(Global Business) It may be surprising to know that, strictly speaking, there is no such thing as “cellulosic ethanol”. Instead, there is cellulosic “sugars”. That because it is often forgotten that the cellulosic process (also called “2nd generation”) creates sugars, not ethanol. And that the process that will ultimately create the ethanol is still the old fashioned fermentation method also used with 1st generation ethanol.
In fact, any cellulosic ethanol project is based on a three-legged stool: Feedstock, Techniques, and Enzymes. Yet, this is often forgotten and only one leg is mentioned. The end result is that often the ethanol produced is more expensive than the one produced from traditional 1st generation methods, or in limited amounts, or in extreme cases in no amount whatsoever.
Thus, a holistic approach is needed, where the 3 “legs” are thoroughly studied and joined together into a system which fits together and is financially sustainable.
In this short paper we will study those. READ MORE
