Biofuels

Summary: Renewable fuels produced from biological matter. Tags: concepts chemistry environment energy Created: 2026-05-03T00:00:00Z Last Updated: 2026-05-03T00:00:00Z


Content

Biofuels are renewable fuels made from recently living organisms such as plants and algae. Unlike fossil fuels, they can be replenished within a human timescale.

Common biofuels:

  • Ethanol: Produced by fermenting sugars from crops like corn and sugarcane.
  • Biodiesel: Made from vegetable oils or animal fats.
  • Biogas: Methane produced by anaerobic digestion of organic waste.

Biofuels reduce net CO2 emissions because the plants used absorb CO2 during growth. However, large-scale production can compete with food crops and lead to deforestation.