'Biofuel' is a term used to describe a fuel, gas or liquid that derives from biomass or biomass residues.
At the moment, the biofuels that are considered the promising ones for use in the maritime industry are fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) & hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO). These types are drop-in biofuels and can be used in existing engines and fuel infrastructure.
However, biofuel covers a large range of other products too, making the overview of different biofuel products, generations, feedstocks, and blends rather complex.
There are three different generations of biofuels, depending on the source from which the fuel is derived from.
1st generation biofuels are produced directly from food crops, such as corn, wheat, soybeans, and sugar cane, while 2nd and 3rd generation biofuels are not produced from food crops but non-edible plants and are classed as sustainable.