Second-generation bioethanol as a sustainable energy source in Malaysia transportation sector: Status, potential and future prospects

Abstract

The energy crisis has become a crucial issue. The rapid depletion of the fossil fuels has driven the world to utilize renewable energy (RE) sources. To develop RE industries, the Malaysian government has been continuously reviewing its energy policy and undertaking intensive efforts to ensure long-term reliability in the energy supply. The most attractive and practical choice to replace fossil fuels as the main energy source is biofuels, which are mostly in liquid form. In Malaysia, the transportation sector has become the main driver for increasing the liquid fuel demand. This study outlines the importance of second-generation bioethanol as a potential energy source for the Malaysia transportation sector and its future development perspectives. In this work, it is shown that Malaysia has consistently promoted the RE industry in its energy policy, over non-renewable conventional energy resources with their negative impact to the environment. In Malaysia, which has a significant amount of agricultural activities, agricultural wastes have become a very promising alternative source for second-generation bioethanol (SGB) production. It is estimated that the biomass availability and its potential energy generated are 50,919 dry kton/year and 13,343kton/year, respectively. The estimated energy generated from biomass can contribute approximately 21.5% of the national energy requirement. In addition, the key drivers for Malaysia to move towards sustainable energy sources, such as SGB, are discussed. SGB can contribute to energy security and help to reduce CO2 emissions in Malaysia. SGB is also economically feasible. Furthermore, the Malaysian market for bioethanol is potentially much larger than the market for biodiesel, because a much larger portion of the vehicle fleet runs on gasoline. Hence, implementing and promoting second-generation bioethanol effectively is definitely a strategic move for Malaysia to become a self-sufficient country in the future.