[Digestion] cellulosic ethanol process

[Art Krenzel]

Harmon,

I work in the field of biofuels and have a question regarding the source of 
the information defining the capability of cattails being able to produce 
1500 gallons of ethanol per acre unfertilized and 2500 gallons per acre when 
fertilized with sewage.  These numbers are significantly higher than US DOE 
numbers for a wide range of biofuel sources.

Where did you get the numbers?

Art Krenzel


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Harmon Seaver" <hseaver at gmail.com>
To: <Digestion at listserv.repp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 7:44 AM
Subject: Re: [Digestion] cellulosic ethanol process


>� wrote:
>> Ethanol from just the grain is from long term point of view a dead
>> end as the total yield per hectar is low, and it has a disturbing smell 
>> of
>> agricultural politics.
>> Regards
>> Bjorn Dahlroth
>>
>    Yes, ethanol from grain is only being done because of the large
> subsidies paid to farmers to grow the grain, but their are other crops
> which work out much better -- as we see with sugar cane in Brazil, for
> instance. It is a very economical solution there. But cattails is a much
> better feedstock, and very sustainable grown on a permaculture basis.
> You get at least 1500 gallons per acre with no fertilizer or pesticides
> and only planting once, and that's in a cold climate like Minnesota. If
> it were grown on the effluent from sewage plants, it can produce well
> over 2500 gallons per acre. Corn, for example, gives only 200-400
> gallons per acre with huge amounts of chemical fertilizer, herbicides
> and other pesticides.
>    It also makes a very good AD feedstock, being over 40% starch. And
> the spent mash can be feed to livestock, used for AD, or used as
> fertilizer.
>
> -- 
> Harmon Seaver
>
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