Bajopas Volume 2 Number 2 December, 2009 Bayero Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences, 2(2): 49 - 52 Received: March, 2009 Accepted: August, 2009

FUTURE PROSPECTS FOR ETHANOL FUEL USE - A REVIEW *Garba Ahmed, Sulaiman Abubakar and Nasir Maaruf Ahmed Department of General Studies, Jigawa State College of Agriculture, P.M.B. 013 Hadejia *Correspondence author ABSTRACT CountriesinspiredbyadesiretoreducegreenhousegasemissionsinordertomeettheirKyoto Protocol targets, have turned to ethanol fuels as a cheap and proven alternative to reduce vehicular emissions.PoliticalinstabilityintheMiddleEasthasfurthermotivatedcountriestodeveloptheir own fuel supply to ensure the security of supply and promote internal economic growth. The use of fuelethanolhasattractedconsiderablenegativepressandpubliccommentsintheearlypartof 2000s.Becauseoftheimportanceofethanolfuelasalternativetopetrol,thisreviewpresents discussionsoutliningthevariousbenefitsandcostsofusingfuelethanolwiththeobjectiveof highlightingthefutureprospectsofitsusetoreducegreenhousegasemissions,providecheap energy source for vehicles and also provide income to farmers producing bio-ethanol. Key words: ethanol fuel, future prospects, conflicting needs INTRODUCTION Ethanolisthemostcommonbiofuelworldwide.Itis analcoholfuelproducedbyfermentationofsugars derived from wheat, corn, sugar beet and sugar cane. The production methods used are enzymatic digestion (toreleasesugarsfromstoredstarchese.g.from wheatandcorn),fermentationofthesugars, distillation,dehydrationanddrying.Ethanolcanbe used in petrol engines as a replacement for gasoline, andcanalsomixwithgasolinetoanypercentage such as 10 %( containing 90% petrol). Inthepastfewyears,theprospectsfor ethanolfuel usehavegrownaroundtheworld.Once confinedtoafewspecializedcountries,ethanol production and consumption have begun to spread to allcorners of theglobe. Currently producedfrom the starchorsugarinawidevarietyofcrops,thereis somedebateabouttheviabilityofbio-ethanolasa replacementforfossilfuels.Publicconcernsinclude thelargeamountofarablelandrequiredforcrops, andtheenergy/pollutionbalanceoftheethanol production cycle. While cellulosic ethanol research and developmentpromisestoallaythoseconcerns,most analystsagreethatlarge-scaleproductionisnot expected in the near future. Brazil, the pioneer of the modern ethanol fuel industry in the 1970s, still remains both the dominant producer andconsumerofethanolfuels,thoughinrecent years,theindustryhasgrowndramaticallyinthe UnitedStates,Europe,Africa,andAsia.In2002,the global ethanol consumption reached 38.3 billion litres andisprojectedtoexceed41.3billionlitresby 2005(GobiInternational,2003).Thecurrenttrendin fuel ethanol production and consumption has reached over50billionlitresandhasbecomeslightlysteady asarecentsharpdropinpetrolprice(Gobi International, 2008). This volume is still tremendously small(1%)intermsoftransportfuelshowever,as worldwideoilconsumptionin2002exceeded4,000 billion litres (AP Energy Business Publication, 2003). Ethanol Production PoliciesTherehavebeenanumberofdifferentpolicy strategiesundertakenbygovernmentswishingto develop a domestic ethanol fuels programme. Ethanol fuelsaremostcommonlyintroducedintothefuel marketthroughblendswithgasoline.Manycountries havemandatedblendsofacertainpercentagein domesticgasolinesupplies.InBrazil,withthemost highlydevelopedethanolfuelpro-gramme,gasoline suppliescontainupto25%ethanol.In2003,both IndiaandChinaunveiledregionalpilotprogrammes withtheeventualgoalofintroducing10%blends throughouttheirdomesticgasolinesupplies.While thesepoliciesdontnecessarilymandatetheuseof ethanol. Ethanol Use Policies Ethanolanditssubstituentethyl-tertiary-butylether (ETBE)arethemostviablereplacementsformethyl-tertiary-butyl-ether,(MTBE),anoctaneenhancerin gasoline.SeventeenstatesintheUnitedStateshave bannedorseverelylimitedtheuseMTBEandthe federalgovernmentiscurrentlyconsideringa nationwideban,inthehopesofintroducing renewablefuelstothecountrystransportsector. ThusabanonMTBEgivesethanolalmostcomplete controlovertheoxygenatemarket.Othercountries havepursuedarenewablefuelsstandard(RFS)that specifiesavolumeofethanoltobeusedin transportationfuelsatsomepointinthefuture.The UnitedStatesCongressiscurrentlydebatingaRFS