Editing Energy development (section)

=== Biofuels ===
{{Main|Biofuel|Sustainable biofuel}}
{{multiple image|direction = vertical | align = right | width = 225 |image1=Soybeanbus.jpg|image2=EthanolPetrol.jpg|caption1=A bus fueled by [[biodiesel]]|caption2=Information on pump regarding [[ethanol fuel]] blend up to&nbsp;10%, [[California]]}}

A biofuel is a [[fuel]] that contains energy from geologically recent [[carbon fixation]]. These fuels are produced from [[living organisms]]. Examples of this [[carbon fixation]] occur in [[plants]] and [[microalgae]]. These fuels are made by a [[biomass]] conversion (biomass refers to recently living organisms, most often referring to [[plants]] or plant-derived materials). This biomass can be converted to convenient energy containing substances in three different ways: thermal conversion, chemical conversion, and biochemical conversion. This biomass conversion can result in fuel in [[solid]], [[liquid]], or [[gas]] form. This new biomass can be used for biofuels. Biofuels have increased in popularity because of rising [[oil prices]] and the need for [[energy security]].

[[Bioethanol]] is an [[Alcohol (chemistry)|alcohol]] made by [[Ethanol fermentation|fermentation]], mostly from [[carbohydrate]]s produced in [[sugar]] or [[starch]] crops such as [[Maize|corn]] or [[sugarcane]]. [[cellulose|Cellulosic biomass]], derived from non-food sources, such as trees and grasses, is also being developed as a [[feedstock]] for ethanol production. Ethanol can be used as a fuel for vehicles in its pure form, but it is usually used as a [[gasoline]] [[Fuel additive|additive]] to increase octane and improve vehicle emissions. Bioethanol is widely used in the [[Biofuel in the United States|USA]] and in [[Ethanol fuel in Brazil|Brazil]]. Current plant design does not provide for converting the [[lignin]] portion of plant raw materials to fuel components by fermentation.

[[Biodiesel]] is made from [[vegetable oil]]s and [[animal fat]]s. Biodiesel can be used as a fuel for vehicles in its pure form, but it is usually used as a [[diesel fuel|diesel]] additive to reduce levels of particulates, [[carbon monoxide]], and [[hydrocarbon]]s from diesel-powered vehicles. Biodiesel is produced from oils or fats using [[transesterification]] and is the most common biofuel in Europe. However, research is underway on producing renewable fuels from [[Renewable fuels by decarboxylation|decarboxylation]]<ref>{{cite journal|title = Continuous catalytic deoxygenation of model and algal lipids to fuel-like hydrocarbons over Ni–Al layered double hydroxide|doi=10.1016/j.cattod.2014.12.004|volume=258|pages=284–293|journal=Catalysis Today|author=Santillan-Jimenez Eduardo|year = 2015}}</ref>

In 2010, worldwide biofuel production reached 105 billion liters (28 billion gallons US), up 17% from 2009,<ref name=Biofuels2010>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldwatch.org/biofuels-make-comeback-despite-tough-economy|title=Biofuels Make a Comeback Despite Tough Economy|publisher=[[Worldwatch Institute]]|date=2011-08-31|access-date=2011-08-31|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120530232916/http://www.worldwatch.org/biofuels-make-comeback-despite-tough-economy|archive-date=2012-05-30}}</ref> and biofuels provided 2.7% of the world's fuels for [[road transport]], a contribution largely made up of ethanol and biodiesel.{{citation needed|date=September 2012}} Global [[ethanol fuel]] production reached 86 billion liters (23 billion gallons US) in 2010, with the United States and Brazil as the world's top producers, accounting together for 90% of global production. The world's largest biodiesel producer is the [[European Union]], accounting for 53% of all biodiesel production in 2010.<ref name=Biofuels2010/> As of 2011, mandates for blending biofuels exist in 31 countries at the national level and in 29 states or provinces.<ref name=ren212011/>{{rp|13–14}} The [[International Energy Agency]] has a goal for biofuels to meet more than a quarter of world demand for transportation fuels by 2050 to reduce dependence on petroleum and coal.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/biofuels_roadmap.pdf |year=2011 |title=Technology Roadmap, Biofuels for Transport |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140722231200/http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/biofuels_roadmap.pdf |archive-date=2014-07-22 }}</ref>