Abstract
Global research and industrial development of liquid transportation
biofuels are moving at a rapid pace. This is mainly due to
the significant roles played by biofuels in decarbonising our
future energy needs, since they act to mitigate the deleterious
impacts of greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere that are
contributors of climate change. Governmental obligations and
international directives that mandate the blending of biofuels in
petrol and diesel are also acting as great stimuli to this expanding
industrial sector. Currently, the predominant liquid biofuel is
bioethanol (fuel alcohol) and its worldwide production is dominated
by maize-based and sugar cane-based processes in North
and South America, respectively. In Europe, fuel alcohol production
employs primarily wheat and sugar beet. Potable distilled
spirit production and fuel alcohol processes share many similarities
in terms of starch bioconversion, fermentation, distillation
and co-product utilisation, but there are some key differences.
For example, in certain bioethanol fermentations, it is now possible
to yield consistently high ethanol concentrations of ~20%
(v/v). Emerging fuel alcohol processes exploit lignocellulosic
feedstocks and scientific and technological constraints involved
in depolymerising these materials and efficiently fermenting the
hydrolysate sugars are being overcome. These so-called secondgeneration
fuel alcohol processes are much more environmentally
and ethically acceptable compared with exploitation of
starch and sugar resources, especially when considering utilisation
of residual agricultural biomass and biowastes. This review
covers both first and second-generation bioethanol processes
with a focus on current challenges and future opportunities of
lignocellulose-to-ethanol as this technology moves from demonstration
pilot-plants to full-scale industrial facilities.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 3-22 |
Number of pages | 20 |
Journal | Journal of the Institute of Brewing |
Volume | 117 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2011 |
Keywords
- Bioethanol (fuel alcohol)
- First and second generation
- Lignocellulose
- Pentose-fermenting yeasts
- Saccharomyces