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Cellulosic Ethanol-An Alternative:



"...Keep your eyes on cellulose ethanol. It is almost assured a strong place in the market. Maybe even a stronger place than oil.."

-Zupatips-

        With such a high demand for gasoline and with resources running low, it isn't surprising that scientists are looking for new alternatives. Cellulosic ethanol may be one of them. This fuel is derived from the stems of plants, such as grass, wood chips, and straw. All of these items are inexpensive, can be obtained rather easily, and are normally just waste material. This makes cellulosic ethanol an obvious choice. Cellulosic ethanol is also more appealing than other types of ethanol, such as corn, because the whole plant can be processed into fuel instead of just the grain part. In addition, an acre of grass can be turned into twice as much ethanol as can an acre of corn. Critics note that corn ethanol isn't a good choice because corn for human consumption is made more expensive.

        A company called Range Fuels is one of the leading cellulosic ethanol manufacturers. Funded by Khosla Ventures, Range Fuels uses modern techniques to convert biomass (plants, weeds, and wood) into ethanol. Entrepreneur Mitch Manditch is the CEO of Range Fuels. Mitch has years of expertise in the technological field. He is gifted in sales and marketing and has worked with many different computer companies.   He is a good example of the qualities needed to succeed in the business and entrepreneurial world.



        Cellulosic ethanol has great potential to be a good alternative source of fuel. The question remaining is this: Will it be able to replace oil? Only time will tell.

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Sources:

“Biomass to Energy: Inventing the New Oil”. Range Fuels. Accessed 10 March 2008. <http://www.rangefuels.com/home>

Bullis, Kevin. "Will Cellulosic Ethanol Take Off”? Technology Review. 26 February 2008. Accessed 31 January 2008. <http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/18227/page1/>.

“Ethanol information and tips.” Zupta Tips. Accessed 10 March 2008. <http://ethanol.zupatips.com/>

Greer, Diane. "BioCycle-Creating Cellulosic Ethanol: Spinning Straw into Fuel." Harvest Clean Energy. April 2005. Accessed 31 January 2008. <http://www.harvestcleanenergy.org/enews/enews_0505/enews_0505_Cellulosic_Ethanol.htm>

Photograph:

Jen 64. “016 Wood Chips”. Flickr.com. 24 January 2004. Accessed 31 January 2008.

<http://www.flickr.com/photos/jen_in_brisbane/367921287/>

Used under the Creative Commons License. <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/deed.en>