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Alternative Fuels: Sustainable Solutions for a Greener Future

Alternative Fuels

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Alternative fuels offer sustainable solutions to address the global energy crisis and combat climate change. Fuels like hydrogen, propane, natural gas, ethanol, and biofuels derived from vegetable oils and waste are key alternatives to traditional fossil fuels.

In a world where fossil fuel supplies are running out and climate change is a problem, alternative fuels have shown promise as a sustainable way to meet our energy needs. Gaseous fuels like propane, natural gas, and hydrogen; alcohols like butanol, methanol, and ethanol; vegetable and waste-derived oils; and electricity are examples of alternative fuels. These fuels can be utilized in a single-fuel system or in a mixed system with other fuels, such conventional gasoline or diesel, as in flexible fuel or hybrid-electric vehicles.

Need For Alternative Fuel

Currently, more than 90% of transportation fuel comes from petroleum-based sources, which also produce a lot of greenhouse emissions. Any fuel that isn't derived from petroleum is considered an alternative fuel.

One effective strategy to lower carbon emissions is to use alternative fuels. Carbon that was previously trapped underground is released into the atmosphere when fossil fuels are used. In contrast, biofuels release the carbon that the crops they are derived from removed from the atmosphere. Biofuels are therefore regarded as net-CO2 free fuels. The same is true for renewable natural gas fuel made from sewer or landfill gas, which is regarded as having a negative carbon intensity.

Alternative fuels offer a range of choices for companies looking to lower their carbon footprint. Despite being fossil fuels, switching to CNG or LPG can result in considerable reductions in CO2. It can also work well to use a fuel that contains more ethanol or biodiesel. For businesses aiming to achieve further reductions in CO2 emissions, transitioning entirely to alternative fuels such as biodiesel, hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), ethanol, renewable natural gas, hydrogen, or e-fuels could be viable options.

In addition to CO2, internal combustion engines produce other exhaust gases that businesses must address, particularly those concerned with the environmental impact of their vehicle fleets. Cleaner alternative fuels offer an effective solution, significantly reducing non-carbon emissions. For instance, converting a diesel truck to operate on compressed natural gas (CNG) may prove more cost-effective over time than investing in diesel exhaust emissions control systems.

Moreover, certain industries face unique challenges related to non-carbon emissions, requiring tailored solutions. These challenges often pave the way for innovative approaches, such as adopting alternative fuels, to mitigate environmental impacts and enhance sustainability. For instance, a strong ventilation system is necessary in mines to keep the atmosphere safe and breathable. This is no simple task with big machines working underground. It can be quite expensive and energy-intensive to operate that ventilation system. Because of these factors, a number of mining companies are looking at ways to use hydrogen to power their equipment. There would be no emissions from using hydrogen as fuel, which would reduce the requirement for ventilation.

Types of Alternative Fuel

  • Ethanol: An alternative fuel with an alcohol base that is produced by fermenting and distilling crops like wheat, barley, and corn. To improve emissions quality and raise octane levels, it can be used with gasoline.
  • Natural Gas: Natural gas is a clean-burning alternative fuel that is already widely accessible to people in many nations through utilities that supply it to residences and commercial buildings.
  • Electricity: Battery-powered electric and fuel-cell cars can use electricity as an alternative fuel. Batteries in battery-powered electric cars are recharged by connecting the car to a regular electrical outlet. When hydrogen and oxygen are mixed, an electrochemical process takes place, producing energy that powers fuel-cell cars.
  • Hydrogen: Natural gas and hydrogen can be combined to make an alternative fuel for cars with specific internal combustion engine types. Additionally, hydrogen is utilized in fuel-cell automobiles, which generate power through a petrochemical reaction that takes place when hydrogen and oxygen are mixed together in the fuel "stack." Less than 1% of the 97 Mt of hydrogen produced in 2023 came from low-emission sources. According to projects that have been announced, low-emissions hydrogen might increase from 38 Mtpa in the Global Hydrogen Review 2023 to 49 Mtpa by 2030. 
  • Propane: Liquefied petroleum gas, or propane, is a byproduct of refining crude oil and processing natural gas. Propane is a well-liked alternative fuel for automobiles and is already extensively utilized for heating and cooking.  
  • Bio-diesel: An alternative fuel made from vegetable or animal fats, including those that have been recycled after being used for cooking in restaurants, is called biodiesel. Pure biodiesel can be converted to run vehicle engines, and it can also be mixed with petroleum diesel and utilized in engines that haven't been altered.
  • Methanol: Although automakers are no longer producing methanol-powered vehicles, methanol, commonly referred to as wood alcohol, can be used as an alternative fuel in flexible fuel vehicles that are made to run on M85, a blend of 85% methanol and 15% gasoline.
  • P-Series Fuels: Ethanol, natural gas liquids, and methyltetrahydrofuran (MeTHF), a co-solvent made from biomass, are combined to create P-Series fuels. Flexible fuel cars can use P-Series fuels, which are high-octane, transparent alternative fuels. 

