A comprehensive review of the critical process factors and optimization strategies influencing ethanol production from sugarcane molasses

Ethanol remains one of the most widely utilized renewable fuels globally. It serves as a critical alternative to fossil fuels. To date, ethanol is produced from sugarcane-based feedstocks, but maximizing the efficiency of this conversion remains a challenge due to the inherent variability of raw materials and unoptimized process conditions. The fermentation process is greatly affected by temperature, pH, substrate concentration, inoculum volume, mixing rate, and fermentation time and hence it is an important step to figure out the ideal operating values of the factors in the process of ethanol production. The cost, availability, sugar content, and ease of conversion into ethanol makes sugarcane molasses the main feedstock for ethanol production. While sugarcane molasses is a highly abundant byproduct, its transition into high-titer ethanol often faces difficulties regarding inhibitory compounds and sub-optimal fermentation conditions that hinder industrial productivity. This review provides insight into the most recent studies on the utilization of sugarcane molasses and the critical process factors that affect the fermentation of sugarcane molasses. Moreover, process optimizations approaches are highlighted that specifically target the shortcomings of current industrial yields, offering a roadmap for enhancing the efficiency of molasses-to-ethanol conversion and hence promote the renewable energy production and sustainability at large.