Prospects for more biofuels
Posted: 09 Apr 2009, 03:21
For a summary of current work see: http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/Issue ... future.asp
Feedstocks will be cellulosic wastes and biodegradable portions of household and commercial waste.
Diesel and butanol are preferred to ethanol as biofuels but ethanol processes will be improved until others take over. There is a comparison of US and European prospects in terms of availability of starting materials.
Subsidising ethanol production leads to more work on better fuels.
There is difficulty financing new plants in current circumstances and they will be capital-intensive. There is a prospect of plants using gasification combined with fermentation as opposed to current production using one or the other.
Feedstocks will be cellulosic wastes and biodegradable portions of household and commercial waste.
Diesel and butanol are preferred to ethanol as biofuels but ethanol processes will be improved until others take over. There is a comparison of US and European prospects in terms of availability of starting materials.
Subsidising ethanol production leads to more work on better fuels.
There is difficulty financing new plants in current circumstances and they will be capital-intensive. There is a prospect of plants using gasification combined with fermentation as opposed to current production using one or the other.