The History And The History And Development Of Development Of Bioethanol As An Bioethanol As An Alternative FuelAlternative Fuel

Christopher McAtominey

OverviewOverview

•What is bioethanol?

•Why bioethanol as an alternative fuel?

•The future of bioethanol

EthanolEthanol

•Produced by hydrating ethylene or by

fermenting sugars

CH3CH2OH + 3O2 2CO2 + 3H2O

•First ever engine ran on ethanol

•Used as a rocket fuel in WW2

BioethanolBioethanol

• Produced by fermenting sugars

• Sugars are from natural sources (biomass)

eg sugarcane, maize

• Burnt as fuel

•Widely used in Brazil

Alternative FuelsAlternative Fuels

• Climate change

• Depletion of crude oil

• Legislation

Alternative FuelsAlternative Fuels

• Carbon neutral

• Independence

• Efficiency

Alternative FuelsAlternative Fuels

Future of BioethanolFuture of Bioethanol

•Currently only processed from sugars

•Aim is to convert all biomass to ethanol

•Engineering micro-organisms

GMGM

•Alcohol resistant yeast

•1.5 x 1012 tonnes of biomass is cellulose

•Cellulases convert cellulose into sugars

ProblemsProblems

•Currently not carbon neutral

•Cellulases do not work well in vitro

•Predicted that hydrogen will be major

fuel of future

FinFin

Any Questions?