Bioethanol: A Sustainable Alternative to Fossil Fuels Fossil fuels are limited, leading to high import costs and environmental pollution. To reduce dependency on other countries and minimize pollution, bioethanol is being explored as an alternative fuel source. It is produced from cellulose-rich biomass through hydrolysis and fermentation by yeast. Bioethanol can be used directly as fuel or blended with petrol for vehicles and industries, reducing the use of crude oil.
Challenges in Bioethanol Production The production cost of bioethanol is a major challenge due to energy-intensive processes like milling, pre-treatment, and distillation. Vehicle engines need modification for higher percentages of bioethanol usage. However, innovations such as flex-fuel engines that can utilize various fuels are being developed along with biotechnological methods to reduce lignin content in raw materials.