Constantly varying prices of crude oil, deplenishing reserves and high levels of political dependence on the oil producing countries have combined to create a situation whereby it is of vital importance that countries without their own sources of energy and raw materials are able to assure their suppiles of energy.

Many countries are turning to the possibility of introducing savings in respect of traditional sources of energy and raw materials, and in particular crude oil. All imaginable alternative domestic energy sources are used for generating energy. Solar energy can also be used indirectly by recovering energy from the vegetable biomass "citrus peel". Large quantities of citrus fruit peel are obtained in the course of citrus juice recovery (up to 50% by weight of the fruit).

It is possible to use biotechnological methods to convert citrus peel into various forms of energy, and principally mobile forms of energy.

For instance, it is possible to obtain alcohol from citrus peel. Alcohol recovered from from citrus peel is also a major primary product for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, e.g. for plastics, chemicals and also as a solvent.