The Biofuel Debate

One of the major problems with so-called bio-fuels is, that they take up so much food production space, and this is proving quite a problem in many countries, especially European countries, and where they have planted oil palms in the far east, it has caused so much damage to the rain forest, and this we need if we are to breath!

One of the major problems with so-called bio-fuels is, that they take up so much food production space,

You have keyed in to the primary limiting factor of land-based fuel production. There are non-food crops that can yield up to 8,000 gallons of fuel per acre, but food grains aren't even close. The article referenced points out the use of macroscopic marine algae (Sargassum) as a sustainable source, especially for island nations like Japan. Traditional whaling vessels can be readily converted to distillery ships, and a C-130 with the proper delivery system can set a large harvest area rather quickly. Kelp is another good choice.

I presume, you meant 8,000gallons per acre per year. And that is flat impossible.

Taking 2% sugar content in the switchgrass, and 100% conversion efficiency. I do not care what other number you chose, switchgrass is not sugarcane.

8,000 gal = 32,000 liter = 32 ton/acre, roughly

32/0,02% = 1,600 ton/acre dry matter. NOT BLOODY LIKELY.

The real numbers are between 1 - 3% of this reported one.

I did not include the dozens of experimental cellulosic processes, as their hope can be high, claims inflated, outcome entirely uncertain.

I presume, you meant 8,000gallons per acre per year. And that is flat impossible.

Sorry for the delay in getting back to you, Leveles, but my board is still considering allowing the response that I am hoping to be able to make to you. Your comment reminds me of a comment made back in the 1970's concerning my ability to grow Marijuana legally in Texas. A young man was foolish enough to back up his statement with cash, and was devastated when I presented my permit a few weeks later. After I retired from Texas A&M and was driving an 18-wheel Kenworh rig as a "professional tourist", another young man bet me that I could not take that big tractor unit sightseeing in Atlanta,Georgia without getting a ticket. He, too, paid a little "tuition" for his education.

Before issuing any challenge, let me clarify a few things. Yes, I did mean 8,000 gallons per acre per year. And yes, no plant will do that using starches and soluble sugars alone. I have isolated a multi-microbe cocktail from a number of sources that secrete a family of polysaccharide-hydrolyzing enzymes to release most of the simple sugars in plants, and they put the enzymes in the substrate where they are needed. We have just secured funding for our first commercial scale startup. We began pilot scale demonstrations in 2005.

A challenge would involve an elephant grass (Penisetum violaceum) forage hybrid. The dry analysis shows 14% soluble carbohydrate, 19% crude protein, and 45% cellulose + hemicellulose, indicating a conservative ethanol value of 100 gallons/ton. Typical growth rate is 4 meters in 90 days, yielding 200 tons of dry hay per acre per year on 4 cuttings in its native habitat. At 100 gallons per ton, that correlates to 20,000 gallons per acre in the tropics. We should be able to do at least half of that in sub-tropical South Texas or South Florida. I will let you know what the board decides, several of them consider it "grandstanding".

Dear Ethanolics Unanimous: Count me an ally. Are you able to utilize sea-water in growing the amounts you anticipate growing in Texas? Wouldn't this crop also lend itself to Arizona/New Mexican deserts(--I think the former's low, the latter, high)? That's one advantage of using high-lipid algae,--no need for fresh water. You were probably coming-up against an Oil-company apparachek("...flat impossible."). How can I, a poor man, nonetheless an Ally, assist your effort? Due to the recent fires, that devastated parts of Texas, wouldn't your plants ALSO INHIBIT EROSION of soils/substrates? I sincerely HOPE so.--"Try to kill two birds with one stone"--Jek Silberstein

Different assumptions, different presumed results.

Good luck to you in your research. Since Craig Venter is in the same area (alga in his case), I wish you good luck again, as you will need it.

I have not seen such claimed productivity even approached, except, maybe in hydroponics. That alone would be a maior breakthru. The energies needed, alone makes it a daunting proposition. And I consider "grandstanding" good, when successful.

No need to tangle with a board. Progress reports will do fine, sometime.