Growing concerns about the rapid depletion of fossil fuel reserves, rising crude oil prices, energy security and global climate change have led to increased worldwide interest in renewable energy sources such as biofuels. In this context, biofuel production from renewable sources is considered to be one of the most sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels and a viable means of achieving environmental and economic sustainability. Although biofuel processes hold great potential to provide a carbon-neutral route to fuel production, first-generation production systems are characterized by considerable economic and environmental limitations. The advent of second-generation biofuels is intended to produce fuels from lignocellulosic biomass, the woody part of plants that does not compete with food production. However, converting woody biomass into fermentable sugars requires costly technologies. Therefore, third-generation biofuels from microalgae are considered to be a viable alternative energy resource, free from the major drawbacks associated with first and second-generation biofuels. This book examines the background of third-generation biofuel production; the advantages of algae over traditional biofuel crops; algal biomass production; algae harvesting and drying methods; production of biofuel from microalgae; and future prospects.

3rd Generation Biofuels: Disruptive Technologies to Enable Commercial Production is a comprehensive volume on all aspects of algal biofuels, offering the latest advances on commercial implementation. In addition to the fundamentals, the book discusses all applied aspects of 3rd generation biofuels production, including design approaches, unit operations of the upstream and downstream biomass processing, and every potential microalgae-based energy product, including microbial fuel cells. Policy, economic, environmental, and regulatory issues are addressed in a dedicated section. Finally, the book presents pilot and demonstration-scale projects for 3rd generation biofuels production in the format of a white paper. Each chapter reviews the state of the art, discusses the disruptive technological approaches that will potentially enable large-scale production, and concludes with specific recommendations on how to achieve commercial competitiveness. The book provides readers with an invaluable reference for researchers, graduates, and practitioners working in the areas of renewable energy, bioenergy and alternative fuels, and biotechnology. - Offers a sequential framework for the design of process plants using 3rd generation feedstock - Presents dedicated sections on case studies at pilot and demonstration scales as well as on policy, economic, and environmental issues - Provides a global perspective on biofuels production, with more than 40 contributions from world-renouned experts

This book examines the background of fourth-generation biofuel production, use of genetically modified microalgae for production of fourth-generation biofuels; cultivation and harvesting of genetically modified microalgae; residue from biofuel extraction; health and environmental concerns of fourth-generation biofuels; regulations on cultivation and processing of the genetically modified algae; carbon dioxide sequestration; water footprint and current status and key challenges. The topic caters to academic researchers and industrial experts, who work in the field of biofuels as source of alternative fuel to achieve environmental and economic sustainability.

Biomass, Biofuels, Biochemicals: Biofuels: Alternative Feedstocks and Conversion Processes for the Production of Liquid and Gaseous Biofuels, Second Edition, provides general information, basic data and knowledge on one of the most promising renewable energy sources—liquid and gaseous biofuels—and their production and application. The book delineates green technologies for abating environmental crisis and enabling the transformation into a sustainable future. It provides date-based scientific information on the most advanced and innovative technology on biofuels, as well as the process scale-up and commercialization of various liquid and gaseous biofuels, detailing the functional mechanisms involved, various operational configurations, influencing factors and integration strategies. All chapters have been updated, with new chapters covering topics of current interest, including sustainability and biohydrogen. - Presents a holistic view of biofuels in research, operation, scale-up and application - Widens the scope of the existing technologies, providing state-of-the-art information and knowledge - Provides strategic integrations of various bioprocesses that are essential in establishing a circular biorefinery - Contains interdisciplinary knowledge on the environment, molecular biology, engineering, biotechnology, microbiology and economic aspects - Integrates various subjects, including biotechnology, bioengineering, molecular biology, environmental science, sustainability science and chemical engineering