thatwouldincreasedomesticethanolusefrom9.5 billion litres in 2002 to 19 billion by 2012. In 2001, the EuropeanUnionestablishedgoalsforthepercentage ofmemberstatesfuelstobebio-basedby2020, aimingfor20%biofuelsbythattime(Yacobucciand Womach 2002). Still other countries have pursued tax breaksandsubsidiesforethanolfuelproductionand use. 49Bajopas Volume 2 Number 2 December, 2009 In2001,theEuropeanUnionissuedadirectiveto allowmemberstatestoadjusttheirexcisetax structures in order to favour the use of fuels ethanol. In2002,IndiareviseditsSugarDevelopmentFund Acttoallowthegovernmenttogiveconcessionary loanstosugarmillstryingtoupgradetheirethanol productioncapabilities.Subsidiesareinplaceto reducethecostofethanolfuelstoconsumersinthe United States, Australia, and many others. Ethanol Technologies and Trade Thefutureofethanolfuelsappearstobebright,as countriesaroundtheworldhavebeguntopursue aggressiveethanolstrategiesinrecentyears.Oneof theissuessurroundingthefutureofethanolcomes fromtheprospectofinternationaltradeinethanol. While one of the major justifications for ethanol fuels seemstobeadesiretomaintainasecuredomestic supply,importationofethanolcouldprovidethefuel tomanycountriesatagreatlyreducedcostandon theotherhanditensurepoorfoodcropsyieldsas farmers turned to produce fuel crops . However, most countrieshavehighimportationtariffsonethanolto makeimportedfueluncompetitivewiththedomestic supply.IntheUnitedStates,thereis54centsper gallontariffthatprotectsethanolsuppliersinthe Midwest statesbenefit from cheaper ethanolsupplies thatcouldbeimportedfromBrazilorelsewherein South America (MacDonald, 2003). One of the beauties of loosening these trade restrictions on ethanol is that this will allow developed countries,whoareunabletoproduceethanolas cheaplyasmanyequatorialdevelopingcountriesto obtain the fuels at a reduced cost, while providing for economicdevelopmenttocountriesthatdesperately seekit.Furthermore,thespreadofethanoltrade allowsthetransferoftechnologiesfromexperienced ethanolproducerstofledglingprogramsinother countries.Forexample,aBrazilianethanolcompany announcedin2002thatitwouldinstallanethanol refineryinPortugaltohelp,backtheEUspolicyof promotingcleanfuels(RenewableEnergyReport, 2003). Developmentsinethanolfueltechnologies arealsolikelytoreducecostsandmakeethanolan increasinglyattractiveoptiontoconsumersand governments.In2003,Volkswagenreleaseditsfirst flex-fuelvehicle,capableofrunningonfuelwithany blendofethanolandgasoline.Researchinto production of ethanol from cellulose-based feedstocks couldallowproducerstoextractethanolfromcorn stalks,sugarcaneleaves,andotherformsoforganic waste.Thesetechnologiesarelikelytoreduce feedstockcosts,whichcouldmakeethanolfuels considerablymoreaffordable,especiallyindeveloped countries.DediniSA,aBrazilianethanol-engineering firm,announcedinJune2003thatithaddeveloped suchtechnologiestoextractethanolfromsugarcane leaves in addition to cane juice. It estimates that this technologycoulddoubletheamountofethanol produced per hectare of sugarcane (Knights, 2003). Benefits to be Gained Whilsttherecentcontroversyontheuseofhigh ethanolcontentfueldominatedthedailypress,the mainargumentsthathavelongbeenadvancedin favour of fuel ethanol include environmental benefits, thedevelopmentofregionalindustries,and supplementationofthenationalfuelsupply.Ethanol productionfromagriculturalcropsincludingwheat andsugarcaneisalsoregardedas'renewable'and sustainable.Anotherreasonwhyethanolfuelsaresoattractiveis thattheyrepresentanenvironment-friendly technologythatisavailabletoday.Whileethanol-fuelledautomobilesareprobablynotlikelytobethe permanentsolutiontoenvironmentalconcernsin automotivefuels,intheveryleast,theyprovidea temporarysolutionwhileresearchintofuelcellsand otheradvancedtechnologiesareunderdevelopment. Byinvestinginsuchpracticaltechnologiestoday, governmentsaroundtheworldenjoysignificant environmental progress as well as domestic economic development, and realize two goals that often appear atoddswithoneanother.Ascountriesaroundthe worldbegintotakenoteofthebenefitsprovidedby ethanol fuels and develop their own programmes, it is importanttoconsiderwhatthefuturemightholdfor ethanolfuelsandhowemergingtechnologiesand policies can help guide this development in a desirable direction. Therearestillmanyissuestobeaddressed