Objectives: the purpose of the work is to consider bioethanol as a promising renewable fuel, analyze its production technology, raw material base, technological generations, as well as the structure of the global market and its environmental role.
The methods consist in analyzing the historical development of technology. A review of the raw material base (sugar-containing, starch-containing, lignocellulose materials) and an analysis of global experience (Brazil, USA, EU) and the potential of Russia. The article highlights the history of bioethanol development, starting with the first developments of Henry Ford and ending with modern trends and technologies. The factors contributing to the growing interest in bioethanol production technology are analyzed. The different generations of bioethanol (first, second, third and fourth) are considered in detail. Special attention is paid to the overview of the global bioethanol market, its current state and growth forecasts due to strict environmental regulations and the increased use of bio-fuels in the transportation industry.
Results. The data on different generations of bioethanol, their advantages and disadvantages are systematized. A comparative analysis of the effectiveness of different types of raw materials (yield, ethanol yield) is presented. An assessment of Russia's prospects in the development of the bioethanol industry is given against the background of international experience. The article discusses the raw material base and technologies for the production of first-generation bioethanol from sugar cane, corn, wheat, and sugar beet. In addition, promising areas of technology for the production of bioethanol of the second and third generations are being considered. Where lignocellulose raw materials such as wood waste, straw waste, and fast-growing energy crops are used as raw materials. Special at-tention is paid to comparing the effectiveness of different types of raw materials: sugar-containing crops (sugar beet, cane), starch-containing (cereals, potatoes) and lignocellulose waste (straw, wood, miscanthus). The ecologi-cal role of bioethanol and its importance for energy security are emphasized.
Conclusions. Sugar-containing raw materials demonstrate high efficiency, but their use is limited by seasonality and competition with the food industry. Starch-containing cultures provide stable ethanol yield, but require addi-tional hydrolysis steps. Lignocellulose raw materials are the most promising direction for second—generation bio-ethanol. It solves the problem of waste disposal and does not compete with food resources, but requires more so-phisticated processing technologies. The market leaders are Brazil (cane ethanol), the USA (corn), and the EU (lignocellulose technologies). Their success is linked to government support and environmental regulations. Russia also has significant raw material potential for the development of this industry. The article is based on current re-search and contains comparative characteristics of raw materials, which makes it useful for specialists in the field of bioenergy, agriculture and ecology.