Cellulosic ethanol is a potential alternative fuel source that is not yet produced commercially. However, the U.S. Government is promoting this technology by encouraging the development of cellulosic ethanol production plants. The government is also getting involved by supporting research and development of this rapidly evolving ethanol technology.

Creating Cellulosic Ethanol

Cellulosic ethanol can be created using biochemical and thermochemical conversion processes. In this approach, heat and chemicals are used to break biomass into syngas (a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen) and reassemble it into products such as ethanol.

Organic materials such as Corn stover, switchgrass, miscanthus and wood chips are the favored cellulosic materials for ethanol production. The advantage to using these materials is that they are abundantly available. Another advantage is that the process does not require plants that are consumed as food by people. However, it requires more processing to convert the “mix”, compared to the fermentation of corn or sugar beets to produce ethanol.

The process used to generate ethanol from these organic materials is a two step process - biomass treatment and cellulose hydrolysis. The hemi-cellulose part is broken down to simple sugars, and this is removed for fermentation, and the cellulose part of the biomass is broken down to sugar glucose. The major benefit of cellulosic ethanol is that it reduces greenhouse gases by 85%.

The History of Cellulosic Ethanol

Research and development of the Cellulosic Ethanol process was first done in Germany, using wood, at the turn of the 20th century. The Germans were able to develop a process that optimized yields of the biomass used. Eventually, the technology made its way to the United States. It culminated in two plants being built and operated during the First World War. The American version yielded only half that of its German counterpart, but more ethanol was able to be produced. After WWI, lumber shortages forced these plants to close. However, a small team, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), continued to research the commercial viability of this product.

This technology has been accelerated in the United States since President George Bush’s State of Union address on January 31, 2006. In his speech, he proposed the expansion of the use of cellulosic ethanol. He backed his words by proposing a $2 billion funding of this initiative. In March of 2007, the U.S government awarded over $850 million in grants to make ethanol out of materials such as wood chips, citrus peels and switchgrass. In that same month, a U.S company called Range Fuels was awarded a construction permit from the state of Georgia to build its first commercial plant. And in March 2008, an MIT professor was awarded a grant to develop revolutionary new “green gasoline”.

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