Ethanol Production In Brazil Research Articles

Did the entry of the corn ethanol industry in Brazil affect the relationship between domestic and international corn prices?

AbstractThis study investigates the relationship between corn prices in Brazil and the international market, considering a rise in corn ethanol production in Brazil's Midwest region since 2017. Did the entry of the corn ethanol industry in Brazil affect the relationship between domestic and international corn prices? A cointegration analysis was made with a monthly time series from May 2005 to August 2023 controlling for different exogenous events or shocks that may have affected global agricultural markets. The study's findings indicate a stable long‐term relationship between the international and Brazilian corn prices, with changes in international prices being predictors of variations in Brazilian domestic prices, while the opposite was not statistically supported. The study also found no evidence to support the claim that the entry of the corn ethanol industry into Mato Grosso state in 2017 impacted the prices paid to local producers. Therefore, the increase in Brazilian corn prices cannot be attributed to additional demand for corn by local mills, an important result that contributes to discussions such as food versus fuel and indirect land use change.

Techno-economic analysis and carbon intensity of sugarcane-corn flex plants in Brazil

Given the recent rise in corn ethanol production in Brazil, this work focused on identifying the technical adaptations, as well as quantifying the economic feasibility of incorporating corn processing for ethanol production into a standalone sugarcane distillery (flex plants). Ethanol production increased by >20 % when corn is processed during the sugarcane inter-harvest season, with an incremental Net Present Value (NPV) of 86 to 64 million dollars and a likelihood of profitability of 68 % under the current economic conditions. The flex plants have 30 % higher carbon intensity than the standalone distillery, and the burning of sugarcane straw to provide energy for corn processing is necessary. This highlights a great synergistic opportunity in Brazil to make use of idle equipment in standalone distilleries during the inter-harvest season.

Sweet Fuel: A Political and Environmental History of Brazilian Ethanol

Sweet Fuel: A Political and Environmental History of Brazilian Ethanol

Strategies to Ensure Fuel Security in Brazil Considering a Forecast of Ethanol Production

Ethanol production in Brazil started in the early 1930s due to laws created by the Brazilian government. However, ethanol production only increased significantly with the National Program of Ethanol implementation in 1975. This program was another action taken by the Brazilian government aiming to provide conditions for the development of the ethanol industry in the country. With the program, it was possible to achieve significant progress; however, it finished in the mid-1980s. Currently, ethanol is produced on a large scale by more than 300 sugarcane mills all over the country. In 2016, the Brazilian government provided another incentive for ethanol production by creating the RenovaBio Program, which aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Besides the environmental aspect, Brazil’s ethanol industry needs to develop to supply future biofuel demand. According to the forecast provided in this paper, and considering technical, economic, and environmental aspects regarding the Brazilian ethanol industry, the current and only feedstock used is likely to be insufficient. Thus, the ethanol produced from corn would be an attractive secondary feedstock to complement sugarcane ethanol as the primary feedstock.

Brazilian industrial yeasts show high fermentative performance in high solids content for corn ethanol process

An imminent change in the world energy matrix makes it necessary to increase the production of renewable fuels. The United States and Brazil are the world's largest producers, but their production methods are very different, using different raw materials, ground corn and sugarcane juice, respectively. In recent years, strong investments have been made to expand the use of corn in Brazilian ethanol production. The combination of the sugar cane and corn ethanol industries has generated innovations in the sector, such as the "flex" mills, which are traditional sugar cane mills adapted to produce corn ethanol in the sugar cane off-season. Brazil has a portfolio of robust industrial yeasts for sugarcane ethanol production, naturally evolved and selected over the past 50 years. In this work, we analyze for the first time the performance of Brazilian industrial strains (BG-1, CAT-1, PE-2 and SA-1, widely used in sugarcane ethanol production) in corn ethanol production using different stress conditions. Ethanol Red yeast, traditionally used in corn ethanol plants around the world, was used as a control. In terms of tolerance to temperature (35 °C), strains BG-1 and SA-1 stood out. In fermentations with high solids concentration (35%), strain BG-1 reached ethanol contents higher than 19% w/v and had a productivity gain of 5.8% compared to fermentation at 30%. This was the first time that these industrial strains were evaluated using the high solids concentration of 35% and the results point to ways to improve the corn ethanol production process.Graphical

The influence of sugarcane pre‐harvest fire on hantavirus prevalence in Neotropical small mammals

