Pretreatment and gasification technologies are on the verge of making second-generation biofuels a commercial reality, according to new analysis from Frost & Sullivan, entitled ‘Worldwide Market Analysis of Second Generation Biofeedstock’.

Major automotive companies are investigating the environmental benefits of second-generation biofuels. They are looking at 
reducing emission levels while 
remaining competitive with the use of corn or maize that can be deployed as biofeedstock for transportation fuels.

Climate change related to GHG emissions is a concern for many companies, and many industries are attempting to achieve sustainability across their value chains.

“In addition to supporting energy efficient processes in 
industries, second-generation 
biofeedstock and the technologies used to convert them into bio-
fuels are expected to lower GHG emissions in the transportation sector,” he adds. “The commercial production of second-generation biofuels is poised to reach five-billion gallons a year by the end of 2015.”

Developments in the pretreatment and gasification of biofeedstock through discrete hydrolysis and fermentation, and gasification and catalytic synthesis have the potential to reduce the production costs of second-generation biofuels.

"He notes that second-generation biofuels will slowly, but surely, have an impact on energy 
share globally; however, this 
impact may not be significant in the short term. Unless technology 
winners introduce large-scale plants at an affordable rate, such change is unlikely to occur until the end of 2017."

Well, we certainly have plenty of fossil fuels to get us to then.

Bring on the bio-gasoline!!