Liquid fuel from biomass: An overview

Abstract

With depleting oil resources and negative environmental impacts associated with the use of petro fuels, there is a renewed interest in biomass based fuels, which can still form the base for sustainable development in terms of techno-economics, environmental as well as socio-cultural considerations. As it is a locally available resource, energy equity can also be achieved at global levels and developing countries would stand to gain. However, to exploit the potential of biomass, more work is needed for converting it efficiently into modern energy carriers at competitive prices, supported by relevant policies. Currently, bioethanol and biodiesel have already reached commercial markets, especially as blends with petro fuels. This paper gives an overview on liquid biofuels covering the current and futuristic trends with respect to production and utilization of alcohols, vegetable oil based biodiesel and biocrude, emphasizing on the benefits to rural economy.