New chemical process could reduce the cost of producing fuels from biomass

Finding a way to reduce the cost of effectively and cheaply producing fuels from biomass waste is what some consider something of a "holy grail" when it comes to biofuels. If there was a fuel that was cheaper than petroleum-based fuel that people could put in their tanks which would not have any negative effects on their vehicle, people would buy it, regardless of whether they care about the environment. Researchers at the University of Georgia are working on just such a fuel. In their early tests, they have shown that a new, as yet unnamed, fuel can be used in standard diesel engines, or in a blend with other biodiesels or petroleum diesels. The team of researchers is using small wood pellets which are heated up in the absence of oxygen to create an oil and a charcoal product, both of which could possibly have a positive economic impact. If that were the case, the team of researchers say that this new fuel could actually be carbon negative, which is a third possible benefit to this new fuel source. Good stuff indeed from those Bulldogs!

[Source: University of Georgia]