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Tuesday, May 5, 2009

What is Second-Generation Biofuel Feedstock?

Second-generation biofuels do not compete with natural food crops for land and water. Feedstock such as corn or sugar cane are cultivated after vast areas have been deforestd, but second-generation "energy crops" thrieve in rocky, arid areas unsuitable for other crops.

Some popular biofuels include:
Camelia - Also known as "gold-of-pleasure", this oilseed requires virtually no tilling or weed control, making the biofuel produced from it much less expensive than other oil crops. It has the potential to become a valuable health-food oil too, possessing exceptionally high levels of Omega-3, Omega-6 and anti-ocidants.

Jatropha - the supper-hardy Jatropha resists drought and pests, grows in soil other crops can't take root in, and produces seeds containing up to 40 percent oil. When the seeds are crushed and processed, the resulting oil is ready for a standard diesel engine. But Jatropha seeds are highly toxic - just three seeds would kill, if ingested.

Algae - Algal biofuels do not affect fresh water resources, they are biodegradable and they can be produced using both seawater and wastewater. They also yield far more energy per acre than other second-generation biofuels crops.

Switchgrass - Ethanol frrom switchgrass - a two-to three-metre tall grass that once dominated the steppes oh central Asia and the plains oh North America - was found to produces 540 percent more energy than is required to manufacture it. One hectare of such grassland can produce 2,170 litres of bioethanol.

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