Do you know for sure that transformation of agricultural leftovers into fuel can't ever work? Why?
The question is work to what end?
I see from their literature that the goal of this project is not to in fact create an energy positive product ( more energy out than in) but in fact to displace some oil imports. that's a BIG difference.
In effect they are trying to produce liquid fuels from solid mass but the actually energy input is not a consideration. That's not at all save the world by running it on bio fuels solution as has been made out here. It's a turn this into that with a heap of energy thrown in which ultimately means you would be better off using that energy more directly..... like in batteries. Not one bit different to cooking up hydrogen which is also incredibly energy negative when done by electrolysis.
Heres is an extract from their presentation:
Goal Statement
• Project Objectives
– Process 700 metric tonnes of biomass for the purpose of
manufacturing cellulosic ethanol in a co-located IBR model
– Implement a sustainable stover collection, storage and delivery system
– Demonstrate shared DOE/POET-DSM foresight for biomass investments
and technology for rapid deployment of commercial scale biorefineries
– Maximize alternative energy production and minimize traditional
energy usage (MYPP goal)
• As with BETO, POET-DSM goal is to develop commercially viable bioenergy
– To enable sustainable, nationwide production of biofuels
– Displace a share of petroleum-derived fuels to reduce U.S.
dependence on foreign oil
– Encourage the creation of a new domestic bioenergy and bioproduct
industry. (MYPP goal)
• Project LIBERTY is one of the first commercial scale cellulosic
biorefineries operating in the U.S
– DOE grant accelerated DMT construction and operations
– Successful DMT will help launch replication
In short, the project is aimed at making money not at making an energy efficent fuel source. Just because something is sustainable does not mean it's energy efficient.
In any case, as usual, the term sustainable in this context is complete and utter bullshit. Take away the oil energy input factor and it hasn't got a hope in hell of sustaining itself.
From what I can see, there "Breakthrough" in the process is not in making the ethanol at all, it's standardizing a system to collect the corn waste for delivery to the refinery whom use a very ordinary processing technique. It looks like the feed the bagese once it has been fermented and processed back into the boilers as fuel but our sugar mills have been doing that a decade here so nothing real breakthrough about that.
Further investigation into the project ( which seems to have all but stalled since 2017) Shows the raw waste product has to be collected and transported from the refinery. This needs a fossil fuel input in the trucks and machinery. It needs to be Crushed/ Pulverised and I'll bet washed. Electrical energy input, water resource input. It is then fermented, Energy input from yeast and it's production and then cooked. going by the available info, there is still an electrical energy input there, not the least of this would be feeding the mash into the fermentation tower, blowers for incinerator/ Furnace, ash filtration etc.
The wort is then distilled, and then condensed. Electrical input there. It's pumped into storage tanks, more electrical input.
While some of this may seem small and insignifican't, all these inputs add up and they add up FAST.
In any case, I don't now see this even being a project that is trying to create energy as such, just change it's form with the addition of a lot of other energy in the conversion process. BFD! Nothing special or trick about that and the same thing has been touted for other fuel sources and the problems in energy inefficency are exactly the same as with idea.
It's NOT sustainable, it's NOT an answer to providing energy to the vehicle fleet to get off oil.
Liquid fuels are a damn site easier to run a vehicle on that a lot vegetation material However, if you are looking for an alternate form of energy to make a significant contribution to the vehicle fleet consumption of the world, a process that is absolutely, inextricably dependent on Fossil fuels for it's production and has a significant net energy deficit is NOT anywhere near a solution no matter how desperate and hopeful those looking for a miracle to look forward to clearly are.
At best it's a potential cash cow.
By their own figures, $175M had been sunk into this by early 2017.
I can't find anything to say what they HAVE produced as against what they PLAN to produce. 2 Very different things.
Looking at their completely barf worthy and over hyped facewank page, they are still to produce a drop of ethanol .
Also very clear this is first and foremost an investment initiative and the Environmental angle is merely the use of a nobel cause to get the bucks they want.
$1000 says this thing is moth balled inside of 2 years, $5000 says it's gone in 5 or less.
Dedicated advocates and no doubt outraged deciples of the scam....err, scheme can contact me so we can arrange deposit of funds in an escrow account.