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blaSSt · 07-11-2008, 06:10 AM

Scott I applaude GM for the strides they are taken. I do disagree on Ethanol.

Ethanol is a disaster! PLEASE do not write your congressman or senators about more Ethanol!

1. Currently is upsets the balance of food crop production.
2. The new celluosic processes generate less energy than the feedstock used to produce it.
3. Pollution, combustion products
4. Is only viable with Government subsidies (taxpayer $$$$)

Case in point:
Oil & Gas Journal published an extensive, technical article on turning wood waste into Ethanol in their June 2 mag. Here's what it boiled down to: take 2500 tons of wood waste per day (sawdust, wood351.90/ton and after investment and operating expenses, the Ethanol could be made for $1.10/gallon and sold for $2.23/gallon.

Sounds great right!

Only one thing....what is done with the wood waste now?

Answer: it is burned in the mills' boilers.

Now the wood has a heating value of 9 MM BTU/ton or 22,500 MM BTU/day.
Ethanol has a heating value of 75,700 BTU/gal or 11,430 MM BTU/day.
So the useful energy is cut in half.

BUT what the article failed to account for: All of a sudden the mill has lost all that fuel that was running its boilers. The boilers still need to run so what does the mill have to do? Buy more coal or natural gas to fuel the boilers. Actually the mill would have to buy so much coal it would cost $112,500/day or about $0.75/gallon!!!

Ethanol is voodoo economics whether it's corn, sugar, wood, switchgrass, etc. It is a net loser.

PLEASE STOP THE ETHANOL INSANITY!!!

Conserve where you can.
Drill here ASAP.
Ramp up Nuclear.
That buys us the 30-50 years it will take to develop a new substantial source of energy.

07-11-2008, 06:10 AM	#43
blaSSt Drives: 98 SS, 15 COPO, 09 ZR1 Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 442 View My Garage	Scott I applaude GM for the strides they are taken. I do disagree on Ethanol. Ethanol is a disaster! PLEASE do not write your congressman or senators about more Ethanol! 1. Currently is upsets the balance of food crop production. 2. The new celluosic processes generate less energy than the feedstock used to produce it. 3. Pollution, combustion products 4. Is only viable with Government subsidies (taxpayer $$$$) Case in point: Oil & Gas Journal published an extensive, technical article on turning wood waste into Ethanol in their June 2 mag. Here's what it boiled down to: take 2500 tons of wood waste per day (sawdust, wood351.90/ton and after investment and operating expenses, the Ethanol could be made for $1.10/gallon and sold for $2.23/gallon. Sounds great right! Only one thing....what is done with the wood waste now? Answer: it is burned in the mills' boilers. Now the wood has a heating value of 9 MM BTU/ton or 22,500 MM BTU/day. Ethanol has a heating value of 75,700 BTU/gal or 11,430 MM BTU/day. So the useful energy is cut in half. BUT what the article failed to account for: All of a sudden the mill has lost all that fuel that was running its boilers. The boilers still need to run so what does the mill have to do? Buy more coal or natural gas to fuel the boilers. Actually the mill would have to buy so much coal it would cost $112,500/day or about $0.75/gallon!!! Ethanol is voodoo economics whether it's corn, sugar, wood, switchgrass, etc. It is a net loser. PLEASE STOP THE ETHANOL INSANITY!!! Conserve where you can. Drill here ASAP. Ramp up Nuclear. That buys us the 30-50 years it will take to develop a new substantial source of energy. Last edited by blaSSt; 07-11-2008 at 06:49 AM.