Journal of Energy Bioscience 2024, Vol.15, No.3, 208-220 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/jeb 216 Figure 2 The LCA system boundary and major parameters for corn ethanol (Adopted from Lee et al., 2021) 2) Integration of Alternative Feedstocks: Integrating alternative feedstocks like energy cane juice can improve the sustainability and efficiency of corn ethanol production. This approach has shown potential in Brazil, where energy cane juice enhances fermentation efficiency and reduces resource consumption (Sica et al., 2021). 3) Regional Adaptations: Tailoring production systems to regional conditions and integrating local agronomic factors can optimize energy productivity and sustainability. For instance, considering local agronomic factors in energy efficiency assessments can lead to significant improvements in net energy gain and energy return on energy invested (Arodudu et al., 2017). 4) Lifecycle Assessments: Conducting comprehensive lifecycle assessments (LCAs) is essential for understanding the environmental impact of corn ethanol production. These assessments help identify key areas for improvement and inform policy and market decisions (Scully et al., 2021). 9 Challenges and Future Directions 9.1 Technical and logistical challenges in production and distribution Corn ethanol production faces several technical and logistical challenges. One significant issue is the energy intensity of the production process. Although there have been improvements, such as a 24% reduction in ethanol plant energy use from 2005 to 2019, the process still relies heavily on fossil fuels, which raises sustainability concerns (Lee et al., 2021). Additionally, the integration of alternative biomass sources, like energy cane, has shown potential to improve fermentation efficiency and reduce resource use, but the effects of such integrations are not fully understood and require further research (Sica et al., 2021). Logistically, the transportation and storage of ethanol pose challenges due to its corrosive nature, which necessitates specialized infrastructure that can be costly to implement and maintain (Eckert et al., 2018). 9.2 Regulatory and policy challenges Regulatory and policy frameworks play a crucial role in the corn ethanol industry. In the United States, policies such as the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) have driven the growth of the industry by mandating the blending of ethanol with gasoline. However, these policies are subject to political and economic fluctuations, which can create uncertainty for producers (Lewandrowski et al., 2020). In Brazil, the RenovaBio policy aims to promote biofuels, including corn ethanol, but the country faces challenges in balancing the use of corn for ethanol production with its other agricultural demands (Eckert et al., 2018). Moreover, international markets are increasingly requiring biofuels to demonstrate significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions, which necessitates continuous improvements in production efficiency and sustainability (Lewandrowski et al., 2020).
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