{"id":4807,"date":"2024-10-01T11:47:56","date_gmt":"2024-10-01T11:47:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/?p=4807"},"modified":"2024-10-01T11:47:56","modified_gmt":"2024-10-01T11:47:56","slug":"sustainable-advanced-ethanol-production-from-opuntia-prickly-pear-cactus-nopales","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/?p=4807","title":{"rendered":"Sustainable advanced ethanol production from Opuntia prickly pear cactus nopales"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-text-align-justify\">Cleaner industrial bioethanol production from sustainable biomass could support the circular economy to achieve Sustainable Development Goals while tackling climate change. Ethanol from the arid plants nopales (prickly pear,\u00a0<em>Opuntia ficus-indica<\/em>) offers promising benefits for energy transition, water conservation and food security. However, the environmental impact and energy efficiency of nopal farming and ethanol production in plant-wide biorefineries are unknown. Inorganic production and the classic biorefinery cause undesirable environmental impacts that could be assessed to design better systems. Experiments and analyses of scenarios were performed to propose a cleaner and more energy-efficient farming and ethanol production in a plant-wide biorefinery. Four realistic scenarios considered two fertilisers, two pretreatments and two operational modes. Then, life cycle assessment, energy balances and energy efficiency principles were applied. Scenario 1 was environmentally harmful and energy inefficient (inorganic production and classic biorefinery). Scenario 4 is the cleanest and most energy-efficient (organic fertilisers and ionic liquids with acetone washing in a loop process). Scenario 4 showed the lowest impacts across all categories assessed, including global warming, acidification and eutrophication potentials (1.5\u00a0kg eq CO<sub>2<\/sub>, 0.004\u00a0kg eq SO<sub>2<\/sub>\u00a0and 0.0006\u00a0kg eq PO<sub>4<\/sub>, respectively). This enhanced system used the lowest amount of energy (0.33\u00a0MJ per MJ of ethanol produced) and showed the best energy efficiency when converting input energy into net energy as ethanol fuel (three-fold of that of scenario 1). Sustainable systems like scenario 4 may offer opportunities for climate risk mitigation, renewable energy production, carbon neutrality and green energy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See <a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.enconman.2024.119052\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.enconman.2024.119052\">Sustainable agrobiorefinery system for advanced ethanol production from Opuntia prickly pear cactus nopales. Energy Convers Manag 321, 119052<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>How to cite:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hernandez, J.E., Espinosa-Solares, T., P\u00e9rez-Cadena, R., T\u00e9llez-Jurado, A., Ram\u00edrez-Arpide, F.R., 2024. Sustainable agrobiorefinery system for advanced ethanol production from Opuntia prickly pear cactus nopales. Energy Convers Manag 321, 119052. https:\/\/doi.org\/https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.enconman.2024.119052<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Cleaner industrial bioethanol production from sustainable biomass could support the circular economy to achieve Sustainable Development Goals while tackling climate change. Ethanol from the arid plants nopales (prickly pear,\u00a0Opuntia ficus-indica) offers promising benefits for energy transition, water conservation and food security. However, the environmental impact and energy efficiency of nopal farming and ethanol production in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[94,98,115,114,96,99,126,97,116,12,111,45,95],"tags":[23,22,8,7,21,20,92,32,71,70,127,43,29,44,68],"class_list":["post-4807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bioenergy","category-biorefineries","category-bioresource","category-circular-economy","category-clean-energy","category-environmental-impacts","category-farming","category-green-energy","category-high-value-products","category-news","category-output","category-research","category-sustainability","tag-biocatalysis","tag-biochemical-engineering","tag-bioenergy","tag-biofuels","tag-bioinspired-chemeng","tag-bioinspired-chemical-engineering","tag-biomass","tag-bioprocessing","tag-biorefineries","tag-biorefinery","tag-biotechnology","tag-publications","tag-research","tag-science-and-technology","tag-valorization"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6rw5S-1fx","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3898,"url":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/?p=3898","url_meta":{"origin":4807,"position":0},"title":"Prickly pear (nopales): A Sustainable Solution for Ethanol Production","author":"Ernesto Hernandez","date":"May 12, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"To tackle climate change and achieve Sustainable Development Goals, integrating a circular economy with sustainable biomass use is vital. Recent studies highlight the efficiency of using nopales (prickly pear cactus) for ethanol production in biorefineries. Nopales, resilient to climatic changes, outperform other biomasses. Experiments on cleaner ethanol production from nopales\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bioenergy&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bioenergy","link":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/?cat=94"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2022-05-20-15.22.04-1-scaled-e1727908249570.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2022-05-20-15.22.04-1-scaled-e1727908249570.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2022-05-20-15.22.04-1-scaled-e1727908249570.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2022-05-20-15.22.04-1-scaled-e1727908249570.