**10. Ways for wider utilization**

Changing the basic liquid fuel infrastructure that can accommodate alcohol fuels in a global scale will be slow like maneuvering a massive ship and very competitive even with right environmental slogans such as renewable, clean, and sustainable for the society. It is a well-known hidden fact that major local oil companies as well as auto manufacturers do not want to change their market unless certain compulsory regulation applies or proper incentives are given.

A report in July 2019 [28] on the US ethanol industry nearing breaking point succinctly shows the problem related to enlarged supply and dwindling demand. Report says that US ethanol production in early June 2019 reached almost 1.1 million barrel/day, the highest seasonally on record, but the economic margins to produce ethanol are at the lowest seasonally since 2015. Infrastructure for E85 gasoline as well as government policy like US Small Refinery Exemptions (SREs) plays key roles in demand side of alcohol fuels. This situation illustrates the weak point of alcohol fuel industry. Technical endeavor only cannot make a way for wider utilization. Policy and infrastructure should follow in parallel.

*Alcohol Fuels: Current Status and Future Direction DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.89788*

Food vs. fuel controversy is the main topic in utilization of alcohol fuels, which pushed the feedstock from corn to non-food lignocellulosic biomass. Technical breakthroughs in solving the difficulties in non-uniform/hard-to-break lignocellulosic biomass and in lowering the process cost are key factors, although it would not be an easy task, considering the already established relatively cheaper bio-ethanol industry from corn.

There are clear directions, especially in developing countries in Africa and Southeast Asian countries, where environmentally benign liquid fuel supply is in great need and the centralized energy supply infrastructure might be too costly. When alcohol fuels can be supplied in enough quantity with reasonable cost, securing energy security and installing the distributed energy infrastructure can be a socially acceptable justification.

### **10.1 Securing energy security**

When a large volatility exists in oil and gas prices, a niche market of alternative fuels like alcohols can act a role. In the time of large availability of shale gas and shale oil in addition to a remarkably fast-advancing market share by renewable electricity, the probability in global energy price jump might be low. When the energy market situation goes down to local scale, however, there are many volatility in liquid fuel supply chain.

Countries with scant energy resources are expected to be more actively searching for a way to utilize pre-existing affordable energy source and raw materials for chemical industries instead of solely relying on imported natural gas and petroleum oil. It is necessary to diversify energy sources to satisfy domestic demand even for a small proportion at the start. Alcohol fuel could take some of such small proportion.

Since most countries prefer to use gas as a basic energy source, resulting in more demand for clean and easy-to-use gas resources, even Southeast countries which are currently gas-exporting countries are going to be net importer from the 2030s, as shown in **Figure 13** [29]. Energy diversification through alcohol fuels must be a practical option to ease the burden in transportation and energy utilities in these countries.

Because the demand for natural gas is large and the accommodating space is limited in urban areas, the centralized gas supply by pipeline appears to be essential. On the other hand, local villages and smaller township can satisfy their energy needs in a distributive way by alcohol fuels produced from locally available biomass

**Figure 13.** *LNG trend change into net importer by 2035 of Southeast Asian countries [29].*

**Figure 14.** *Worldwide distributed energy market prospect of less than 50 MW scale [30].*

and wastes. At present level, relevant technologies are not fully ripe, which necessitates international cooperation for comprehensive and interdisciplinary R&D.
