biofuel

[bahy-oh-fyoo-uhl]

noun

1. fuel, as wood or ethanol, derived from biomass.

biofuel

/ ˈbaɪəʊˌfjʊəl /

noun

1. a gaseous, liquid, or solid substance of biological origin that is used as a fuel

biofuel

1. Fuel produced from renewable resources, especially plant biomass, vegetable oils, and treated municipal and industrial wastes. Biofuels are considered neutral with respect to the emission of carbon dioxide because the carbon dioxide given off by burning them is balanced by the carbon dioxide absorbed by the plants that are grown to produce them. The use of biofuels as an additive to petroleum-based fuels can also result in cleaner burning with less emission of carbon monoxide and particulates.

2. ◆ Ethanol produced by fermenting the sugars in biomass materials such as corn and agricultural residues is known as bioethanol. Bioethanol is used in internal-combustion engines either in pure form or more often as a gasoline additive.

3. ◆ Biodiesel is made by processing vegetable oils and other fats and is also used either in pure form or as an additive to petroleum-based diesel fuel.

4. ◆ Biogas is a mixture of methane and carbon dioxide produced by the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter such as sewage and municipal wastes by bacteria. It is used especially in the generation of hot water and electricity.

Word History and Origins

Origin of biofuel¹

First recorded in 1970–75; bio- + fuel

Example Sentences

Brazil has also promised a four-fold increase in the use of biofuels, which can be controversial, by 2035.

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The ministry said hydrogen, biofuels and e-fuels must be produced at scale and at competitive prices as part of efforts to replace fossil-based fuels in the transportation and industrial sectors.

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Last month, Shell said it had abandoned construction of one of Europe's largest biofuel plants in the Netherlands, citing unfavourable market conditions.

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The FAO also pointed to lower crude oil prices, which further pressured global sugar prices by reducing demand from the biofuel sector.

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The rest are processed into oil for cooking and biofuels, such as diesel, and meal for livestock feed.

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