Analysis of Sustainable Cassava Biofuel Production in Nigeria

Nigeria's biofuels policy advocates the adoption of cassava as feedstock for a 10%-biofuel substitution option in Nigerian transport fuel demand. This policy option is expected to address energy security and environmental consequences of using fossil fuels as the sole source of transport energy in the country. This paper appraised the technological and economic factors necessary for achieving Nigeria's cassava-based biofuel initiative at different substitution levels of 5, 10, and 15% by the Year 2020. A multi-stage energy forecasting and project analysis framework adapted from Coate's structure for technology assessment, as well as engineering economy methodology was used for the study. Technological analysis entailed determining petrol consumption projection, R&D capability, input feedstock requirements, environmental considerations and land requirement for feedstock crop production while engineering economy analysis evaluated the economic viability of the project. The results showed that petrol consumption in Nigeria and bioethanol substitution requirements were in the range of 18,285.7 – 19,142.84 thousand tons and 914.28 (5% low demand) – 2871.43 (15% high demand) thousand tons, respectively by 2020. Cassava feedstock and landmass requirements for bioethanol production were in the range of 4.64 – 14.53 million tons and 4.08 – 12.80 thousand sq. km, respectively while carbon dioxide savings were between 1.87 – 5.89 million tons by 2020. The recovery price for cassava bioethanol was estimated to be US$ 0.74/litre [Formula: see text]. Petrol being subsidised presently is harmful to the environment though it ‘oils’ the economy. Nigeria currently subsidizes petroleum products to the tune of 28% of 2011 budget. The government plans to remove this by 2012. Thus we conclude that weighing both economic and environmental benefits of bioethanol substitution in petrol consumption in Nigeria, the study showed that bioethanol production from cassava feedstock would be both technically and economically viable, provided subsidy, which depends on political will on the side of the government, is introduced for the first ten years of its implementation.

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Microalgae as a renewable source of energy –processing and biofuel production a short review

Linguistics and Culture Review ◽

10.21744/lingcure.v5ns1.1600 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (S1) ◽

pp. 1295-1301

Author(s):

K. Ashok ◽

M. Babu ◽

S. Anandhi ◽

G. Padmapriya ◽

V. Jula

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Food Additives ◽

Clean Energy ◽

Short Review ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

Pharmaceutical Drugs ◽

Commercial Development ◽

Algal Biofuels ◽

The Government

The large application potential of micro-algae in the clean energy, biopharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries have recently drawn a substantial world interest. Biofuels, bioactive pharmaceutical drugs and food additives are organic, natural and economical sources. As biofuels, they have a good cost, renewability or environmental replacement for liquid fossil fuels. Microalges provide productive biomass feedstock for biofuel as demand for biofuels rises worldwide. These resources may be processed into biodiesel with ample supplies of biomass in rural communities. The cultivation of genetically modified algae in recent years has been pursued to promote the marketing of algae. In particular, this would benefit society if linked with a successful policy on algal biofuels and other by-products in the government. In terms of survival of the world's current problems, Algal technologies are a transformative but complementary tool. Algal fuel marketing remains a bottleneck and a threat. It is technically possible to have a big output but it is not economic. This study therefore focuses principally on problems in commercial development of biological microalgae and potential strategies for overcoming this challenge.

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Crop Agriculture of Bangladesh: Challenges and Opportunities

Bangladesh Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.3329/bjar.v35i2.5886 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 35 (2) ◽

pp. 235-245 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Mohammad H Mondal

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Population Growth ◽

Crop Production ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Management Practices ◽

