A Perfect Cocktail: Biofuel and Booze?
by Karin Kloosterman, Jerusalem, Israel on 08.26.07
What could be better than distilling biofuel? How about biofuel made from booze? Leave it to the Scots to dream up this one. Researchers from the University of Abertay Dundee say it is possible to run your car on the by-products of the brewing and alcohol distilling industry. If so, what would your blend be? Fuel made from single malt scotch for high-performance? Or would it be lager on hot sunny days?
The researchers have been funded with a year long grant to investigate novel methods of turning the spent grain of whisky and beer into bioethanol. And we can’t wait to hear if there will be success.
Professor Graeme Walker, one of the researchers said: “Scientists all over the world are trying to find a simple and cost effective way to produce more biofuels from waste or low value products...Our research will be looking at the far more complicated process of turning waste products from industry into bioethanol as an example of a second-generation biofuel...These products are currently disposed of or processed for animal feed and turning them into fuel would be an attractive use of the resource.” We’ll toast to that! TreeHugger related: Edinburgh: “Most Sustainable City in Northern Europe” & Rooftop Wind Turbines ::Scientificblogging
If the distiller's grain is already useable in an unaltered form as animal feed, then it is less environmentally friendly to consume additional energy to convert it to vehicle fuel.
Note that you can then use the generated manure for fertilizer, fuel, etc.