What the bioethanol is?
Bioethanol (also called anhydrous alcohol) is a high-octane biofuel, produced using the technology of alcoholic fermentation of biomass - traditionally from plants containing a large amount of starch (corn, cereals, potatoes) or saccharides (sugarcane or sugar beet). For the production of bioethanol in Enviral, corn grown mostly in Slovakia is used as the raw material. Through this consumption we decrease the dependence of Slovak economy on fossile fuel imports and we support the employment in the Slovak agricultural sector. The annual consumption of corn is 360,000 - 370 000 tons. The byproduct of ethanol production is called DDGS, which is used as animal feed, and corn oil, used as raw material for biodiesel production.
Bioethanol or its derivatives are currently utilized as an addition to conventional mineral fuels, resulting in the reduction of production costs of the fuel, increase of its octane number and overall quality. At the same time CO2 emissions from the fossiel fuel production are decreased.
What is the principle of bioethanol production?
What was the development of bioethanol utilization?
Bioethanol was one of the first fuels ever used in automobile engines. In larger volumes it was used during the Second World War in Germany, Brazil, the Philippines and the United States. After the war crude oil products became more affordable. Still, it was only a matter of time when fossile fuels would begin to be substituted by bioethanol. The change started in the seventies (oil crises), when the deliveries of crude oil were limited. Bioethanol production came to the fore again and attained the status of viable fuel substitute. Nowadays we can consider bioethanol to be a full-fledged alternative fuel.
What is the advantage of bioethanol?
- renewable source of energy
- possitively influences the reduction of air pollution
- Energy safety - it decreases the dependence of a country on crude oil imports
- its production enlarges the market for agricultural products
- thanks to it the resulting fuel mixture has high octane rating at relatively low cost
- pure bioethanol can fully substitute conventional fuel in adjusted engines, as an addition to gasoline (up to 10%) it can be used in non-adjusted engines
What volumes of raw material are needed to produce 1000 liters of bioethanol? /at an average content of starch and sugar/
Corn approx. 2.380 kg
Wheat approx. 2.630 kg
Segar beet approx. 10.000 kg
Sugar cane approx. 13.000 kg
Does the Slovak government support the utilization of bioethanol as an alternative fuel in transport?
The Slovak government supports the development of production and utilization of bioethanol via legislative norms, setting the required minimum content of biocomponent in fuels, which are sold within Slovakia. These regulations are derived from EU legislation, which also supports the development and utilization of biofuels.
