What are Biofuel pros and cons? Difference between Traditional fuels & Biofuels
Biofuel is most popular as an alternative to other sources of energy. It is a liquid that is derived from biomass, meaning plants, algae material, or animal waste. So, we cannot say that biofuel has only a positive impact, the biofuel pros and cons are very important to know before using it.
Renewable energy resources, green energy, reduced landfills, and waste are some pros of biofuel. On the other hand, it may damage fuel filters and pipes, can affect the food supply, be a little bit expensive, and lower fuel efficiency than diesel are cons of biofuel.
Difference Between Traditional fuels and Biofuels
| Traditional Fuels | Biofuels |
| Traditional Fuels are produced by using the decomposing plants and animals. | Biofuel is produced by using crops, plant residues, algae material, and organic waste. |
| Coal, petroleum, oil shale, tar sands, and bitumen are examples of fossil fuels. | Ethanol, biogas, Methanol, and biodiesel are examples of it. |
| These fuels are non-renewable; they require millions of years to complete their process. | It is a renewable source of energy so that it can be produced again and again. |
| Traditional fuels are presently controversial and countries are moving away from the use of fossil fuels. | Biofuels are considered environmentally friendly and becoming more popular. |
| Traditional Fuel provides a high amount of energy per unit mass. | Biofuel provides a low amount of energy per unit of biomass |
| Traditional fuels are the major cause of environmental pollution. | Biofuels produce less pollution compared to traditional fuels |
| Traditional fuels are produced by using unsafe methods like drilling and milling. | Biofuels are produced by using safe methods. |
Examples of Biofuels
Biofuels are divided into three categories: solid, liquid, or gaseous. Biofuels are most beneficial to use in the latter two years because they can easily transport, deliver, and burn clearly. However, here are some examples of the biofuels that are listed below.
- Ethanol
- Biodiesel
- Green diesel
- Biogas
Biofuel Pros and Cons
Day by day the prices of gas increased so people demanded biofuel to save money and reduce their consumption of fossil fuels. There are many types of biofuel but the most commonly used is bioethanol or Ethanol and biodiesel. Let’s discuss some biofuel pros and cons one by one.
| Pros | Cons |
| Biofuel is more sufficient to use as an alternative to fossil fuels. | There is a need for fertilizer to grow crops that harm the surrounding environment. |
| In comparison to traditional energy sources, using biofuel has a substantially higher cost-benefit ratio. | Large tons of water are needed to grow crops. |
| It is produced by using renewable energy sources like plants, algae material, or animal waste. | Huge investments are required to start the industry. |
| It helps to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions and keeps the environment clean. | To grow crops the land space is not enough. |
| A new industry will be developed so that the farmers become more financially stable. | The cost of food increases. |
| There are a lot of resources useful for the production of biofuels. | Weather affects the vehicles that use the biofuels and causes damage to your car as a result. |
| Countries will become economically strong by using alternatives to other fossil energy. | It would become a cause of deforestation to grow crops |
What are the Biofuel Pros?
Many people use it to save money as an alternative to fossil fuels. So, here are some pros of biofuels in detail.
Efficient to Use:
With the passage of time the need for energy increases. However, it is made of renewable resources and is an effective alternative to gasoline. The reason is that it releases less harmful carbon emissions of carbon dioxide released from biodiesel combustion is offset by the carbon dioxide absorbed from growing soybeans or other feedstocks used to produce the fuel.
Beneficial by Cost:
If compared the cost of the other fuels with biofuels depends on; labour and land costs, feedstock, oil market. Biofuel has the same price as gasoline. However, Ethanol from sugar cane price is $0.40-$0.50/lge but the gasoline prices from $0.3-$0.4/lge.
Biodiesel is created from animal fat which costs $0.4_0.5/lde. Prices of Biodiesel are expected to reduce in the range of $0,1-$0.3/lde. But biofuel cost benefits are much higher than other fossil fuels.
Renewable Energy Sources:
If someone asks what the biofuel pros and cons are, the big pro is that most fossil fuels will end soon. But the biofuels produced by manure, corn, soybeans, switchgrass, waste from crops and plants, and animal wastes so, these sources will never run up quickly.
Reduces Pollution:
Biofuel reduces the landfills and other waste that countries try to manage. So, it’s the best option to utilize the land for better purposes. It reduced the pollution of the waste material used by many companies in the production of green energy.
However, biofuels produce less carbon dioxide levels than other diesel. Also, they are biodegradable so it is possible to reduce soil and underground water contamination during transportation, storage, or use.
Stable Economic:
Many countries have less reserves of crude oil, so they buy the oil from other countries. If the countries produced biofuels, maybe they would not need to buy the oil from the other countries.
Also, many new jobs will be announced by the government to establish the biofuel industry as a result farmers will become more financially stable. So, the government can utilize it to increase self-reliance. This thing will also improve the economy of the country.
What are the Biofuel cons?
First, we describe the pros of biofuels. On the other hand, biofuel has some cons. Let’s describe these one by one in detail.
Fertilizer:
Biofuels are produced by using crops so, there is a need to fertilize to grow crops in a better way. The use of fertilizer can damage the surrounding environment. Fertilizers are produced by nitrogen and phosphorus so they can be washed from lakes, rivers, or ponds increasing water pollution.
Storage of Food:
Biofuels are created by plants and crops, so; these crops are also used by the people as food to live. The land that is used to grow crops for biofuels may not become the cause of the food storage but it affects the current crop growth. Also, people will face the problem of the growing rate of the food.
Weather Problems:
Biofuels are also affected by the weather. Biofuels attract moisture rather than fossil fuels which makes them useless in low temperatures. However, in cold weather, it increases microbial growth in the engine that clogs the engine filters.
Need of Water:
To grow the new crops large tons of water are needed. However, biofuel is produced by using natural resources, so this process requires a large amount of water to supply the crops. So, which can create the problem of unsustainable pressure on local water resources.
Awareness:
Biofuels’ value is greatly reduced by a lack of understanding and basic information about them. It will take a lot of research and development to make biofuels utilized more frequently because they are still in their development. Most users won’t be aware of this fuel source until then, so they will continue to get their energy from other sources until then.
Final Words
Biofuel is an efficient way to reduce waste and the best alternative to other fuels. While it has major benefits, on the other hand, it also hurts the human use of food. There is a need to grow crops in large amounts that fulfill the needs of humans and also to produce biofuel.
After deeply studying the biofuel pros and cons that will be kept in mind and starting work to enhance the production of biofuel, it will improve the economy of the country and increase the alternative use of fossil fuels.
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