Bioethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions

Bioethanol is a readily available, clean fuel for combustion engines made from plant-based feedstocks. It produces considerably lower emissions on combustion and it only releases the same amount of carbon dioxide as plants bound while growing. With advanced, energy saving production technology bioethanol can considerably reduce the climate relevant greenhouse gas emissions from transport and traffic.

 

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

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

 

Process technology from Vogelbusch

VOGELBUSCH designs and realises plants for the biotech industry and is a world leading provider of bioethanol technology. Read more on Planning a bioethanol plant