Resumo:

Today the world is discussing the possibility of producing second generation bioethanol. To make this new production alternative feasible for this renewable fuel, new technologies are under development, trying to use the lignocellulosic component of biomass. Such new technologies focus on two major lines: hydrolysis of the lignocellulosic material to produce fermentable sugars (chemical and biological route), and the gasification of this material followed by the synthesis of liquid fuels (thermal route). In the new “energy cane” paradigm, the whole cane would be harvested (with improvements and mechanization of the harvesting process), in addition to optimize the energy balance of the mill, in order to increase the quantity of surplus biomass. Residual biomass hydrolysis and gasification technologies, once developed, will be able to convert fiber into ethanol or other fuels from the fermentation of the sugar produced (hydrolysis), or from the synthesis of compounds from the gas generated (gasification). With this new paradigm, it is possible to significantly increase ethanol production per hectare/year, stepping from the current 6,000 liters to about 12,000 liters (projected level). The use of biomass to produce ethanol fuel by chemical and biological route involves, basically, two processes: hydrolysis of polysaccharides contained in the lignocellulosic materials in sugars and the fermentation of these into ethanol or other fuels.