Slurrry and manure as a source of bioethanol for sustainable mobility in rural areas

This work reports part of the activity of the project ZOOTANOLO “The production of bioethanol as an innovative energy use of manure”. The first phase was dedicated to verify at lab scale the feasibility of using manure to produce bioethanol. Manure have good content of carbohydrate (cellulose, hemicellulose, particularly); scope of the work is the enhancement of this unused lignocellulosic fraction. The experimental and technical activity divides into several subsequently steps: pre-treatment of the animal biomass, hydrolysis of molecules of cellulose, hemicelluloses and starch by enzymes; fermentation by yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia stipitis) and ethanol distillation. Related topics under study are the application of immobilization techniques to overcome inhibition phenomena and treatments on the distillation waste, aimed at nitrogen removal and at the evaluation of residual potential energy. The data obtained will be used to energetic, technical, economic and environmental evaluation and feasibility study, with the final aim to contribute to the development of the production chain of second generation bioethanol in rural areas.