What is bioethanol?

Ethanol can be manufactured synthetically from petrochemical raw materials or biologically though the fermentation of sugar. SEKAB’s ethanol is biological and the raw materials for production in Örnsköldsvik consist, amongst other things, of sugar solution obtained from paper pulp production and oxygen from the air. SEKAB also buys ethanol produced from sugar cane, corn and wine. The water remaining in 95 per cent ethanol can be removed through dehydration using molecular sieves. The dehydrated ethanol is then used as fuel or a raw material for other chemical products manufactured by SEKAB. Ethanol is not regarded as an environmentally dangerous chemical. When used as a fuel, ethanol is converted into carbon dioxide and water.

The closed cycle
Biological ethanol is part of the natural cycle. When biomass is refined and burned, oxygen is used up whilst carbon dioxide is freed into the air. This also takes place when ethanol products are broken down. The carbon dioxide is reabsorbed when plants convert solar energy to chemical energy in the form of sugar, thereby liberating oxygen. The oxygen is in turn used up when new plants and ethanol are burnt up and so on. We therefore have a natural closed cycle.

In contrast with ethanol, oil has no natural cycle. When burnt in boilers or cars it creates a constant addition of carbon dioxide to the air and the greenhouse effect is accelerated.