Nanotech Breakthrough Could Further Reduce Costs of Cellulosic Ethanol

DailyTech.com
Jason Mick (Blog) - October 9, 2009 11:05 AM

The outlook for waste-ethanol is looking up

Cellulosic ethanol is an exciting technology which promises to convert the abundant sources of organic waste worldwide (kitchen waste, yard waste, paper industry waste, etc.) into green alternative fuel. Unlike traditional ethanol, it won't use food crops or raise food prices. In addition, environmental impact studies have indicated that while traditional ethanol releases more greenhouse gases than burning fossil fuels, cellulosic ethanol could reduce emissions substantially.

Traditionally the creation of cellulosic ethanol follows one of two routes. The first route is to first plasmify the organic matter, breaking down the cellulose and creating a gassy mix of small hydrocarbons. This mix is then fed to special bacteria, which produce the ethanol. Coskata, one leading manufacturer that promises $1/gallon ethanol, is implementing this strategy.

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