Maintenance and other advantages of alternative fuels

  • Shelf-Life: Natural gas and propane, as well as e-fuels based on hydrogen and ammonia, have an infinite shelf life, in contrast to gasoline and diesel. This also applies to a number of more recent synthetic diesel and biodiesel formulations, which have a ten-year shelf life.
  • Environmental compatibility: Additionally, renewable diesel and biodiesel are non-toxic, biodegradable, and emit fewer emissions. Similarly, natural gas and LPG would evaporate and are unlikely to contaminate any water or soil if they spilled.
  • Reduced maintenance needs: Compared to liquid fuels, natural gas and propane often burn cleanly. Thus, a smaller quantity of soot enters the engine oil. By prolonging the time between oil changes, some operators take advantage of this. This can easily save tens of thousands of dollars or more when a large fleet of vehicles is involved.
  • Performance: Blends of biodiesel and ethanol also perform better and accelerate faster than unblended diesel or gasoline because they have greater cetane and octane ratings. One of the reasons for this is that NASCAR promotes the usage of a 15% ethanol-and-gas blend in the US, which is drastically higher than the typical fuel found at the pump. 

Emerging Economies Lead Accelerating Growth in Biofuel

The majority of the demand for new biofuels comes from developing nations, particularly India, Indonesia, and Brazil. The demand for transportation fuel is growing, biofuel policies are strong, and feedstock potential is plentiful in all three nations. In these areas, the usage of biodiesel and ethanol grows the highest. Volume growth is limited by factors like increasing adoption of electric vehicles, improvements in vehicle efficiency, high costs of biofuel, and technical limitations, even though advanced economies like the US, Canada, Japan, and the EU are also strengthening their transport policies.

The demand for biofuel is expected to rise by 38 billion liters between 2023 and 2028, which is almost 30% more than it was during the previous five years. In reality, by 2028, the demand for biofuel will have increased by 23% to 200 billion liters, with two thirds of this growth coming from renewable diesel and ethanol, with the remaining portion coming from biodiesel and biojet fuel.

Figure: Global ethanol demand. (Source: IEA)

Figure: Global ethanol demand. (Source: IEA)

The following nations and areas are making significant strides toward increasing biofuels:

  • Aiming for a 20% blending objective by 2025, India accomplished 10% ethanol blending in 2022, ahead of schedule.  
  • By 2026, Brazil intends to raise the percentage of biodiesel blending from 10% in 2022 to 15%.  
  • An estimated USD 9.4 billion in production and investment support for biofuels is provided by the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) through 2031.  
  • The Clean Fuel Regulations, which Canada is putting into effect in 2023, mandate that transportation fuels reduce their GHG emissions intensity by 13% by 2030.  
  • The amended Renewable Energy Directive (RED III), which the European Union is nearing agreement on, would increase the standards for renewable content in transportation fuels, including biofuels, in comparison to the current targets.

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30 North Gould Street, Sheridan, WY 82801

+1-415-325-5166

63 Fiona Drive, Tamworth, NSW

+61-448-061-727

C130 Sector 2 Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201301

+91-858-608-1494

40th Floor, PBCom Tower, 6795 Ayala Avenue Cor V.A Rufino St. Makati City, 1226.

+63-287-899-028, +63-967-048-3306

6 Gardner Place, Becketts Close, Feltham TW14 0BX, Greater London

+44-753-713-2163

193/26/4 St.no.6, Ward Binh Hung Hoa, Binh Tan District, Ho Chi Minh City

+84-865-399-124