# Bioethanol: Emissions

How much CO2 ethanol really saves, crop by crop

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/bioethanol/emissions/

What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint per tonne, split by lifecycle phase (feedstock, production, movement, use, end of life), the global total, other environmental impacts, levers and low-carbon routes, India's position, and where the investment opportunity lies. Emission intensity 1.20 t CO2e per t range about 0.6-2.0: cane (RED default 28 g CO2e/MJ) about 0.76; EU maize default 49 g/MJ about 1.31; California average ethanol 59 g/MJ including ILUC about 1.58; add 0.32-0.35 for EU ILUC estimates · indicative world average of about 45 g CO2e/MJ weighted by RFA 2025 country output, x 26.8 GJ/t; petrol comparator 94 g/MJ, i.e. 2.52 t per t of ethanol energy-equivalent Global emissions per year 115 Mt CO2e per year 2025 · 1.2 t/t x 96 Mt fuel ethanol (indicative); against petrol this avoids about 125 Mt CO2e (derived: (94-45) g/MJ x 2.56 EJ)

Per t of fuel ethanol, life cycle (well-to-wheel per MJ x 26.8 GJ/t); combustion CO2 is biogenic and counted as zero. Intensity: RED II Annex V (EU 2018/2001); CARB LCFS 2022 average CIs (CARB board presentation, Sep 2023); RED II Annex VIII ILUC (cereals 12, sugars 13 g/MJ) (indicative). Global total: derived from RFA 2025 and RED/CARB values (indicative).

#### Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
 Feedstock 55% Production / process 40% Movement 4% Use 1%

#### Footprint by lifecycle phase

| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Feedstock** | about 0.6-0.7 t CO2e/t (farming, fertiliser N2O, plus ILUC where counted) | 55% | nitrogen fertiliser and N2O, diesel, cane burning; land-use change | CARB adds 19.8 g/MJ ILUC for US maize ethanol (indicative); EU ILUC estimate 12 g/MJ cereals, 13 g/MJ sugars | RED II Annex VIII; CARB LCFS (indicative) |
| **Production / process** | about 0.4-0.5 t CO2e/t for grain plants on gas; near zero fossil for cane mills burning bagasse | 40% | steam for distillation and drying DDGS; coal-fired boilers in some Indian and Chinese plants | fermentation CO2 (about 0.95 t per t ethanol) is biogenic and nearly pure, so capture is cheap | indicative |
| **Movement** | about 0.03-0.06 t CO2e/t | 4% | rail, barge and ocean freight | small except for long-haul exports | indicative |
| **Use** | about 0.01 t CO2e/t (non-CO2 tailpipe gases) | 1% | CH4 and N2O from combustion | combustion CO2 is biogenic; aldehyde emissions rise slightly | indicative |
| **End of life** | not applicable | – | fuel is burned | not applicable | not applicable |

#### Other environmental impacts

Grain and cane ethanol compete with food and feed: India's maize demand for ethanol tightened poultry feed supply and FCI rice sales cost about 40% below acquisition (rice tile). Cane needs water and vinasse must be managed; field burning of cane and straw adds air pollution.

#### Levers to cut emissions

- Carbon capture of fermentation CO2 (about 0.95 t per t ethanol, nearly pure) for storage or e-fuels
- Biomass or biogas instead of coal or gas for process steam
- Low-CI farming: lower nitrogen use, no-till, cover crops (credited under 45Z and LCFS)
- Cellulosic ethanol from residues to avoid land-use change
- Higher plant yields and corn oil extraction

#### India

India's ethanol footprint now depends mainly on maize and FCI rice, which carry more fossil input than cane juice; no official Indian life-cycle values are published for each feedstock. Blending E20 displaces petrol but the 2026-27 shift away from cane raises the average carbon intensity (indicative).
 Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.

#### Low-carbon routes

| Route | Intensity | Cost premium | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Grain ethanol with CO2 capture and storage** | can fall below 20-30 g CO2e/MJ (indicative) | capture is cheap (pure stream); transport and storage dominate | US Midwest projects tied to pipelines and Class VI wells; Red Trail Energy in North Dakota operates storage (indicative) | indicative |
| **Cellulosic (2G) ethanol from bagasse or rice straw** | about 10-20 g CO2e/MJ (indicative) | well above 1G ethanol (indicative) | Raízen bagasse plants in Brazil; Indian Oil Panipat straw plant (indicative) | indicative |
| **Alcohol-to-jet SAF** | depends on ethanol CI (indicative) | SAF costs about 2x fossil jet (IATA Dec 2025) | LanzaJet Freedom Pines (US) and others (indicative) | IATA Dec 2025; indicative |

 For a climate investor The climate value in ethanol is moving from volume to carbon intensity. In India, the openings are 2G ethanol from residues, CO2 capture at large grain distilleries, biomass boilers instead of coal, and ethanol-to-SAF ahead of the 2027 SAF target. What has to be true: stable feedstock policy and a price or credit linked to carbon intensity, which India does not yet have. Praj Industries, Indian Oil and large sugar groups are the main builders.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/bioethanol/index.md)
- [Energy overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/bioethanol/energy/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/bioethanol/correlation/index.md)
- [Efficiency](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/bioethanol/efficiency/index.md)
- [Techniques](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/bioethanol/techniques/index.md)
- [Resources and labour](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/bioethanol/resources/index.md)
- [Impact on the biosphere](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/bioethanol/biosphere/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/bioethanol/overview/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/bioethanol/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/bioethanol/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/bioethanol/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/bioethanol/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/bioethanol/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/bioethanol/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/bioethanol/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/bioethanol/characteristics/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/bioethanol/links/index.md)