The continuous increase in the price of fossil fuels, the
uncertainty of their supply due to political conflicts and the
need to protect the planet from the climatic changes caused
by the emission of greenhouse gases from burning them, has
led to the search of renewable fuels. Such fuels are biodiesel
and ethanol derived from plants. Biodiesel comes from
esterification of plant oils extracted from seeds, while ethanol
is alcohol produced by fermentation of plant biomass containing
starch or sugars [5].
The usual sources of raw material for alcohol production
from starch are cereal grains such as corn, wheat, barley,
sorghum grains, etc. Other types of starch are available from
potatoes [3], Jerusalem artichokes and other high-starch
vegetables like cassava.
It is possible, however, to make alcohol from sugarproducing
plants such as sugar beets, sugarcane, sweet
sorghum, fruits, and others.
A fourth source of fermentable materials is cellulose, as
found in wood and other plant stems. Although the technology
to create cellulosic ethanol is available today, some
years of further research will be needed before it can be fully
commercialized and marketed at competitive prices.
The availability of fermentable biomass is restricted in
Cyprus and other Mediterranean countries, due to the lack of
water for the irrigation of the crops and also due to the lack of
good agricultural land. The production of plants for biofuel
production is therefore competing to the production of animal
feed. The best way would be therefore to cultivate a plant that
does not interfere with animal feed production and has
minimal water needs, utilizing the currently fallow, degraded
and marginal lands that would be available taking of course
into consideration the need to protect the pastures and the
diversity of plant species and the availability of treated water
for irrigation. Such a plant seems to be Ferula communis