AbstractThe use of pre‐harvest fire in sugarcane fields surprisingly results in an increase in the abundance of Neotropical Sigmodontinae rodents, which might carry hantavirus. By contrast, fire suspension induces a decline in rodents in the first 5 years. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of sugarcane harvest regimes on hantavirus prevalence in wild rodents. Field collections were carried out on a sugarcane production area in Northeast São Paulo, which is responsible for 30% of the ethanol production in Brazil. A few years after pre‐harvest fire suspension, a high prevalence of hantavirus was found in small rodents at lower population density, but apparently higher population growth rate. Differences in life cycle between the rodents and their predators may explain such density patterns, as small rodents can breed twice or even three times each year, whereas their predators usually breed only once a year. Similarly, the temporal dynamics of the predator–prey relationship suggests that hantavirus prevalence is related to small rodent's population growth and not density. OnlyAkodon montensis,Calomys tener, andNecromys lasiuruscontained immunoglobulin G antibodies against the recombinant nucleoprotein ofAraraquara orthohantavirus, a genotype ofAndes orthohantavirus, with no interspecific variation in seroprevalence among these species. However, males presented higher prevalence rate than females, possibly due to a male‐biased dispersal pattern and a higher frequency of antagonistic interactions. Governance measures to mitigate the role of small wild rodents on the emergence of hantavirus in agricultural landscapes dominated by sugarcane plantations should include the use of wildlife‐friendly management techniques (e.g., to mitigate the mortality of the predators of small rodents), human capacity building concerning wildlife‐related conflicts, and multifunctionality of agricultural landscapes. Future studies should prioritize the possible relationship between microhabitat structure and hantavirus prevalence in small rodents in agricultural landscapes dominated by sugarcane fields.

Simulation and economic evaluation of different process alternatives for the fermentation and distillation steps of ethanol production

The intensification of climate change and other phenomena associated with the growing pollution of the planet have increasingly highlighted the need for energy sources that are less harmful to the environment. There is currently a strong trend towards the substitution of non-renewable and highly polluting energy sources, such as petroleum derivatives, by renewable sources, from the use of biomass, for example. Sugarcane is a widely used biomass for ethanol production in Brazil, which is the second largest ethanol producer in the world. Although well established in the country, ethanol production is very complex and process alternatives are continually being developed to make it more efficient. This work aims to simulate the fermentation and distillation stages of the ethanol production process from sugarcane juice, considering both the conventional route and alternative technologies, and compare them through an integrated economic analysis. In the simulations, the yeast growth rate in the fermenter was considered through the creation of a solid pseudocomponent, which is a differential of this work. For fermentation, the conventional route was compared with Low Temperature Fermentation and Vacuum Extractive Fermentation. For distillation, besides the conventional process, Double Effect Distillation was also analyzed. It was concluded that the process designs of Low Temperature Fermentation + Conventional Distillation and Vacuum Extractive Fermentation + Double Effect Distillation are economically advantageous when compared to the conventional one, with annual net profits up to 31.6% higher, showing the possibility of obtaining a more efficient and profitable process, or a reduction of up to 5% in the ethanol price through the implementation of these alternative technologies.

Nitrogen fertilizer consumption and nitrous oxide emissions associated with ethanol production – A national-scale comparison between Brazilian sugarcane and corn in the United States

