A review on renewable energy sources for production of bioethanol

Industrial development has led to several advantages like economic growth, ease of operation, a wide range of products, etc. Simultaneously, it has increased the demand in the energy sector, which is highly dependent on nonrenewable energy sources like fossil fuels to meet this demand. Unfortunately, the availability of fossil fuels is nearing depletion and hence the scientific community is in search of potential renewable energy sources to reduce the dependency on non-renewable energy sources. Bioethanol is a renewable energy source and can be produced from a wide range of renewable raw materials. Production of bioethanol has benefits like; environmental safety, socio-economic benefits and energy security. Bioethanol is currently produced from sugar-rich and starch-rich agro-residues. Agro-industries which contribute significantly to the country's GDP generate waste in large quantities and share 10-15 % of the cause of pollution. The agro-industry waste originating from crop plants are nutritionally rich (lignocellulosic) and hence could be potentially used as a raw material for bioethanol production. Currently, the production of bioethanol from low-cost renewable agroindustry wastes has gained considerable attention. Sugar-rich materials such as sugarcane, sugar beet, sweet sorghum, molasses, etc are largely used for bioethanol production. Lignocellulosic materials are available in large quantum and serve as a potential source for the production of bioethanol.