ENVIRONMENT QUIZ

BIOETHANOL

Bioethanol is an alcohol made by microbial fermentation, mostly from carbohydrates produced in sugar or starch-bearing plants such as corn, sugarcane, sorghum or lignocellulosic biomass.

BIODIESEL

Biodiesel is made through a chemical process which converts oils and fats of natural origin into fatty acid methyl esters (FAME).
Biodiesel is NOT vegetable oil.
Biodiesel is intended to be used as a replacement for diesel. It can be blended with diesel in any proportion. Biodiesel does not require modifications to a diesel engine to be used.

BIOGAS

Biogas is a gas composed mainly of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), in varying proportions depending on the composition of the organic matter from which it was generated.

The main sources of biogas are livestock and industrial agro waste, sludge from urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and the organic fraction of domestic waste.

Bioethanol and biodiesel are liquid biofuels, whereas biogas is a gaseous biofuel.

GENERATIONS OF BIOFUELS

1⃣ First Generation (1G) Biofuel - derived from edible crops grown on arable land. For e.g. sugarbeet, sugarcane, wheat, corn.

It has high carbon content.

2⃣ Second Generation (2G) Biofuel - produced from non-edible crops / leftover non-edible parts of food crops having high ligno-cellulosic content, mostly grown on non-arable land. For e.g. woodchip, straw, rice husk

Carbon emissions < 1st Generation biofuels.

3⃣ Third Generation (3G) Biofuel - produced from microalgae (cynanobacteria) and macroalgae (seaweeds)

It is carbon-neutral (CO2 emitted = CO2 sequestered)

4⃣ Fourth Generation (4G) Biofuel - produced from genetically engineered plant biomass or genetically-modified crops and microbes.

It is carbon-negative.

Genetically-engineered crops can produce ultra clean "carbon-negative" fourth-generation biofuels.

Biofuels that are carbon negative are fuels that remove more carbon from the atmosphere than they put back in through burning.

➤ Revised target of National Policy on Biofuels 2018 - The target of 20% blending of ethanol in petrol has been pre-poned from 2030 to 2025.

➤ Second target remains the same, i.e. 5% blending of biodiesel in diesel by 2030.

National Biofuel Policy-2018 proposes greater variety of raw material for 1st Generation Biofuels

SWITCHGRASS

Switchgrass is used as a feedstock for bioethanol production.

It is a hardy, perennial crop, which can be grown on marginal lands or rotated with other crops.

It is also an excellent carbon sink.

Jatropha, Palm Oil, Sunflower are used for biodiesel production.

In addition to Oil Crops like Jatropha, Pongamia, Palm Oil, Sunflower and Safflower, biodiesel can also be produced from :

1⃣ Animal Fats (low-grade/waste animal fat, fish oil etc.)
2⃣ Used cooking oil (from restaurants) and waste oil (from industrial manufacturing units)
3⃣ Oleaginous (oil-rich/oil-producing) microorganisms - microalgae, yeast, bacteria