Did you know that the cow you see grazing in a pasture is a true environmentalist? In fact, beef cattle play an important role in many environmental aspects. While all you may see is a cow eating grass, that animal is actually participating in an important part of the carbon cycle.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Plant-based biofuels can play a key role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and removing excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and growing these crops in certain landscapes offers net climate benefits compared to other land use options, according to a team of international scientists.
“For the last decade, there have been a lot of questions about whether there’s an important role for bioenergy in a sustainable energy future,” said Tom Richard, professor of agricultural and biological engineering and director of the Penn State Institutes of Energy and the Environment. “We’ve documented that if it’s done right, there is a clear role for bioenergy, and we’ve pointed toward the places and approaches necessary for those systems to have a positive benefit.”
Scientists working with the Center for Bioenergy Innovation are developing a deeper understanding of natural processes that could make biofuel byproducts more useful. Turning biomass into marketable products will make producing cellulosic biofuel more efficient and cost-competitive.
One current biofuel byproduct is lignin, a major component in the structure of plant cells. Catechyl lignin, or C-lignin, is less common because it is synthesized only in the seed coats of some plants. But the properties of C-lignin make it a natural precursor for manufacturing carbon fiber and high-value chemicals and thus a promising choice for reuse from biorefineries.
Researchers collaborating through the Center for Bioenergy Innovation recently developed a way to make the sugars in plant cells more accessible for producing second-generation biofuels. The results are published in Carbohydrate Polymers.
The outer walls of plant cells are constructed from polysaccharides, molecules made of bonded sugars. These molecules determine the physical properties of plants and affect their growth. A metabolic reaction called acetylation modifies the sugar chains to support life processes like cell wall strengthening.
Jerry Tuskan is chief executive officer for the Center for Bioenergy Innovation, or CBI, headquartered at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. In his role, Tuskan leads a multi-institutional DOE Bioenergy Research Center focused on advancing biofuels and bioproducts for a robust domestic bioeconomy.
Phillips 66 has announced its Jet Renewable Diesel will go on sale at two Jet forecourts this summer, following positive customer feedback after it was launched as a wholesale offering in February 2022.
The renewable diesel is a paraffinic fuel that is chemically similar to conventional fossil-fuel-based diesel but derived from biomass sources such as used cooking oil, fats, greases and vegetable oils. This produces a fuel that is significantly lower in carbon intensity than fossil fuel and it qualifies as a renewable transport fuel under UK law.
The rapid pace of global climate change has added urgency to developing technologies that reduce the carbon footprint of transportation technologies, especially in sectors that are difficult to electrify. In response, researchers collaborating through the Center for Bioenergy Innovation make the case that scientific advances support a hybrid approach using biological and catalytic methods for producing cellulosic biofuel for use in airplanes, ships and long-haul trucks.
Soil carbon measurements and accurate documentation is one of the challenging tasks in establishing high-quality tradable carbon credits and meeting market requirements. Soil carbon measurement may sound easy to accomplish, but it is complex and costly. Many approaches have evolved over time that include laboratory analysis, direct field measurements and a modeling approach, or a combination of both.
Ten times stronger than steel, nearly half the weight of aluminum, far stiffer than fiberglass—carbon fiber carries a package of advantages, making it a preferred material for use in luxury sedans and Formula One racecars alike.
But it still needs perfecting to become economical for mass market vehicles, according to National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) scientist Nicholas Rorrer. "Carbon fiber is expensive," he explained. "It is also energy intensive to make, so it is not exactly greenhouse gas (GHG) friendly. Making carbon fiber readily recyclable could help in both these regards."
Energy is very important. It is something that kids need and use every day at home and at school. In fact, some form of energy is used just about anywhere that you can imagine! It is also something that adults talk, worry, and have concerns about. One of the things that they worry about is called energy conservation. When you hear the words “conserving” and “conservation,” it means to use less of something. If you are using less of something, then you are saving it: If you are conserving energy, that means you are saving it by using less of it. Energy conservation is just as important as energy itself. It is also something that kids can help with.
