Recently in E85 Ethanol Fuel Category
The Zymetis process can make ethanol and other biofuels from many different types of plants and plant waste called cellulosic sources. Cellulosic biofuels can be made from non-grain plant sources such as waste paper, brewing byproducts, leftover agriculture products, including straw, corncobs and husks, and energy crops such as switchgrass.
When fully operational, the Zymetis process could potentially lead to the production of 75 billion gallons a year of carbon-neutral ethanol.
The secret to the Zymetis process is a Chesapeake Bay marsh grass bacterium, S. degradans. Hutcheson found that the bacterium has an enzyme that could quickly break down plant materials into sugar, which can then be converted to biofuel.
The Zymetis researchers were unable to isolate the Bay bacterium again in nature, but they discovered how to produce the enzyme in their own laboratories. The result was Ethazyme, which degrades the tough cell walls of cellulosic materials and breaks down the entire plant material into bio-fuel ready sugars in one step, at a significantly lower cost and with fewer caustic chemicals than current methods.
Hutcheson projects a $5 billion enzyme market for biofuels. The energy bill passed by the U.S. Senate in 2007 mandates oil companies to blend in 21 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol with their gasoline by 2022.
Zymetis, Inc. is a biotechnology company dedicated to developing novel enzyme products derived from unique organisms to achieve lower costs, and improved yields. www.zymetis.com
The new station, developed by Santa Barbara's non-profit Community Environmental Council, is California's second open to the public and the first of five to be built with the grant money.
"Ethanol will play a key role in California's clean, renewable fuels future," said Mary Nichols, Chairman of the Air Resources Board. "This station will allow the many flexible fuel vehicles already on the road to take advantage of this renewable fuel."
The $580,000 grant is part of an incentive program created by Assembly Bill 1811, authored by Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles) and passed in 2006. The Alternative Fuels Incentive Program distributed its $25 million in June, 2007, to encourage public awareness and adoption of newly available technologies already reducing pollution and diversifying the state's energy sources. The program's strategies include:
- Incentives to individuals and fleets promoting alternative fuel powered vehicles;
- Economic support for the production of alternative fuel in California;
- Facilitating construction of refueling stations for the public and private fleets;
- Funding research, development and testing of alternative fuels and vehicle technology; and,
- Incentives to replace the current state vehicle fleet with clean, fuel efficient, alternative fuel powered vehicles.
More than 300,000 vehicles already on the road in California are capable of using E85. These vehicles, known as flexible fuel vehicles, can use a mixture of up to 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent petroleum. They are not limited to this fuel, as they can also mix in conventional gasoline with any E85 already in the tank.
Flexible Fuel Vehicles already on the road include:
- Ford Taurus and Explorer
- Chrysler Sebring
- Dodge Stratus
- Mercury Mountaineer
- Chevrolet Impala
- Monte Carlo
- Avalanche Suburban and Tahoe
- GMC Yukon
- Mercedes Benz C320
- Saturn Relay
E85 has many benefits compared to petroleum based fuels. It offers an alternate source of energy which alleviates problems of scarcity and dependence on foreign trade. It burns cleaner, resulting in fewer smog forming emissions. And, ethanol is produced from sources that can be replenished.
Presently, ethanol is primarily made from corn but it can be produced other ways. One process which has great environmental promise is cellulosic production. This process derives ethanol from vegetation waste, such as that from rice farming. Cellulosic ethanol promises to provide energy with little or no greenhouse gas emissions.
For more information on the program go to: AIR RESOURCES BOARD
PROBLEM: Infrastructure for alternative fuel vehicles is spotty.
SOLUTION: Subsidized refueling stations by nonprofit groups supporting alternative energy industry development.
