Biofuel

Thanks to biofuel cells, one will soon be able to power one's mobile phone, MP3 player or Laptop without power plug but just sugar and water.

He says the whisky-based biofuel provides more power than bioethanol, a fuel made from plants like corn or sugar cane.

The biofuel is known as cellulosic ethanol, and if successful, supporters say it could provide an abundant source of energy while quieting critics who say the growth of the biofuel business has put a strain on food prices and the environment.

With much fanfare billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson tested a Boeing 747 jumbo jet's ability to fly with biofuel powering its massive engines.

Biofuels are gaining credibility as a supplement to petroleum fuel in some developed as well as developing countries. Biofuels are made from plant waste, including sugarcane and cassava. But some say prospects of using biofuel in large quantities in Nigeria is limited by some constraints regarding resources and costs.

As potential source of biofuel in the United Arab Emirates, Boeing said it was looking at the viability of a halophyte plant that can be irrigated with seawater.

While many biofuels have been criticized for infringing on food crops, using water and land that could be used to grow consumable plants, Felgar said Boeing is working to ensure its biofuel is sustainable.

Even second-generation biofuels, made from crop wastes or wood, are an environmental disaster, either extending the cultivated area or removing the straw and stovers which protect the soil from erosion and keep carbon and nutrients in the ground.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced proposed changes to its biofuels program Tuesday to spur more biofuel use and crack down on waivers issued to refineries by the Trump administration, notching a win for the biofuels industry and farmers and a blow to oil refineries.