To the 2nd generation

Bioethanol falls into two categories: first generation, which is now on the market, and second generation, for which the first production plants are in the process of being built. In the long-term, this new product will enable us to cover our biofuel requirements without having to resort to food crops.

First generation bioethanol

This first category of bioethanol is obtained by converting the sugars in sugar and starch crops into alcohol.
Known as "first generation" bioethanol (link with Technique?), it achieves substantial reductions in CO₂ emissions and helps prepare the market for bioethanol fuels. It also has the advantage of using established technologies that we know and master. However, its potential is limited by the fact that it uses raw materials that would otherwise be used for food or animal feed. Moreover, only parts of the plants are used.
These drawbacks have led to the development of so-called “second generation” ethanol, which is more interesting in terms of sustainable development but which is also technically more difficult to produce.

Second generation bioethanol

This process converts lignocellulosic biomass - which is the most abundant compound on earth - into ethanol. The raw material comes from plants growing on poor soils or from agricultural and forestry wastes.
Compared to first generation ethanol, the main advantages of lignocellulosic bioethanol are:

• potentially far greater quantities and variety of feedstocks
• does not compete with the food chain
• higher yields per hectare, either by using fast-growing lignocellulosic plants (miscanthus species) or from a more complete conversion of plants already being used
• greatly reduced farmer intervention and much lower fertilizer and phytosanitary inputs.
  Today, all bioethanol produced in Switzerland is second generation, obtained from forestry wastes.

Today, all bioethanol produced in Switzerland is second generation, obtained from forestry wastes.