Abstract
The use of bioethanol, produced from biomass, is seen to be one of the most promising gasoline blending agents for reducing CO2 emissions from gasoline vehicles in the transportation sector. Bioethanol is produced mainly from sugarcane molasses and corn starch in Brazil and USA, respectively. Other countries have also increasingly been adopting bioethanol blending with gasoline, however, overuse of bioethanol production from sugarcane molasses and corn starch may lead to catastrophic issues such as food scarcity/competition and drastic land-use changes. Hence, the R&D for bioethanol requires production must come from non-edible cellulosic feedstock such as agricultural residues and herbaceous biomass.
In this review, research trends in bioethanol production processes from non-edible biomass are surveyed in terms of cost-competitiveness and reduction of GHGs, especially CO2 for mitigating global warming. In addition, the paper outlines recent research into the technology of bioethanol production from variable biomass wastes through synthetic gas and novel microorganisms, as a way to produce bioethanol to substitute chemical components such as ethylene, propylene, and other chemicals, including jet fuel by ATJ (Alcohol to Jet Fuel) catalytic process. Such technologies can be combined with carbon recycling schemes to further reduce CO2 emissions and eventually realize a carbon neutral society by 2050.
