Bioethanol

Bioethanol is obtained on an industrial scale from cereal fermentation, after enzyme hydrolysis and a distillation process which eliminates volatile impurities generated during the process, followed by another dehydration process which helps eliminate excess water from distillation. Under these conditions, bioethanol is directly blended with gasoline in a proportion of up to 85 % (e85), being a renewable substitute for gasoline.

Abengoa Bioenergia Brasil obtains bioethanol from sugar cane juice fermentation collected after sugar cane grinding and subsequent distillation. Bagasse, the fuel of the power generation system, is separated during grinding, and vinasse, used as fertilizer in sugar cane plantations, is separated during fermentation.

Its main advantages compared to fossil fuels are as follows:

• Renewable origin.
• Biodegradable.
• Greater independence from oil imports; its use contributes to increasing autonomy and energy diversification.
• Cleaner fuel in polluting emissions such as sulfur oxide and particles.
• Contributes to growth of local economies and income redistribution, creating jobs in rural areas.
• Reduction of GHG emissions which overheat the earth’s surface and accelerate climate change.
• Easy to obtain and store.

The bioethanol supplied by Abengoa Bioenergy to its clients in Europe meets the strict sustainability standards required under European Directives thanks to implementation in the supply chain of its own Voluntary Certification System, already approved by the EU Commission, called RBSA, or by complying with the specific requirements of some members states, such as Germany under BioOrdinance certification.