A process for the dehydration of an ethanol feed to ethylene then oxidation of the ethylene to ethylene oxide, comprising: a) an optional step for preheating said ethanol feed to a temperature in the range 70°C to 130°C by exchange of heat with the effluent obtained from step e); b) a step for pre-treatment of the ethanol feed over an acidic solid operating at a temperature in the range 70°C to 130°C in order to produce a pre-treated ethanol feed; c) a step for vaporization of a vaporization feed comprising said pre-treated ethanol feed and at least a portion of the flow of diluting water comprising ethanol recycled to the outlet from step g) in an exchanger by means of an exchange of heat with the effluent obtained from the last reactor of step e), said vaporization feed being introduced into said vaporization step at a pressure in the range 0.1 to 1.4 MPa, chosen as high as possible so that the difference between the condensation temperature of the effluent from dehydration step e) and the vaporization temperature of said vaporization feed is greater than or equal to 2°C, so as to produce a vaporized feed; d) a step for compressing and superheating said vaporized feed in a compressor so as to produce a feed which is compressed and at the temperature for supplying to the dehydration section e), said compressor being driven by a condensing turbine the intake for which is the quench flow vaporized in the oxidation section i), the exhaust flow leaving the condensing turbine being recycled to the oxidation step i); e) a step for dehydration of the compressed feed, said feed having a ratio of water to ethanol in the range 1 to 4 by weight, in at least one adiabatic reactor containing at least one dehydration catalyst and in which the dehydration reaction takes place, operating at an inlet temperature in the range 350°C to 550°C and at an inlet pressure in the range 0.3 to 1.8 MPa; f) a step for separating the effluent obtained from the last adiabatic reactor of step e) into an effluent comprising ethylene at a pressure of less than 1.6 MPa and an effluent comprising water; g) a step for purification of at least a portion of the effluent comprising water obtained from step f) and separation into at least a flow of treated water and a flow of diluting water comprising ethanol, the latter being recycled upstream of the vaporization step c); h) a step for compression of the effluent comprising ethylene obtained from step f); i) a step for oxidation of the effluent obtained from step h) into ethylene oxide, this oxidation step comprising at least one tubular oxidation reactor cooled by vaporization of said quench flow obtained from step d), said quench flow which has thus been reheated being recycled to step d). a) an optional step for preheating said ethanol feed to a temperature in the range 70°C to 130°C by exchange of heat with the effluent obtained from step e); b) a step for pre-treatment of the ethanol feed over an acidic solid operating at a temperature in the range 70°C to 130°C in order to produce a pre-treated ethanol feed; c) a step for vaporization of a vaporization feed comprising said pre-treated ethanol feed and at least a portion of the flow of diluting water comprising ethanol recycled to the outlet from step g) in an exchanger by means of an exchange of heat with the effluent obtained from the last reactor of step e), said vaporization feed being introduced into said vaporization step at a pressure in the range 0.1 to 1.4 MPa, chosen as high as possible so that the difference between the condensation temperature of the effluent from dehydration step e) and the vaporization temperature of said vaporization feed is greater than or equal to 2°C, so as to produce a vaporized feed; d) a step for compressing and superheating said vaporized feed in a compressor so as to produce a feed which is compressed and at the temperature for supplying to the dehydration section e), said compressor being driven by a condensing turbine the intake for which is the quench flow vaporized in the oxidation section i), the exhaust flow leaving the condensing turbine being recycled to the oxidation step i); e) a step for dehydration of the compressed feed, said feed having a ratio of water to ethanol in the range 1 to 4 by weight, in at least one adiabatic reactor containing at least one dehydration catalyst and in which the dehydration reaction takes place, operating at an inlet temperature in the range 350°C to 550°C and at an inlet pressure in the range 0.3 to 1.8 MPa; f) a step for separating the effluent obtained from the last adiabatic reactor of step e) into an effluent comprising ethylene at a pressure of less than 1.6 MPa and an effluent comprising water; g) a step for purification of at least a portion of the effluent comprising water obtained from step f) and separation into at least a flow of treated water and a flow of diluting water comprising ethanol, the latter being recycled upstream of the vaporization step c); h) a step for compression of the effluent comprising ethylene obtained from step f); i) a step for oxidation of the effluent obtained from step h) into ethylene oxide, this oxidation step comprising at least one tubular oxidation reactor cooled by vaporization of said quench flow obtained from step d), said quench flow which has thus been reheated being recycled to step d).