in considering the future of ethanol fuels. Many critics have charged that the energy balance of ethanol fuels isflawed,arguingthattheenergyinputsexceedthe energy content of the final product. However, a study releasedbytheUnitedStatesDepartmentof AgricultureinJulyof2002refutestheseclaimsand finds that ethanol has an output: input energy ratio of 1.34:1(Shapourietal,.2002).Furthermore,another studyfoundthattheenergybalanceofgasolineis actuallynegative,givingethanola1.42:1output energyratiocomparedtogasoline(Alternativefuels data center, 2003). Perhapsevenmoreimportantthanthe energybalancefromanenvironmentalistperspective is the amount of carbon released in the production of thefuelascomparedtoitsfinalenergycontent.If agriculturalprocessesandtransportationofethanol releaselargeenoughquantitiesofcarbondioxide, running a vehicle on ethanol could potentially result in highercarbonemissionsthanacleandieselor gasoline engine. Thus, some have argued that ethanol fuelsshouldbeevaluatedbasedontheircarbon dioxidebalance,indicativeoftheproductionprocess. Forexample,duetothephotosyntheticefficiency advantage of sugarcane over corn and a large ethanol transportationinfrastructurealreadyestablished, ethanolinBrazilhasamuchlowercarbondioxide emissions:finalenergyratio,thanethanolproduced in the United States. At present, there is no distinction made between the two types of ethanol fuels, despite thefactthattheBrazilianethanolreduces considerablymorecarbondioxideemissions. Recognition of this dissimilarity is essential to making ethanolfuelssustainableandmaximizingthe environmental benefits of its use (Lindqvist, 2003). 50Bajopas Volume 2 Number 2 December, 2009 Conflicting Needs It is important to consider the carbon dioxide released duringethanolproduction,andtheeffectsof drasticallyincreasingagriculturalproductioninorder tomeetanincreaseddemandforthefuel(increased agriculturenecessitatesmorelandusechange,more pesticides,andmorefertilizer)allofwhichbringa hostofdifferentenvironmentalconcerns.Scientists debatetheextenttowhichagriculturalcapacitycan beexpandedtomeetaglobaldemandforethanol, especiallyastherapidlygrowingpopulationinthe developing world struggles to feed itself.While all of theseexternalitiescanbeaddressedtoyieldan ethanolfuelthatisbetterfortheenvironmentthan ourconventionalfossilfuel-basedconsumption,itis important to consider them and not blindly accept the environmentalbenefitsofethanolfuelsjustbecause they are cleaner at the tailpipe. Mostmainstreamenvironmentalgroups supportfuelsethanolasasignificantsteptoward slowingorstoppingglobalclimatechange.However, fuel ethanol production can threaten the environment if it is not done sustainably. Fuelethanolproducesgreenhousegas emissionsduringtheirmanufacture.Thesourcesof theseemissionsare:fertilizersandagricultural processing,transportationof thebiomass,processing of the fuels, and transport and delivery of biofuels to theconsumer.Somefuelethanolproduction processesproducefarfeweremissionsthanothers; forexamplesugarcanecultivationrequiresfewer fertilizerinputsthancorncultivation,thereforesugar canebioethanolreducesgreenhousegasemissions moreeffectivelythancornderivedbioethanol. However,giventheappropriateagricultural techniquesandprocessingstrategies,biofuelscan provideemissionssavingsofatleast50%when compared to fossil fuels such as diesel and petroleum (Smith, 1993). Accordingtomanyanalysts,themajor obstacletoethanolfuelsbecomingmorewidespread issimplyaquestionofcost.However,thereisgreat potential that these costs can be considerably reduced asmorewidespreadethanol usegenerates increased attentiontowardsthescienceandeconomicsbehind ethanolfuelsproduction.Asethanolproductionis presently dependent on agricultural feedstocks, which compriseanywherefrom30-60%ofthetotalcostof production,minimizingfeedstockcostsarecentralto making ethanol fuels more affordable to consumers.Muchofthisfocushasbeendevotedto convertingtheentirefeedstockplantintousefulend products,allowingethanolcoststodecreaseas manufacturingbecomesmoreprofitable.Insouthern Africa, whose primary ethanol feedstock is sugarcane, therehavebeeneffortstorestrictthepracticeof burningsugarcaneresiduesinthefieldsafter harvesting.Insteadtheseresidues,aswellas sugarcanebagasse(afibrouswaste-productof