3.2 Biochemical Conversion Technologies
89
on the cell plasma membrane and changes the permeability of essential nutrients
entering the cell, which leads to inefficient growth and low conversion of bioethanol
[97, 107].
3.2.3.8 Industrial Applications of Fermentation
In 2007, the annual world bioethanol production was 13.0 billion gallons, which
increased to 25.6 billion gallons in 2015 and it is expected to increase constantly in
the future [96, 109]. USA and Brazil are the two major bioethanol producers with 14.7
and 7.1 billion gallons of ethanol per year, respectively, followed by the European
Union and China [96, 109]. Currently, about 40% of the global bioethanol production
is from sugar cane and sugar beet and nearly 60% is from the feedstock containing
starch [96, 109]. Most of the bioethanol produced in Europe are from grains (mostly
wheat) and those produced in China are from wheat, sweet sorghum and cassava
[96]. As previously described, sugar- and starch-derived bioethanol is defined as
the first-generation biofuel, which is not only costly due to the high price of sugar
and starch feedstock, but also criticized due to the food vs. fuel dilemma. To achieve
competitive costs and increased production, cheap feedstocks such as lignocellulosic
biomass (crop/forestry residues) or MSW are required. Lignocellulosic biomass is
considered as a promising feedstock for bioethanol production due to its abundance
and low cost [109]. The bioethanol produced from lignocellulosic biomass is called
cellulosic ethanol, and several cellulosic ethanol pilot and demonstration plants have
started operations for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable
sugars and bioethanol [96, 109]. In 2012, Beta Renewables Company in Italy started
the production of cellulosic ethanol as the first industrial bioethanol plant in the
world. In 2015, the capacity of the plant was 40 MMGY (million gallons per year)
and it was operated on a daily basis. It is currently the world’s largest advanced
biofuels refinery and its shareholders are BioChemtex, a company of the Mossi
& Ghisolfi Group (M&G), TPG Capital and Novozymes [109]. DuPont was the
next company to establish a 30 MMGY cellulosic ethanol plant located in Nevada,
USA, but in 2017 DuPont sold its cellulosic biofuels and bioethanol production
plants to VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG, a German company that produces
renewable natural gas [109]. In 2014, Razien and GranBio started their cellulosic
ethanol plants in Brazil with 40 and 20 MMGY capacities, respectively. However, the
Razien Company recently announced a reduction in the investments to the cellulosic
ethanol plants due to low gasoline prices. The GranBio Company also faced some
technical difficulties and suspended its cellulosic ethanol plant operation in 2016
but resumed it in 2019. In Slovakia, the Enviral Company set up a commercial-scale
plant in 2017 for bioethanol production from agricultural residues using the Clariant’s
sunliquid technology and is going to have a 15 MMGY annual production capacity.
The POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels in Iowa, USA, started its Project Liberty facility
in 2014 with 25 MMGY capacity. They announced the construction of an on-site
enzyme manufacturing facility in 2017 [109].
89
on the cell plasma membrane and changes the permeability of essential nutrients
entering the cell, which leads to inefficient growth and low conversion of bioethanol
[97, 107].
3.2.3.8 Industrial Applications of Fermentation
In 2007, the annual world bioethanol production was 13.0 billion gallons, which
increased to 25.6 billion gallons in 2015 and it is expected to increase constantly in
the future [96, 109]. USA and Brazil are the two major bioethanol producers with 14.7
and 7.1 billion gallons of ethanol per year, respectively, followed by the European
Union and China [96, 109]. Currently, about 40% of the global bioethanol production
is from sugar cane and sugar beet and nearly 60% is from the feedstock containing
starch [96, 109]. Most of the bioethanol produced in Europe are from grains (mostly
wheat) and those produced in China are from wheat, sweet sorghum and cassava
[96]. As previously described, sugar- and starch-derived bioethanol is defined as
the first-generation biofuel, which is not only costly due to the high price of sugar
and starch feedstock, but also criticized due to the food vs. fuel dilemma. To achieve
competitive costs and increased production, cheap feedstocks such as lignocellulosic
biomass (crop/forestry residues) or MSW are required. Lignocellulosic biomass is
considered as a promising feedstock for bioethanol production due to its abundance
and low cost [109]. The bioethanol produced from lignocellulosic biomass is called
cellulosic ethanol, and several cellulosic ethanol pilot and demonstration plants have
started operations for the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into fermentable
sugars and bioethanol [96, 109]. In 2012, Beta Renewables Company in Italy started
the production of cellulosic ethanol as the first industrial bioethanol plant in the
world. In 2015, the capacity of the plant was 40 MMGY (million gallons per year)
and it was operated on a daily basis. It is currently the world’s largest advanced
biofuels refinery and its shareholders are BioChemtex, a company of the Mossi
& Ghisolfi Group (M&G), TPG Capital and Novozymes [109]. DuPont was the
next company to establish a 30 MMGY cellulosic ethanol plant located in Nevada,
USA, but in 2017 DuPont sold its cellulosic biofuels and bioethanol production
plants to VERBIO Vereinigte BioEnergie AG, a German company that produces
renewable natural gas [109]. In 2014, Razien and GranBio started their cellulosic
ethanol plants in Brazil with 40 and 20 MMGY capacities, respectively. However, the
Razien Company recently announced a reduction in the investments to the cellulosic
ethanol plants due to low gasoline prices. The GranBio Company also faced some
technical difficulties and suspended its cellulosic ethanol plant operation in 2016
but resumed it in 2019. In Slovakia, the Enviral Company set up a commercial-scale
plant in 2017 for bioethanol production from agricultural residues using the Clariant’s
sunliquid technology and is going to have a 15 MMGY annual production capacity.
The POET-DSM Advanced Biofuels in Iowa, USA, started its Project Liberty facility
in 2014 with 25 MMGY capacity. They announced the construction of an on-site
enzyme manufacturing facility in 2017 [109].