THE BIO FUEL OF THE FUTURE

After the European leaders finally agreed on the reduction of CO2 emissions, Al gore came with is Inconvenient Truth documentary and Bush mentioned the ‘oil addiction’-issue, it seems the system finally acknowledges that something needs to done against the human tradition of the pollution of the globe. The Dutch work on new techniques to produce new profitable types of bio fuel. New developed types of yeast are so strong that they can produce alcohol for fuel from paper, grass and on the long run also from wood shreds. In other words: the recipe for the bio fuel of the future.

Until now it is only possible to make alcohol from parts of sugar beets, sugar cane and corn. This is because the fibres are too tough. By genetically modifying the yeast it becomes possible to also convert very tough fibres into alcohol. The specialist are extremely happy about the new developments in the research, and admit that luck played a role in the discovery. Dutch colleagues found a fungus in the excrements of elephants that can do the job after the gene is inserted into the yeast.

The researchers also managed to generate the yeast, since the little yeast animals only live two hours. This makes that the yeast is reinforcing itself. The upcoming years this kind of yeast will be developed further, so it will be possible to more efficiently extract alcohol from a lot more plants. All around the world bio fuels are research and developed. The organisation that wins the race will own the gold of the future.

The technique to gasify coal already dates from the seventies, but only since a few years the technique really breaks through, since alternatives for especially gas will have to come in use. Coal is quite a cheap alternative, but also very polluting. The advantage of gasifying coal is that it is a lot less polluting. Because of this it got the name ‘clean coal’. Besides this it is also easier to catch the CO2 emissions during the process.

The Dutch have the best working coal gasifying plant in the world. Lately delegations from China and the American congress came to checkout the technique that results in what is called syngas. The Dutch owner of the plant and of the technique states that they have sold many licences. Especially to Chinese companies.

Apart from burning syngas for the generation of electricitiy, it can also be used a fuel. The Dutch decided to start with an experiment to make diesel out of syngas. Already before the summer this year, the first litres of new fuel will come out of the syngas factory. The Netherlands turns out to be an experimental garden for bio fuel and ‘clean’ cole. more features

March 16 , 2006