bioetanoli

Bioetanoli, or bioethanol, is an ethanol produced from biomass through fermentation. It is a renewable liquid fuel used primarily in road transport as an alternative or additive to gasoline.

Production starts from carbohydrate-rich crops or lignocellulosic biomass. The most common routes ferment sugars from sugarcane, sugar beet, corn, or wheat using yeast to convert sugars to ethanol, followed by distillation and dehydration to fuel-grade ethanol. Advanced second-generation bioethanol uses lignocellulosic feedstocks such as wood, grasses, or agricultural residues and requires pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis before fermentation.

Applications and blends vary by market. Ethanol is used in gasoline blends such as E10, E15, or E85, and, in some regions, as the sole transportation fuel in flex-fuel vehicles. It also serves as a chemical feedstock or industrial solvent.

Environmental and sustainability aspects: Life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions depend on feedstock, farming practices, energy used in processing, and land-use changes. Some production pathways yield meaningful emissions reductions versus fossil fuels; others show modest benefits or raise concerns about indirect land-use change and fertilizer use. Policy instruments, sustainability criteria, and energy prices shape production and deployment.

Economics and policy: Brazil relies heavily on cane-based ethanol; the United States uses corn ethanol; the European Union and other regions use mandates and incentives to promote biofuels. Challenges include competition with food crops, price volatility, and the need for advances in second-generation technologies.

Future developments: Research focuses on expanding non-food feedstocks, improving conversion efficiency, reducing energy inputs, and better accounting for environmental impacts.