The principle fuel used as a petrol substitute for road transport vehicles is bioethanol. Bioethanol fuel is mainly produced by the sugar fermentation process, although it can also be manufactured by the chemical process of reacting ethylene with steam.

There is renewed interest in bioethanol technology in view of its large potential as a transportation fuel. Bioethanol production based on lignocellulosic biomass, being the technology of the future, has been examined. The major issue is the production of ethanol at a competitive price. Biomass-based ethanol technologies are still evolving and the commercialization of this technology has to overcome various bottlenecks. Keeping this perspective in view, bioethanol technologies are analyzed in terms of feedstock availability, pretreatment strategies, efficient hydrolytic agents, availability of recombinant ethanologens and process economics with a focus on Indian research efforts. It provides indicators for research priorities to achieve these objectives.

APPLICATIONS

Bioethanol is used in a wide range of industrial applications, in the pharmaceutical sector, the chemical industry, and as a fuel. Bioethanol is by far the most commonly used biofuel world-wide and is used alongside conventional petrol to fuel petrol engines in road vehicles.

Bioethanol can also be used as the basis for the production of ETBE (ethyl-tertiary-butyl-ether) which is an octane booster and used in many types of petrol.

Bioethanol - mobility with a future

The future of bioethanol is proverbially "on the road". Bioethanol is already available as a fuel in several different forms today. Renewable and climate-friendly, it is helping to ensure that mobility has a future. Over 80% of the world's ethanol production is used in the fuel sector.

Dried Distillers Grain (DDG) concentration

After bio ethanol production, the remaining unconverted biomass is usually dried to obtain DDG (dried distillers grains). This process involves concentrating the biomass to a high percentage of dry matter with an evaporative process, followed by a drying process to obtain dry grains. For difficult biomass that may cause fouling during the evaporation process HRS successfully applies the Unicus scraped surface evaporator. Combining a Unicus evaporation process with waste heat from the dryer can be a very cost effective way of handling difficult DDG concentration processes.

Chemicals

A number of chemicals are produced in the ethanol industry and potentially even more in the 2 nd generation bioethanol industry, serving a wide range of uses in the pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, beverages and medical sectors as well as for industrial uses. The market potential for bioethanol is therefore not just limited to transport fuel or energy production but has potential to supply the existing chemicals industry.

Transport Fuel:

 Bioethanol has mostly been used as a biofuel for transport, especially in Brazil. Indeed it was in Brazil where the first bioethanol fuelled cars emerged on a largescale. Although generally unknown to the average consumer, a large volume of bioethanol is already used in Europe as it is blended with petrol at 5%. It is used as a substitute for lead as an oxygenating additive and has a high octane rating, which improves performance. Although the eventual target is the private consumer, few are aware of bioethanol’s potenial to, at least, partly replace petrol as a transport fuel in Europe.

 Methanol (CH3OH)

Methanol is a mobile, clear   (water white), inflammable liquid having a characteristic smell

Major application sector

•             Acetic acid                          

•             Chloromethanes                             

•             Dimethyl terephthalate                               

•             Methylamine cells

•             Methyl methacrylate    

Indian demand for methanol: 1.65 million metric tonnes per annum

AAGR in through 2018                                                                          7%

Bio- ethanol market

Projected demand supply scenario In million metric tonnes per annum

Period                Demand                                  Supply                                    Gap in supply

2012-2013            1.65                                        0.255                                             1.395

2018-2019            1.77                                        0.399                                             1.371

The global fuel ethanol market has experienced significant growth over the last five years and is expected to continue its growth momentum, reaching approximately US $98.5 billion by 2017with a CAGR of 14.2% over the next five years. Key growth drivers in the global fuel ethanol market are the sharp rise in crude oil prices, rising green house gas emissions, and government encouragement through incentives to produce ethanol.