Hemp and Kenaf as Potential Feedstock for 2nd Generation Bio-ethanol in Southern Europe

The ethanol production was estimated using the coefficients proposed by Sheenhan et al. (2004) and Badger (2002) for corn sover. Because of different conversion coefficients to calculate the ethanol yield from glucose, the two approaches led to very different outcomes thus suggesting that a more accurate analysis and choice of the conversion coefficients is needed. In the first case, ethanol production was 5500 L ha-1 for kenaf (119 GJ ha-1) and 7000 L ha-1 for hemp (152 GJ ha-1), while applying the formula of Badger (2002) the production was 3000 L ha-1 and 3800 L ha-1 for kenaf and hemp, respectively. Overall, basing on literature, both crops showed a considerable potential for 2nd generation bio-ethanol end-use in Southern Europe despite their moderate biomass yields. The lower biomass yield of annual crops compared to perennials can be negative if residues after ethanol extraction are processed for energy, however it could be positive in term of transport costs. Also, textile hemp can be easily inserted into traditional rotations as it is broadly known by the European farmers who extensively cultivated it in the past. Both crops showed low input requirements and they did not need pesticides and herbicides.