by Kevin G. Hall
18-05-06
Q: What is ethanol?
A: Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel made by fermenting and distilling crops
that have been broken down into simple sugars. In the United States, ethanol is
generally made from starch crops such as corn or sorghum. In fact, ethanol
production consumed about 11 % of all US-grown corn in 2004. That number is
expected to grow sharply in coming years.
In Brazil, which rivals the United States in production numbers, ethanol is made
from sugar cane. To provide incentive to its ethanol industry, Brazil has set a
goal of having all vehicles on its roads able to run on ethanol or gasoline in
the next few years.
Q: What is the next-generation ethanol President Bush talks about?
A: Bush backs cellulosic ethanol, sometimes called biomass. This involves
biologically engineered enzymes that can break down virtually any plant fibre
for conversion into ethanol. And, cellulosic ethanol can use lignin, the dry
mass of the plant, to burn as a power source for bio-refineries.
Two companies -- Genentech in South San Francisco, California, and Iogen in the
Canadian capital of Ottawa -- say they are now able to mass-produce these
enzymes but would like the Bush administration to get behind a chosen feedstock.
Some backers want to use widely available corn stoves while others prefer
switchgrass, a naturally growing prairie grass that offers high yield per acre.
Q: How much ethanol would be needed to replace gasoline?
A: The Energy Department estimates that Americans will consume 120.4 bn
gallons of gasoline annually by 2025. The potential for conventional ethanol is
projected at 15 bn gallons, or 12 % of what America would consume.
Cellulose-to-ethanol production potential is pegged at 100 bn gallons. That gets
close to projected consumption levels.
Q: Doesn't ethanol have drawbacks?
A: Several. Right now, there are less than 650 fuelling stations for E85
ethanol, mostly in the Midwest. Compare that to 167,000 filling stations
nationwide that sell gasoline. To compete with gasoline, an entire pipeline
network would need to be constructed, or a virtual pipeline with dedicated tank
trucks and railcars.
Also, large-scale bio-refineries would have to be built. In many parts of the
nation, ethanol is as expensive or more costly than gasoline. Ethanol is harder
to ignite in cold climates, and experts argue the percentages, but cars running
on E85 get 10 % to 20 % fewer miles per gallon than on gasoline.
Q: Will E85 ethanol cost less?
A: It depends where you are. In some Midwest states where ethanol is produced, it can cost around 60 cents less per gallon than gasoline. But since there are so few filling stations with ethanol right now, those stations far from production centres cost more than gasoline and give drivers fewer miles per gallon.
Q: Does using ethanol help the environment?
A: Yes and no. It burns cleaner than gasoline so it emits fewer greenhouse
gases. But the planting, maintenance and harvest of corn and other ethanol crops
requires diesel fuel and petroleum-derived products like fertilizers and
pesticides, so this starts to erode some of ethanol's benefits.
But as ethanol technology develops, and genetically modified crops are planted
in greater numbers, production is expected to become less energy intensive.
Q: How long before ethanol becomes widely available?
A: As a blending stock, it already is widely used in the nation's gasoline,
and that is expected to increase as congressional mandates increase the use of
ethanol for blending. General Motors, a leading maker of flex-fuel vehicles,
believes E85 ethanol presents a chicken or egg dilemma. It's making 400,000 new
flex-fuel vehicles across nine product lines this year and will keep up that
pace.
But it won't go completely to 100 % flex-fuel because there just aren't the
ethanol pumps to support it. No one knows whether the tipping point comes from a
greater number of flex-fuel cars or a greater number of available ethanol pumps.
Source: Knight Ridder