Suitability of Biofuels Production on Commercial Scale from Various Feedstocks: A Critical Review
Abstract
The growing demand for energy resources and the increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions has given biofuels a lot of attention. Liquid biofuels can be a significant alternative for the transport sector. Generally, biofuels are categorized into four generations based on the feedstock. This review reports the availability, economic feasibility, and potential of biofuel feedstock in global scenario. Feedstock for first‐generation biofuel comprises edible resources impacting the food supply. Second generation biofuels are based on different residual materials and nonedible fuel crops. Cost and technological limitations for commercialization hinders this option. Microalgae are the feedstock for third generation biofuels providing the highest yield compared to the other two generations. A scale‐up to commercial level is not possible as this requires further development. Genetically modified microorganisms are used as a feedstock for fourth generation biofuel production with the highest possible yield. Third and fourth generation biofuels have potential to replace fossil fuels. This review recommends certain suggestions for sustainable biofuel production.
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First-generation feedstocks, primarily food crops, face significant constraints regarding sustainable production potential due to direct and indirect land-use change impacts, competition with food supply, and associated biodiversity loss.
“First-generation feedstocks, primarily food crops, face significant constraints regarding sustainable production potential due to direct and ILUC impacts, competition with food supply, and associated biodiversity loss [227,253].”
From Biofuels, E-Fuels, and Waste-Derived Fuels: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions (2025) · cites this paper as [253]
Cites
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Economic and policy issues in the production of algae-based biofuels: a review
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Biofuels, E-Fuels, and Waste-Derived Fuels: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions
Yılbaşı, Z. (2025) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su17136145 · Cited by 41 · see citing works
- Authors
- Sarwer, A., Hussain, M., Al‐Muhtaseb, A. H., Inayat, A., Rafiq, S., Khurram, M. S., Ul‐Haq, N., Shah, N. S., Alaud Din, A., Ahmad, I., & Jamil, F.
- Affiliations
- COMSATS University Islamabad (PK)
- Sultan Qaboos University Department Department of Petroleum and Chemical Engineering College of Engineering Muscat Oman
- University of Sharjah (AE)
- University of Engineering and Technology Lahore (PK)
- National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Institute of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (IESE) School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (SCEE) H-12 Campus 44000 Islamabad Pakistan
- University of Engineering and Technology Peshawar (PK)
- Corresponding author
- Jamil, Farrukh
- ORCID
- Venue
- ChemBioEng Reviews
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2022-07-25
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 423-441
- ISSN
- 2196-9744 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4287834322
- Cited by
- 63
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 13 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 20 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 2
- FWCI
- 3.63
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- ChemBioEng Reviews (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Biofuel production and bioconversion
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agronomy and Crop Science › Bioenergy crop production and management
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Microbial Metabolic Engineering and Bioproduction
- Keywords
- biofuels, biofuel feedstock, first-generation biofuels, second-generation biofuels, third-generation biofuels, fourth-generation biofuels, microalgae, genetically modified microorganisms, commercialization, economic feasibility, greenhouse gas emissions, transportation fuels, sustainable biofuel production
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