Biofuels are a growing area of new renewable fuels to satisfy the growing demand for energy. We have had reports of biofuels increasing cost of food, enabling deforestation to grow them, life cycle costs being higher than fossil fuels. Apart from understanding life cycle costs, what we do know is that there can be unintended consequences when taking complex actions.

Well, Sreenivas Ghatty, sends me a new study from the US Department of Energy (DOE) and US Department of Agriculture (USDA) on a Biodiesel Lifecycle Inventory Study which is a “comprehensive “cradle to grave” inventory of materials used, energy resources consumed and air, water and solid waste emissions generated by petroleum diesel fuels and biodiesel in order to compare the total “lifecycle” costs and benefits of each of the fuels.”

The findings:

In terms of effective use of fossil energy resources, biodiesel yields around 3.2 units of fuel product for every unit of fossil energy consumed in the lifecycle. By contrast, petroleum diesel’s life cycle yields only 0.83 units of fuel product per unit of fossil energy consumed. Such measures confirm the “renewable” nature of biodiesel. ‘The report also notes: “On the basis of fossil energy inputs, biodiesel enhances the effective utilisation of this finite energy source.”

[...]

The overall lifecycle emissions of carbon monoxide (a poisonous gas and a contributing factor in the localized formation of smog and ozone) from biodiesel are 35 per cent lower than overall carbon monoxide emissions from diesel. Biodiesel also reduces bus exhaust-pipe emissions of carbon monoxide by 46 per cent. The study observes: “Biodiesel could, therefore, be an effective tool for mitigating CO.”

Well, the quest continues to find the right answer. However, there are some important aspects of the issue.

Bio fuels are mainly categorized into bio ethanol and bio diesel. Ethanol has been making a lot of noise, but bio diesel has great potential.

Firstly, the food stocks that we use for the production of the fuel. Does it come from perennial trees like Jatropha and Pongamia or does it come from Corn and Sugarcane? In the later case, the food pyramid is disturbed. In the former case, we have a new cash crop to grow.

Second, whether the crops are grown on already available arable land or through deforestation of current grasslands and/or forests as we have been seeing in South East Asia. This should include taking of soil erosion and bio diversity loss.

Third, the method of production needs to be ecologically friendly.

Fourth, there can be a good case for local economic development opportunities and for farmers to utilize unused land.

I think the debate will continue for sometime now but there is a need for an alternative fuel and for all its problems, biofuels still will have a role to play.