A perspective on bioethanol production from biomass as alternative fuel for spark ignition engine A. H. Sebayang, ab H. H. Masjuki, * a Hwai Chyuan Ong, * a S. Dharma, ab A. S. Silitonga, ab T. M. I. Mahlia c and H. B. Aditiya cd The increasing consumption of fossil fuels has led to the development of alternative fuels for the future. Domestic biofuel production and the utilization of alternative fuels can decrease dependency on petroleum oil, reduce trade deficits, reduce air pollution and reduce carbon dioxide emission. Bioethanol is a renewable fuel produced by the fermentation of sugar which is derived from plants such as sugarcane or beet, maize, or cassava etc. However, bioethanol consumption in an engine is approximately 51% higher than gasoline since the energy per unit volume of ethanol is 34% lower than for gasoline. Bioethanol is an oxygenated fuel that contains 35% oxygen, which can reduce particulate matter and NO x emissions caused by combustion of the fuel. Therefore, bioethanol–gasoline blends can significantly reduce petroleum use and GHG emission. In addition, utilization of lignocellulosic materials in bioethanol production is the most viable pathway from an environmental point of view. This paper reviews the current status and technologies involved in bioethanol production and the properties and engine performance from various biomass feedstocks which are the recommended sustainable alternative fuel in the future. 1. Introduction The energy sector plays a vital role in the world economy. Increasing fossil fuel prices, energy security issues and climate change have driven and forced energy development towards alternative and renewable energy sources. Due to the soaring interest in developing renewable and cleaner energy sources, biofuel production caught our attention in the early 2000s. 1 Biofuels are seen as part of the drive to move beyond the dominant fossil-fuel paradigm and the production has been increasing remarkably. This is due to many countries’ attempts to reduce oil imports, boost rural economies and improve air quality. Brazil and USA are the largest world’s ethanol producers and possess 70% of the world’s ethanol production. 2 The The research on biofuels has been established and developed by group members from Centre for Energy Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Professor Dr. Masjuki Haji Hassan is the leader of Biofuel research in University of Malaya. He is secretary of Council of National Professors Engineering and Technology cluster. He is also the founding President of Malaysian Tribology Society (MyTRIBOS) and the Director of the Centre for Energy Sciences. Dr. Ong Hwai Chyuan, Mr Abdi Hanra Sebayang and Mr Surya Dharma are the academic staff and Researcher in Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya and are also involved in biofuel research. The group collaborated with Professor Dr. T. M. I. Mahlia from Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), Dr. Arridina Susan Sili- tonga from Medan State Polytechnic, North Sumatera, Indonesia and Mr Aditiya Harjon Bahar from University of Melbourne, Australia. a Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. E-mail: onghc@um.edu.my; ong1983@ yahoo.com; Fax: +60-3-7967-5317; Tel: +60-16-590-3110 b Department of Mechanical Engineering, Medan State Polytechnic, 20155 Medan, Indonesia c Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia d Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia Cite this: RSC Adv. , 2016, 6, 14964 Received 25th November 2015 Accepted 21st January 2016 DOI: 10.1039/c5ra24983j www.rsc.org/advances 14964 | RSC Adv. , 2016, 6, 14964–14992 This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2016 RSC Advances REVIEW