Ethanol Made for $1.00 a Gallon Without Corn! - 2/03/08

Coskata is a biofuel startup in Illinois, making ethanol from almost anything organic for less than a dollar a gallon.  Coskata is backed by General Motors and uses anything from corn husks (not the corn) to municipal waste, producing ethanol. 

Wes Bolsen says it is not years from now, but they can do it NOW! 

Scientists are working quickly to reach the five fold increase in ethanol production to 36 billion by 2022, which is required by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. 

There is increased competition in converting bio waste into ethanol. 

This process not only cost much less than using corn to make fuel, it does not use food for fuel.  Another great advantage is the process could be used anywhere using what we normally throw away as municipal waste.  The end result will be E85 sold at the pump for a dollar cheaper per gallon than petroleum gasoline.

Coskata uses a mix of hydrogen and carbon monoxide to covert organic waste into synthesis gas.  Instead of fermenting the gas to make the ethanol they use bacteria that consumes the gas, excreting ethanol.

Coskata is the first to combine gasification and bacterial conversion at a low cost to produce ethanol.  This produces more ethanol per ton of feedstock than using corn to make ethanol, plus the process uses less water and heat.  Two bales of hay will make five gallons of ethanol for less than one dollar a gallon. Corn costs 1.40 per gallon to produce, plus you are using food for fuel.

For more information on food for fuel go to this link http://www.beyondfossilfuel.com/ethanol/food_oil_122807.html

For more information on how corn is killing the Gulf of Mexico go to this link http://www.beyondfossilfuel.com/ethanol/gulf_1219.html

Coskata is planning to build a commercial size plant by 2011, producing up to 100 million gallons of ethanol. 

84 percent less greenhouse gases are produced by the Coskata method and it generates 7.7 times more energy than is required to produce it.  Corn generates 1.3 times more energy. 

To read an interview with engineer Brian Baer concerning his plans to use of bio waste to produce ethanol, go to this link http://www.beyondfossilfuel.com/ethanol/baer.html

With almost no ethanol infrastructure, the great advantage to the Coskata process is ethanol can be produced locally from bio waste, which is everywhere from cities to farms.

With the 36 billion gallon mandate, the Big Oil companies will find a way to make E85 widely available.   They will make money on both ends, you can count on it.

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