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Biodiesel FAQ
Biofuels are energy carriers that store energy derived from biomass. A wide range of biomass sources can be used to produce bioenergy in a variety of forms, including the residues from industry, agriculture and forestry. Primary biofuels, or unprocessed biofuels, are directly combustible organic materials. Secondary biofuels, also called processed biofuels, take the form of solids, liquids or gases and can be used for a wider range of applications. These secondary biofuels are produced from a range of feedstocks, including sugarcane, sugar beet, maize, wheat, rapeseed, soya, palm, switchgrass and jatropha, among others.
Liquid biofuels used for transportation are mostly produced using agricultural and food commodities as feedstocks. Oil for biodiesel production can be extracted from almost any oilseed crop; the most popular sources are rapeseed in Europe and soybean in Brazil and America. In tropical and subtropical countries, biodiesel is primarily produced from palm, coconut and jatropha oils.
BioFuel Africa produces its biofuel from the jatropha plant, which has a significant cost advantage over other biodiesel feedstocks because:
- Plant has two to three harvests per annum
- Annual sowing is not required
- High land yield relative to rapeseed and soy bean
- Possible to grow jatropha on low-cost land not suitable for other agriculture
- Useful byproducts including organic fertilizer, biogas (bio-methane), firewood and charcoal
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