...Conversion efficiency, depending on the process it between 150% and 600% verse input.
Is there reference for this?
I liked Henry Gibson's comments on your link article, which in part were:
"Growing some of the enzymes for fermenting the cellulose in the {leaves and stalk of} crop is an cunning approach. {he now quotes from article:}
"Integrating high-efficiency endoplant enzyme crops with biofuel production and distribution systems is projected to double per-acre ethanol yields, reduce the cost of cellulosic ethanol by 20%, increase farm income per acre by 25%, and relax pressures on farmland availability and water use." {It needs more than a 50% reduction in cost to fairly compete (without subsides.)}
...
Now that the plant breeders are turning their attention to the fuel potential of the non-crop biomass, it is very likely that they will be able to substantially increase the fuel co-product yield.
The article mentions applying the technique to sugar cane. Sugar cane combined heat and power plants already generate all of their process heat and electricity by burning some of the bagasse, and even generate a surplus of electricity for export to the grid. {yes, as I recal about 10% of the lectric power in Brazil} According to wikipedia, not all of the bagasse is currently used in Brazil because Brazil has cheaper Hydro Electric Power available. If the excess bagasse could be fermented into biofuel instead, it
would increase the potential for large quantities of biofuel to be exported to the USA to supplement US ethanol supply and displace imports from OPEC. Congress needs to make a deal with Brazil on a tariff structure which facilitates clean biofuels from both the USA and Brazil while taxing fossil fuels to fund their external costs such as military expenditure in the Persian Gulf. ..."
I agree 90% with Henry, but US should not grow any bio-fuels, IMHO, if can import them cheaper. Why add to the US debt (with subsidies) and taxes of Joe American just to make the cost of his driving higher than it needs to be? Tropical sugar cane alcohol is NOT like oil, available only from a few producers who support the terrorists financially. There is not much danger and much to be gained by trading with ~50 different nations that can grow tropical sugar cane on tiny fraction of their land* (less than 2% of Brazil's farm land used for sugar cane. If the bagasse also became alcohol less than 1% would supply 100% of Brazil's liquid fuel need and leave plenty for export.)* to earn the funds to buy US made high value added products.***
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*Brazil is making 3 million of world's most advanced cars this year. Sells the best most efficient and SAFESTcorporate jets (One collided with large Boeing, killing about 300 people in it as it broke into two pieces high in the air, but Embraer's tiny jet flew on for 30 minutes more to land safely with no one even injured and only missing part of one wing and part of the tail. - Not surprizingly, the order book is now full for next three years of production capacity. If you have a used one you can sell it for 20% more than a new one delivered more than three years from now.) Embraer** also has best 80 to 120 seat jets on the market and world's only alcohol powered crop dusters etc. - Reason for mentioning this is to show that Brazil is not just a backward agricultural society with little need for liquid fuels, but many that could grow tropical sugar cane (like Cuba) are. If they put even 0.1% of their land into sugar cane production they could escape form big oil's grip on their economies, and 1% of all such tropical land would easily supply ALL US's needs if US drivers used smaller cars like Europeans and Brazilians do instead of gas hogs.
**In interest of full disclosure, I own a lot of Embraer's ADRs
***US’s number one problem is NOT energy, or even liquid fuel, it is the stupidity of its poorly educated masses, who vote. That is why GWB and years of Republican control of government has been able to send US into deep depression, but I am getting off thread so will stop.
