scholarly journals Computational Approaches for Microalgal Biofuel Optimization: A Review

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Koussa ◽  
Amphun Chaiboonchoe ◽  
Kourosh Salehi-Ashtiani
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Metabolic Networks ◽  
Target Genes ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Deep Understanding ◽  
Biological Data ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Production Optimization ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
Metabolic System

The increased demand and consumption of fossil fuels have raised interest in finding renewable energy sources throughout the globe. Much focus has been placed on optimizing microorganisms and primarily microalgae, to efficiently produce compounds that can substitute for fossil fuels. However, the path to achieving economic feasibility is likely to require strain optimization through using available tools and technologies in the fields of systems and synthetic biology. Such approaches invoke a deep understanding of the metabolic networks of the organisms and their genomic and proteomic profiles. The advent of next generation sequencing and other high throughput methods has led to a major increase in availability of biological data. Integration of such disparate data can help define the emergent metabolic system properties, which is of crucial importance in addressing biofuel production optimization. Herein, we review major computational tools and approaches developed and used in order to potentially identify target genes, pathways, and reactions of particular interest to biofuel production in algae. As the use of these tools and approaches has not been fully implemented in algal biofuel research, the aim of this review is to highlight the potential utility of these resources toward their future implementation in algal research.

scholarly journals Introducing a Marine Biorefinery System for the Integrated Production of Biofuels, High-Value-Chemicals, and Co-Products: A Path Forward to a Sustainable Future

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1841
Author(s):  
Abdelrahman Saleh Zaky
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
Marine Yeasts ◽  
Marine Microorganisms ◽  
Production Chain ◽  
Marine Biomass

Biofuels have many environmental and practical benefits as a transportation fuel. They are among the best alternatives to fossil fuels- thanks to their capacity for negative carbon emissions, which is vital for archiving the global ambition of a net-zero economy. However, conventional biofuel production takes place on inland sites and relies on freshwater and edible crops (or land suitable for edible crop production), which has led to the food versus fuel debate. It also suffers technical and economical barriers owing to the energy balance and the cost of production compared with fossil fuels. Establishing a coastal integrated marine biorefinery (CIMB) system for the simultaneous production of biofuels, high-value chemicals, and other co-products could be the ultimate solution. The proposed system is based on coastal sites and relies entirely on marine resources including seawater, marine biomass (seaweed), and marine microorganisms (marine yeasts and marine microalgae). The system does not require the use of arable land and freshwater in any part of the production chain and should be linked to offshore renewable energy sources to increase its economic feasibility and environmental value. This article aims to introduce the CIMB system as a potential vehicle for addressing the global warming issue and speeding the global effort on climate change mitigation as well as supporting the world’s water, food and energy security. I hope these perspectives serve to draw attention into research funding for this approach.

scholarly journals Economic perspective of hybrid wind-diesel technology for commercial loads of Dhahran Saudi Arabia: A step towards sustainable future

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 167-178
Author(s):  
S.M. Shaahid
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Hybrid Systems ◽  
Carbon Emissions ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Wind Farm ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Commercial Building

The governments world-wide are deliberating to promote renewable energy sources such as wind to mitigate increasing demand of energy and to overcome effects of pollution due to to use of fossil fuels. Integration of wind turbine generators (WTG) with the diesel plants is pursued widely to reduce dependence on fossil-fuels and to reduce carbon emissions. Literature indicates that commercial/residential buildings in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (K.S.A) consume an estimated 10 - 40% of the total electric energy generated. The aim of this study is to analyze wind-speed data of Dhahran (East-Coast, K.S.A.) to assess the economic feasibility of utilizing hybrid wind-diesel power systems to meet the load requirements of a typical commercial building (with annual electrical energy demand of 620,000 kWh). The monthly average wind speeds range from 3.3 to 5.6 m/s. The hybrid systems simulated consist of different combinations of 100 kW commercial WTG supplemented with diesel generators. NREL?s (HOMER Energy?s) HOMER software has been employed to perform the techno-economic analysis. The simulation results indicate that for a hybrid system comprising of 100 kW wind capacity together with 175 kW diesel system, the wind penetration (at 37 m hub-height, with 0% annual capacity shortage) is 25%. The cost of generating energy (COE, $/kWh) from this hybrid wind-diesel system has been found to be 0.121 $/kWh (assuming diesel fuel price of 0.1$/liter). The study exhibits that for a given hybrid configuration, the number of operational hours of diesel gensets decreases with increase in wind farm capacity. Emphasis has also been placed on wind penetration, un-met load, energy production and COE, excess electricity generation, percentage fuel savings and reduction in carbon emissions (relative to diesel-only situation) of different hybrid systems, cost break-down of wind-diesel systems, COE of different hybrid systems, etc.

scholarly journals From Energy Blues to Green Energy: Options Before Pakistan

2014 ◽  
Vol 53 (4II) ◽  
pp. 309-325
Author(s):  
Rafi Amir-Ud-Din
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Green Energy ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Mix ◽  
Current Energy

