedious during harvest time. The collection logistics improve through baling, but the fundamental equipment is expensive and buying it is uneconomical for farmers. So technologies should develop for the efficient use of a straw to commit for the high costs involved in straw collection.

Retaining stubble than burning or cultivating, protects the soil from erosion. It also preserves soil moisture and organic matter to retain crop production. This is mainly beneficial in dry areas or dry seasons. Stubble impact many things, including the passage of equipment, penetration, soil temperature, herbicide interactions, frost severity, pests, weeds and other problems. Burning is often used as a last way to manage heavy agricultural residuals. Stubble burning contributes to global warming to a great extent. About 39 million tonnes of paddy straw are burning yearly. In The Indian state of Punjab, rice farms burn about 7 to 8 million tons of leftover plant debris. Similarly, the total national annual emission for CO2 from crop residue burning is more than 64 times the total CO2 pollution emission in Delhi.

Why do farmers choose stubble burning?

Burning paddy straw residue has risen remarkably over the past twenty years. Despite the benefits of keeping the stubble, most of the farmers opt for heavy stubble burning for the following reasons:

• Ease of sowing and better establishment of tiny seeds like canola.
• To make the area most inappropriate for many types of pests.
• To manage certain weeds, mainly herbicide-resistant weed populations.
• Burning is the cheapest and easy way to remove stubble and control weeds.
• Reduced reliance on agricultural chemicals.
• Provides better weed control caused due to a more even spreading of herbicides and effective incorporation of pre-emergent herbicides.
• Less nitrogen tie-up -Nitrogen tie-up in cropping soils is only a temporary constraint as the immobilised N will be released through microbial turnover, mostly later in the crop season in spring.
• To some extent, it results in less frost damage to crops.
• By completely removing the stubble, only less inoculum is required for certain crop diseases.

Harmful effects of burning

• Atmospheric pollution and climatic changes:

Open stubble burning emits many toxic pollutants into the atmosphere, which contain harmful gases like methane, carbon monoxide etc. These gases contribute a lot to the formation of smog. Stubble burning emits delicate particulate matter at high levels, which concerns people’s health. These particles can get trapped inside the lungs, ultimately leading to lung cancer. Pollution from stubble burning significantly reduced lung function and was particularly harmful to people in the surrounding area.

• Effects on soil fertility and agricultural production:

Stubble burning affects soil fertility through the destruction of nutrients present in the soil.t also raises the soil temperature to about 42 °C, thus displacing or killing the essential microorganisms in the soil at a depth of about 2.5 cm. Thus successive fire destroys the soil’s fertility, resulting in the reduction of crop yields over time, and therefore growers have to rely on costly fertilisers.

• Effects on human health and mortality rates:

Many studies have established the vital role of air pollution in the rising health problems, especially among children, pregnant women, elderly persons, and people with pre-existing health issues. This hazardous chemical produced as a result of burning causes problems for skin and eyes irritation, severe neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory diseases etc. Moreover, the first and primary target of toxic substances inhaled through the air causes respiratory system disorders, cancer, or even death in extreme cases. Continuous exposure to particulate emissions may lead to an elevated cardiovascular mortality rate.

Alternatives to burning heavy stubble

There are many valuable ways to manage stubble rather than burning it and causing pollution. Some of them are :

• Growers should focus on cutting heavy stubble and using it after harvest. This helps to shorten stubble, retain soil moisture and accelerate decomposition.
• Inter-row sowing allows stubble to be retained when crop rows are more than 22 centimetres wide.
• Growers may need to review stubble management decisions each year.
• Strategic removal of stubble-it is possible to lower stubble loads if they are likely to make problems with sowing, establishment or weed management. Legume and oilseed crops produce reduce stubble loads. Their inclusion in the rotation may help to manage the risk of stubble burning.
• Grazing-Small mobs of sheep in large paddocks often only reduce stubble loads in parts of the paddock.
• Bailing- It is possible to remove stubbles profitably after harvest by baling straw. Baled straw has been used in animal bedding, mushroom compost and livestock feed for some years. It has other potential uses, such as for bioenergy.

Since the pollution from stubble burning has become a concern, Khaitan bioenergy has found a way to extract ethanol from it, which is a valuable fuel. Thus proper stubble management is economically beneficial to farmers and can protect the environment from severe pollution.

Biofuel production and energy generation

Recently much progress has done in the usage of stubble for biofuel production. This applies to managing agricultural stubble, which promotes cleaner air and a greener environment by preventing the release of toxic emissions by burning and indirectly reducing the use of fossil fuel-based energy. India ultimately depends on imports for automobile fuel, spending massive amounts of money for obtaining and transporting into the country. A shift from fossil fuel energy to biofuel produced from agricultural stubble is a feasible alternative. Biofuels have recently been gaining global interest due to their lower carbon footprint than fossil fuels.

Most farmers in North India are unaware of these prolific alternatives and, therefore, consider burning the best option. This necessitates extensive awareness programs to enlighten the growers about the availability of economically feasible options and the combined effects of stubble burning.

In short, despite the federal and state government’s strict policies and legislation to ban the burning practices, the activity continues in many parts of northern India, especially in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Nationalistic compliance with these strategies requires effective follow-up with timely and continuous tracking everywhere. The government should compel the pulp and paper production, bioenergy and power industries to use the crop stubble as a proportion of their raw materials. This will motivate the farmers as selling the stubble will generate additional income. So an immense awareness program is necessary to notify the farmers of the environmental and economic benefits of using alternative approaches for managing the crop stubble.