Biofuel moves away from food - from wisconsin tribune

Karen Madden, Central Wisconsin Sunday wrote today:
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While gas prices continue to rise, scientists are attempting to develop the next generation of ethanol from nonfood sources.

Although the reasons for increasing food costs are not as simple as an increased demand for ethanol-bound corn, scientists are looking for other sources for fuel, said Gary Radloff, director of policy and communications for the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. The cost of energy has increased from between 18 percent and 19 percent during the past year, while the cost of food has risen 4.5 percent.

"There's no question that, since 2000, we've been growing more corn for ethanol and more soybeans for biodiesel," Radloff said.

The technology for turning corn into ethanol and soybeans into biodiesel is from the 1970s and 1980s, Radloff said. The field for producing fuels from renewable resources is in a transitional phase.

The first generation of biofuels involved things such as burning wood, said Eric Singsaas, associate professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The second generation is corn to ethanol, and the third is plant matter to ethanol. The fourth generation, the one currently being worked on by Singsaas and his associate, assistant professor Don Guay, involves converting plant material to nonethanol fuel.

Ethanol has two-thirds the energy of gasoline, Guay said. The type of fuel he and Singsaas are trying to develop has more than 90 percent of the energy of gasoline. The two men are developing a process to convert wood into liquid fuel.

"We think it's realistic that we can make a better fuel and do it from plant matter that doesn't come from agricultural fields," Singsaas said.

The basis for the technology is already in place in the paper industry, Guay said. With mills closing in Brokaw, Peshtigo and Port Edwards, the infrastructure is in place, and it would make sense to reopen a mill to make the new fuel, he said.

Singsaas hopes to have the first pilot plant started with the new technology within three to five years.