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Q22 (IAS/2017) Science & Technology ā€ŗ New Materials, Energy & Environment-linked Tech ā€ŗ Biofuels and gasification Official Key

It is possible to produce algae based biofuels, but what is/are the likely limitation(s) of developing countries in promoting this industry ? 1. Production of algae based biofuels is possible in seas only and not on continents. 2. Setting up and engineering the algae based biofuel production requires high level of expertise/technology until the construction is completed. 3. Economically viable production necessitates the setting up of large scale facilities which may raise ecological and social concerns. Select the correct answer using the code given below :

Result
Your answer: ā€”  Ā·  Correct: B
Explanation

The correct answer is option B (statements 2 and 3 only) because these represent genuine limitations for developing countries in promoting algae-based biofuel production.

Statement 1 is incorrect because there is a variety of land-based cultivation systems for producing algae-based biofuels, and land-based systems are more developed than sea-based systems[1]. Production is not limited to seas only.

Statement 2 is correct as it reflects the technology constraints faced by developing countries. Most proven and commercial technologies for waste-to-energy (including biofuel technologies) need to be imported, and the costs are high as critical equipment must be imported[2], indicating the requirement for high-level expertise and technology.

Statement 3 is also correct because large-scale facilities are more economically viable, but are also more likely to have higher social and ecological impacts[3]. Additionally, large-scale facilities require land, capital and technology, which small farmers traditionally have limited access to[4], making economic viability dependent on large-scale operations that raise environmental and social concerns.

Sources
  1. [1] https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/aquaticbiofuels/docs/0905_FAO_Review_Paper_on_Algae-based_Biofuels.pdf
  2. [2] Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 22: Renewable Energy > 22.8.2 Major Constraints Faced by the Indian Aste to Energy Sector > p. 294
  3. [3] https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/aquaticbiofuels/docs/0905_FAO_Review_Paper_on_Algae-based_Biofuels.pdf
  4. [4] https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/aquaticbiofuels/docs/0905_FAO_Review_Paper_on_Algae-based_Biofuels.pdf
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Donā€™t just practise ā€“ reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. It is possible to produce algae based biofuels, but what is/are the likely limitation(s) of developing countries in promoting this industā€¦
At a glance
Origin: Books + Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 2.5/10 Ā· 7.5/10
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This question is a classic intersection of Science & Tech (Biofuels) and Economic Geography. It doesn't require a specific book source but rather a logical understanding of 'Emerging Tech Constraints'. The key lies in identifying the extreme scientific inaccuracy in Statement 1, which unlocks the entire answer via elimination.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
For developing countries promoting algae-based biofuels, is production limited to seas and impossible on continents (freshwater or land-based systems)?
Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source
Presence: 5/5
"There is a variety of land based cultivation systems, and several different ABBs and other bioenergy carriers can be produced. o Land based systems are more developed then sea based systems."
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states land-based cultivation systems exist and are a recognized variety of options.
  • Directly notes land-based systems are more developed than sea-based systems, contradicting the claim that production is limited to seas.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"Both land based and sea based applications are discussed."
Why this source?
  • Confirms both land-based and sea-based applications are discussed, indicating continental (freshwater/land) options exist.
  • Frames algae biofuel concepts as including multiple locations, not sea-only.
Web source
Presence: 4/5
"Land-based systems are designed as shallow raceway ponds only a few centimeters in depth."
Why this source?
  • Provides a concrete example of a land-based system (shallow raceway ponds), showing practical continental cultivation methods.
  • Describes land/soil considerations for land-based systems, further evidencing non-sea deployment.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 9: Agriculture > 1. Algaculture > p. 89
Strength: 5/5
ā€œAlgaculture is a form of aquaculture involving the farming of species of algae.The majority of algae that are intentionally cultivated fall into the category of microalgae, also referred to as phytoplankton, microphytes, or planktonic algae. Macroalgae, commonly known as seaweed, also have many commercial and industrial uses, but due to their size and the specific requirements of the environment in which they need to grow, they do notā€
Why relevant

Defines 'algaculture' as the farming of algae and notes most intentionally cultivated algae are microalgae (phytoplankton), implying deliberate cultivation systems exist.

