[Gasification] Cellulosic Ethanol a dead end

[Pels, J.R. (Jan)]

This 35% result is of course terribly low. It means that for every
gallon EtOH you need two times the energy in that gallon to produce it. 

> If you think converting the 70% starch in corn into sugar and 
> then into ethanol is inefficient, (MAYBE 35% more energy out 
> than in) 

But you have to get your references correct. Is it gasoline from oil?
Well, you don't get 100% gasoline from oil. You waste some of it in the
refinery. (Hard to get a number, since a significant part of the oil is
converted to other useful products).

Let's not forget that alternatives to oil also waste. E.g., tar sands
need 0.6 barrel of oil extra to produce 1 barrel of oil. And then some
is lost when it is processed into gasoline. Fisher-Tropsch diesel from
coal is equally wasteful.

And also, if the lost energy is useful heat it is not wasted. This
applies to all examples.

Finally, if that wasted energy is coming from biomass it is still
wasted, but it is 100% green.

Jan

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Dr. Jan R. Pels
ECN - Biomass, Coals and Environmental Research
P.O. Box 1, 1755 ZG Petten, The Netherlands
telephone: +31-224-564884; fax: +31-224-568487
mobile: +31-6-10923218
e-mail: pels at ecn.nl
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