Biofuels and Bioenergy

The production of fuels by biological systems is becoming increasingly important as the world seeks to move toward renewable, sustainable energy sources, owing to increased public and scientific attention prompted by factors such as oil price spikes, the need for increased energy security, and concerns about greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels.

Any fuel created from biomass—that is, plant or algal material or animal waste—is referred to as biofuel. Biofuel is considered a renewable energy source since the feedstock material can be easily renewed, unlike fossil fuels like petroleum, coal, and natural gas. Biofuels are transportation fuels manufactured from biomass materials, such as ethanol and biomass-based diesel fuel. These fuels are typically mixed with petroleum fuels (gasoline, distillate/diesel fuel, and heating oil), but they can also be used alone.

Bioenergy is the term for electricity and gas produced from organic matter, often known as biomass. Plants and wood, as well as agricultural and food waste — and even sewage – can all be considered. Bioenergy also refers to transportation fuels made from organic matter. However, we're only interested in how it's utilized to generate energy and carbon-neutral gas on this page.