IEA Bioenergy – Case studies of CO2 utilization in the production of ethanol

The document examines two case studies of CO2 utilization in the production of bioethanol.

The first case studies the use of biogenic CO2 from sugar fermentation into ethanol in Brazil, and the second examines the use of industrial exhaust gases from the steel industry in China for bioethanol production. Key findings include the assessment of the environmental and economic potential of bioethanol production within carbon neutrality strategies. In the first case, carbon storage technology allows for ethanol production with negative CO2 emissions, but economic challenges remain due to the high energy costs of hydrogen production. In the second case, using steel industry exhaust gases for ethanol production also has environmental benefits but requires further exploration of alternative hydrogen sources.