Nowadays, ensuring sustainable measures in all areas is more than necessary to win over some of the most demanding customers and even to gain more market competitiveness. In this context, biofuel presents itself as a great starting point for a sustainable fleet.
Therefore, as the objective is to curb the damage caused to Planet Earth, reducing the use of fossil fuels is an excellent measure to reduce the release of CO2 into the atmosphere, which is something of extreme concern.
A study conducted by the Institute of Energy and Environment (IEMA) in São Paulo, Brazil, revealed that automobile traffic accounts for 72,6% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Therefore, to help you bring sustainability to your fleet management and reduce these numbers, we have addressed the main questions about biofuels throughout this text, including what they are, their benefits, types, and much more.
Good reading!
What is biofuel?
What types of biofuel are available on the market?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using biofuel?
Why is biofuel renewable?
How can renewable fuels be used in Brazil?
Why use biofuel in light fleets?
What is biofuel?
The use of fossil fuels as an energy source began in the mid-18th century with the Industrial Revolution. However, these materials have a long way to go before they can be used for this purpose.
The clearest example of this is petroleum-based fuels, which, according to scholars, can take between 10 and 400.000.000 years to form as a single deposit.
Therefore, it is clear that nowadays the rate of consumption of fossil fuels is much greater than nature itself can produce, which is also a major concern since it generates polluting waste that affects the atmosphere.
Then biofuels emerge , which are produced from plant materials that do not undergo the fossilization process and therefore help to reduce the emission of pollutants.
Read more: Trends for managing light fleets
In this way, as biofuels are produced through different species of plants, they also have several types. Check it out:
What types of biofuel are available on the market?
First of all, we need to understand that not all biofuels are considered clean; some also cause pollution. However, they are still more sustainable than fossil fuels because of their renewable nature.
Ethanol
Probably the best-known and most widely used biofuel in light vehicle fleets, ethanol is a type of alcohol made from agricultural plant species such as sugarcane, beet, and corn.
However, it is normally mixed with other fuels to be used in internal combustion engines.
Biodiesel
Biodiesel, on the other hand, is a biofuel made from seed and grain oils , such as sunflower, soybean, and rapeseed oils, for example. In addition, it can also be made from animal fat, vegetable fat, and microalgae.
Therefore, this renewable fuel is designed for use in cars and trucks with diesel engines , making it the perfect replacement.
Biogas
Biogas is known as a biofuel produced through the decomposition of organic matter in environments without gaseous oxygen . This process is carried out by anaerobic bacteria , meaning bacteria that do not require oxygen to survive.
Biomass
Made from all organic matter of plant or animal origin used for energy production, such as charcoal, firewood, sugarcane bagasse, among others.
Therefore, this energy source is considered more dispersed and of low efficiency, being used mostly in underdeveloped countries.
Furthermore, biofuels can be divided into first and second generation , with the second generation enabling technological advancements and the expansion of the third and fourth generations, which face economic and technological challenges before becoming viable.
First generation biofuel
This includes all biofuels produced from agricultural plant species, such as sugarcane, corn, beet, wheat, among others. However, it is also important to remember that first-generation biofuels have direct competition with food production.
Given this, they may also present problems in the future when it comes to sovereignty and food security.
Some examples of first-generation biofuels are :
- Ethanol
- Biodiesel
- Biogas
Second generation biofuel
In the second generation of biofuels, the main example is cellulosic ethanol , which consists of a type of ethanol produced from cellulose and other plant fibers from wood and non-edible parts.
In this way, these fibers are converted into fuel by biochemical or thermochemical procedures.
Furthermore, new technologies are being developed to increase the possibilities for raw materials, making the exploitation of grass species, agricultural and industrial waste, among others, more viable.
Third generation biofuels
In the third generation of biofuels , production is characterized by occurring from fast-growing plant species, such as algae . In this sense, new technologies are being improved and developed to genetically modify plant species, seeking to facilitate the process of converting the material into biofuel through second-generation technology.
Examples include genetically modified eucalyptus trees and corn.
Fourth generation of biofuels
Finally, the fourth generation of biofuels is characterized by the genetic modification of trees so that, in addition to providing high-quality biomass due to their richness in carbon, they also function as machines for capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using biofuel?
The use of biofuels can have several advantages, especially compared to the use of fossil fuels, just take a look:
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- Have a diversified and up-to-date portfolio in line with what the market is looking for;
- Offer greater security by coming from inexhaustible sources, unlike fossil fuels;
- Increase job creation in the production chain;
- Contribute to reducing the impacts of global warming and GHG emissions into the atmosphere;
- Decrease dependence on fossil fuels in the world;
- And much more!
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However, in the same way, biofuels can also have certain disadvantages, such as:
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- Present pollution in its use, even if in a reduced form;
- Contribute to illegal deforestation in countries like Brazil;
- Reduce biological diversity and accelerate the unbridled use of natural resources such as water;
- Generate food and nutritional insecurity.
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Therefore, when choosing to implement biofuels in your light vehicle fleet management , seek to understand everything about the production, supply, and distribution to the gas stations your fleet serves, ensuring a legal process that does not further damage the environment.
Read more: Respect and Responsibility: are you practicing them in traffic?
Why is biofuel renewable?
We consider renewable materials to be all those whose raw material can be discarded into nature or have its reserve renewed , all without causing environmental impact if done correctly, such as vegetables that can be planted again.
Read more: Vehicle decommissioning: how to do it in fleet management
Thus, among the most common examples we can cite are sugarcane , used both in the production of ethanol . On the other hand, we have castor beans, used on a large scale for the production of biodiesel in Brazil.
How can renewable fuels be used in Brazil?
Well, as you may have already realized, biofuel can be used in energy production in general, both broadly and specifically.
Thus, they can be used both in power plants for the generation of electricity, in engines such as motor vehicles and agricultural machinery.
Therefore, nowadays, Brazil is one of the leading countries when it comes to biofuels . Furthermore, it was one of the pioneers in implementing public policies favoring its use.
In the 70s, for example, amidst a major oil crisis, the Brazilian government created the National Alcohol Program , also known as Proálcool.
With it, Brazil boosted its production of ethanol, used both as a pure fuel and in mixtures with gasoline.
Thus, we became the world's largest ethanol producers, with a production of 34 billion liters in 2020. However, we also have a large use of biodiesel, essential in reducing pollution caused by road freight transport.
Why use biofuels in light fleets?
While helping to save our planet is reason enough to use biofuels, in addition to bringing sustainability to your fleet management , they also give your company an even greater market competitiveness.
This is because, nowadays, companies are being pressured to adopt more responsible environmental practices . Therefore, opting for clean and renewable energy sources is a very important step, contributing to the adoption of ESG policies in fleet management.
Read more: Adopt ESG actions with a fleet management system
Furthermore, biofuels can also offer savings on fuel costs , since in many regions they have lower prices than gasoline and diesel.
Another interesting point is that, with Brazil's high production, biofuels are less subject to fluctuations in the price of a barrel of oil on the international market.
Read more: Efficiency in fleet fuel management
However, it is necessary to carry out a thorough analysis, as biofuels often have a cheaper price per liter, but also have a lower yield.
Finally, it is also essential to ensure that this change can happen in your fleet, as not all vehicles can use these materials.
But if you really want to bring more savings to your light vehicle fleet management , rely on Golfleet's fuel supply and management module :
