First Generation Biofuels are any fuels made from animal fats, starch, sugar, or vegetable oil. All of these come from renewable sources, although there is criticism that growing the products for these forms of biofuels divert farmland that could be used to grow food crops.
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Second Generation Biofuels consist of lignocellulose material, which is broken down into simple sugars by enzymatic reactions and then fermented to produce ethanol. Lignocelluloses can be found in inedible plant matter, like woodchips, cornhusks, switchgrass, and even yard waste. These inedible parts have the advantage that their utilisation does not compete with food production. These inedible plant matters cannot be fermented directly and must be broken down by enzymes. Third Generation Biofuels are the use of algae also known as oilgae. Its production cost is minimal and it produces thirty times more energy production per acre as compared to the land required by other feedstock to produce biofuels. Algae has been known to have photosynthetic efficiencies of up to three times that of corn and almost four times that of switchgrass, meaning that it puts out more and quicker. |