Cobalt Technologies Produces Renewable Fuel from Beetle-Killed Pine

[Nathanael]

The Mountain Pine Beetle is carving up many forests in North America--it has become a real problem. However, Cobalt Technologies may have just discovered a way to mitigate some of the issue. The company has produced biobutanol from trees killed by the beetle.




Cobalt Technologies recently announced it has successfully produced renewable biobutanol from beetle-killed pine trees in what the company is calling a “breakthrough.”

According to a recent press release, the California-based company is the first to produce a “drop-in replacement for petroleum and petrochemicals” from the affected lodgepole pine trees.


Link: http://www.energyboom.com/biofuels/cobalt-technologies-produces-renewable-fuel-beetle-killed-pine

[mike_c]

1. fire season is almost here....

Yes indeed. There is a shocking amount of standing dead fuel in Colorado, Wyoming, etc. This is the legacy of 100 years of fire suppression. Western forests are maintained by fire.

[jwirr]

2. NE MN has some fires right now and it is fueled by this also.

[eppur_se_muova]

3. Very cool! Wish there were more technical details ...

I know starch can be converted to biobutanol, but wonder how they're doing the same with cellulose.

Butanol is a one-for-one replacement for gasoline, and can be shipped by pipeline. Something to keep an eye on.