Technology
What is Cellulosic Ethanol?
The Future Fuel.
In the Grimm Brother's fairy tale, Rumpelstiltskin spins straw into gold. Thanks to advances in biotechnology, researchers can now transform straw and other plant wastes, into "green" gold -cellulosic ethanol. While chemically identical to ethanol produced from sugar-cane, corn or soybeans; cellulosic ethanol exhibits net energy content more than three times higher than the older technology and emits a low net level of greenhouse gases. Recent technological developments have improved yields and driven down production costs to the point where we are now able to commercially produce cellulosic ethanol in sufficient quantities to replace expensive, imported "black gold" (oil) with this sustainable, domestically produced bio-fuel. Cellulosic ethanol will substantially reduce the consumption of gasoline. In a joint statement the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Union of Concerned Scientists of the United States stated, "It is at least as likely as hydrogen to be an energy carrier of choice for a sustainable transportation sector."
Cellulosic Ethanol has been called the “Future of Ethanol”; The Acid Catalyzed Organosolv Saccharification (ACOS) Cellulosic Bio-Ethanol Refinery Process uses third
generation technology to produce ethanol from agricultural and forest residues, such as sugar bagasse (the waste after sugar has been produced and from many other agricultural residues), wood wastes, pine, grass, etc., thus avoiding conflicts and competition with food-stocks such as grain and sugar cane juice, which is used by older, obsolete technologies. This means there are wide varieties of agricultural products that can be used to produce Cellulosic Ethanol. Cellulosic Ethanol also provides energy security as it decreases the dependence on oil.
The Future Fuel.
In the Grimm Brother's fairy tale, Rumpelstiltskin spins straw into gold. Thanks to advances in biotechnology, researchers can now transform straw and other plant wastes, into "green" gold -cellulosic ethanol. While chemically identical to ethanol produced from sugar-cane, corn or soybeans; cellulosic ethanol exhibits net energy content more than three times higher than the older technology and emits a low net level of greenhouse gases. Recent technological developments have improved yields and driven down production costs to the point where we are now able to commercially produce cellulosic ethanol in sufficient quantities to replace expensive, imported "black gold" (oil) with this sustainable, domestically produced bio-fuel. Cellulosic ethanol will substantially reduce the consumption of gasoline. In a joint statement the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Union of Concerned Scientists of the United States stated, "It is at least as likely as hydrogen to be an energy carrier of choice for a sustainable transportation sector."
Cellulosic Ethanol has been called the “Future of Ethanol”; The Acid Catalyzed Organosolv Saccharification (ACOS) Cellulosic Bio-Ethanol Refinery Process uses third
generation technology to produce ethanol from agricultural and forest residues, such as sugar bagasse (the waste after sugar has been produced and from many other agricultural residues), wood wastes, pine, grass, etc., thus avoiding conflicts and competition with food-stocks such as grain and sugar cane juice, which is used by older, obsolete technologies. This means there are wide varieties of agricultural products that can be used to produce Cellulosic Ethanol. Cellulosic Ethanol also provides energy security as it decreases the dependence on oil.