What are biofuels and where are they obtained from?

Biofuels are a type of fuel that is in constant evolution and that are having a significant benefit for the environment by decarbonising different sectors, among others, air mobility. The use of this product, unlike fossil fuels, represents a net zero CO2 balance. For this reason, they have become so relevant, but what are biofuels and where are they obtained from? We will explain it to you below.

What are biofuels?

These renewable fuels are not derived from petroleum -such as petroleum, coal or natural gas- and, therefore, are friendly to the environment.

Promoting bioenergy is one of the solutions to face the environmental crisis, improve our quality of life and comply with the regulations that emanate from the different international agreements.

These sustainable fuels represent an energy alternative, as they are a renewable energy source capable of neutralizing the CO2 that they generate during their combustion by coming exclusively from organic matter.

Among the second generation or advanced biofuels, we can find:

• Biohydrogen
• Bioalcohols (bioethanol and biomethanol)
• Biogas
• Biodiesel
• Biopropane, by-product of biodiesel manufacturing
• Biokerosene, the alternative to conventional kerosene used in aviation.

They are some of the different types of biofuels, suitable for industrial, domestic or transport applications.

Where do you get biofuels from?

Advanced biofuels are obtained through organic waste, both of animal and vegetable origin (biomass).

This allows the agricultural, chemical, forestry, waste and recycling sectors to form part of the value chain by providing the raw materials necessary for their manufacture.

Advantages of biofuels

• They pollute less, reducing CO2 and sulfur emissions.
• They maintain the energy efficiency and profitability of fossil fuels.
• They are key in the decarbonization of maritime and aviation transport, sectors in which electrical energy is not viable in the medium term as a source of propulsion.
• The production processes are more efficient, in terms of consumption and contamination.
• They contribute to circular economy.
• They are safer both in use and storage.
• Local employment is generated.
• They manage to reduce the amounts of garbage by being manufactured from waste.

These are some of the advantages of using biofuels. The challenge in the coming years will be to come up with a technology capable of lowering the costs of its production so that they can permanently displace fossil fuels.