Turning Waste Cooking Oils into Biofuels—Valorization Technologies: A Review

Lucas Nascimento, André Ribeiro, Ana Ferreira, Nádia Valério, Vânia Pinheiro, Jorge Araújo, Cândida Vilarinho and Joana Carvalho
Additional contact information
Lucas Nascimento: CVR—Centre for Waste Valorisation, University of Minho, 4800042 Guimaraes, Portugal
André Ribeiro: CVR—Centre for Waste Valorisation, University of Minho, 4800042 Guimaraes, Portugal
Ana Ferreira: CVR—Centre for Waste Valorisation, University of Minho, 4800042 Guimaraes, Portugal
Nádia Valério: CVR—Centre for Waste Valorisation, University of Minho, 4800042 Guimaraes, Portugal
Vânia Pinheiro: CVR—Centre for Waste Valorisation, University of Minho, 4800042 Guimaraes, Portugal
Jorge Araújo: CVR—Centre for Waste Valorisation, University of Minho, 4800042 Guimaraes, Portugal
Cândida Vilarinho: Departamento de Engenharia Mecânica, Campus de Azurém, Universidade do Minho, 4800058 Guimaraes, Portugal
Joana Carvalho: CVR—Centre for Waste Valorisation, University of Minho, 4800042 Guimaraes, Portugal

Energies, 2021, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: In search of a more sustainable society, humanity has been looking to reduce the environmental impacts caused by its various activities. The energy sector corresponds to one of the most impactful activities since most energies produced come from fossil fuels, such as oil and coal, which are finite resources. Moreover, their inherent processes to convert energy into electricity emit various pollutants, which are responsible for global warming, eutrophication, and acidification of soil and marine environments. Biofuels are one of the alternatives to fossil fuels, and the raw material used for their production includes vegetable oils, wood and agricultural waste, municipal waste, and waste cooking oils (WCOs). The conventional route for WCO valorization is the production of biodiesel, which, as all recovery technologies, presents advantages and disadvantages that must be explored from a technical and economic perspective. Despite its successful use in the production of biodiesel, it should be noticed that there are other approaches to use WCO. Among them, thermochemical technologies can be applied to produce alternative fuels through cracking or hydrocracking, pyrolysis, and gasification processes. For each technology, the best conditions were identified, and finally, projects and companies that work with this type of technology and use WCO were identified.

Keywords: fuel; waste cooking oils; energy; conversion technologies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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