In 2013, the world production of ethanol was about 23.4 billion gallons.
However, because of a global increase in fuel consumption, an increase in bioethanol
production is necessary. The search for new energy sources increased the attention on
biomass; now it is used directly for energy cogeneration by combustion and for the
production of new fuels such as cellulosic ethanol or lignocellulosic ethanol, also called
second-generation (2G) ethanol. Bioethanol production employing renewable sources is
increasingly in demand worldwide because of the continuous depletion of fossil fuels,
economic and political crises, and growing environmental safety concerns. Brazil and
USA are the two largest producers and exporters of ethanol in the world. Nevertheless,
other countries including China, India, Canada, Japan, Colombia, and Argentina have
assumed featured positions in global fuel ethanol production. Therefore, this new world
order may result in the development of an industrially suitable production strategy that
will solve our energy crisis by producing more ethanol sustainably.
Keywords: 2-G ethanol, Biodiesel, Bioenergy production, Bioethanol, Biofuels,
Biorefinery, Biotechnology, Cellulase production, Cellulosic ethanol,
Environmental impacts, Fermentation, Fuels and energy, Fungal biotechnology,
Genetic engineering, Global energy, Hydrolytic enzymes, Liquid biofuels,
Sugarcane, Worldwide production.
