The role of maize hybrids in current trends of bioethanol production

Abstract

Bioethanol is a biofuel that is mostly used as a replacement for fossil fuels worldwide with yearly production reaching nearly 110 billion liters in 2019. Trends of producing this alternative fuel are rising and maize is considered as one of the best renewable raw materials for the production of fuel ethanol due to the high content of starch in the grain. Taking into account that Serbia is one of the most prominent maize producers in Europe, the surpluses of this crop could be directed towards bioethanol production. Even though there is no organized production and consumption of bioethanol as an automotive fuel in Serbia, the Serbian Government has recently introduced some new regulations regarding biofuels. However, due to the reduction of economic activities since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the global demand for crude oil has fallen sharply, negatively affecting the gasoline demand, and thus for bioethanol, which makes the future of this alternative fuel production notably uncertain.