New Insights into Biomass and Biofuels in Rapidly Changing Energy Scenario
A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A: Sustainable Energy".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 11628
Special Issue Editor
Interests: biomass resource assessment; biomass energy (bioenergy and biofuel production, conversion and use); agriculture and food security; social and environmental implications of biomass energy
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
For many decades, few significant changes have taken place in the energy sector, in which fossil fuels were traditionally the king. This is particularly the case in transport. Biomass-based fuels have many ups and downs but never managed to enter the mainstream of the energy sector, except in some niche markets, e.g., ethanol in Brazil and the USA. Recently, a fundamental paradigm shift has begun, with huge implications.
Although fossil fuels will continue to dominate for a few decades to come, their role has gradually been eroded due to environmental sustainability and social, economic, and political pressures, and the fact that they have aimed by emerging technological alternatives, e.g., biofuels, hydrogen, electric vehicles, and solar. Environmental sustainability and bioeconomy are becoming key players in the field.
The current climate is, however, clouded with huge uncertainties due to rapid and radical changes, e.g., COVID-19, a scenario in which nobody seems to have a clear idea of what the future may be. Uncertainty is nothing new, but the present situation is unparalleled in many ways, particularly in the transport sector. This is because, although many alternatives are emerging, none appear as a clear winner. Hence, it is almost impossible to forecast what the future may be with any degree of certainty, except to say that the energy sector will be less monopolistic and more fragmented and diverse.
However, this unprecedented time is focusing minds on finding solutions. The current situation is unsustainable and even the most recalcitrant defenders of fossil fuels now accept that BAUS is simply unrealistic. As a result, huge investments are pouring into alternative energy sources.
In this rapidly emerging scenario, what role can biomass-based fuels play? Solid biomass has been around for centuries and liquid biofuels for transport for decades. The question is, what possible role can these sources play in future energy scenarios?
This Special Issue of Energies will try to answer some of these questions by examining the key areas, e.g., biomass for electricity and heat, biofuels for transport, and environmental sustainability, and identify the potential role of such fuels.
Guest Editor
Dr. Francisco Rosillo-Calle
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- alternative fuels
- aviation fuels
- biomass-based energy scenarios
- biomass energy alternatives
- bioeconomy
- biofuels for transport
- biomass energy
- Brazil
- case studies
- environmental sustainability
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