Ethanol: Facts & Basics

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Written by Sabrina Deparine

Monday, 13 July 2009 11:40

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Is fuel ethanol the same as the ordinary ethanol?

Fuel ethanol is a type of ethyl alcohol produced from the fermentation of grains and other feedstocks. This is different from the ordinary ethanol because fuel ethanol is denatured with 5% gasoline. In short, people cannot consume it. To date, ethanol in the Philippines is produced mainly from sugarcane although there are also other feedstocks available like biomass.

Ethanol: Facts & Basics

How is ethanol produced?

The process of producing ethanol is basically the same across all feedstock. By far, the only difference lies in the pre-treatment of feedstock. The feedstock is grounded and cooked in a mash in order to convert the starch content to sugar. This is then fermented and distilled to produce pure ethanol.

What are the properties of ethanol that make it an ideal fuel?

Ethanol has numerous properties that make it an ideal alternative fuel. Some of these properties include:

•    It is non-toxic.
•    It is biodegradable.
•    It is water-soluble.
•    It has high octane rating.
•    Ethanol contains oxygen and is heavier than gas.
•    It contains at least 72% of the energy content of regular gasoline.
•    Unlike regular gasoline, ethanol conducts electricity.

Does ethanol consume more energy than it produces?

No. On the contrary, ethanol produces more energy than the amount of energy it consumes because ethanol has a positive energy balance. This is unlike regular gasoline which has a negative energy balance. Regular gasoline tends to consume more energy than it produces.

Based on a study conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture, it was shown that:

	Energy In	Energy Out
Ethanol	0.74	1
Regular Gasoline	1.23	1

The net energy balance in ethanol production is 1.67 to 1.1. Translating this data, it means that for every 100 BTU of energy consumed in producing ethanol, 167 BTU of output energy in the ethanol is produced. The energy input takes into consideration the energy required to plant, grow, and harvest the feedstock as well as the energy needed to produce and distribute the ethanol end product.

A lot of articles say that the production and use of ethanol fuel causes food prices to increase, is this true?

No. Actually, the changes in the prices of food products are not directly related to the production and use of ethanol fuel. In fact, the fluctuating prices of petroleum products in the world market have more effects on food prices than the production of ethanol. There are several studies which show that the huge increases in the prices of petroleum products have prompted a corresponding increase in food prices. The recent increases in oil prices have resulted to thrice food price impact compared to those of biofuels.

In some countries like the United States where the main feedstock is corn, the ethanol is made from field corn. This is not the same corn as those consumed by people. As such, the use of the corn feedstock in ethanol production does not have substantial impact on food prices.

In the Philippines where the major feedstock used is sugarcane, only those sugarcane areas equivalent to surplus production are utilized for ethanol production. As such, this does not have any significant effects on the food prices.