Biofuels Supply & Trading Solutions

In contrast to fossil fuels, the source biomatter of advanced biofuels can regrow quickly. As a result, bio-based fuels (like ethanol, biodiesel, renewable diesel, and biogas) can be classified as a renewable.

Unlike other renewable sources, biomass can be converted directly into liquid bio-based fuels to help meet transportation fuel needs.

Biofuel is a fuel produced from organic material like plant materials, vegetable oil, animal fat, and cellulosic biomass.

Depending on the feedstock used, biofuel may qualify as carbon-neutral. This is achieved when the carbon dioxide absorbed by the plants equals the CO2 released when the fuel combusts.

Biodiesel

Biodiesel is produced from oils or fats using transesterification. The resulting liquid is similar in composition to fossil and mineral diesel. Consisting mostly of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs), biodiesel is the most common biofuel in Europe. Its feedstocks include animal fats, vegetable oils, soy, rapeseed, jatropha, mustard, flax, sunflower, palm oil, hemp and algae.

Pure biodiesel (B100) currently reduces emissions by up to 60% compared to diesel. It can be used in any diesel engine when mixed with petroleum diesel. In fact, it is technically possible to run a diesel engine on pure biodiesel B100. However, biodiesel is most commonly blended with petroleum diesel (B5, B20, etc.) to avoid “gelling” in cold weather environments.

Ethanol

Ethanol fuel is the most common biofuel worldwide. It is produced by fermentation of sugars derived from wheat, corn, sugar beets, sugar cane, molasses and any sugar or starch from which alcoholic beverages can be made. The ethanol production methods used are enzyme digestion, fermentation of the sugars, distillation and drying.

Ethanol can be mixed with gasoline to any percentage for use in petrol engines. Indeed, most modern petrol engines can run on blends of up to 15% ethanol with petroleum gasoline.

Solid Biomass

Firewood is the most conventional and ancient biofuel, and the most commonly used solid biomass fuel. It is still used in many parts of the world for both domestic (cooking, home heating) and industrial (thermal power plants, industrial boilers) purposes. Solid biomass comes in less convenient forms than liquid fuels. These include sawdust, wood chips, grass, waste wood and agricultural residues.

Solid biomass will typically undergo densification prior to being used for commercial purposes. The predominant densification processes used today yield wood pellets, cubes, or pucks. The pellet process is most common in Europe, and is typically carried out on a pure wood product, providing an essential source of renewable fuel.

Biogas

Biogas refers to a mixture of different gases produced by the breakdown of organic matter. The breakdown process, which entails depriving the organics of oxygen, is called anaerobic digestion. Biogas can be produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, plant material, sewage or food waste, making it a valuable renewable fuel source. It is suitable for use as a fuel, burning easily without producing much pollution.