Production issues limit bioethanol use as fossil fuel substitute

Finding sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels needs to be resolved soon, according to a new book by University of Arkansas biologist Ruben Michael Ceballos. CRC Press recently released “Bioethanol and Natural Resources: Substrates, Chemistry and Engineered Systems.”

“The unsustainable use of natural resources and an increasing demand for energy are two major concerns that must be addressed on a global scale if modern lifestyles are to be continued,” Ceballos wrote.

Biofuels are available as bioethanol, and this fuel, which is used as a partial substitute for gasoline, is a $1 trillion industry in the United States, according to a UA news release. The impact of biofuels would be greater if less gasoline was used and investments were made into technologies to produce biofuel.

Some of the challenges to overcome include improving efficiencies and cost-competitiveness in converting the cellulose and starch in corn into fermentable sugars. Nearly all bioethanol is made from corn. Another issue is lack of alternatives to break down the cellulose into ethanol — a process that requires the use of chemicals or is expensive. Cellulose is the stringy fiber of a plant and the most abundant biopolymer in the world.

Finding solutions to the challenges is necessary for bioethanol to become a substitute for liquid fossil fuels, the release shows. Ceballos’ book also reviews natural and genetically engineered enzymes that are used to produce biofuels from corn and cellulose and describes how they covert feedstocks into fermentable sugars. Other parts of the book include emerging technologies and systems that could increase the efficiency in bioethanol production.

The book was written as a supplemental text for graduate or undergraduate students but is available to non-academic readers.

“Liquid fuel must be produced and used with limited and calculated impact on air quality, water quality and availability, food crop lands, geopolitical stability and other factors that are essential for life on this planet,” Ceballos wrote in the book’s preface.