Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Ethanol From Waste Straw

Posted by michael on from the rumpelstiltzkin dept.

phcrack writes "The CBC is reporting that 'Iogen Corporation of Ottawa has developed enzymes to break down waste straw and wood chips into ethanol on a commercial scale.' Apparently traditional ethanol from food crops like corn used at least as much energy to create as they released when burned. It's nice to see that big oil companies are helping fund a project like this too. It's very rare today to hear of a major company throwing money at a research project since the '80s."

5 of 449 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Corn is a very poor crop to use. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    You are conveniently ignoring the fact that most of the US is unsuitable for growing sugarcane.

    Corn on the other hand, can be grown all over the place.

  2. Re:so could you use thestalks of corn and other ag by the_2nd_coming · · Score: 5, Informative

    all cars built after 1995 are flexible fuel cars. and since then, cars have been certified to run on E85 which is 85% ethanol 15% gas.

    add to that the ethanol fuel cell, and screw hydrogen. if we can produce enough ethanol from ag waste and yard clippings, we can just use ethanol as it is easier to make, easier to transport, and is closed with regards to the carbon cycle (i.e. no negative impact on the environment from the CO2 used since the plants used have to use the same amount to grow.)

    --



    I am the Alpha and the Omega-3
  3. Actual press release by neonfrog · · Score: 5, Informative
    Contains a little more detail. Avalable here.


    Brings up an interesting question: Do all Canadian petroleum companies get use of this tech since Canadian taxes helped pay for it? Or does just the consortium get to profit from it for a while since they did the actual research?


    Either way seems fair from certain perspectives, but if Shell and Petro-Canada are the only ones to profit then what percentage of Canadian cars will actually run the stuff? How many petro companies are there in Canada? How many Canadians will really benefit from their taxes?

    --

    I'm thinking about it, therefore I might be.

  4. Re:How expensive? by belrick · · Score: 5, Informative

    No, no, in Canada the gallons are Imperial, which is 160 Imperial oz (28.41 mL/Imp oz) or 4.546 L, compared with a US gallon being 128 US oz (29.57 mL/US oz) or 3.785 L.

    More importantly, we drink beer in Imperial pints (1/8 Imp gal, or 20 Imp oz) which is 568 mL verses a US pint (1/8 US gal, or 16 US oz) which is 473 mL.

  5. Re:Rare != Not There by dAzED1 · · Score: 5, Informative
    that's funny, I work at a large Lockheed plant, and I have a decent clearance level...I don't know of any bombs being built here...

    Helicopters, mail sorters for the US postal service, advanced targetting systems, a few other things...but bombs? Not really. At some plants, sure, but its definately not even a large portion of the company portfolio.