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The total amount of energy input into the process compared to the energy released by burning the resulting ethanol fuel is known as the energy balance (or "energy returned on energy invested"). Figures compiled in a 2007 report by National Geographic [ 68 ] point to modest results for corn ethanol produced in the US: one unit of fossil-fuel ...
energy directly consumed to make the ethanol is renewable energy. The farm equipment and ethanol plant use an ethanol engine, biodiesel, air engine or electricity cogenerated during ethanol production, or even wind power and solar energy. energy indirectly consumed is, as much as possible, renewable.
Renewable energy in developing countries is an increasingly used alternative to fossil fuel energy, as these countries scale up their energy supplies and address energy poverty. Renewable energy technology was once seen as unaffordable for developing countries. [ 202 ]
One major drawback with corn ethanol, is the energy returned on energy invested , meaning the energy outputted in comparison to the energy required to output that energy. Compared to oil, with an 11:1 EROI, corn ethanol has a much lower EROI of 1.5:1, which, in turn, also provides less mileage per gallon compared to gasoline. [7]
Renewable fuels are fuels produced from renewable resources. Examples include: biofuels (e.g. Vegetable oil used as fuel, ethanol, methanol from clean energy and carbon dioxide [1] or biomass, and biodiesel), Hydrogen fuel (when produced with renewable processes), and fully synthetic fuel (also known as electrofuel) produced from ambient carbon dioxide and water.
A dish of ethanol aflame. Various alcohols are used as fuel for internal combustion engines.The first four aliphatic alcohols (methanol, ethanol, propanol, and butanol) are of interest as fuels because they can be synthesized chemically or biologically, and they have characteristics which allow them to be used in internal combustion engines.
Sugarcane ethanol has an energy balance seven times greater than corn ethanol. [101] As of 2007, Brazilian distiller production costs were 22 cents per liter, compared with 30 cents per liter for corn-based ethanol. [102] Corn-derived ethanol costs 30% more because the corn starch must first be converted to sugar before distillation into ...
Use of these methods would eliminate the need for fossil fuels entirely, assuming that enough renewable energy could be generated to produce the fuel. Using synthetic hydrocarbons to produce synthetic materials such as plastics could result in permanent sequestration of carbon from the atmosphere. [4]