You biofuels, as the name implies, are a type of fuel of biological or natural origin. It is a renewable energy source that is used by burning the biomass or its derivatives, such as the ethanol (alcohol for fuel), the biodiesel, O biogas, O vegetable oil and others.
THE biomass is taken as any material of organic constitution that can be used for some type of energy production. Thus, biofuels correspond to one of the ways in which biomass can be used, in addition to to be seen as an economic and environmental alternative to reduce the burning of fossil fuels.
Generally, the types of biomass used as raw materials for biofuels are oil plants, that is, those vegetables that have substances in the form of oils and fats that can be extracted from certain Law Suit. Among the most commonly used vegetables, mainly in Brazil, are sugarcane, castor bean, palm, sunflower, babassu, soy, corn and others. Corn is most used in the United States, a country that, like Brazil, produces ethanol on a large scale.
Currently, Brazil has an ethanol production that exceeds 21.5 million barrels per year, which is equivalent to an amount of approximately 3.52 billion liters. The perspectives, according to the International Energy Agency, are that this production will increase by around 200% by the year 2050, which would make Brazil an international reference in biofuels.
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At advantages of biofuels there are several: lower level of pollution with its burning and processing; they can be cultivated and therefore are renewable; generate jobs in its production chain; reduce dependence on fossil fuels; in addition to increasing the country's export indices, favoring the trade balance.
On the other hand, between the Disadvantages of Biofuels, we can mention: the need for large arable areas, which could intensify deforestation by expanding the agricultural frontier; pressure on the price of food, which may have its production reduced to make way for the production of biomass; among other factors.
The production of sugarcane and other types of biomass usually occupies large areas
In any case, the production of biofuels takes place more favorably in countries that have a large territorial extension and large productive spaces, capable of producing a large amount of raw materials to be processed and converted into oils and fuels. This scenario particularly favors Brazil and the United States, world leaders in the production and consumption of this important source of energy.
By Me. Rodolfo Alves Pena
