"small" ethanol done right

[poopfuel]

From the Toronto Star.

http://www.thestar.com/article/171058

"It's a model that could be repeated, in terms of localizing the production of energy," he says. "For example, you could put one of these in the Holland Marsh (about 50 kilometres north of Toronto) and use the waste from vegetables that don't go to market.

"We have the ability, through small complexes in rural Ontario, to produce 50 per cent of our electricity requirements at a tenth the cost of a centralized (power) plant ... That's what they did in Europe. We've just got to think outside of the box with these things."


Hard to digest: The idea alone of producing ethanol out of sweet potatoes, sorghum and millet has legs when one considers the controversy around corn. Not just because of the poor energy equation when using corn, but also due to fears that dramatically expanding ethanol production will eat up food supplies and drive up prices.

.....

Still, putting together a co-op based on an idea is the easy part. Finding the funding and getting the necessary approvals is where the difficult work begins. Murray believes the ethanol plant and anaerobic digester could be up and running within the next three to five years, but he also understands there will be many roadblocks slowing him down along the way.

"The whole game right now is designed so only the big boys can play," he says, pointing to oil giants like Suncor or biofuels leader Greenfield Ethanol.

[geardaddy]

1. K & R

Thanks for posting this. People need to realize that corn is the least economical/environmentally friendly way to produce ethanol.

[Maestro]

4. You're correct on corn being the least environmentally friendly.

Scientific American and big article on that.

[silverweb]

2. Great article.

Thinking outside the box and cutting the "big boys" down to size is what it's all about.

K&R.

[seasat]

3. In the US you can now get an individual ethanol license

I found some sites a while back that show how to set up your own still and get the licensing. It looks like a good idea that could benefit anyone with a little bit of ingenuity and fabrication skill. Plus, if you make it right, you can have your fuel and drink it too. ;)