The researchers identified a number of different cellulosic biofuel crops in a new paper published in Environmental Science and Technology to check their potential as a petroleum alternative in ethanol fuel and light-duty electric cars which includes passenger vehicles and small trucks.

Climate change scenarios restricting global temperature rises to 1.5 ° C depend on decarbonizing vehicle fuel with development of bioenergy along with carbon capture and storage. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a technology capable of capturing up to 90 percent of carbon dioxide (CO2) generated during electricity generation and industrial processes that prevents an increase in CO2 concentration in the atmosphere.

This research shows feedstocks grown side-by-side with bioenergy. It included seven crops, switchgrass, giant miscanthus, poplar trees, maize residuals, restored native prairie, as well as a mix of grasses and vegetation that develops spontaneously after abandonment of the field.

In the report, bioenergy ethanol was 78-290 percent better in reducing carbon emissions compared to petroleum emissions only; ethanol was improved by 204-416 percent; biomass-powered electric vehicles powered by biomass were 74-303 percent cleaner and biomass-powered electric vehicles combined with CSS were 329-558 percent superior.

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