Energy crop

An energy crop is a plant domesticated for use in agriculture and is produced as a low cost and low maintenance harvest to be used to make biofuels or directly exploited for its energy content.

Non food energy crops are preferred because they don´t cause inflation problems (in wheat, bread, animal food...), as happened in Mexico and Spain. Cellulosic biofuels can be generated from non food crops.

Commercial energy crops in the UK are typically densely planted, high yielding woody crop species, such as Miscanthus, Salix (Willow) or Populus (Poplar) and their planting is supported by the Energy Crops Scheme (ECS).

Biotechnology
Biotechnology can be used to improve the plants, so they can yield more to produce biofuel, cost less to cultivate, use less water, and grow more quickly.

Dendro energy
Dendro energy is energy generated by burning plants grown for the purpose. Energy crops are used for firing power plants, either alone or in combination with other fuels such as waste wood, oils, and coal (in a process known as co-firing). Alternatively they may be used for heat or combined heat and power (CHP) production.

Biogas: energy crops and anaerobic digestion
Anaerobic digesters are either fed with biodegradable waste materials or can be supplemented with energy crops. Energy crops can also be grown to generate biogas directly from high yield crops or to boost gas yields where feedstocks have a low energy content.

Biobutanol
Energy crops for biobutanol are grasses.

Yields of common crops associated with biofuel production
- Note: Chinese Tallow (Sapium sebiferum, or Tradica Sebifera) is also known as the "Popcorn Tree".

Source: Used with permission from the The Global Petroleum Club

Typical oil extraction from 100 kg. of oil seeds
Jatropha is the plant for energy non-food crops, used to make biodiesel.

Bioethanol
A non-food crop for the production of cellulosic bioethanol is Switchgrass.