Bioethanol: A Sustainable Alternative to Oil in the Transportation Sector

摘要

Today, transportation relies almost entirely on oil-based fuels and about 30% of the world's fossil fuel consumption is related to transports. The reduction of fossil energy reserves and the associated environmental impact are the two main reasons that lead to consider the use of alternative fuels in transportation. Fuels derived from biomass, also referred to as biofuels, are not only potentially renewable, but are also sufficiently similar to fossil fuels to provide direct substitution. It seems also to be the only realistic alternative to fossil fuel in the short term. This article focuses on the potential of bioethanol as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels in terms of non-renewable energy use as well as reduction of carbon emissions.