Feasibility study of energy crop bioethanol production using new crops for utilization as transport fuel. Environmental and socioeconomic studies of the life cycle of all the biofuels

J. Montes P.R. Castelló M.A. Sanz-Bobi L. Mochón R. Chamochín B. Ruiz

June 2006 - June 2007

Funding entity Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia

Participated by Ciemat, Abengoa, UPM, CSIC, otros

The project has two subprojects. The main goal of the first project is to prove the feasibility of producing bioethanol from a new crop. New agroenergetical crops are going to be tested in order to reduce the cost of the ethanol production as well as the energy balance and environmental impact. The control of the fermentation process is going to be improved in order to increase the efficiency of the production. The bioethanol is going to be mixed with diesel oil in order to test to its combustion characteristics in a captive bus fleet. A new catalyst has been developed in order to use bioethanol as fuel in future fuel cells.
In the second project, the life cycle analysis of all the biofuels obtained in Spain will allow to compare their environmental and socioeconomics impacts as well as the energy balance and cost production.

Research topics:
• *Energy systems: Heat transfer, Fluid dynamics, Thermoelectricity, Hydraulic and thermal machines, Energy efficiency and savings

AGROBIHOL 2006