What is Bioethanol?
The main fuel used as a substite of petrol for transport vehicles is bioethanol. This fuel is mainly produced by the fermentation process of sugar. It can also be manufactured by the chemical process of reacting ethylene with steam.
Mainly sugar is used to extract ethanol. It can also be extracted from food crops. These crops can be grown mainly for ethanol manufacturing and after the ethanol is produced, the remaining solid byeproducts can be used as food for cattle and farm animals.
These crops include corn, maize wheat and waste straw etc. Research is currently being carried out on the development of using municipal wastes to manufacture ethanol fuel.
What are the benefits of Bioethanol?
Bioethanol has a number of advantages over conventional fuels. It comes from a renewable resource i.e. crops and not from a finite resource and the crops it derives from can grow well in the UK (like cereals, sugar beet and maize). Another benefit over fossil fuels is the greenhouse gas emissions. The road transport network accounts for 22% of all greenhouse gas emissions and through the use of bioethanol, some of these emissions will be reduced as the fuel crops absorb the CO2 they emit through growing. Also, blending bioethanol with petrol will help extend the life of the UK’s diminishing oil supplies and ensure greater fuel security, avoiding heavy reliance on oil producing nations. By encouraging bioethanol’s use, the rural economy would also receive a boost from growing the necessary crops. Bioethanol is also biodegradable and far less toxic that fossil fuels. In addition, by using bioethanol in older engines can help reduce the amount of carbon monoxide produced by the vehicle thus improving air quality. Another advantage of bioethanol is the ease with which it can be easily integrated into the existing road transport fuel system. In quantities up to 5%, bioethanol can be blended with conventional fuel without the need of engine modifications. Bioethanol is produced using familiar methods, such as fermentation, and it can be distributed using the same petrol forecourts and transportation systems as before.