Energy crisis in Pakistan had been brewing long before it became an important national issue with the potential to significantly affect the outcome of general elections of 2013. The looming crisis of depleting non-renewable energy sources combined with a feeble economy has lent a new urgency to the search for an energy mix which is sustainable, economically viable and environmentally least hazardous. Fossil fuels with their known adverse environmental impacts dominate the current energy mix of Pakistan. The renewable energy sources remain underutilised despite being cost effective and less hazardous for the environment. A substantial amount of literature has highlighted various dimensions of existing energy sources in Pakistan with a particular emphasis on the environmental impact, the sustainability and the efficiency of various energy sources [see Asif (2009); Basir, et al. (2013); Bhutto, et al. (2012); Mirza, et al. (2009, 2008, 2003); Muneer and Asif (2007); Sheikh (2010) for example]. This study analyses the environmental impact, economic feasibility and efficiency of various energy sources subject to various economic and noneconomic constraints. Section 2 discusses energy security by reviewing various tapped and untapped energy sources besides analysing current energy mix and its future prospects. Section 3 highlights the interaction of energy use and environment. Section 4 discusses two approaches to assess the feasibility of an energy mix: disaggregated and aggregated. The latter approach makes a multidimensional comparison of all the energy sources discussed in this study. Section 5 consists of discussion and concluding remarks.

scholarly journals β-Glucosidases from the FungusTrichoderma: An Efficient Cellulase Machinery in Biotechnological Applications

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pragya Tiwari ◽  
B. N. Misra ◽  
Neelam S. Sangwan
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Structural Parameters ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Glycosyl Hydrolase ◽  
Cellulosic Biomass ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
Industrial Biotechnology ◽  
Genomics And Proteomics ◽  
Commercial Applications ◽  
Near Future

β-glucosidases catalyze the selective cleavage of glucosidic linkages and are an important class of enzymes having significant prospects in industrial biotechnology. These are classified in family 1 and family 3 of glycosyl hydrolase family.β-glucosidases, particularly from the fungusTrichoderma,are widely recognized and used for the saccharification of cellulosic biomass for biofuel production. With the rising trends in energy crisis and depletion of fossil fuels, alternative strategies for renewable energy sources need to be developed. However, the major limitation accounts for low production ofβ-glucosidases by the hyper secretory strains ofTrichoderma. In accordance with the increasing significance ofβ-glucosidases in commercial applications, the present review provides a detailed insight of the enzyme family, their classification, structural parameters, properties, and studies at the genomics and proteomics levels. Furthermore, the paper discusses the enhancement strategies employed for their utilization in biofuel generation. Therefore,β-glucosidases are prospective toolbox in bioethanol production, and in the near future, it might be successful in meeting the requirements of alternative renewable sources of energy.

scholarly journals Analysis of the evolution in current biomass to energy strategies, policy and regulations in Spain

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 374-383 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Power Plants ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Renewable Energies ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
General View ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Low Carbon Energy

Global warming is one of the most serious challenges facing humankind as it has the potential to dramatically modify the living conditions of future generations. In order to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, most countries are implementing regulations aimed at reducing their dependence on fossil fuels, promoting energy efficiency practices and favoring the deployment of low carbon energy technologies, including renewable energy sources. In line with the international commitments assumed as a member of the European Union (EU) and also as a signatory of the Kyoto Protocol, Spain developed a National Plan for Renewable Energies (PER 2005-2010) that forms the basis of the national strategy in this field. Spain has often been cited as an example for the rapid growth in the use of low carbon energy technologies. However, despite significant progress in the last decade, Spain is far from meeting the national objectives set in PER primarily due to slow growth in the demand for biofuels and the limited success of biomass fired power plants. The evolution in other energy technologies has been faster, situating Spain as world a leader in solar and wind energy. However, the contribution of these technologies to the national consumption is very marginal. In the midst of intense regulatory, commercial and R&D activity, this paper analyses the current situation with respect to the production of renewable energies in Spain, focusing primarily on the use of biomass resources. The paper offers a general view of policy and regulatory background, illustrates current progress towards meeting national objectives and provides a brief description of representative projects and market activity in biofuel production and biomass valorization.

scholarly journals Design of Isolated Microgrid System Considering Controllable EV Charging Demand

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 9746
Author(s):  
Sang Heon Chae ◽  
Gi Hoon Kim ◽  
Yeong-Jun Choi ◽  
Eel-Hwan Kim
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Inequality ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Vehicle To Grid ◽  
Power System Operations ◽  
Renewable Power ◽  
Load Pattern ◽  
Ev Charging ◽  
Charging Demand

