Fueling the Future with Biofuels

By Lee Bolling, PE, CEA, CEM | Associate, Senior Project Manager, Mechanical Engineering | Anchorage

Understanding biofuels and the engineering behind converting biomass into usable energy

On August 10, 1893, Sir Rudolf Diesel first ran his engine on peanut oil, proving that crops could power machines and planting the seed for an entire clean-energy movement. More than a century later, August 10 is recognized as World Biofuel Day, celebrating the idea that the energy we use to move vehicles, heat buildings, and fly aircraft can be grown, harvested, and recycled rather than extracted from the ground.

What are Biofuels?

Biofuels are renewable fuels made from the resources around us, from crops and agricultural residues to waste oils, wood chips, algae, and even the methane rising off landfills and dairy farms. They transform the sun’s energy, captured by plants through photosynthesis, and are refined through industrial processes into fuels we can use every day.

A Quick Tour of the Biofuel Family

“Biofuel” is a whole family of renewable fuels. While they all start with biomass, each type serves different applications.

• Ethanol — An alcohol-based fuel made by fermenting sugars and starches from crops such as corn and sugarcane. Blended into most of today’s gasoline (E10 and E85), it boosts octane and burns cleaner.
• Biodiesel — A renewable diesel alternative made from vegetable oils, animal fats, and recycled cooking grease through transesterification. It is commonly blended with petroleum diesel in blends such as B20, and B100 can be used where conditions are compatible.
• Renewable Diesel — A hydrocarbon fuel made from many of the same oils, fats, and greases as biodiesel, renewable diesel is processed so it is chemically similar to petroleum diesel. That makes it a true drop-in fuel that can use existing diesel infrastructure with little or no blending limit.
• Biogas & Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) — Methane is captured from anaerobic digestion of manure, food waste, and landfills, then upgraded to pipeline-quality gas. It turns potent greenhouse gases into useful energy.
• Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) — The rising star of lower-carbon aviation, SAF, is produced from waste oils, residues, biomass, captured carbon, or other renewable carbon sources.

Biofuels In Use

Biofuels are often discussed for their positive environmental and economic impacts. Because they are produced from recently grown organic materials, biofuels can have lower lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions than conventional fossil fuels, depending on the feedstock, production process, and end use. Other commonly known attributes include:

• Energy security — using locally sourced, renewable feedstock.
• Economic growth in rural communities — job creation and new revenue streams for agricultural producers.
• Circular economy — converting waste materials such as used cooking oil, crop residues, and manure into fuel and energy products.

The Future of Biofuels

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is receiving increased attention as the aviation industry explores ways to reduce emissions. This sector remains difficult to electrify because of its reliance on energy-dense liquid fuels. Compatible with existing aircraft and fueling infrastructure, SAF can be produced from renewable feedstocks including used cooking oil, biomass waste, renewable carbon, and clean hydrogen.

SAF has the potential to reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional jet fuel. However, large-scale deployment remains constrained by production costs and feedstock availability. Widespread SAF adoption will require increased production capacity, diversified feedstock sources, supportive policies, and practical engineering solutions to improve scalability and affordability.

How Coffman Supports Bioenergy Projects

While biofuel technologies vary, bringing them from concept to operation requires a broad range of experience and engineering disciplines working together. Turning a feedstock into a finished fuel takes more than technology, it relies on complex infrastructure, controls, and safety systems to operate effectively and reliably.

Many of these systems are similar to those used in traditional energy and industrial facilities. Drawing on decades of experience in the oil and gas sector, Coffman helps bioenergy clients navigate complex projects through integrated multidiscipline engineering services. By bringing key engineering disciplines together under one roof, we provide coordinated, constructible designs from concept through construction.

Our teams routinely handle the balance-of-plant supporting systems that make a licensor’s core technology work, including:

• Process — feasibility studies, BFDs, PFDs, and P&IDs that define how feedstock becomes fuel.
• Mechanical — equipment selection, line sizing, and industrial piping design.
• Electrical — power distribution and infrastructure to energize the facility.
• Instrumentation & Controls — automation that support safe, efficient, and reliable production.
• Civil — site grading, access roads, stormwater, and drainage.
• Structural — foundations, buildings, pipe supports, and other structural systems.
• Process Safety — hazard analysis and process safety management.
• Fire Protection — code studies, detection, and suppression systems.

Project Experience

Coffman’s experience spans a range of bioenergy and renewable fuels projects. Our teams have completed the preliminary process and balance-of-plant design for a renewable diesel facility that will convert sawmill wood chips into lower-carbon fuel and have supported a major utility in evaluating gigawatt-scale production of SAF, e-fuels, and green ammonia.

These projects build on decades of experience supporting biomass, biogas, and traditional energy facilities. Whether providing feasibility studies, planning, detailed engineering, or balance-of-plant design, Coffman brings multidiscipline experience needed to help clients evaluate, develop, and maintain complex bioenergy projects.

World Biofuel Day recognizes the innovation, technologies, resources, and engineering that continues to shape everyday byproducts into renewable energy solutions. From Rudolf Diesel’s early experiments with peanut oil to today’s renewable fuels, biofuels continue to demonstrate the potential to turn challenges into opportunities. At Coffman, we’re proud to support clients as they evaluate, develop, and implement these complex energy solutions.

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