$1/Gallon "Green Gasoline" In Sight

mattnyc99 writes "We've gotten excited here about the startup that claims it can make $1/gallon ethanol out of anything from trash to tires. But we've also seen how cellulosic ethanol is a better option, and how ethanol demand in general is only adding to the worldwide food crisis. So what about $1/gallon gasoline? NSF-funded researchers at UMass Amherst just completed the first direct conversion from cellulose using a new method of hydrocarbon refining, which they claim can be commercialized within 5-10 years and essentially make fuel out of anything that grows. Quoting: 'We already have the infrastructure in place to distribute liquid fuels. We're using them to power transportation vehicles today, and I think that's what we'll be using in 10 years and in 50 years,' Huber says. 'And if you want a sustainable liquid transportation fuel, biomass is the only way to go.'" The process is running at about 50% efficiency now; the $1/gallon figure is based on getting to 100%.

Comments

Re:I say!

[wxjones]

Germany under the Nazis, South Africa under apartheid, USA under Bush. Fischer-Tropsch would give us one more thing to have in common.

Re:i couldn't have said it better myself

[circletimessquare]

dude. everytime you convert to a new energy medium, you are wasting energy. every KIND of conversion of energy from one medium to another wastes a different AMOUNT of energy

now, you go, and you research, and you compare converting to hydrogen, and then back to desired work by burning, to the energy wasted in say, battery storage. and then get back to us as an informed person in the discussion

otherwise, you might look STUPID

your government is screwing you

[shyberfoptik]

if you can make fuel for $3/gal

It costs less than $3 to make a gallon of gas. You're letting your government tax it up to six and a half? Rebel, now.