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Fuelling a sustainable economy
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Biofuels were all the talk during the 1970s oil crisis. But when the price of oil came down, they were marginalised. Today, with looming climate change and energy troubles, biofuels are back in fashion - this time destined for the mainstream.
By 2025, the global energy demand is forecast to increase by 50%, driven largely by the rapid industrial growth of countries like China and India. The threat of scarcity and adverse environmental impact means we cannot rely on fossil fuels to meet this rising demand: renewable energy is essential. Liquid biofuels - particularly for transportation - are considered a key element of the overall strategy to support a sustainable, environmentally sensitive economy.
Many believe that a significant way to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is to substitute non-renewable, fossil fuels with biofuels. Many also think that, in time, biofuels would become comparatively cheaper. Yet, others are expressing concerns - reflected in a recent report by UN-Energy, a consortium of 20 agencies and programs of the United Nations [1] - that the biofuel hype has negative social and environmental impacts as a result of deforestation, strain on water resources, loss of biodiversity, food prices (due to the diversion of food crops to fuel), and the consumption of energy requested by the production of the biofuels themselves.
Tough targets
The European Union's Biofuels Directive (Directive 2003/30/EC) states that, by the end of 2010, 5.75% of all petrol and diesel transport fuels should be biomass-based. A subsequent energy strategy adopted in early 2007 increases the target to 10% for 2020. Directive and strategy stem primarily from the EU's growing concern for environmental sustainability and the lowering of its carbon footprint, although energy security and agricultural policy are also important drivers. Meanwhile, the US Department of Energy has set goals to replace almost a third of petrol fuel and a quarter of industrial organic chemicals with bio-based derivatives by 2025.
The migration from oil to biomass
Brazil has been producing commercial bioethanol for about 30 years. But are existing technologies evolving, to meet the growing demand for biofuels?
Academics calculate that the targets are theoretically achievable, but not without significant improvements in the three critical areas involved by the transition from oil to biomass: plant engineering, the actual production of biofuels themselves, and the associated making of biomaterials.
A review in the journal Science [2] suggests that the "grand challenge for biomass production is to develop crops with a suite of desirable physical and chemical traits while increasing biomass yields". Scientists are thus working to improve the efficiency of photosynthesis, carbon capture, nitrogen fixation and many other cellular processes that boost biomass yields. Dirk Carrez, Policy Director at EuropaBio, the European Association for Bioindustries, describes the genetic modification of energy crops as a third-generation biofuel technology. "It is possible to modify energy crops to raise output," he says. "They can have higher yields, higher sugar content or faster rotations. But I think the main focus of research at present is on what we call second-generation biofuels".
"These come from cellulose and the waste products of agriculture and the food industry instead of from starch, sugar, and oils. This is the only way we will be able to supply sufficient biomass for biofuel production without creating dangerous competition with the food industry, or destroying more natural habitat to grow energy crops."
"Many researchers are looking at
second-generation biofuels,
derived from cellulose and
waste products of agriculture,
using modified microorganisms".
Robert Lejeune, a specialist of bioconversion at the European Patent Office, confirms that indeed many research groups are looking at second-generation solutions, particularly using modified microorganisms. "There are many examples of patented microorganisms able to produce ethanol from specific sugars besides glucose, for example the C5 hemicellulose sugars. Cellulose and hemicellulose could be the main feedstock for bioethanol production".
Refined bioconversion
Genetic engineering and enzyme optimisation will help to increase yields of biomass feedstock at the beginning of the bioconversion process. However, most experts agree that the commercial production of biofuels depends on the successful development of efficient biorefineries, which would parallel and possibly substitute petroleum refineries. An abundant raw material consisting primarily of renewable polysaccharides and lignin would enter the biorefinery and, through an array of processes, would be fractionated and converted into a mixture of products including transportation fuels, direct energy, and co-products.
Yet, biorefineries are still in their infancy. Dirk Carrez says:"In EuropaBio's opinion, the integrated, diversified biorefinery - an integrated cluster of industries, using various technologies to produce chemicals, materials, biofuels and power from biomass raw materials - will be a key element in the future". Lejeune adds that the integration of existing technologies, and ultimately the design of entire refineries, offers great scope for innovation: "It won't be a revolution, but progress through the optimisation and novel combination of existing technologies and methods."
There is still a long way to go, and Carrez calls for a coordinated research effort and greater governmental support. "At present, biofuels are more expensive than fossil fuels. They cannot survive in the market without tax incentives. Governments must provide stability and incentives along with binding targets. Meanwhile, EuropaBio is supporting an ERA-Net, a network of partners, to bring together more than 16 funding bodies and coordinate both R&D activities and funding. In 2008, this EU-funded ERA-Net will start issuing joint calls as they pool the money in a coherent way to avoid fragmentation and duplication of research". That is to say, patenting investments in biofuels will not subside any time soon.
From the perspective of patenting
Patents claims related to biofuels can be either for compounds or compositions, or for production methods. As for the technologies involved, "there seems to be two main areas of patent activity for biofuels at the moment," Lejeune observes.
"First is the modification of organisms - plants or microorganisms - to optimise them for production or bioconversion activity, i.e. metabolic engineering. For example, one can delete enzymatic activities which divert the carbon flow from the intended products (ethanol, triglycerides) to other metabolites like glycerol." Lejeune considers that many applications in this area follow straightforwardly from scientific research. "Research groups - usually universities perhaps in collaboration with industry - write a scientific paper on their work, add a few claims and they've pretty much got the draft of the patent application," says Lejeune.
A progressive increase of patenting investments for biofuel technologies set in when the price of crude oil started to climb, in 2001. (click to enlarge )
Bruxelles, June 2007
- Journalist:Edwin Colyer, ESN
- Expert Opinion: Dirk Carrez at EuropaBio, Robert Lejeune, Michael Niaounakis, Boudewijn Zuurdeeg, Michael Boye, and Andrew Maddox at the EPO.
- Chart and Data Research: Henry Lehtiniemi, EPO
- Photo Portrait: Corinne Levert, EPO
- Research and Co-ordination: Leo Giannotti, EPO
[1] http://esa.un.org/un-energy/pdf/susdev.Biofuels.FAO.pdf
[2] Arthur J. Ragauskas,et al. The Path Forward for Biofuels and Biomaterials, Science, 311 (2006), 484-489.