ABSTRACT
Biofuel production and capacity, like oil, is stated in a number of different units involving weight, volume, and energy; tons in Europe, barrels, and gallons in the United States, and energy in tons of oil equivalent. The production of ethanol accounts for around 90% of the production of biofuels in the world, and production has increased significantly since 2000 due to increased ethanol production in other countries besides Brazil. Emerging lignocellulosic biofuels production technology using dedicated energy crops such as perennial grasses has promised through improved energy efficiency and net benefits for carbon dioxide emissions. The advantages of using microalgae are rapid growth, high yield per land area, lack of sulfur in biofuel produced, and nontoxicity, and biodegradability. Major energy companies are pursuing research and development, and there are a number of pilot projects, a few demonstration projects, and algae biofuels has reached the commercialization stage. The goal is to have a single-step process of converting biomass into a biofuel.