Globally, Brazil and United States (US) have the large-scale programs of biofuels production. Among other parameters, the feasibility and sustainability of petroleum-based fuels by biofuels replacement depend upon the proper nitrogen (N) fertilizers usage as well as the associated nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions along the production chain. The efficiency of N use also depends on the choice of biofuel crop. Previous studies indicated that sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) requires less N than corn (Zea mays L), thus, the hypothesis tested was that Brazilian sugarcane-based ethanol requires less synthetic N inputs per unit produced than corn-based ethanol in the US. Consequently, ethanol production in Brazil from sugarcane has lower N2O emissions associated with N fertilization than ethanol produced in the US from corn. Here, we reviewed national-scale dataset on sugarcane and corn cultivation in Brazil and US respectively, in order to compare temporal changes in the cultivated area for both crops (devoted for ethanol production), N-fertilizers consumption, and associated emission of N2O in the period 2000–2020. The same parameters were forecasted for the upcoming decade. For both periods, there were calculated two indexes: the N-fertilizer consumption index (the quotient of N-fertilizer input by ethanol production) and the N2O emission index (the quotient of N-fertilizer input by N2O emission). In the period 2000–2020, the devoted area for sugarcane and corn cultivation increased around 43 and 9%, respectively, while the N rates recorded in 2020 for sugarcane in Brazil and corn in the US averaged, respectively, 78 and 167 kg ha−1 N. Moreover, within the 2000–2020 period, the average yield was 74 Mg ha−1 for sugarcane (stalks) in Brazil and 9.6 Mg ha−1 for corn (grain) in the US, which resulted in ethanol yield (in area basis) of 6009 and 4003 L ha−1, respectively. Thus, the N-fertilizer consumption index was much lower for sugarcane-based ethanol than for corn-based ethanol (0.009 versus 0.04 kg N L−1). Through the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emission factor (Tier 1), we estimated that N2O emission is 4.6 times lower for sugarcane-based ethanol than for corn-based ethanol (94 versus 433 mg N2O per L−1). By 2030, ethanol production might reach 45 and 58 billion L in Brazil and within the US, respectively, leading to 0.45 and 2.07 million t of N-fertilizer consumption per year−1 for sugarcane and corn respectively. The outcomes herein endorse the sustainability of sugarcane as a feedstock for ethanol production and may guide stakeholders to establish public policies to enable sugarcane-based ethanol production as one alternative to tackle global warming and climate changes.

Co-digesting sugarcane vinasse and distilled glycerol to enhance bioenergy generation in biofuel-producing plants

Understanding co-digestion technologies from biofuel residues, such as vinasse and glycerol, is an important step in the search for operational improvements in anaerobic systems, enhancing energy recovery through biogas production. This study investigates the methane production from the mesophilic (30 °C) co-digestion of sugarcane vinasse and distilled glycerol from a kinetic perspective. Batch assays were conducted to assess the impacts of different proportions of both co-substrates on methane production. The energetic potentials of the biogas from three scenarios, namely vinasse mono-digestion (VM), glycerol mono-digestion (GM), and vinasse and glycerol co-digestion (VGC) were also investigated based on a micro (single sugarcane biorefinery) and macro (entire Brazilian ethanol production) scales. The highest methane yield (352 NmLCH4 g−1CODrem) was observed in the 1:1 COD-based proportion with 97% of COD removal efficiency. The methane production rate was increased by 39% (169.3 NmLCH4 d−1) and 26% (152.8 NmLCH4 d−1) in reactors fed with 30% and 50% of glycerol, respectively, compared to the mono-digestion of vinasse (121.5 NmLCH4 d−1). On a biorefinery scale approach, the global energetic potential estimated for VGC (32.7 GWh) was 22% higher relative to VM (26.7 GWh) during the harvesting season, whilst extending VGC to the off-season could double VM bioenergy potential. From a global scale perspective, the successful implementation of VGC and GM scenarios in Brazilian sugarcane mills could increase the current bioenergy production from biogas by more than 1500%, meaning an additional electricity supply of 11.7 TWh that could completely replace nuclear power or coal use in Brazil.

Heat transfer evaluation for conventional and extractive ethanol fermentations: Saving cooling water

Ethanol production in Brazil has two major drawbacks, related to the maximum product concentration and control of the process temperature. During the fermentation, yeast metabolism completely ceases when the ethanol concentration reaches 95 g.L−1, while high temperatures increase both the risk of bacterial contamination and the sensitivity of the yeast to ethanol toxicity. In order to address these problems, extractive ethanol fermentation with carbon dioxide stripping offers a way to overcome the toxic effect of ethanol on yeast cell growth, while also avoiding increase of the broth temperature during the fermentation. Although ethanol removal by gas stripping has a positive effect on ethanol volumetric productivity, the application of this technique for economization of cooling water during the ethanol fermentation process requires a technical analysis. Therefore, in the present work, evaluation was made of heat removal from the culture broth during extractive fermentation with ethanol stripping by CO2. First, ethanol fermentations were carried out using a 10-L bench-scale bubble column bioreactor. The mass and energy balances were used to obtain kinetic parameters, with the heat generated during fermentation being close to theoretical values. Extractive batch fermentations were performed using two carbon dioxide specific flow rates (0.5 and 1.0 vvm), resulting in efficient removal of heat from the fermentation broth, as well as reducing cooling water consumption by up to 62.7%. These results were then validated in a pilot-scale (100-L) extractive fed-batch fermentation performed at 1.0 vvm, resulting in a 63.1% reduction of cooling water consumption. In an industrial distillery, this lower consumption of cooling water would allow substantial savings of chemicals needed for cooling water treatment, making the ethanol production process in Brazil more competitive in the near future.