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/2022-05-20-15.22.04-1-scaled-e1727908249570.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5058,"url":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/?p=5058","url_meta":{"origin":4807,"position":1},"title":"Researchers unlock potential of desert plants for cleaner efficient energy","author":"Ernesto Hernandez","date":"December 19, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Researchers have found a more sustainable way to produce energy using plants that can survive in dry conditions such as deserts. These drought-tolerant plants, also known as arid plants, could help create cleaner and more efficient biofuels on a large scale. Biofuels are renewable energy sources made from biological materials\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Agriculture&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Agriculture","link":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/?cat=125"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Nopal.jpg?fit=640%2C480&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Nopal.jpg?fit=640%2C480&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Nopal.jpg?fit=640%2C480&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4584,"url":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/?p=4584","url_meta":{"origin":4807,"position":2},"title":"BRIDGE | BioRenewables Inspired Development Geared by Elements","author":"Ernesto Hernandez","date":"July 26, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The UK government\u2019s Biomass Strategy 2023 aims to enhance biomass sustainability to help achieve net zero targets. The BRIDGE program supports these goals through SEM-EDX analysis for biomass characterization, fostering impactful research, sustainable manufacturing, and providing research-oriented teaching. This enhances student learning on real-world sustainability issues and critical thinking.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Agriculture&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Agriculture","link":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/?cat=125"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":5803,"url":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/?p=5803","url_meta":{"origin":4807,"position":3},"title":"Advances in Biofuel Production: Scientists Turn Palm Oil Waste into High-Yield Methane in syringe bioreactors","author":"Ernesto Hernandez","date":"September 12, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A new study reveals a promising method for industries eager to convert tonnes of palm oil waste into clean, renewable biomethane, addressing a significant environmental and economic challenge for the industry. The research demonstrates that by improving key conditions in syringe bioreactors for anaerobic digestion, a process deemed inefficient biomethanising\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Agriculture&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Agriculture","link":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/?cat=125"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/2014-07-17-14.23.01-scaled.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/2014-07-17-14.23.01-scaled.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/2014-07-17-14.23.01-scaled.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/2014-07-17-14.23.01-scaled.jpg?fit=900%2C1200&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3987,"url":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/?p=3987","url_meta":{"origin":4807,"position":4},"title":"Circular Economy","author":"Ernesto Hernandez","date":"April 11, 2024","format":"video","excerpt":"https:\/\/youtu.be\/_9mHi93n2AI?feature=shared Circular Economy.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bioenergy&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bioenergy","link":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/?cat=94"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/_9mHi93n2AI\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1911,"url":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/?p=1911","url_meta":{"origin":4807,"position":5},"title":"New process for commercial chemicals from algae","author":"Ernesto Hernandez","date":"May 16, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Taking an environmentally friendly idea from the lab and making it available to the public is not a straightforward matter. \u00a0But hopes open, as shown by this\u00a0novel process for adding value to algae residue by producing more microbial oil in additional steps.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bioenergy&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bioenergy","link":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/?cat=94"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2023-05-28-11.29.35-scaled-e1727908461902.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2023-05-28-11.29.35-scaled-e1727908461902.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2023-05-28-11.29.35-scaled-e1727908461902.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2023-05-28-11.29.35-scaled-e1727908461902.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2023-05-28-11.29.35-scaled-e1727908461902.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4807","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4807"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4807\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4826,"href":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4807\/revisions\/4826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4807"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4807"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.ernestohernandez.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4807"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}