Food waste to energy: Forecasting Turkey's bioethanol generation potential from wasted crops and cereals till 2030

Abstract

First generation bioethanol production can be sustainable if food wastes are used as feedstock. Novel to this study, it is estimated that Turkey's wheat, maize, rice and potato (i) production, (ii) consumption, (iii) production losses, (iv) consumption losses, (v) bioethanol yield from production losses, and (vi) bioethanol yield from consumption losses in 2030 could be (i) 25.0, 6.2, 0.6 and 5.5 million tonnes; (ii) 19.3, 1.5, 0.8 and 4.7 million tonnes; (iii) 1.375, 0.184, 0.006 and 0.094 million tonnes, (iv) 0.710, 0.182, 0.020 and 0.160 million tonnes, (v) 0.511, 0.073, 0.003, and 0.009 billion litres, and (vi) 0.264, 0.072, 0.009, and 0.015 billion litres, respectively. It is also estimated that in 2023 up to 0.555 and 0.335 billion litres of bioethanol can be collectively generated from Turkey's wheat, maize, rice and potato production and consumption losses, respectively. Finally, it is pinpointed that these amounts would be more than enough to supply Turkey's potential bioethanol (E10) demand in 2023.