Biofuel Bonanza

THIRTY YEARS AGO in Brazil, a group of visionaries saw the potential of bioethanol made from sugarcane as a transportation fuel and created a national program promoting its use. Fast-forward to a month ago, when a group of U.S. and Brazilian chemists pulled up to the front gate of one of the more than 300 bioethanol plants in Brazil. What immediately grabbed the visitors' attention were the truckloads of hand-cut sugarcane rolling in from the fields. As they toured the facility, the visitors watched in awe as the sugarcane was transformed into sugar, bioethanol, and electricity—the process left nothing for waste.

Today in Brazil, another group of visionaries sees similar potential for the combination of bioethanol and biodiesel. In actuality, conversion of sugars and fats and oils to bioethanol, biodiesel, and value-added chemicals and materials already is helping to extend fossil fuel supplies and is starting to change the global economy. And next-generation technologies for converting cellulosic biomass to fuels and chemicals are expected to ramp up and add to the mix in the coming 30 years.

These developments make it an exciting time for scientists, chemical companies, entrepreneurs, and investors (C&EN, Nov. 20, 2006, page 30). But it's also a time for caution. Piecemeal development of biofuel technologies without regard to regional and global sustainability could lead to problems in food production, environmental degradation, trade imbalances, and social and economic failures. What's needed is an international effort that helps promote biofuel development so that all countries can participate equitably in a global energy marketplace. That's the new vision.

As one starting point, scientists and policymakers from Brazil and the U.S.—the world leaders in biofuel research and development—participated in a historic symposium in Águas de Lindóia, Brazil, on May 30-31 to create sustainable research collaborations for improving biomass conversion. A report from that meeting is expected to take shape over the next few months and will be used to inform funding agencies and policymakers in both countries on future needs in biofuels R&D. In a nutshell, Brazil has much to offer the U.S. as an experienced partner in bioethanol and biodiesel production, while the U.S. has committed to developing technologies for converting cellulosic plant material into fuels and chemicals, which could aid Brazil.

More From Chemical & Engineering News