Biochemical production of bioalcohols

Bioalcohols can be simply defined as alcohols produced from biological resources or biomass. Bioethanol, which is the major alternative fuel for spark ignition engines, is the most widely known and produced bioalcohol. Bioalcohols can be produced from a wide range of biomass, including crops, lignocellulosic crops or residues, and food waste. The first generation bioalcohols are produced from crops, which sometime creates food versus fuel debate and other issues. The second generation bioalcohols are produced from lignocellulosic biomass, such as forestry or agricultural residues. While the first generation bioalcohols is successful in technology development, the cost and efficiency of the second generation bioalcohols still needs to be optimized to overcome the high recalcitrance to enzymatic hydrolysis. In between, bioalcohol production from food and/or other municipal solid wastes can offer a synergistic solution to both problems. This chapter explains all the details about biochemical production of bioalcohols and specifically elucidates new technologies for bioethanol production.