What it is, its potential and why it hasn’t taken off yet

As a focus area in the transition away from fossil fuels, biofuels appeared to have a promising future. Unlike corn or other biomass used for biofuels, hemp biofuel has not yet reached its potential highs. What is hemp biofuel, what potential does it have and why has it not caught on yet?

Hemp’s versatility has always been one of its key selling points. Humans have used hemp in countless ingenious ways for a variety of purposes throughout history. Today, hemp seed oil is used to make hemp biodiesel fuel. In this article, we explain what biofuels are, what promising future people envision for biofuels, and why hemp-based biofuels have not lived up to the promise of other biofuels grown for biofuels.

What is biofuel?

Biofuels are made from biodegradable materials. Image credit: publicdomainvectors.org

Simply put, biodiesel is a renewable, biodegradable fuel. Vegetable oils, animal fats, fats and seed oils are all sources of biomass for the production of biofuels. Biofuels are essentially made from biodegradable material otherwise known as waste. Currently, corn is the primary biomass used for biofuels. For the fuel to be considered renewable, the biomass sources must be available on a recurring or regular basis. This clearly differentiates biodiesel from its fossil fuel-based competitors. This means that many biodegradable materials that would otherwise be considered waste have the opportunity to be converted into combustible fuel. Determining the concentration of biofuel in fuel is simple and identical no matter where on earth you live: concentrations of biofuel are denoted by the letter B followed by the concentration of biofuel in the mixture as a percentage. So B10 means that 10% of the fuel is made from biofuels. [1]

The promise and potential of biofuels.

This tractor and farming operation in Delta, British Columbia could run entirely on hemp biofuels. Photo credit: Province of British Columbia.

Proponents of increased production of biodiesel and biofuels often capitalize on the promise and potential of these energy sources as viable fuels to help society’s transition from its dependence on fossil fuels. Given the promise and potential of biofuels, governments around the world have given significant support to the development of biofuels as a competitive alternative to gasoline and conventional diesel. Policies to encourage the growth of the biodiesel industry range from consumption incentives, production guarantees in the form of tax incentives or guaranteed loans, direct financial subsidies, and mandatory consumption requirements. Unlike plant-based biofuels, hemp has lagged behind its competitors as a biofuel option.

For farmers, hemp holds more promise and potential than financial targets suggest. Farmers can grow hemp to fix toxin problems in the soil. Hemp seed oil is processed into biofuel and the rest of the plant matter can be processed into methanol and ethanol. Kristina Etter notes that these hemp biofuels could power an entire farm and that hemp can be used to restore toxic polluted soil, a process called bioremediation.

Why hasn’t hemp biofuel achieved the same promises and heights as other biofuels?

Prohibition and propaganda have played a significant role in the development of hemp as a viable biofuel. Photo credit: https://publicdomainvectors.org/

Much of hemp’s slow growth as a biofuel can be attributed to confusing legal statuses, misinformation, cultural norms, and a lack of understanding regarding hemp, cannabis, their differences, and the myriad potential uses of these plants. First introduced in 1908, the Ford Model T could have run on either gasoline or hemp biofuels. Throughout the twentieth century, hemp and cannabis have suffered a long and well-documented propaganda campaign with devastating consequences for plants and humans alike. However, in the 21st century, hemp and cannabis have undergone significant changes in terms of legality, societal understanding, education and acceptance.

Government policies and legality had slowed hemp-focused research efforts by the 21st century. Biofuel researchers and farmers have been able to utilize a variety of organics in their research and developed technology due to easy access to raw materials. Hemp’s controversial status means that biofuel research, technology and the market as a whole lag far behind the rest of the industry. Nonetheless, hemp biofuels still show promise. The versatility of hemp as a crop has increased research, and supportive government policies will see the hemp biofuel industry grow.[3] For the hemp biofuel industry to grow, more hemp biomass needs to be produced and research needs to be done to idealize hemp for cultivation in warmer climates and for longer growing seasons.

Proceed with caution!

However, people need to exercise caution when tracking biofuel production. Biofuel production requires large amounts of freshwater: a finite resource on the planet. By allocating more land to biofuel production, humans will no doubt displace people, flora and fauna, and alter the landscape. To make matters worse, the production of corn-based biodiesel and ethanol is an “energy negative process.”[4] more energy is required to produce the fuel than the fuel itself can produce. Further complications arise as people switch to renewable energy sources for their fuel needs and slowly move away from their dependence on non-renewable fossil fuels.

While a market for hemp biofuels has yet to emerge, and as complicated as energy production, use, land conversion, and climate change are, hemp biofuel could be a valid and viable energy source. With increased research, government funding, and societal acceptance of hemp and cannabis, a market for hemp biofuels is likely to emerge as people transition to renewable energy sources. Hemp’s versatility could prove to be the key that unlocks the promise of hemp biofuels.

footnote(s)

Biofuels: the promise and the risks. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/The World Bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/5990/9780821368077_focus%20b.pdf
Etter, Kristina. “Towards a Greener Future with Hemp Biofuels.” cannabistech.com. June 21, 2018. https://www.cannabistech.com/articles/driving-toward-a-greener-future-with-hemp-biofuels/#:~:text=Hemp%20biodiesel%20is%20made%20from,condition %20as%20es%20found%20es.
Guth, Douglas J. “The Deferred Promise of Hemp Biofuel.” hempgrower.com. https://www.hempgrower.com/article/postponed-promise-hemp-biofuel-biomass-hempseed-oil-uk-uconn-hia/
True engineering. “The Problems With Biofuels.” YouTube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpEB6hCpIGM.