The ‘holy grail’ of biofuels now in sight—Long-promised cellulosic ethanol is in modest production…

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://features.csmonitor.com/environment/2009/02/13/the-%E2%80%98holy-grail%E2%80%99-of-biofuels-now-in-sight/

The ‘holy grail’ of biofuels now in sight

Long-promised cellulosic ethanol is in modest production, but hurdles remain.

By Mark Clayton | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor/ February 13, 2009 edition

Scotland, S.D.

With one foot planted in a pile of corn cobs, Mark Stowers explains how agricultural waste, transformed into ethanol, will turbocharge the US economy, boost its energy security, and help save the planet, too.

This holy grail of biofuels, called cellulosic ethanol, has been “five years from commercialization” for so long that even Dr. Stowers admits it’s become a joke.

…

‘Cellulosic ethanol is real’

The proof, Stowers says, lies inside a nearby windowless, high-roofed single-story metal building. Filled with a maze of pipes and vats, this $8 million test facility is a miniature cellulosic ethanol plant that pumps out 20,000 gallons a year of nearly clear alcohol extracted from cobs like the ones beneath his feet.

“This pilot plant shows cellulosic ethanol is real – that the technology is here,” Stowers says. “Ultimately, cellulosic will allow us to make significant inroads to replacing oil for our nation’s gasoline needs.”

…

[GoesTo11]

1. Not there yet

8 million dollar plant for 20,000 gallons per year is not very good. At 7% interest, the capital cost of that plant is 560,000/year, so this comes out to a $28/gallon, not counting inputs. The question is how much that cost per gallon drops as production scales up and as wrinkles in the processing technology get worked out. It shows that it's real, but we knew it was possible, it's still uncertain how economical it can be. I'm pretty optimistic myself, but from what I've heard, it won't be easy to get it to a competitive range - you just need a big vat that it sits in for a long time, so at least some of the capital cost is unavoidable.

[Hoopla Phil]

2. Well, maybe NOW they're 5 years away.

[OKIsItJustMe]

7. "you just need a big vat that it sits in for a long time"

(Not necessarily)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulosic_ethanol#Gasification_process_.28thermochemical_approach.29

[GoesTo11]

8. Great article - thanks.

Finding the right catalysts will help.

[ComtesseDeSpair]

3. Using food for fuel is not a good solution.

[OKIsItJustMe]

4. Correct! That's what's different about "cellulosic ethanol" (as opposed to "corn ethanol.")

Read more here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cellulosic_ethanol

Cellulosic ethanol

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Cellulosic ethanol is a biofuel produced from wood, grasses, or the non-edible parts of plants.

…

[ComtesseDeSpair]

9. Ah, okay!

I must have misread because I thought it said something about corn cobs under the guy's feet and assumed they were using the "good part" for the fuel. This is excellent then!

[izquierdista]

5. Cellulosic

Cellulose is not food -- unless you are a termite.

[OKIsItJustMe]

6. Not that it's not without its own drawbacks (Hey! a triple negative! Do I win a prize?)

If that plant mass is put back into the soil, then nutrients are restored, meaning fewer fertilizers need to be used.

However, at least we're not putting food into our fuel tanks. (Something which has never sat right with me in 30 years of "corn ethanol.")

[excess_3]

10. only works in the US, why is that?

is there some reason why only the
US is interested in cellolosic ethanol?

why can't the rest-of-the-world do anything?