Ethanol

Learning Log

• Personal Reflection - Wojtek Chowanski
• Academic Reflection - Wojtek Chowanski

Object from the Future

Cellulosic Ethanol

As a fuel source, cellulosic ethanol emits 80 % less greenhouse gases then conventional gasoline. As a comparison,(corn) standard ethanol only provides 20 % percent reduction in green house gas emmisions. Be it corn or cellulosic based, it is essentially the same fuel. However, order to value the reductions in emmisions the entire production process of enthanol needs to be taken into account.

Technology

"Cellulosic technology refers to the use of bacteria to convert the hard, fibrous content of plants - cellulose and lignin - into starches that can be fermented by other bacteria to produce ethanol." The greatest advantage of this technology, however is the sources of "fibrous plant material" that can be used for the fermentation. Be it industrial,farm, or municipal solid waste it can be converted. Some scientists are currenty working on technology to convert paper sludge into ethanol. Since sludge is a byproduct of paper mills and is deposited into landfills at a going rate of eight dollars per ton, the potential cost savings are enourmous. Overall there are estimates that there are bilions of tons of unused waste that could be turned into ethnol in the United States alone.

Change and Inhibitors

Ethanol is already present in around five percent of all gasoline sold in the United States. The technology for delivery does not have to change at all from the current petrol stations. Since the infrastructure is already available, the major inhibitor is the cost of producing cellolusic ethanol. Since it costs only about one dollar to extract a barrel of oil from Saudia Arabia, the technology of producing ethanol needs to improve a thousand fold in order for it be economically feasible. However, some are encouraging the governemtns to impose a tax on the cost of oil if its price drops below a certain level. This is to ensure that it is still economically viable to produce cellulosic ethanol.

Growth and Supporters

The cellulosic technology has some very influential endorsees. Vinod Khosla and Bill Gates have bet billions in this industry. Koshla is a billionare technology investor who has made his fortune by funding Sun Microsystems, AOL, Amazon, Compaq and Google among others. Bill Gates does not need an intriduction. However one of the most prominant and influential promoters of this technology has to be Mr. Bush himself. During the recent state of the union speech, Bush estimated that this technology will arrive on the market in no more than six years.

Fueled by publicity, backing of prominent decision makers, abudntant source of waste, sky rocketing price and reliance on oil, this technology will become a big deal within the next 3 years!

Refereneces

Science Daily - http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/01/060126194250.htm
BioCycle - http://www.harvestcleanenergy.org/enews/enews_0505/enews_0505_Cellulosic_Ethanol.htm
The Economist - March 25th to 31st