Should Coskata be worried? GM's first cellulosic ethanol partner made some waves in January with it's announcement that it can make the biofuel from all sorts of waste products for less than $1 a gallon. While we're still waiting for the fruits of that process, other cellulosic ethanol companies want to get some of the good vibes that promising cheap, truly green biofuel can bring.The Alternative Energy Technology Center has announced that it, too, can make ethanol for under $1 a gallon and this story in Greentech Media says that more such announcements will be coming soon. The company is apparently in the "completion phase" of its biorefinery that should be able to make "20 to 100 tons of ethanol, gasoline, diesel and other products per day," Greentech Media says. For us, the proof will certainly be in the pudding and whoever brings cheap cellulosic ethanol to market first will win our praise - and, more importantly, lots and lots of money, I'm sure. Coskata's Wes Bolsen told Greentech Media that the cellulosic ethanol market can handle many players, and they're not worried, to answer the question in the lede.
[Source: Greentech Media]
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1. $1 per gallon + transportation costs, taxes, and retailer markup = ?
What does regular gasoline cost right out of the refinery? And would it even matter if most cars aren't rated for more than a 10% ethanol blend anyway? Cellulosic ethanol is hardly a solution for cheaper fuel.
Posted at 11:43PM on Mar 28th 2008 by GenWaylaid