09/03/2009
I believe that in the United States, the production of cellulosic
ethanol, as opposed to corn-based ethanol, is viable over the long
term. There are, however, problems that must be overcome.
One problem has been the development of cost-effective
technologies to produce ethanol from cellulosic sources. Another
problem is the conversion and utilization of sufficient acres of land
to grow and harvest appropriate cellulosic feedstocks. Yet another is
the challenge of handling and transporting the quantities of harvested
biomass materials necessary for meaningful production of ethanol.
However, I believe that recent developments in enzymatic
technologies have improved the efficiency of pre-treating and
converting cellulosic biomass into fermentable sugars. As development
continues and specialized enzyme demand for these technologies grows,
we should see the price of these enzymes drop dramatically.
Regarding available biomass and logistics, we have today an industry
that has been in the business of utilizing enormous quantities of
biomass for cellulosic products for decades – the paper industry.
Currently, this industry is languishing due to reduced demand for paper
products and increased availability from overseas. I believe it is
possible to “re-purpose” existing paper pulp mills to produce cellulose
from wood, that can then be enzymatically converted to fermentable
sugars (then on to ethanol) instead of used for paper products.
Ultimately, we must find a way to produce ethanol from non-food based sources.