Royal Society biofuels study

The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) has responded to the Royal Society call for evidence on developments for biofuels.

First generation biofuels, that is those derived from starch or sugar crops (bioethanol) or those derived from vegetable or animal oils (biodiesel) are already a mature technology.  There are certain technological advances (for example pervaporation membranes for bioethanol purification and high throughput continuous reactors for biodiesel production) that could improve the efficiency of their production.  In this submission the RSC concentrates on second generation biofuels (e.g. bioethanol, biobutanol and fuels produced from synthesis gas such as gasoline and diesel) that are derived from lignocellulosic biomass (such as cereal straw, trees, waste paper, etc.).  It is the belief of the RSC that second generation biofuels offer far greater potential for reducing cost and environmental impact compared to first generation biofuels.  Furthermore, second generation biofuels do not necessarily compete with food production unlike first generation biofuels.  There are a number of key technological barriers that must be overcome before second generation biofuels are realised and these are addressed in our response. With significant effort second generation biofuels will have substantial market impact by 2015 .  It is important to accept that biofuels alone cannot mitigate the environmental impact of transportation, but that second generation biofuels can play a significant role alongside other measures.