A Midwest Adjustment

Algae

You probably already know that ethanol can be made from corn and switchgrass.  Thanks to government subsidies, we in the midwest get an ethanol enriched gas that is higher in octane and lower in price than regular (check it out next time you fill up your gas tank in the heartland). What you might not know is how enzymes derived from the fermentation of micro-organisms such as algae, bacteria and fungus can be used as a biological catalyst to break down cornstarch, thereby improving the yield and reducing the energy cost of producing conventional ethanol.

My town of 7500 is the lucky home of a business that blends enzymes and ships them to ethanol producers (currently, the enzymes are produced by a company in North Carolina).  Novozymes, a Denmark-based company, already ships half of the enzymes sold in the U.S. and has begun to build an enzyme production plant here that will go online in 2012.  To attract the company, my town and state will give the Novozymes 1.6 million in grants; the first $400,000 is earmarked for streets and utility lines.  Future payments will help pay for equipment.  The enzyme production plant is anticipated to bring 100 new jobs to my town.

Why should you care about this?  Currently, biofuel have a CO2 emission rate that is 20-50% less than gasoline.  Using second-generation biofuels produced from agricultural waste such as wheat or corn straw reduces CO2 emissions by up to 90% compared with gasoline.  The enzyme technology is key to this reduction in greenhouse gas production.

Biofuels produced from oil synthesized from current fuel crops and animal fats, such as corn or lard, cannot meet the demand for fuel without negatively impacting the world fuel supply. Using micro-organisms to produce biofuels is more efficient and may be the only renewable source of oil that can meet global demand.

Click here for a related scientific article.

Here is what Wikipedia has to say about second-generation biofuels and third-generation biofuels.