(443a) Opportunities, Current Status and Challenges of Renewable Transportation Biofuels

The energy landscape is rapidly changing as cheap and readily available fossil fuels are becoming scarce. Costs of conventional petroleum based fuels have risen at a phenomenal rate due to increased demand worldwide, uncertainties and insufficiency on supply side, and geopolitical instability. Imagine the possibilities of growing our own transportation fuels from renewable domestic resources without disrupting the food supply chain, making cost effective ?designer? biofuels and reducing fossil fuel imports. Alternative transportation biofuels have the potential to mitigate threats to national energy security while providing environmental benefits of being carbon neutral and minimizing harmful emissions. Evaluation of current status of transportation biofuels will be given. Technical challenges and requirements for successful transportation biofuels deployment will be discussed along with innovative approach to production of bio-jet, bio-diesel and bio-gasoline.