Bioethanol is a non-fossil fuel from renewable agricultural sources.

 

Bioethanol is a readily available, clean fuel for combustion engines made from renewable feedstocks. It produces considerably lower emissions on combustion and it only releases the same amount of carbon dioxide as plants bound while growing, which helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Bioethanol can be utilized in combustion engines in different ways: Hydrous ethanol (95% by volume) contains some water. It can be used directly as a gasoline substitute in cars with modified engines. Anhydrous (or dehydrated) ethanol is free of water and at least 99% pure. This ethanol can be blended with conventional fuel in proportions of between 5% (E5) and 85% (E85). Practically all cars nowadays can utilize E5. The use of E85 requires socalled FlexFuelVehicles. Finally, bioethanol is also used to manufacture ETBE (ethyl-tertiary-butyl-ether), which can replace MTBE as a gasoline additive, for environmental reasons.

 

Feedstocks

Bioethanol is made from starch plants; sugar plants; and - although large-scale still in the preliminary stages - from cellulose plants. Read more

 

Bioethanol production technology

Bioethanol is obtained using biological production technology, which is fermentation and subsequent enrichment by distillation/rectification and dehydration.   Read more