Hydrological impacts of ethanol-driven sugarcane expansion in Brazil

Ethanol production in Brazil is projected to double between 2012 and 2030 in order to meet increased global demand, resulting in the expansion of sugarcane cultivation. Sugarcane expansion drives both direct and indirect land-use changes, and subsequent changes in hydrology may exacerbate problems of (local) water scarcity. This study assesses the impacts of projected ethanol-driven sugarcane expansion on agricultural and hydrological drought in Brazil. Drought due to sugarcane expansion is modelled using a spatial terrestrial hydrological model (PCR-GLOBWB) with spatiotemporally variable land-use change and climate change scenarios as input. We compare an ethanol scenario with increased ethanol demand to a reference situation in which ethanol demand does not increase.The results show that, on average, 29% of the Centre West Cerrado region is projected to experience agricultural drought between 2012 and 2030, and the drought deficit in this region is projected to be 7% higher in the ethanol scenario compared to the reference. The differences between the ethanol and the reference scenario are small when averaged over macro-regions, but can be considerable at a local scale. Differences in agricultural and hydrological drought between the ethanol and reference scenario are most notable in the Centre West Cerrado and Southeast regions. Locally, considerable changes may also occur in other regions, including the Northeast Coast and Northern Amazon region.Because the South East and Centre West Cerrado regions are responsible for a large proportion of agricultural production, increased agricultural drought may result in significant economic losses, while increased hydrological drought could exacerbate existing problems of water supply to large metropolitan areas in these regions. The identification of areas at risk of increased droughts can be important information for policy makers to take precautionary measures to avoid negative hydrological impacts of increased ethanol demand.

Possibilities and Prospects Regarding Ethanol Production from Saccharin Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench

Sugarcane has been used as the principal raw material for ethanol production in Brazil, and its adaptability to the country's soil and climate represents an advantage. However, because of the high demand for fuel, coupled with the low production of off-season ethanol from sugarcane, it is necessary to search for other raw materials, such as sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. In addition to possessing characteristics similar to those of sugarcane, it can be cultivated in the off-season, thereby ensuring ethanol production throughout the year. This production would boost the regional economy, which is based on ethanol production from sugarcane. The present study proposes the establishment of an industry for the production of ethanol from saccharin sorghum to be implemented in the region of Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil. The estimated production of the industry proposed is 500,000 tons of saccharin sorghum per crop. Considering the consumption of approximately 202.25 tons/h, the production of 20 million liters of ethanol could be obtained at the end of the harvest. The company will have a staff of 300 employees, and the implementation at the productive, commercial, safety and environmental levels has been planned in accordance with the appropriate regulations related to the type of industry proposed.

Identifying suitable areas for expanding sugarcane ethanol production in Brazil under conservation of environmentally relevant habitats

Biofuels are predicted to constitute a large proportion of fuel consumption in the global transport sector under stringent climate mitigation polices in future. In Brazil, sugarcane ethanol has been widely deployed at large scale and an oriented expansion of sugarcane is considered to be a key measure to ensure the expected positive outcomes from biofuels. In this study, more recent and accurate georeferenced information were combined with an enhanced land use classification system to update the original Sugarcane Agroecological Zoning (SAEZ). We also excluded environmentally relevant areas ( ERA ) in our updated SAEZ to create a new set of reference maps for supporting future prioritization of areas for sugarcane ethanol expansion. We mapped 41.7 Mha as suitable land for sugarcane expansion in center-south region of Brazil, differently from the 50 Mha indicated in the original SAEZ. After excluding the ERA, 33.7 Mha was found to be suitable for sugarcane expansion, of which 20 Mha is currently occupied with pasture lands. About half of these areas were located in Mato Grosso do Sul and Minas Gerais states and an exploratory assessment of two microregions from these states demonstrated the importance of conducting regional assessments to prioritize the areas for a more sustainable sugarcane expansion to meet future bioenergy demands. • Our analysis identified an area 17% smaller than original agro-ecological zoning suitable for sugarcane expansion. • By excluding environmentally relevant areas, the total suitable area for sugarcane expansion is reduced to 33.7 Mha. • About two thirds of that area is currently occupied with pasture lands. • About half of suitable areas occupied with pasture lands are in two Brazilian states. • Local conditions are fundamental for oriented expansion of bioenergy production.