How to extend

A student could combine this with basic knowledge of aquaculture infrastructure to infer algae can be grown in controlled (non-sea) cultivation systems on land or in freshwater tanks/ponds.

Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 4: Aquatic Ecosystem > Classification of l,akes > p. 35
Strength: 4/5
ā€œ\skl fr.). \_:U i ) ā€¢ Lakes are also classified on the basis of their water chemistry. Based on the levels of salinity, they are known as Freshwater, Brackish or Saline lakes (similar to that of classification of aquatic ecosystem). ā€¢ On the basis of their nutrient content, they are categorized as Oligotrophic (very low nutrients), Mesotrophic (moderate nutrients) and Eutrophic (highly nutrient rich). The nutrient-enrichment of the lakes promotes the growth of algae, aquatic plants and various fauna. This process is known as natural eutrophication. Similar nutrient enrichment of lakes at an accelerated rate is caused by human activities (discharge of wastewaters or agricultural runoff) and the consequent ageing phenomenon is known as'cultural eutrophication'.ā€
Why relevant

Explains that lakes (freshwater) can become nutrient-rich (eutrophic) and that nutrient enrichment promotes growth of algae and aquatic plants.

How to extend

Using a map of inland water resources and knowledge of nutrient management, a student could infer freshwater bodies or engineered ponds on continents can support high algal biomass for fuel feedstock.

Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 3: MAJOR BIOMES > Plant Life in a marine ecosystem > p. 29
Strength: 4/5
ā€œMarine plants are confned to the euphotic zone by light factor. Tey are far less diverse than land plants, being dominated by algae. Te most obvious and visible types of marine algae are seaweeds, but about 99 per cent of marine vegetation is made up of microscopic foating algae (phytoplankton). Te phytoplankton are responsible for all but a minute fraction of primary productivity of the marine ecosystem. At this level, total productivity is probably less than on land, mainly because of the relative lack of nutrients in the euphotic zone. Production varies with time and place in the ocean; this is related to light, temperature and particularly to the availability of nitrate and phosphate nutrients.ā€
Why relevant

States marine vegetation is dominated by algae and that productivity in the ocean depends on light and nutrient availability, highlighting environmental limits on algal production in open seas.

How to extend

A student could use this to reason that if open-ocean production is nutrient-limited, controlled continental systems (where nutrients can be supplied) might be more productive for biofuel crops.

Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 30: Climatic Regions > Geographical advantage > p. 465
Strength: 3/5
ā€œā€¢ Phytoplankton, algae and other plants (primary producers) are able to photosynthesise to produce organic material from inorganic nutrients. And the organic material forms the building block for all animals higher up in the marine food chain.ā€¢ Almost all biomass in the ocean is derived from the phytoplankton and to a lesser extent the benthic algae (found on the bottom of a sea or lake; algae are insignificant players in the marine ecosystem compared to the phytoplankton as they only inhabit a narrow zone around the coast). Hence phytoplankton are called the grass of the sea.ā€¢ There is a fundamental problem that phytoplankton in the open ocean face.ā€
Why relevant

Notes phytoplankton are the main ocean biomass but that benthic algae inhabit narrow coastal zones, indicating different algal types prefer different environments.

How to extend

A student might extend this by matching algal species to suitable continental systems (e.g., microalgae in tanks, macroalgae nearer coasts), arguing not all algae require the open sea.

Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 15: Infrastructure > NATIONAL POLICY ON BIOFUELS, 2018 > p. 453
Strength: 3/5
ā€œThe important features of this policy are: ā€¢ a. Categorisation of biofuels as 'basic biofuels' and 'advanced biofuels'.\nā€¢ b. Incentives, off-take assurance and viability gap funding for advanced biofuels.\nā€¢ c. Allowing B-molasses, sugar beet, sweet sorghum, starch-containing materials like corn, cassava, damaged food grains like wheat, broken rice and rotten potatoes, which are unfit for human consumption, for ethanol production.\nā€¢ dā€
Why relevant

National Policy on Biofuels categorises 'advanced biofuels' and offers incentives and viability funding, implying policy support mechanisms could apply to non-traditional feedstocks.

How to extend

A student could infer that such policy frameworks in developing countries could be used to support algal biofuel projects on land or in freshwater systems as 'advanced biofuels'.

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Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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