The Efficacy of Biofuel Production as a Means of Increasing The Energy Base in Nigeria
Keywords:
Biofuels, renewable liquid fuels, biological raw material, fossil fuel and energyAbstract
This study critically reviews the efficacy of biofuel production as a means of increasing the energy base in Nigeria. It aims at assessing among others, the progress made so far in this direction. Biofuels are renewable liquid fuels coming from biological raw materials which are good substitutes for both fossil fuel and energy. It has the exciting potential for mitigating the grave threats of global warming, reducing the world's dependence on imported oil from insecure sources and reducing the skyrocketing costs of oil that are threatening to undermine the world's economies and are devastating the people in non-oil producing developing countries. This study unveils the fact that Biofuels were once our primary source of fuel and as old as civilization itself in the solid form like wood, dung and charcoal ever since man discovered fire. Liquid biofuel such as olive oil and whale oil have also been in used at least since early antiquity. Rising taxes on ethanol, combined with a decreasing price of petroleum and an aggressive campaign run by large oil producers kept ethanol out of the mainstream. As a result of the several fossil fuel crises since 1970s, biofuel came back to fashion. Therefore, in the quest for a more sustainable feedstock with the potential in solving the challenges in converting cellulosic materials, and produce the quantities of fuel needed at affordable prices today, scientists are converting the lipids and hydrocarbons produced by algae into a variety of fuels and these algae-based biofuels are being touted by some as a path to a sustainable energy supply.
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