The composition of sacarine substrates for ethanol production and the fermentative capacity Saccharomyces cerevisiae Pedra-2

The production of ethanol in Brazil is based on sugarcane juice, however other biomasses can be used for this process, such as sweet sorghum. However, some nutrients can interfere with fermentation, such as the presence of metals, carbon and nitrogen sources, which can affect the fermentation capacity of yeasts. Thus, this study aims to analyze the presence of fundamental nutrients present in saccharine substrates, as well as their assimilation and conversion of ethanol by the yeast Pedra-2. Samples of sugarcane and sorghum juice were obtained, in which analysis of the presence of metals was carried out using acid digestion and the levels determined by atomic flame absorption spectroscopy. The amino acid analysis was performed on the saccharine substrates at a concentration of 22 ºBrix, before and after fermentation, and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and the concentration of ethanol by gas chromatography. The sorghum broth showed higher amounts of available amino acid metals. The yeast Pedra-2 showed better fermentative performance in the sorghum broth. We can conclude that the sorghum broth represents an important substrate to be used to increase the sustainability and production of ethanol in Brazil.

Physiological characterization of a new thermotolerant yeast strain isolated during Brazilian ethanol production, and its application in high-temperature fermentation

BackgroundThe use of thermotolerant yeast strains can improve the efficiency of ethanol fermentation, allowing fermentation to occur at temperatures higher than 40 °C. This characteristic could benefit traditional bio-ethanol production and allow simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) of starch or lignocellulosic biomass.ResultsWe identified and characterized the physiology of a new thermotolerant strain (LBGA-01) able to ferment at 40 °C, which is more resistant to stressors as sucrose, furfural and ethanol than CAT-1 industrial strain. Furthermore, this strain showed similar CAT-1 resistance to acetic acid and lactic acid, and it was also able to change the pattern of genes involved in sucrose assimilation (SUC2 and AGT1). Genes related to the production of proteins involved in secondary products of fermentation were also differentially regulated at 40 °C, with reduced expression of genes involved in the formation of glycerol (GPD2), acetate (ALD6 and ALD4), and acetyl-coenzyme A synthetase 2 (ACS2). Fermentation tests using chemostats showed that LBGA-01 had an excellent performance in ethanol production in high temperature.ConclusionThe thermotolerant LBGA-01 strain modulates the production of key genes, changing metabolic pathways during high-temperature fermentation, and increasing its resistance to high concentration of ethanol, sugar, lactic acid, acetic acid, and furfural. Results indicate that this strain can be used to improve first- and second-generation ethanol production in Brazil.

Aptitude of areas planned for sugarcane cultivation expansion in the state of São Paulo, Brazil: a study based on climate change effects

The adverse climate change effects motivate searches for renewable energy sources. Among them, ethanol from sugarcane stands out. Currently, the state of São Paulo is responsible for more than half of Brazilian ethanol production. Considering the increasing demand for ethanol in the future, the influence of climate change effects on cultivation should be assessed. To identify areas suitable for expansion, the Brazilian government carried out the Sugarcane Agroecological Zoning (AEZ-Sugarcane); however, it did not consider future scenarios of climate change. In this context, this work aimed to model the sugarcane expansion in São Paulo in the years 2041 and 2060 to map low-risk areas based on climate change scenarios, in addition to comparing the expansion areas from the model with suitable AEZ-Sugarcane areas. Additionally, this work aimed to analyze recommended expansion areas by AEZ-Sugarcane according to future climate suitability. Sugarcane cultivation registers a massive expansion trend of 123% and 145% in the years 2041 and 2060, respectively, more prominent for the West, Northwest and North regions. In the years 2041 and 2060, the amount of expansion areas mapped in this study coinciding with those recommended by the AEZ-Sugarcane are 74% and 71% of the total modeled. Although in 2041-2060 all states are classified as low climate risk according to the AEZ-Sugarcane adopted methodology, it is estimated that 45% and 3% areas classified as suitable by AEZ-Sugarcane will require rescue irrigation, considering each of the two future scenarios studied.

