How is Bioethanol produced?

Bioethanol is produced from sugarcane and consequently is 100% organic and renewable. Bioethanol produced from starch crops such as sugar cane is known as 1st Generation biofuels. At a very basic level, the process of production can be broken down into 5 stages:

1. Growth

The sugar cane is planted in the fields and farmed in order to reach maturity. Frequently fertilizers are applied in order to maximise size and speed. Once ready, the cane is harvested ready for production.

2. Milling

The crop is broken down via either mechanical or chemical processes in order to break apart the fibre structure and increase the surface area of the biomass. The waste product produced at this stage is known as the bagasse and can be burned to produce energy.

3. Hydrolysis

Through heat and enzymes, the sugarcane is further broken down from complex carbohydrates into simple sugars that can be fermented at the next stage.

4. Fermentation

The biomass is then placed in large vats that allow from oxygen is get in and carbon dioxide to escape. The yeast is added to the mixture and fermented produce the ethanol for between 4 and 12 hours.

5. Purification

The ethanol is distilled to remove the excess water and increase its concentrationbefore going through multiple chemical and pyshical processes in order to make sure that the product is as pure as possible