Agricultural Research ◽

Arable Land ◽

Fair Price ◽

Crop Agriculture ◽

The Government

Crop agriculture in Bangladesh is constrained every year by challenges, such as a) Loss of Arabie Land, b) Population Growth, c) Climate Changes, d) Inadequate Management Practices, e) Unfair Price of Produces, and f) Insufficient Investment in Research. In Bangladesh, about 80,000 ha of arable land are going out of production every year. The loss is alarming and needs to be addressed immediately. The land use policy of the government should be updated and implemented immediately to stop further loss of arable land. Another problem to agriculture is the increase in the growth of population. The twin problem of arable land loss and population growth needs to be addressed simultaneously to ensure sustainable crop production. Country's crop production is also affected frequently by flood, drought, and salinity. Varieties/technologies tolerant to these natural hazards need to be developed. Renewable energy, reduction in the use of fossil fuels, and afforestation are recommended to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change. To sustain crop production, chemical fertilizers must be integrated with organic manure and costly non-urea fertilizers should continue to be subsidized. Incidence of pests and diseases has lately become severe due to climate change impacts. Therefore, more varieties resistant to the pests should be evolved. Small and marginal farmers of Bangladesh have limited access to institutional credit. They are not eligible for microcredit of NGOs either. Establishment of a new institution/foundation in line with PKSF is recommended to meet their needs. These farmers do not have farmers' associations or cooperatives to bargain for fair price of their produces. Government might encourage establishment of farmers' cooperatives to ensure fair price of their produces. To make such cooperatives successful, top-down approach by the influentials must be avoided. Investment in agricultural research should as well be raised to at least 2% of GDP to help generate technologies to cope with climate change hazards and disseminate such technologies at farmer's level. Keywords: Crop agriculture; challenges; opportunities. DOI: 10.3329/bjar.v35i2.5886Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 35(2) : 235-245, June 2010

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Arthrospira platensis as a Feasible Feedstock for Bioethanol Production

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11156756 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (15) ◽

pp. 6756

Author(s):

Enrique Gonzalez Bautista ◽

Céline Laroche

Keyword(s):

Fossil Fuels ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Arthrospira Platensis ◽

Operating Conditions ◽

Production Costs ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

Bioethanol Production ◽

Low Carbon ◽

Glycogen Accumulation ◽

Production Route

In recent decades and to deal with the scarcity of fossil fuels, many studies have been developed in order to set up a sustainable biofuel production sector. This new sector must be efficient (high productivity), economically profitable (low production costs and therefore acceptable fuel prices), and ethical (low carbon balance, no competition with food resources). The production of bioethanol is based on the fermentation of reserve sugars, accumulated in the form of starch in microalgae and glycogen in cyanobacteria. The advantage of this bioenergy production route lies in the fact that the post-crop fermentation process is at the industrial stage since it has already been tested for many years for the production of bioethanol from agricultural resources. One of the most cultivated cyanobacteria is Arthrospira (“Spirulina”) and its production is also already at industrial scale. Depending on the cultivation conditions, this cyanobacteria is able to accumulate up to 65% DW (dry weight) of glycogen, making it a feasible feedstock for bioethanol production. The aim of this review is to provide a clear overview of these operating conditions for glycogen accumulation.

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A Multi-Objective Life Cycle Optimization Model of an Integrated Algal Biorefinery toward a Sustainable Circular Bioeconomy Considering Resource Recirculation

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14051416 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (5) ◽

pp. 1416

Author(s):

Celine Marie A. Solis ◽

Jayne Lois G. San Juan ◽

Andres Philip Mayol ◽

Charlle L. Sy ◽

Aristotle T. Ubando ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Optimization Model ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Process Integration ◽

Environmental Benefits ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

Process Unit ◽

Life Cycle Assessment Methodology ◽

Multi Objective ◽

Demand Fluctuations

Biofuel production from microalgae biomass has been considered a viable alternative to harmful fossil fuels; however, challenges are faced regarding its economic sustainability. Process integration to yield various high-value bioproducts is implemented to raise profitability and sustainability. By incorporating a circular economy outlook, recirculation of resource flows is maximized to yield economic and environmental benefits through waste minimization. However, previous modeling studies have not looked into the opportunity of integrating productivity reduction related to the continuous recirculation and reuse of resources until it reaches its end of life. In this work, a novel multi-objective optimization model is developed centered on an algal biorefinery that simultaneously optimizes cost and environmental impact, adopts the principle of resource recovery and recirculation, and incorporates the life cycle assessment methodology to properly account for the environmental impacts of the system. An algal biorefinery involving end-products such as biodiesel, glycerol, biochar, and fertilizer was used for a case study to validate the optimization model. The generated optimal results are assessed and further analyzed through scenario analysis. It was seen that demand fluctuations and process unit efficiencies have significant effect on the optimal results.

