Biofuel R&D for Ethanol, Green Chemical from Crop Waste
by Mike Foley (The Land) A new fuel technology to convert harvested crops and other plant waste into biofuel and green chemical products is being developed with $11.9 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
The new technology uses ‘strong acid’ to convert feedstock into a sugar solution that is fermented into ethanol and other products.
The process can convert material from waste streams such as wheat straw, cotton stubble, sugar cane bagasse and forest material.
The University of Newcastle, Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources, Muswellbrook Shire Council and Ethanol Technologies (Ethtec) are collaborating to build a demonstration facility at Muswellbrook.
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Dr (Geoff) Doherty said increased ethanol fuel would reduce carbon emissions, compared to petroleum products, and claimed the new waste product would encourage land rehabilitation, such as at mine sites of planting trees in high salinity soils.
“At the moment, most farmers don’t do it because it’s worth nothing and takes their fields out of action for many years. This process will keep their land productive while also being remediated,” . READ MORE
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