Biodiesel Is Dead: Long Life to Advanced Biofuels—A Comprehensive Critical Review
Many countries are immersed in several strategies to reduce the carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) emissions of internal combustion engines. One option is the substitution of these engines by electric and/or hydrogen engines. However, apart from the strategic and logistical difficulties ass...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/9/3173 |
| _version_ | 1797505044771241984 |
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| author | Rafael Estevez Laura Aguado-Deblas Francisco J. López-Tenllado Carlos Luna Juan Calero Antonio A. Romero Felipa M. Bautista Diego Luna |
| author_facet | Rafael Estevez Laura Aguado-Deblas Francisco J. López-Tenllado Carlos Luna Juan Calero Antonio A. Romero Felipa M. Bautista Diego Luna |
| author_sort | Rafael Estevez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many countries are immersed in several strategies to reduce the carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) emissions of internal combustion engines. One option is the substitution of these engines by electric and/or hydrogen engines. However, apart from the strategic and logistical difficulties associated with this change, the application of electric or hydrogen engines in heavy transport, e.g., trucks, shipping, and aircrafts, also presents technological difficulties in the short-medium term. In addition, the replacement of the current car fleet will take decades. This is why the use of biofuels is presented as the only viable alternative to diminishing CO<sub>2</sub> emissions in the very near future. Nowadays, it is assumed that vegetable oils will be the main raw material for replacing fossil fuels in diesel engines. In this context, it has also been assumed that the reduction in the viscosity of straight vegetable oils (SVO) must be performed through a transesterification reaction with methanol in order to obtain the mixture of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) that constitute biodiesel. Nevertheless, the complexity in the industrial production of this biofuel, mainly due to the costs of eliminating the glycerol produced, has caused a significant delay in the energy transition. For this reason, several advanced biofuels that avoid the glycerol production and exhibit similar properties to fossil diesel have been developed. In this way, “green diesels” have emerged as products of different processes, such as the cracking or pyrolysis of vegetable oil, as well as catalytic (hydro)cracking. In addition, some biodiesel-like biofuels, such as Gliperol (DMC-Biod) or Ecodiesel, as well as straight vegetable oils, in blends with plant-based sources with low viscosity have been described as renewable biofuels capable of performing in combustion ignition engines. After evaluating the research carried out in the last decades, it can be concluded that green diesel and biodiesel-like biofuels could constitute the main alternative to addressing the energy transition, although green diesel will be the principal option in aviation fuel. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:13:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-635aecc22c554b8c9916e7d908b8b8ab |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:13:04Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-635aecc22c554b8c9916e7d908b8b8ab2023-11-23T08:07:33ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732022-04-01159317310.3390/en15093173Biodiesel Is Dead: Long Life to Advanced Biofuels—A Comprehensive Critical ReviewRafael Estevez0Laura Aguado-Deblas1Francisco J. López-Tenllado2Carlos Luna3Juan Calero4Antonio A. Romero5Felipa M. Bautista6Diego Luna7Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Cordoba, Campus de Rabanales, Ed. Marie Curie, 14014 Cordoba, SpainDepartamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Cordoba, Campus de Rabanales, Ed. Marie Curie, 14014 Cordoba, SpainDepartamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Cordoba, Campus de Rabanales, Ed. Marie Curie, 14014 Cordoba, SpainDepartamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Cordoba, Campus de Rabanales, Ed. Marie Curie, 14014 Cordoba, SpainDepartamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Cordoba, Campus de Rabanales, Ed. Marie Curie, 14014 Cordoba, SpainDepartamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Cordoba, Campus de Rabanales, Ed. Marie Curie, 14014 Cordoba, SpainDepartamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Cordoba, Campus de Rabanales, Ed. Marie Curie, 14014 Cordoba, SpainDepartamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Cordoba, Campus de Rabanales, Ed. Marie Curie, 14014 Cordoba, SpainMany countries are immersed in several strategies to reduce the carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) emissions of internal combustion engines. One option is the substitution of these engines by electric and/or hydrogen engines. However, apart from the strategic and logistical difficulties associated with this change, the application of electric or hydrogen engines in heavy transport, e.g., trucks, shipping, and aircrafts, also presents technological difficulties in the short-medium term. In addition, the replacement of the current car fleet will take decades. This is why the use of biofuels is presented as the only viable alternative to diminishing CO<sub>2</sub> emissions in the very near future. Nowadays, it is assumed that vegetable oils will be the main raw material for replacing fossil fuels in diesel engines. In this context, it has also been assumed that the reduction in the viscosity of straight vegetable oils (SVO) must be performed through a transesterification reaction with methanol in order to obtain the mixture of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) that constitute biodiesel. Nevertheless, the complexity in the industrial production of this biofuel, mainly due to the costs of eliminating the glycerol produced, has caused a significant delay in the energy transition. For this reason, several advanced biofuels that avoid the glycerol production and exhibit similar properties to fossil diesel have been developed. In this way, “green diesels” have emerged as products of different processes, such as the cracking or pyrolysis of vegetable oil, as well as catalytic (hydro)cracking. In addition, some biodiesel-like biofuels, such as Gliperol (DMC-Biod) or Ecodiesel, as well as straight vegetable oils, in blends with plant-based sources with low viscosity have been described as renewable biofuels capable of performing in combustion ignition engines. After evaluating the research carried out in the last decades, it can be concluded that green diesel and biodiesel-like biofuels could constitute the main alternative to addressing the energy transition, although green diesel will be the principal option in aviation fuel.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/9/3173biodieseladvanced biofuelstraight vegetable oils (SVO)GliperolDMC-BiodEcodiesel |
| spellingShingle | Rafael Estevez Laura Aguado-Deblas Francisco J. López-Tenllado Carlos Luna Juan Calero Antonio A. Romero Felipa M. Bautista Diego Luna Biodiesel Is Dead: Long Life to Advanced Biofuels—A Comprehensive Critical Review Energies biodiesel advanced biofuel straight vegetable oils (SVO) Gliperol DMC-Biod Ecodiesel |
| title | Biodiesel Is Dead: Long Life to Advanced Biofuels—A Comprehensive Critical Review |
| title_full | Biodiesel Is Dead: Long Life to Advanced Biofuels—A Comprehensive Critical Review |
| title_fullStr | Biodiesel Is Dead: Long Life to Advanced Biofuels—A Comprehensive Critical Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Biodiesel Is Dead: Long Life to Advanced Biofuels—A Comprehensive Critical Review |
| title_short | Biodiesel Is Dead: Long Life to Advanced Biofuels—A Comprehensive Critical Review |
| title_sort | biodiesel is dead long life to advanced biofuels a comprehensive critical review |
| topic | biodiesel advanced biofuel straight vegetable oils (SVO) Gliperol DMC-Biod Ecodiesel |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/9/3173 |
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