Bioliquids

Bioliquids are liquid fuels made from biomass for energy purposes other than transport (ie heating and electricity). [1]

Bioliquids are usually made from virgin or used vegetable and seed oils, like palm or soya oil. These oils are burned in a power station to create heat, which can then be used to warm homes or boil water to make steam. This steam can then be used to drive a turbine to generate electricity.

Rudolf Diesel’s first public exhibition of the internal combustion engine, which is to bear his name, ran on peanut oil. [2]

Bioliquid production and use

Bioliquids have been used for many years to provide heat for homes on a small scale.

A controversial plant in Bristol (UK). [3] The plant will be built and operated by W4B and provide enough power for 25,000 homes.

Advantages

Bioliquids have several key advantages over renewable energy sources: [4]

  • Bioliquids have a high energy density
  • The technology is well established, having been used for many years
  • Can be used on demand
  • Can help reduce dependency on foreign oil.
  • Reduces the green house gas emissions.

Disadvantages

Main article: Issues relating to biofuels

Many of the same problems that affect biofuels also affect various social, economic, environmental and technical issues, which have been discussed in the popular media and scientific journals. These include: the effect of energy prices , the ” food vs. fuel ” debate, poverty reduction potential, carbon emissions levels, sustainable biofuel production, deforestation and soil erosion , loss of biodiversity , impact on water resources , and more efficiency.

Bioliquids also have several key problems compared to other sources of renewable energy: [5]

  • Price of fuel is very variable
  • Supply chain is still very new
  • Governments, such as EU, remained undecided on bioliquids

See also

  • Bioheat , a biofuel blended with heating oil .
  • Life cycle assessment
  • List of vegetable oils section on oils used as biodiesel
  • Low-carbon economy
  • Table of biofuel crop yields
  • Vegetable oil economy
  • Vegetable oil fuel

References

  1. Jump up^ Renewable Energy Association 2009 Handbook
  2. Jump up^ Sustainable Energy From Vegetable Oil
  3. Jump up^ BBC News: Bristol biofuel plant given go-ahead by Eric Pickles
  4. Jump up^ Aylott, Matthew (March 2011). “Bioliquids: Do they have a role in renewable energy?” . Green Wise Business. Archived from the original on 2012-03-15.
  5. Jump up^ National Non-Food Crops Center. Evaluation of Bioliquid Feedstocks & Heat, Elec. & CHP Technologies, NNFCC 11-016