What is the best model for producing bioethanol in Europe? (3 posts)

← Group Forum   Group Forum Directory
  • Oscar Leòn said 3 years, 8 months ago:

    Dear all, the Sweethanol Project wants to develop and implement a new model for producing bioethanol in Europe.

    But, How could be this model?, we need to be sure about the use of sweet sorghum for bioethanol production and the scale of this production.

    For example, a typical bioethanol plant is going to produce around 100.000 m3 of bioethanol per year. If we reduce the scale of the bioethanol plant until 10.000 m3 per year, is viable or not?.

    Although we consider other products obtained in this plant, such as power generation, or bioplastics, we need to be sure about the bioethanol production, because the alternative could be the use of a variety of sorghum for biomass production and not for bioethanol…. and only make a power generation.

    If we develop the best model, this model must ensure the viability of the bioethanol production as main product, not as a subproduct of the power generation, for example.

    This way is the correct way to develop a new model for bioethanol production in Europe.

    #
  • Denis Picco said 3 years, 8 months ago:

    3rd March, 2011

    Dear Oscar,
    dear all,
    our first idea of bioethanol production model that use as raw material the sweet sorghum biomass is an integrated model: bioethanol is not the only energetic final product.
    An important and fundamental role for the sustainability of the model is the energetic conversion of the by products. Not only bioethanol but also power, termic energy and other things (biochemical products, etc.). Our model is an integrated model. Talking about the total amount of incomes of the model, bioethanol rapresent only, more or less, one third of the incomes.
    At this time is really important to know every single step of the bioethanol chain, in order to discuss it, talking about the technical and economical aspects, and the environmental and energetic sustainability.
    In the next forums we want to introduce new topics about the single aspects of the model. In the Early manual it is possible to have an overview of our idea, but it is important to discuss all the aspects, in order to compare different raw material, different plant sizes, different energetic products.
    Only with these discussion we are able to understand and propose which is the best model for producing bioethanol in Europe.

    #
  • Oscar Leòn said 3 years, 8 months ago:

    Dear Denis,
    I am agree with you. We need to understand each step of the process to be sure about the best conditions and scale for bioethanol production. Of course, the bioethanol is not going to be the unique product, but… using the same raw material, if we produce bioethanol+power+termic energy+byproducts, we are going to obtain a benefit, but if we produce power+thermic energy+byproducts, Are we going to obtain more benefit or not?. Of course, nowadays, with the petrol crisis, we can think that exist an oportunity for the bioethanol and biodiesel, but the world is too small and now we can use the bioethanol produced in Brazil or Colombia or the bidiesel from Argentina…

    Apart form this, if the European Commission promotes the bioethanol production in Europe, the opportunity is clear, but Which is going to be the future, the electric car or the “biofuel” car??, Can we combine both alternatives??.

    And, could be useful the integration of first generation with second generation on the bioethanol production?, we can produce bioethanol from the bagasse obtained after the bioethanol production from Sweet Sorghum. OK, but the termic and power generation from the bagasse are going to be affected… and we need to consider this aspect too.

    A lot to speak and discuss…..

    Ciao.

    #