Syndicat National des Producteurs d'Alcool Agricole

RAW MATERIALS

Fermented ethyl alcohol can be produced from all sorts of farm crops, either widely grown or with development potential. In the future, ligno-cellulose resources from farms and forests may contribute to the production of ethanol, once sugar processing techniques and fermentation have been fully developed and gained a competitive edge.

 

Three major industries are involved:

  • Crops containing sucrose and fruit containing sugar that can be fermented directly: beet, sugar cane, grapes, apples etc.
  • Crops rich in starch, which can be hydrolysed to produce glucose and fermentable sugar: cereal plants such as wheat and corn, Jerusalem artichokes, potatoes, manioc etc.
  • Ligno-cellulose plants, the cellulose of which can be broken down into fermentable sugar: wood, coppice, plant waste, miscanthus and other high-energy crops, straw etc.

NB: Ethanol can also be synthesised industrially, as opposed to natural fermentation. The process involves adding water to ethylene derived from oil to obtain ethanol. Unlike agricultural alcohol, this is a fossil fuel.