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The significance of nitrous oxide emission due to cropping of grain for biofuel production: a Swedish perspective

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-8-3581-2011 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 8 (12) ◽

pp. 3581-3591 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Å. Kasimir Klemedtsson ◽

K. A. Smith

Keyword(s):

Nitrous Oxide ◽

Crop Production ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

N2o Emission ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

Organic Soils ◽

N2o Emissions ◽

Agricultural Crop ◽

The Eu

Abstract. The current regulations governing production of biofuels in the European Union require that they have to mitigate climate change, by producing >35% less greenhouse gases (GHG) than fossil fuels. There is a risk that this may not be achievable, since land use for crop production inevitably emits the potent GHG nitrous oxide (N2O), due to nitrogen fertilisation and cycling in the environment. We analyse first-generation biofuel production on agricultural land and conclude that efficient agricultural crop production resulting in a good harvest and low N2O emission can fulfil the EU standard, and is possible under certain conditions for the Swedish agricultural and bioethanol production systems. However, in years having low crop yields, and where cropping is on organic soils, total GHG emissions per unit of fuel produced can be even higher than those released by burning of fossil fuels. In general, the N2O emission size in Sweden and elsewhere in northern Europe is such that there is a >50% chance that the 35% saving requirement will not be met. Thus ecosystem N2O emissions have to be convincingly assessed. Here we compare Swedish emission data with values estimated by means of statistical models and by a global, top-down, approach; the measurements and the predictions often show higher values that would fail to meet the EU standard and thus prevent biofuel production development.

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Biofuel Expansion, Fertilizer Use, and GHG Emissions: Unintended Consequences of Mitigation Policies

Economics Research International ◽

10.1155/2013/708604 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 ◽

pp. 1-12 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Amani Elobeid ◽

Miguel Carriquiry ◽

Jerome Dumortier ◽

Francisco Rosas ◽

Kranti Mulik ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Crop Production ◽

Management Practices ◽

Ghg Emissions ◽

The United States ◽

Unintended Consequences ◽

Environmental Benefits ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

Fertilizer Use

Increased biofuel production has been associated with direct and indirect land-use change, changes in land management practices, and increased application of fertilizers and pesticides. This has resulted in negative environmental consequences in terms of increased carbon emissions, water quality, pollution, and sediment loads, which may offset the pursued environmental benefits of biofuels. This study analyzes two distinct policies aimed at mitigating the negative environmental impacts of increased agricultural production due to biofuel expansion. The first scenario is a fertilizer tax, which results in an increase in the US nitrogen fertilizer price, and the second is a policy-driven reversion of US cropland into forestland (afforestation). Results show that taxing fertilizer reduces US production of nitrogen-intensive crops, but this is partially offset by higher fertilizer use in other countries responding to higher crop prices. In the afforestation scenario, crop production shifts from high-yielding land in the United States to low-yielding land in the rest of the world. Important policy implications are that domestic policy changes implemented by a large producer like the United States can have fairly significant impacts on the aggregate world commodity markets. Also, the law of unintended consequences results in an inadvertent increase in global greenhouse gas emissions.

