Production of Biodiesel from Non Edible Vegetable Oils. A Review

It is estimated that there are worldwide proven oil reserves for 53 years of production at its 2012 level where 32.8 billion of barrels of oil (bbp). On the other hand, it was mention about the negative environmental consequences of the use of fossil fuels and the few existing oil reserves, has led to the need to look for renewable alternatives to reduce these problems. For this reason, the production of biofuels is an alternative to minimize the use of fossil fuels and prolong existing reserves, in addition to contributing to reduce the emissions generated by conventional fuels. For this reasons, the generation of agro-energy processes has contributed that different countries seek to boost the production of biofuels because they represent benefits such as: i) a security in the energy supply; ii) reduction of dependence on fossil energy sources; iii) the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; iv) soil protection through the use of biodegradable products; v) the minimization of the surplus of agricultural production. Nowadays edible and non-edible crops are used for this purpose, but almost 95 % is made of edible crops. This can cause different problems, because they are transforming food resources into automotive fuels, and this could bring global imbalance to the food supply and demand market. The aim of this review was to compare different non-edible crops as a raw material for biodiesel production.