1. Principal about renewable energy, all advantages and challenges
1.1 What is renewable energy?
Renewable energy is any energy which emit CO2 such as wind and solar energy. These powers of nature are unlimited amount because the sun and wind energy are infinite.
While renewable energy is sometimes thought of as a modern technology, the fact, they have been used for heating, lighting, transportation and more applications since long time. Sailors used wind for hundreds of years ago to move boats across the ocean. Meanwhile, farmers have long since relied on the wind to make their windmills turn and grind down grain. The sun has also been used for a very long time to help dry wholegrain, make the clothes dry, kindle fires and in some cases for cooking.
However, after the hundreds of year and especially during the industrial revolution, humans have turned to cheaper, more convenient, more efficient and dirtier energy sources.
Nowadays, people have innovative and cheaper ways to capture and retain renewable energy sources such as the sun and wind, thus renewable are becoming a much more important power source. In Europe, energy from renewable sources made up 34% of gross electricity consumption from 32% in 2018. The renewables expansion is happening on both large and small scale, from rooftop solar panels on homes to giant offshore wind farms and battery plants. Renewables have become so reliable that some rural communities rely on it entirely for lighting and heating.
1.2 Green energy advantages compare with fossil fuels:
Some fossil fuels are oil, gas, and coal. These are non-renewable and only available in limited amounts. It takes a very long time to replenish in the nature (Some cases need millions of years).
Non-renewable energy sources are also only able to be found in certain parts of the world. They are more plentiful in some nations than others, such as the “oil-rich Arab states”. In contrast, every country on Earth has access easily to renewable sources such as the sun and wind.
Finally, non-renewable energy sources are a risk to the environment and human health. Oil drilling from strip mining or fracking causes earthquakes, water pollution and habitats destruction. Coal electricity generation leads to air pollution which is not only bad for our health but contributes to global warming.
1.3 Challenge of renewable energy sources
Cost is the first barrier to the adoption of renewable sources compare with fossil energy. Having government policy and technology advances, renewable energy is account for a growing of consumption in Europe, the U.S and the wider world.
Secondly, there is a risk of emitting pollution during producing process of renewable source generation. Renewable energy is a better choice than fossil fuel. But the technology also has some risk must be considered recovery to cut environment impact after used.
2. Application of fish fat to produce HVO in renewable energy industry
Fish fat is used as a raw material for animal feed production to help provide nutrition, stimulate livestock to grow quickly.
From fish fat feedstock by current advanced production technology, it is created new solutions to produce not only biofuel in the form of FAME ester chain, but also can make HVO by modern hydrogen treatment process. HVO has hydrocarbon chain corresponding chemical composition of diesel mineral oil which has many outstanding advantages. And this renewable diesel is suitable for use in all diesel engines and can be mixed with mineral diesel in any ratio depending on the use purposes, or even using only 100% HVO as fuel.
Hydrotreating reaction
Fish fat quality criteria:
| Commodity name: Fish fat for renewable energy | ||
| Test Item | Unit | Spec Limit |
| Free Fatty Acid | wt% | Max 5 |
| Insoluble impurities | wt% | Max 0.5 |
| Moisture arid volatile content (103°C) | wt% | Max 0.5 |