This document discusses plant-based biofuels as a renewable and sustainable energy alternative. It provides background on the growing demand for renewable energy and defines biofuels as liquid fuels produced from plant products, like biodiesel, ethanol, and vegetable oils. While large-scale industrial biofuel production can cause environmental degradation, the document argues that small-scale, localized biodiesel production in rural communities can provide sustainable benefits like rural electrification, improved agriculture, job creation, and empowerment. It provides examples of successful small-scale biodiesel projects and outlines steps for initiating pilot projects in rural areas.
2. Background
Current ways of energy use is unsustainable
Demand for renewable energy sources is expected to rise in future
Biofuel gaining worldwide popularity since first manufactured in
Europe
U.S. promoting industrial biofuel to solve climate crisis
Small scale biofuel projects sprouting in rural communities
3. What is biofuel?
Liquid fuel produced from plant
products
Category: Biodiesel, ethanol,
methanol, pure vegetable oil
An alternative to petroleum
based fuel
Biodiesel feed stocks:
•Palm
•Coconut
•Jatropha curcas
• Rapeseed/ Mustard seed
•Sunflower
•Corn
•Soybean
•Peanuts
•Algae
•Used restaurant oil
•Animal fats
Palm seeds Coconut seeds
Rapeseeds
Jatropha seeds
Sunflower seeds Corn Soybean seeds
Pond Algae
4. Alcohol (Ethanol, Methanol)
Glycerine molecule which
is separated out
Esters of 3
fatty acid chains
Catalyst
(NaOH/KOH)
& HEAT!
Biodiesel
Vegetable
Oil Molecule
How is biodiesel made?
5. Industrial biofuel and environmental degradation
• Massive deforestation in tropical rainforest in Indonesia to convert to oil palm
plantations
– 8% of global CO2 emissions
• 21% of Brazil’s agricultural land converted to soy bean plantation
– Displaced over 300,000 people
• Since Jan 2003, 70,000 km2 of Amazon rainforest cleared for biofuel production
• Forests and soil store 3x the amount of CO2 than does the atmosphere
More….
• High production costs (energy)
• Competition between food crop and fuel crop
• Price increases in world grains, cereals and vegetable oils
6. Can biofuels work sustainably?
I think so…
At the local level in isolated rural communities with
• intermingled with development projects
• effective government policies to protect farmers from competition
• decentralized
• Small scale biodiesel plants in developing countries had led to
• rural electrification
• improving irrigation & agriculture
• job creation
• women empowerment
• power to local community
• self sufficiency
7. Biodiesel plant to power butter
processing equipment, Ghana, initiated
by women’s group and UNIFEM
An hour of pedaling activity converts
vegetable oil to biodiesel in an Indian village.
The fuel is used to run irrigation pumps, tillers,
rice hulling mills and generate electricity.
Engine driven
oil expeller
8. Steps to initiating pilot projects in rural
communities
• Mobilize community groups , e.g. 10 to 15 households
• Awareness workshops including gender sensitivity
• Engage local men and women in interactive dialogue and discussions
• Install irrigation pump and oil expeller for each community group
• Provide skill training and instruction manuals
• Form Village energy committee
• Encourage household to plant jatropha plants in their private wastelands or
in poorer sections of their field, e.g. on the borders of the fields
• Conduct technical and business skill training to women from preparing
organic fertilizer from oil cake to producing vegetable cash crops to sell in
the market
• Establish a small micro-finance bank so villagers can take loans
10. Bibliography
Greg Pahl. Biodiesel: Growing a new energy economy. 2007. Chelsea Green Publishing Company,
White Rive Junction, VT.
Biofuels for transport: Global potential and implications for sustainable energy and agriculture.
Worldwatch Institute. 2007. Camden High Street, London, UK.
Biofuels for sustainable rural development and empowerment of women. 2009. ENERGIA. The
Netherlands.
Vandana Shiva. Soil Not Oil. 2008. South End Press, Cambridge, MA.