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Second Generation Bioethanol Production: On the Use of Pulp and Paper Industry Wastes as Feedstock

Fermentation ◽

10.3390/fermentation5010004 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. 4 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Rita Branco ◽

Luísa Serafim ◽

Ana Xavier

Keyword(s):

Fossil Fuels ◽

Second Generation ◽

Paper Industry ◽

Pulp And Paper Industry ◽

Pulp And Paper ◽

Environmental Benefits ◽

Bioethanol Production ◽

Paper Mills ◽

Second Generation Bioethanol ◽

High Level

Due to the health and environment impacts of fossil fuels utilization, biofuels have been investigated as a potential alternative renewable source of energy. Bioethanol is currently the most produced biofuel, mainly of first generation, resulting in food-fuel competition. Second generation bioethanol is produced from lignocellulosic biomass, but a costly and difficult pretreatment is required. The pulp and paper industry has the biggest income of biomass for non-food-chain production, and, simultaneously generates a high amount of residues. According to the circular economy model, these residues, rich in monosaccharides, or even in polysaccharides besides lignin, can be utilized as a proper feedstock for second generation bioethanol production. Biorefineries can be integrated in the existing pulp and paper industrial plants by exploiting the high level of technology and also the infrastructures and logistics that are required to fractionate and handle woody biomass. This would contribute to the diversification of products and the increase of profitability of pulp and paper industry with additional environmental benefits. This work reviews the literature supporting the feasibility of producing ethanol from Kraft pulp, spent sulfite liquor, and pulp and paper sludge, presenting and discussing the practical attempt of biorefineries implementation in pulp and paper mills for bioethanol production.

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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 ◽

10.3390/pr9101841 ◽

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.

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

10.20944/preprints202110.0017.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Abdelrahman Saleh Zaky

Keyword(s):

Crop Production ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Arable Land ◽

Biofuel Production ◽

Marine Yeasts ◽

Marine Microorganisms ◽

Transportation Fuel ◽

Production Chain ◽

Marine Biomass

Biofuels have many environmental and practical benefits as a transportation fuel. They are among the best alternatives to fossil fuels due 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 vs fuel debate. It also suffers technical and economical barriers due to the energy balance and the cost of production compared to 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 on marine resources including seawater, marine biomass (seaweed) and marine microorganisms (marine yeasts and marine microalgae). The system will not require the use of arable land and freshwater in any part of the production chain and will be linked to offshore renewable energy sources to increase its economic and environmental value. This article aims to introduce the CIMB system as a potential vehicle for addressing global warming and speeding the global effort on climate change mitigation as well as increasing global water, food and energy security. I hope this perspective may serve to draw attention into research funding for this approach.

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Future production of bioethanol from microalgae as a renewable source of energy

IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science ◽

10.1088/1755-1315/922/1/012010 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 922 (1) ◽

pp. 012010

Author(s):

Wusnah ◽

M. D. Supardan ◽

S. Haryani ◽

Yunardi

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Energy Demand ◽

Fossil Fuels ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Primary Energy ◽

Bioethanol Production ◽

Future Production ◽

Pre Treatment ◽

The Government ◽

Short Time

Abstract Fossil fuels that mainly supply the current increasing world’s energy demand originated from non-renewable resources. In addition to the depletion of their resources within the next short time, the combustion of fossil fuels to power industries and transportation also negatively impacts humans and the environment due to the release of various gaseous pollutants. To increase the share of renewables in the primary energy mix, the Government of Indonesia is currently struggling to meet a target of 23% by 2025. Therefore, more significant efforts to search for potential renewable energy sources are the only way to overcome this issue. Bioethanol is an eco-friendly renewable energy source since its combustion emits a low concentration of pollutants. Microalgae have gained significant interest in bioethanol production because of rapid biomass growth and relatively easy pre-treatment steps. It is renewable, carbon-neutral, sustainable and can be grown in wastewater coupling as wastewater treatment. This paper reviews bioethanol production, providing knowledge on the characteristics of microalgae potential for producing biomass to be converted into bioethanol, introducing process for bioethanol production, and presenting the potential challenges of bioethanol as a future renewable energy.

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