sugarcaneextraction),canbeusedforelectricity cogeneration,allowingtheplanttocoveritsown energyneedsandevenexportelectricitytothe surroundingcommunities(Johnson,2000).Many alcohol plants in Brazil already sell excess electricity to localutilities.Maintainingthecapacitytoconvert thesewasteproductsintoelectricityorethanolcould alsogivealcoholproducersadditionalstabilityby insulatingthemfrompricevolatilityineitherthe ethanol or electricity markets. Inadditiontoconvertingthesefeedstock wasteproductsintoelectricity,researchinto production of ethanol from cellulose-based feedstocks (woodymaterials,stalks,andleaves)couldallow theseagriculturalresiduestobeconvertedintomore ethanol.Additionalresearchintoethanolextraction fromcellulosefeedstockspromisestoreduceethanol costsbyrunningproductionontherelativelycheap wasteproductsoftheagricultureandtimber industries.Additionally,theuseofcellulose-based feedstocksappeasesconcernsthatarelianceon ethanolfuelscoulddivertfoodfromtherapidly growing world population by providing farmers with a secondaryflowofrevenue;thetechnologycould insteadmakefoodmoreaffordabletotheworlds poorsincecropdisplacementhasbeenminimal,and haslittleeffectonfoodprices,ethanoladvocates says. RECOMMENDATIONS 1)The governments should develop ethanol trading programmes that will enhance the affordability of ethanolfuelsincomparisontogasolineand diesel. 2)The governments should use tradable permits as a means of encouraging car manufacturers to sell alternative fuelled vehicles.3)Thegovernmentsshouldintroduceawell- reasoned policies and technological advancement inethanolfuelsthatcouldguideasmooth transitionawayfromfossilfuelsinthe transportation sector. 4)Theuseofbio-ethanolasalternativeto conventionalpetroleumproductsrequireasubstantialshiftinpublicattitudesprobably towardsanacceptanceofpayingapremiumfor motorbiofuels,andanynewenginetechnology. Suchchangeswouldrequirechangeofthefuel market;governmentsshouldprovidesubsidies andtaxincentivesandpossiblyapollutionor carbon tax.5)Governmentsshouldencourageandsupport researchintoethanolextractionfromcellulose feed stocks as it promises to reduce ethanol costs byrunningproductiononarelativelycheap wasteproductsoftheagricultureandtimber industries. 6)The use of cellulose- based feed stocks appeases concernsthatarelianceonethanolfuelscould divertfoodfromtherapidlygrowingworld population.Thegovernmentsshouldprovide farmerswithasecondaryflowofrevenue;the technologycouldinsteadmakefoodmore affordable to the worlds poor. 51Bajopas Volume 2 Number 2 December, 2009 7) Acombinationofwell-reasonedgovernment policiesandtechnologicaladvancementsin ethanolfuelscouldguideasmoothtransition awayfromfossilfuelstoethanolfueluseinthe transportationsector.Anenvironmental externalities should continue be incorporated into policyconsiderationandthefledglingindustry emerges,ethanolfuelsarelikelytobecomeand increasingattractivefuelalternativeinthe foreseeable future. REFERENCES AlternativeFuelsDataCenter(2003):Alternative Fuels Comparison Chart. May, 2003. APEnergyBusinessPublications(2003):WorldOil SupplyMoreDiversewithNon-OPEC Production Increasing. July 2003.pp.13-18 Gobi International (2003): Ethanol The International Market 2003. London, UK: 2003.p.21

Gobi International (2008): Ethanol The International Market 2008. London, UK: 2008.p.78 Johnson,F.(2000):SugarcaneResourcesin SouthernAfrica.Tiempo:GlobalWarming and the Third World. March 2000.p.207 Knights, P. (2003): New Flex-Fuel Engines Transform ConsumerOptionsinBrazilF.O.Lichts: WorldEthanolandBiofuelsReport,July23, 2003.pp.87-95 Lindqvist,R.(2003):MarketingDirector,Salixsphere. Personal interview, August 18, 2003. MacDonald, T. (2003): California Energy Commission. Email interview, August 14, 2003 RenewableEnergyReport,(2003):EthanolIdeas ExportedFromBrazil.Issue52,June 2003.pp.121-159 Shapouri, H., James D., and Michael W. (2002): The Energy Balance of Corn Ethanol: An Update. UnitedStatesDepartmentofAgriculture, July, 2002.p.55, 63 Smith, R. (1993): Ethanol, a clear future. Coach and buses week. Conference on Ethanol-powered busesprogramm,Stockholm,10thJuly, 1993. Yacobucci,B.D,Womach,J.(2002):'FuelEthanol: Background and Policy Issues', Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress, 2 July 2002. 52