Environmental Sustainability of Biofuels: Prospects and Challenges provides a comprehensive sustainability analysis of biofuels based on lifecycle analysis and develops various multi-dimensional decision-making techniques for prioritizing biofuel production technologies. Taking a transversal approach, the book combines lifecycle sustainability assessment, lifecycle assessment, lifecycle costing analysis, social lifecycle assessment, sustainability metrics, triple bottom lines, operational research methods, and supply chain designs for investigating the critical factors and critical enablers that influence the sustainable development of biofuel industry. This book will be a valuable resource for students, researchers and practitioners seeking to deepen their knowledge of biofuels as an alternative fuel. It will equip researchers and policymakers in the energy sector with the scientific methodology and metrics needed to develop strategies for a viable sustainability transition. Provides decision-making and planning tools for the bioenergy sector Focuses on the applied aspects of environmental sustainability, offering a guide to the implementation of standard and new analyses in the commercial sector Gives readers the tools to understand the implications of policy and regulation in different locations rather than providing location-specific information that is quickly out-of-date

Handbook of Emerging Materials for Sustainable Energy provides a comprehensive accounting on the fundamentals, current developments, challenges and future prospects of emerging materials for the development of sustainable energy. Each chapter addresses a distinct and important area within the energy field and includes comprehensive data to support the materials being presented. Sections cover Batteries, Capacitors and Supercapacitors, Fuel cells, Thermoelectrics, Novel illumination sources and techniques, Photovoltaics & Solar cells, Alternative energy sources, hydrogen as an energy source, including hydrogen production and fuel generation, the use of Biofuels and Carbon dioxide. The book concludes with three chapters related to advanced materials under development for energy conservation and environmental protection, including theories, methodologies and simulations established for advanced materials. - Covers a broad scope of advanced materials that have been developed for energy and environmental sustainability - Provides detailed and updated information about the structural and functional features of various emerging materials and their multifaceted applications - Includes supplementary data alongside each chapter

Bioenergy is coming to be seen as a priority on the international agenda, with the use of liquid biofuels a key strategy in the attempt to meet both the demand for environmental sustainability and the energy needs of countries. The growth in the production and use of biofuels around the world has led to increased interest and discussion about this subject. Given the dynamics of this phenomenon, the organizers of this book, based on more than 10 years experience of joint research on this subject, seek to address key issues relating to the production and marketing of liquid biofuels using the Brazilian experience with ethanol and biodiesel as an illustrative case, as well as the experiences of the leading producers and consumers of biofuels. The topics to be covered in this book include the role of public policies in fostering the emergence of the biofuels industry, the main socio-economic, environmental, technological aspects and the prospects for the sector. The conceptual and methodological bases that provide analytical support to the book are based on recent research published in indexed journals. The structure and content of the book seek to address some central issues regarding: How the biofuel industries have emerged and developed in different countries? What factors have been crucial to the success or failure of different production initiatives? What are the main socio-economic-environmental impacts of the production and consumption of liquid biofuels? How are national and international markets for liquid biofuels being structured? To what extent and/or in what conditions can the experiences and lessons learned at the national level be transferred and adapted in other countries? Finally, based on the scenarios, the prospects for liquid biofuels will be discussed.

Biomass, Biopolymer-Based Materials and Bioenergy: Construction, Biomedical and Other Industrial Applications covers a broad range of material types, including natural fiber reinforced polymer composites, particulate composites, fiberboard, wood fiber composites, and plywood composite that utilize natural, renewable and biodegradable agricultural biomass. In terms of bioenergy, the authors explore not only the well-known processing methods of biofuels, but also the kinetics of biofuels production pathways, a techno-economic analysis on biomass gasification, and biomass gasification with further upgrading into diesel additives and hybrid renewable energy systems for power generation. Further chapters discuss advanced techniques for the development of biomass-based composites, biopolymer-based composites, biomass gasification, thermal kinetic design and techno-economic analysis of biomass gasification. By introducing these topics, the book highlights a totally new research theme in biopolymer-based composite materials and bioenergy. - Covers a broad range of different research fields, including biopolymer and natural fiber reinforcement used in the development of composites - Demonstrates key research themes in materials science and engineering, including materials processing, polymer science, biofuel processing, and thermal and kinetic studies - Presents valuable information for those working in research and development departments, and for graduate students (Masters and PhDs)

Biofuels are one of the most sustainable options when it comes to renewable energy sources to replace fossil fuels. Biotechnological processes, such as microbial fermentation, are used to produce energy from waste biomass by converting organic substrates into biofuels. This book discusses practices to improve and enrich various microbial communities in order to enhance sustainable and economical biofuel production. It also evaluates various strategies to develop potential microorganisms and microbial consortia to produce highly efficient biofuels at a relatively low cost.