Makin' ethanol from cheese factory whey
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, Ethanol, European Union
Up to now, we knew of two projects that obtained ethanol from milk, one in Germany and one in New Zealand. Now we have a new one that produces ethanol from whey, which is a byproduct of the production of a cheese factory called Quexeria Bama in Galicia, Spain. Due to its high lactose content, this whey can be fermented to obtain ethanol. The company states that the bacteria used in the process was researched in-house without external input.
The project was co-developed with the University of La Coruña. Estimated production figures might seem modest: about 800 liters of ethanol per day, but it will be used to save about € 24,000 per month and will be used to power flex-fuel vehicles. Plus, any system that turns waste into fuel is worth noting, no matter how "small."
[Source: Agroinformacion]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-21-2008 @ 12:35PM
Mike Z said...
No Whey!
Whey!
Reply
4-21-2008 @ 1:35PM
Tim said...
Protein from whey is the most bio-available protein available for building muscle. I hope they extract it before turning the whey it into car food.
We need to be more efficient and NOT burn our food in automobiles.
Reply
4-21-2008 @ 1:37PM
steven said...
OMG! DO they have ANY idea what this is going to do to the price of Ricotta and Protein Bars!
Reply
4-21-2008 @ 3:35PM
Ping said...
Great Value brand from Wal-Mart substitutes in whey protein whenever they can, so they can sell for a lower price. Just look in the ingredients...
the result tastes disgusting.
Reply
4-23-2008 @ 1:57PM
Bob Moffitt (Bob from ALAMN) said...
The Land O Lakes Co-op in Melrose, MN has been making ethanol from chease whey since 1986, Xavier.
They produce 3 million gallons a year.
I believe there is another ethanol plant that uses whey near Green Bay, WI (where else?).
Reply