Global potential of bioethanol production from biowaste

Abstract

Circular economy and waste-to-resource technologies play a key role in the search for sustainable development and in the fight against global warming. The main objective of this thesis was to study the global potential for the production of a green biofuel, specifically bioethanol from biowaste. For this purpose, the different available routes for bioethanol production were analysed along with the current production capacity and uses. The different sources of biowaste that could be used for the production of second-generation bioethanol were allocated, and an estimation of the availability of these wastes was performed in order to assess the potential production capacity. Moreover, Life Cycle Assessment of first- (1G) and second-generation (2G) bioethanol and oilderived fuels was performed, allowing us the quantification of the benefits of 2G generation bioethanol in terms of environmental impact in comparison to the alternatives mentioned. A brief economic analysis was also included to check the viability of this technology. It was estimated that about 325,847,039-763,688,076 tonnes of 2G bioethanol could be produced per year using biowaste as feedstock. It would allow to satisfy the current global ethanol demand and to meet the future goals in terms of green fuels usage. Furthermore, it was observed that using 2G bioethanol instead of oil-based fuels would allow to reduce greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions up to 40%.