Biochemicals as an energy resource

The use of green plants for the production of renewable resources, specifically for high‐energy liquid fuels and valuable chemicals is discussed. The predominant classes of natural products that plants produce as pure hydrocarbons, or with a sufficiently low degree of oxygénation so that they can be catalytically reformed to pure hydrocarbons, are represented by glyceride oils and by various isoprenoids. A number of different plant species have been proposed and are being investigated as candidates for energy crops. The results of several surveys of hydrocarbon producing plants conducted over the last five years are discussed, as well as some new potential sources of hydrocarbons, with emphasis on the quantity and quality of the chemicals obtainable from these plants.