Microgrid construction is promoted globally to solve the problems of energy inequality in island regions and the use of fossil fuels. In the application of a microgrid system, it is important to calculate the capacities of renewable energy sources and storage systems (ESSs) to ensure economic feasibility. In some microgrids that have recently had environmental challenges, there are island regions where the policy is to consider both the installation of the microgrid system and the supplement of electric vehicles (EV). However, an EV load pattern that does not match the solar radiation pattern may increase the required ESS capacity. Therefore, in this study, we designed and analyzed a method for reducing the microgrid system cost using a controllable EV charging load without the requirements of vehicle-to-grid technology and real-time pricing. The power system operations at similar capacities of photovoltaic and ESS were shown by applying EV charging control steps in 10% increments to analyze the effect of EV charging demand control on the microgrid. As a result of the proposed simulation, the amount of renewable power generation increased by 2.8 GWh over 20 years only by moving the charging load under the same conditions. This is an effect that can reduce CO2 by about 2.1 kTon.

scholarly journals A Critical Analysis of Bio-Hydrocarbon Production in Bacteria: Current Challenges and Future Directions

Energies ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 2663 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ziaur Rahman ◽  
Javed Nawab ◽  
Bong Hyun Sung ◽  
Sun Chang Kim
Keyword(s):  
Energy Demand ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Metabolic Networks ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Hydrocarbon Production ◽  
High Yields ◽  
Generation Biofuel

As global fossil reserves are abruptly diminishing, there is a great need for bioenergy. Renewable and sustainable bioenergy products such as biofuels could fulfill the global energy demand, while minimizing global warming. Next-generation biofuels produced by engineered microorganisms are economical and do not rely on edible resources. The ideal biofuels are alcohols and n-alkanes, as they mimic the molecules in fossil fuels and possess high energy densities. Alcohols and n-alkane hydrocarbons (C2 to C18) have been produced using engineered microorganisms. However, it is difficult to optimize the complex metabolic networks in engineered microorganisms to obtain these valuable bio-hydrocarbons in high yields. Metabolic engineering results in drastic and adverse cellular changes that minimize production yield in microbes. Here, we provide an overview of the progress in next-generation biofuel (alcohols and n-alkanes) production in various engineered microorganisms and discuss the latest tools for strain development that improve biofuel production.

scholarly journals Investigation of Biofuel as a Potential Renewable Energy Source

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1289
Author(s):  
M. Anwar H. Khan ◽  
Sophia Bonifacio ◽  
Joanna Clowes ◽  
Amy Foulds ◽  
Rayne Holland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Source ◽  
Renewable Energy Source ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
Aviation Industry ◽  
The Impact

An accelerating global energy demand, paired with the harmful environmental effects of fossil fuels, has triggered the search for alternative, renewable energy sources. Biofuels are arguably a potential renewable energy source in the transportation industry as they can be used within current infrastructures and require less technological advances than other renewable alternatives, such as electric vehicles and nuclear power. The literature suggests biofuels can negatively impact food security and production; however, this is dependent on the type of feedstock used in biofuel production. Advanced biofuels, derived from inedible biomass, are heavily favoured but require further research and development to reach their full commercial potential. Replacing fossil fuels by biofuels can substantially reduce particulate matter (PM), carbon monoxide (CO) emissions, but simultaneously increase emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), acetaldehyde (CH3CHO) and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), resulting in debates concerning the way biofuels should be implemented. The potential biofuel blends (FT-SPK, HEFA-SPK, ATJ-SPK and HFS-SIP) and their use as an alternative to kerosene-type fuels in the aviation industry have also been assessed. Although these fuels are currently more costly than conventional aviation fuels, possible reduction in production costs has been reported as a potential solution. A preliminary study shows that i-butanol emissions (1.8 Tg/year) as a biofuel can increase ozone levels by up to 6% in the upper troposphere, highlighting a potential climate impact. However, a larger number of studies will be needed to assess the practicalities and associated cost of using the biofuel in existing vehicles, particularly in terms of identifying any modifications to existing engine infrastructure, the impact of biofuel emissions, and their chemistry on the climate and human health, to fully determine their suitability as a potential renewable energy source.

scholarly journals Social Aspects of Energy Production from Renewable Sources

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-66
Author(s):  
Wojciech Czekała ◽  
◽  
Filip Tarkowski ◽  
Patrycja Pochwatka ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Biofuel Production ◽  
Social Aspects ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Positive Effect

The increased demand for energy determines the need to search for its next sources. One of them could be renewable energy sources, whose importance is increasing, among others, due to the limited resources of fossil fuels. In addition, renewable energy production has many benefits, mainly environmental and economic. Moreover, the social aspects associated with it cannot be ignored. The aim of this work was to discuss selected social benefits resulting from the production of renewable energy. Among the most important advantages of renewable energy sources is their local aspect, since energy production solves many regional problems, mainly related to its transport. The issue of energy security is also essential. In the case of biofuel production, the possibility of involving waste in energy production is extremely beneficial. The use of renewable energy itself directly affects the improvement of the environment, which in turn has a positive effect on people. Nowadays, sustainable development is one of the most critical challenges of humanity. These activities are closely related to the use of renewable energy sources. It is important to pay attention not only to subjects related to the environmental and economic aspects but also the impact of renewable energy sources on society.

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