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Interview of Brian Baer by Beyond Fossil Fuel - 4/27/06
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Recently, there has been a lot of talk about using agricultural waste to produce ethanol. How is your process unique to others? The only unique aspect of my process is the primary feedstock (raw material) that I want to use. Cotton gin waste (trash) will be my primary raw material. My process is simply a combination of synergistic technologies that are assembled together efficiently in order to take advantage of recent enzymatic breakthroughs. What I am doing is using a plentiful local raw material (gin trash) in an innovative conversion process.
- Is it more difficult to turn agricultural waste like “cotton gin trash” into ethanol than using corn? When making ethanol, is gin trash better than agricultural waste like corn stalks? Let’s take a step back. Corn consists of the kernel and then everything else on the plant. The kernel, obviously, is used for human consumption. Everything else on the plant, the corn stover, is being looked at very seriously as a raw material for ethanol production. The corn stover is what we call lignocellulosic…meaning, it is a cellulose based material in a lignin matrix. Lignin is the “glue” that provides structural integrity to the plant and cellulose is the carbohydrate we are interested in. Other lignocellulosics include cotton gin trash, switchgrass, forest waste, etc.
What I am proposing is really a “bio-refinery”…that is, a process that is able to take virtually ALL lignocellulosic materials and convert them into bioethanol.
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You had stated that by law, the Tennessee Valley Authority must buy the ethanol you produce. Could you explain how this works? The key component to my process is the utilization of the lignin. After separation of the lignin from the cellulosic materials, I can combust the lignin, produce steam, push a steam turbine that drives an electric generator. This will produce enough energy for my plant to operate as well as a healthy excess of electricity. Although I am still working out the details, the TVA generally purchases excess “green” electricity from consumers. For instance, if you lined your roof with solar panels and produced more electricity that you use, the TVA would buy this excess electricity from you. It is not economically feasible to build a plant to produce a biofuel that uses fossil fuel in the same quantity. That gives you, at best, a net-zero energy balance. I am interested in a plant with a positive energy balance which produces a revenue stream.
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You stated that you can produce ethanol in 72 hours from gin waste. How does the process work? I mentioned enzymatic breakthroughs earlier…basically, some global companies have developed, through genetic engineering, enzymes that are able to efficiently break down cellulosic materials into their component sugars. Sugars are then able to be fermented using microorganisms. The fermentation process produces ethanol. In very general terms, it would take approximately 3 days to complete the conversion process.
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It is my understanding you want to build a plant to produce ethanol. Would you locate the plant in North Alabama and why? Well, I live in North Alabama, so the logistics for me are good! Also, we are in the heart of cotton country. There are over 300 gins from North Carolina to Texas. They are my lifeline and it just makes sense to locate a bio-refinery here.
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I have read where a bio-fuel manufacturer has looked at the Cargill plant as a possible location. Why would this plant be attractive? The Cargill plant produces high fructose corn syrup for soft drinks (I believe). As I mentioned earlier, sugar feedstock is the ultimate goal for fermentation, which produces ethanol. There could be some synergy with a complimentary ethanol plant to a fructose plant, but I would be concerned about the feedstock supply. The huge advantage of using lignocellulosics over corn is that corn is in the human food chain and hence, has competition for its uses. It is a commodity. Lignocellulosics are usually waste crops or byproducts of other processes. Gin trash is considered a nuisance. So, to answer your question, I would have to know more about what they are wanting to do.
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E85 fuel is a mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% unleaded. Do you see the auto manufacturers building a vehicle that would burn 100% ethanol? Technically, you can put 100% ethanol in your car and it should run with little or no problems. Ethanol is referred to as an oxygenated fuel because of its high oxygen content. The incomplete combustion of gasoline produces carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and particulates. The addition of ethanol to gasoline reduces these unwanted byproducts, providing more oxygen which supports cleaner combustion in your engine. Also, greater power can be attained in an automobile due to the increase in compression ration from 8:1 for gasoline to 12:1 for ethanol. This delivers up to 20% more power in an engine. Brazil currently has a great ethanol program with their vehicles. So, yes, auto makers will respond and will do so quickly.
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Do you think it will be difficult to find financial backers for the plant you want to build? Ha…the million dollar question. America is screaming right now for a solution to the high pump prices. Congress is enthusiastic, to say the least, about alternative fuels, especially ethanol. President Bush has pushed things along with his comments in the State of the Union address. However, it might take some time for investors and corporate America to respond. Right now, we are in the “proving” stage. That is where my company is working. The investors who take the risk NOW are the ones who will be the leaders in 5-10 years. Those are the ones I need to meet with…soon.
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What obstacles do you see the industry having in the future? Honestly…greed. Right now, my lignocellulosic raw materials are nuisance crops or byproducts. Farmers will soon see (if they haven’t already) the value and will begin to raise prices from “free” to something that can hurt the economics of the industry. Don’t’ get me wrong…this will become a significant and needed revenue stream for farmers who are the backbone of America, but business is business. If we are not careful, the technological breakthroughs will be offset by rising raw material costs.
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What do you think the future is for ethanol produced with agricultural waste? Right now, it is our only real hope to reduce our dependence upon foreign oil.
As a side note…my process is one of those things that will become the saving grace for America’s thirst for energy. The Middle East has a stranglehold on the USA with their oil reserves. If we do this right and are able to find the funding necessary for full-scale commercial implementation, we will see significant decreases in our oil consumption in just a few years. In twenty years, when the Middle East’s oil is drying up, America will be “growing” her fuel. So, this should be the dream of all of us, for our way of life as responsible citizens of Earth. The technology is here. I am looking for those bold enough to join me and build this industry. Now is the time and this is the place. Baer Technologies is poised to emerge as a leader as well as a beacon for hope in trying times.
For more information, please contact Brian Baer at (256) 318-2665 or www.baertechnology.com.
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