LIFECYCLE ANALYSIS FINDS CELLULOSIC ETHANOL REDUCES GHG EMISSIONS

摘要

Globally, bioethanol is the largest volume biofuel used in the transportation sector, with corn based ethanol production occurring mostly in the United States (U.S.) and sugarcane based ethanol production occurring mostly in Brazil. Advances in technology and the resulting improved productivity in corn and sugarcane farming and ethanol conversion, together with biofuel policies, have contributed to the significant expansion of ethanol production in the past 20 years. The production of corn ethanol in the U.S. has increased to more than 52 billion liters since the beginning of the federal ethanol program in 1980. The increase after 2007, the year the Energy Independence and Security Act came into effect, is remarkable.