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SEGMENT: ETHANOL

Dr. Edward Runge>LPL Interviews N-Z>LPL Interviews K-Z, Segment 6

SEGMENT: ETHANOL,

duration 08:35
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ETHANOL
Discussion of ethanol production. Differing biases about production. Those who are biased against it use old studies with different distillation techniques. Reasonable consensus that new efficient plants are more positive with energy balance. You get about 30 per cent more energy out than put in now. He thinks corn is interim until cellulosic side comes in more. Brazil uses whole crop. At the mill, grind up the cane, leech it of sugar and have residue, which they burn in a boiler that give steam to run the plant and energy to dry, run centrifuge, etc. Very efficient. Positive in the 65% range, perhaps. With cellulosic side, it is bulky. Have railroads but haul it 20 miles or less - local plant needed. Cellulose is in cane, hay, stalks, wood, grasses; lots of energy there. Enzymes break it down to sugar to use it. Biofuels are only beginning. Graduate to lower value materials like wood and hay. Would not have to use gas to run plants when you burn product at the plant to get steam. Describes New Zealand's City Gas product. Perhaps we could look at that. Coal to liquid fuels.