Читать книгу Encyclopedia of Renewable Energy - James Speight G., James G. Speight - Страница 168

Bioethanol can be produced from a variety of crops, although the traditional feedstocks for the production of ethanol are still starch crops like corn, wheat and cassava and from sugar crops like sugar cane and sugar beet.

The development of lignocellulosic technology has meant that not only high energy content starch and sugar crops can be used but also woody biomass or waste residues from forestry. This process requires an additional pretreatment process of pulping and enzymes to break down the organic compounds.

Additional steps that may be taken in a biorefinery include the drying and pelletization of bagasse (the waste component of sugar cane after juice extraction) to produce a secondary product along with ethanol, which makes the plant more economically feasible. In addition to the production of fuel pellets, one can also produce feed for animals, which could be used locally thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions from associated transport energy spent.

See also: Alcohols, Bioethanol.