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Recently, the author accompanied a delegation from the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation on a visit to Brazil, the world’s second-largest producer and consumer of bioethanol, to gain an in-depth understanding of the development of bioethanol and the biomanufacturing industry there, which led to deeper reflections on the green fuel industry. I believe that amid these major changes in the times, the goals of energy transition and carbon neutrality are endowing bioethanol with a new strategic role – evolving from a traditional transportation fuel into a composite product that combines functions as a fuel, a chemical material, and a new type of material. Currently, against the backdrop of the carbon neutrality goal, energy systems are undergoing fundamental changes. The rapid development of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind energy is making electricity the cheapest and cleanest form of energy source in China. For synthetic fuels such as hydrogen, ammonia, and alcohols produced via the Power-to-X pathway, the cost barriers are gradually shifting from energy acquisition to conversion efficiency and equipment investment, as well as the corresponding business models and operation methods. This change has improved the economic viability of green fuels, freeing them from being merely alternative supplements to fossil fuels; it has also made them important conversion and storage mediums for renewable energy systems. The energy security aspects of green fuels determine the strategic necessity for their development; the characteristics of energy systems define their role within the renewable energy framework, whereas the properties of carbon resources reveal their irreplaceable importance in achieving deep decarbonization. The combined effect of the three attributes of safety, system, and resources together defines the irreplaceable role of green fuels in the context of carbon neutrality. Against the backdrop of the transformation and upgrading of green fuels, various technical approaches have been explored in multiple directions. Among them, bioethanol is one of the first liquid biofuels to be produced on a large scale. After decades of development, bioethanol has become one of the most mature biofuels in use worldwide. The global fuel ethanol market has developed into a mature industry with a value exceeding $10 billion, and it features a comprehensive international production and trade system. Among them, the United States and Brazil play a dominant role, with their combined production accounting for about 80% of the global total ； India and China follow closely behind, ranking third and fourth in the world in terms of production. In terms of market size, the global fuel ethanol market was worth 85.2 billion dollars in 2024, and it is expected to grow to 112.49 billion dollars by 2033 ； More than 250 bioethanol plants are in operation worldwide, with annual production capacities ranging from 5,000 tons to 500,000 tons. One of the important application areas for bioethanol is transportation. Biomass fuel ethanol accounts for nearly 30% of biofuel consumption in this sector. The method for producing bioethanol involves fermenting the sugars, starches, or cellulose present in biomass, and then carrying out dehydration and purification to achieve a high purity of 99%. Its environmental benefits have been fully proven: compared to gasoline, ethanol can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 50%. First-generation bioethanol is produced from food crops such as corn and sugarcane, or sugar crops, and is primarily used in combination with gasoline in certain proportions as a vehicle fuel to reduce carbon intensity. It still enjoys practical feasibility and scale advantages in countries such as the United States and Brazil. Currently, over 65 countries around the world have **implemented ethanol blending mandates, with blending ratios ranging from 5% to 30%** ； Over 130** introduced or strengthened biofuel blending policies in 2023. Under the framework of the new energy system, the application scope of bioethanol is gradually expanding beyond the traditional use in gasoline blending, showing a trend of extending to a wider range of industrial sectors. The diversification of application scenarios is further driving the transformation of biomass ethanol from a single fuel into a multi-functional platform product. In addition to traditional vehicle fuels, high-purity biomass ethanol can serve as a core platform compound for the production of key chemical intermediates such as ethylene, polyethylene, acetic acid, and esters ； At the same time, in emerging fields such as hydrogen energy and biofuels, biomass ethanol can be utilized in a combined manner through processes like catalytic reforming and hydroprocessing, thus becoming a key linking product that connects different forms of energy and various industrial chains. With the continuous improvement of the supply system for non-grain raw materials, the ongoing iteration of biomass ethanol production technologies, and the growing demand for low-carbon products under the “dual carbon” goals, biomass ethanol will transcend its traditional role as a biofuel. It will gradually give rise to a new application pattern encompassing “fuels, chemicals, and new materials,” thus becoming a crucial biomass-based product that facilitates green and low-carbon transitions across multiple sectors. Leveraging these advantages, the development of the biomass ethanol industry is expected to see innovative applications in three areas: first, as a green marine fuel for direct use or blending, continuing to play a role as a substitute in the field of transportation fuels ； Secondly, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) can be produced on a large scale through the ethanol-to-jet fuel (AtJ) technology, which benefits from an ample supply of raw materials ； Thirdly, it enters the green chemical industry as a renewable carbon source, and bio-based chemicals are produced through processes such as dehydration to produce ethylene, thereby playing a role in the materials and chemical industries. Author: Pang Guanglian, Deputy Secretary-General of the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation