Mexico & agaves: moving from tequila to ethanol. Mexico could supply entire U.S. 2022 ethanol target

[JohnWxy]

http://bioenergy.checkbiotech.org/news/mexico_agaves_moving_tequila_ethanol

High in sugar content, the project team estimates that varieties of Agave tequilana weber can yield up to 2,000 gallons of distilled ethanol per acre per year and from 12,000-18,000 gallons per acre per year if their cellulose is included, some 14 dry tons of feedstock per acre every year.

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According to Velez`s calculations, 7 million hectares of the Agave-to-ethanol team`s enhanced Agave tequilana weber variety could provide the entire 36 billion gallons of ethanol the U.S. government needs by 2022 to comply with the renewable fuel standard set forth in December of last year, as well as 250 million metric tons of the dry biomass it is aiming to obtain by 2017.

Two other key elements appear to make Agave-to-ethanol projects even more attractive and viable: Agaves are planted widely across Mexico and the methods and technology to cultivate them is already at hand.

(more)

This would enable us to replace more gasoline than we could just using domestic feed-stocks. With the warming accelerating as it is, we need to replace gasoline at a faster rate than currently planned. We need to make as big a reduction as possible in the next 6 to 10 years (we should be trying for 20% reduction (in ten years), at least. That's just a couple years quicker than the current target of 2022. With, MExico supplying ethanol too, we could try for 30% in ten years. that might give us a fighting chance at curbing GW and possibly give us the time to build up the hybrid fleet for bigger combined reductions. But if we don't do enough in the next 6 to 10 years, all bets are off.

Although, as I have said before, I don't think we're smart enough to do that. Later, people will figure out we should HAVE reduced gasoline use (and attendant GHG emissions) more than we will in the next decade. People still don't get that http://www.geocities.com/jwalkerxy/voltz.xls">you can replace the fuel faster than you can replace the cars that burn the fuel (a 10% - 20% reduction in 20 years won't be good enough, soon enough.). By the time people get that figured out It will be too late. Seriously.


Oh well, at least I won't be around to see the consequences of our 'relaxed' attitude in 2050- 2060 or so...

[Taverner]

1. But could you mix some Techron with some lime and countreau?

[SacredCow]

2. IOW....

Stock up on the Resposado now, folks....

[MarjorieG]

3. Agave wonderful sugar sub for glycemic senisitve, but concern for over harvest

of cactus. Very slow growing, and necessary for residents of Mexico for other purposes.

[JohnWxy]

4. Sorry, I didnt' have the right link to the article in there. It's a good article.

It mentions that in the article: "Agave sugars can be even eaten by diabetics without any risk, and have a high probiotic value."