Introduction Although the biodiesel manufacturing process is fairly straightforward, there are several aspects of biodiesel production that need careful attention to detail for a productive, safe, and environmentally sound practice. First, some chemicals used could pose serious risks to the operator or to the environment, unless the proper precautions are taken for storage, process safety, … Read More

There exists today a significant demand in industrialized countries for biofuels, driven largely by regulatory mandates for blending of biofuels into petroleum fuels. This demand is likely to grow considerably in the years ahead, driven by increasingly ambitious regulatory mandates, sustained high oil prices, and energy security concerns. Biofuel demands in many developing countries will … Read More

The development of photosynthetic microbes that produce lipids or hydrocarbons also has great potential for biofuels production. While plant production of useable biomass is unlikely to exceed an overall solar conversion efficiency of 1-2 percent, algae can convert solar power at efficiencies in excess of 10 percent. A combination of anaerobic and aerobic microbial processes … Read More

Initial efforts to produce biofuels date back to the early days of the automobile. However, they were quickly replaced as the fuel of choice by cheap petrol, which continued relatively unchallenged until the oil crisis of the 1970s, inducing governments to explore alternatives sources of fuel. In 1975 the Brazilian Government launched the PROALCOOL Programme … Read More