Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
such fuel-producing bacteria is that they would solve two of our energy-related problems at
a single stroke: removing the carbon dioxide that causes global warming, while supplying
Table 4.7.
Potential vegetable oil production in litres per hectare from different
sources
Species
Litres of vegetable oil per hectare
Soy
450
Peanuts
1,060
Rapeseed
1,200
Jatropha
1,900
Coconut
2,700
Oil palm
5,950
Unicellular algae 58,700
Source:
Singh and Gu (
2010
).
Benefits and Costs of Bioenergy
Provided that the resources are developed and used sustainably and that efficient systems
are used, bioenergy has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by up to
90 per cent compared with fossil energy.
While solid biomass is already competitive with fossil fuels in household applications,
biofuels are commercially competitive only in specific conditions, such as the highly
productive environmental conditions of Brazil (abundance of agricultural land and a hot
wet climate). Determining the production costs of energy from biomass is particularly
complex because key factors vary between the many technologies available and locations.
Themainfactorsaffectingthecostsofbioenergyproductionarethecostoflandandlabour,
crop yields, prices of inputs (such as fertilizer), water supply, transport distances from the
