Utilization of Plant Biomass for the Production of Renewable and Sustainable Biofuels With Zero Carbon Emission

Abstract

Biofuels for use of transport and industrial purposes have been synthesised on a substantial scale since 1970s, using a set of technologies. Today, biofuels are widely available using sugar, grains, starch-based bioethanol, and oil seeds-based biodiesel. For enhancing the anticipations of product portfolio of plant biomass-to-biofuels formation, it is vital to develop effective conversion technologies for upgradation of abundantly available lignocellulosic biomass resources into value-added co-products particularly biofuels and chemicals. In this chapter, brief synthesis processes and utilization of synthesised biofuels such as methanol, ethanol, butanol, gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel have been outlined for their use in transport sectors either as a neat or blended with gasoline. Biofuels' physico-chemical properties, performances, gas emissions, pros, and cons of various synthesised biofuels' neat and blend are compared with non-renewable fuels. Thenceforth, discussion gradually focuses towards the zero-carbon emission upon the utilization of biofuels derived from plant biomass.