Challenges and Prospects of Biogas from Energy Cane as Supplement to Bioethanol Production

Innovative breeds of sugar cane yield up to 2.5 times as much organic matter as conventional breeds, resulting in a great potential for biogas production. The use of biogas production as a complementary solution to conventional and second-generation ethanol production in Brazil may increase the energy produced per hectare in the sugarcane sector. Herein, it was demonstrated that through ensiling, energy cane can be conserved for six months; the stored cane can then be fed into a continuous biogas process. This approach is necessary to achieve year-round biogas production at an industrial scale. Batch tests revealed specific biogas potentials between 400 and 600 LN/kgVS for both the ensiled and non-ensiled energy cane, and the specific biogas potential of a continuous biogas process fed with ensiled energy cane was in the same range. Peak biogas losses through ensiling of up to 27% after six months were observed. Finally, compared with second-generation ethanol production using energy cane, the results indicated that biogas production from energy cane may lead to higher energy yields per hectare, with an average energy yield of up to 162 MWh/ha. Finally, the Farm2CBG concept is introduced, showing an approach for decentralized biogas production.

Biodiversity Impacts of Increased Ethanol Production in Brazil

Growing domestic and international ethanol demand is expected to result in increased sugarcane cultivation in Brazil. Sugarcane expansion currently results in land-use changes mainly in the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes, two severely threatened biodiversity hotspots. This study quantifies potential biodiversity impacts of increased ethanol demand in Brazil in a spatially explicit manner. We project changes in potential total, threatened, endemic, and range-restricted mammals’ species richness up to 2030. Decreased potential species richness due to increased ethanol demand in 2030 was projected for about 19,000 km2 in the Cerrado, 17,000 km2 in the Atlantic Forest, and 7000 km2 in the Pantanal. In the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest, the biodiversity impacts of sugarcane expansion were mainly due to direct land-use change; in the Pantanal, they were largely due to indirect land-use change. The biodiversity impact of increased ethanol demand was projected to be smaller than the impact of other drivers of land-use change. This study provides a first indication of biodiversity impacts related to increased ethanol production in Brazil, which is useful for policy makers and ethanol producers aiming to mitigate impacts. Future research should assess the impact of potential mitigation options, such as nature protection, agroforestry, or agricultural intensification.

Pollutant gas and particulate material emissions in ethanol production in Brazil: social and environmental impacts.

The replacement of fossil-based fuels by renewable fuels (biofuels) was proposed in the IPCC report, as an alternative to reduce greenhouse gas emission and reach out to a low-carbon economy. On this perspective, the Brazilian government had implemented a renewable energy program based on the use of ethanol in the transport sector. This work evaluates the scenario of pollutant gas emissions and particulate material that comes from the biomass burning process involved in ethanol production cycle, in the city of Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil. The gases and particulate material emitted by sugarcane and bagasse burning processes-the last one in energy co-generation mills-were analyzed. A laboratory-controlled burning of both samples was realized in an oven with temperature ramp from 250 to 400 °C, at a regular rate of 50 °C. The gas samples were collected directly from the oven's exhaust pipe. The particulates obtained were the residual material taken out of the burned samples: a powder with the aspect of soot. A photoacoustic spectroscopy system coupled with quantum cascade laser and electrochemical analyzers was used to measure the emission of polluting gases such as N2O, CO2, CO, NOx (NO, NO2), and SO2 in ppmv range. Fluorescent X-ray spectrometry was applied to evaluate the chemical composition of particulate material, enabling the identification of elements such as Si, Al, Ca, K, Fe, S, P, Ti, Mn, Cu, Zn, Sc, V, Cu, and Sr.

Environmental impacts of industrial ethanol production in Brazil: a life cycle analysis assessment with research data inventory

Biofuels are a rich source of energy for the world. First-generation (1G) ethanol has been used for decades, and the potential of second-generation (2G) lignocellulosic ethanol has already been recognised. Now, the productivity of third-generation (3G) ethanol derived from algae is predicted to be ten times higher than current levels. This study aims to measure how future generations of ethanol will impact industrial processes in Brazil up to the year 2050. It analyses the industrialisation of 1G, 2G, and 3G ethanol and uses the life cycle assessment (LCA). The results of this study show that the industrialisation of ethanol generates acidification, primarily when fermentation produces sulphuric acid in the integrated system of 1G and 2G. Even greater discharges are observed in 3G during an esterification process generated by the glycerine. A general assessment of the landscape indicates that processes adopting thermochemical technological routes have more positive contribution.