How Much Energy Does It Take to Make Ethanol

So, how much energy is “spent” making ethanol, and why should we care? It takes a lot of thermal energy to make ethanol from corn. In general, about 35,000 Btu of heat energy is required to produce a gallon of ethanol. For comparison, the energy content of ethanol is about 75,000 Btu per gallon.

How much fuel does it take to make ethanol?

We conclude that the ethanol industry, on average, uses 53,956 BTUs per gallon to manufacture ethanol. The best existing plants use 37,883 BTUs per gallon. Next generation plants will require only 33,183 BTUs per gallon of ethanol produced.

What energy makes ethanol?

Ethanol is a renewable biofuel because it is made from biomass. Ethanol is a clear, colorless alcohol made from a variety of biomass materials called feedstocks (the raw materials used to make a product).