Hydrothermal pre-treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis of sunflower stalks

► Sunflower stalks as source of renewable fermentable sugars. ► Hydrothermal pre-treatment and enzymatic hydrolysis was applied. ► Results compared favorably with other pre-treatments, other biomasses. ► Ninety percentage of glucose in pretreated material was released. ► Up to 18 g ethanol/100 g sunflower stalks could be obtained in ideal conditions.