What is ethanol?

Ethanol is often referred to as ‘ethyl alcohol’ or simply ‘alcohol’. It can have two origins: synthetic ethanol is made from petrochemical feedstock (i.e. oil derivatives) and agricultural ethanol is made from sugar and starch crops (e.g. sugar cane, sugar beet, wheat, rye, potatoes, etc.).

Markets and applications

There are three markets for ethanol in Europe – beverages, fuels and industrial applications (e.g. pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, inks, paints etc). Agricultural ethanol can be used in each of these. By contrast, synthetic ethanol consumed in Europe is employed uniquely in the industrial market. No synthetic ethanol goes into alcoholic beverages or fuel.

Synthetic ethanol is a carefully refined and highly pure substance. Its quality is consistent: unlike agricultural feedstocks, synthetic ethanol is not subject to the vagaries of weather variations. It is also completely disconnected from debate about food versus fuel.

Downstream industries and ultimately everyday consumers depend on synthetic ethanol to bring performance characteristics to, among other applications, pharmaceuticals, paints, inks, cosmetics, toiletries, detergents, cleaners and speciality intermediates.

Through these products, synthetic ethanol adds safety, comfort and convenience to people’s lives. 

Sustainable Development

Sustainable Development concerns wealth generation, social harmony and environmental protection. Its most widely accepted definition is ‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’.

The European synthetic ethanol industry is important because it helps ensure security of supplies and allows the agricultural ethanol sector to focus on biofuels, a priority for sustainable development, particularly for transport.