Critical analysis of techno-economic estimates for the production cost of lignocellulosic bio-ethanol

Bio-ethanol has been claimed to be a green and sustainable alternative to gasoline. The use of food crops on a large scale is ethically unacceptable, but lignocellulosic ethanol has potential to become an alternativfe transportation fuel. This relates to technical issues, and to the eventual cost of bio-ethanol, which requires determination of an absolute production cost. The minimum ethanol selling price (MESP) estimated in different studies varies between $234 and $1210 per m³ ethanol ($0.89 and $4.58 per gallon), although often the same processing methods are assumed. This entails uncertainties about the potential of bio-ethanol from lignocellulosic sources.