Making Progress in Biorefining Technology
In her book, Welcome to Biotech Nation, Dr. Moira Gunn dedicated a section to a matter very close to my heart – that of biofuels, specifically bioethanol. With the recent flurry of media attention to the greenhouse gas problem, the concept of using biofuels has regained considerable attention. Although the technologies of the past had their problems with sustainability and cost effectiveness, the exciting thing about biotechnology is that it is always changing.
Bioethanol production has traditionally not been terribly cost-efficient, and critics have claimed (not necessarily accurately) that the use of corn for biofuels was responsible for driving up the price of foods that use corn-derived sugars and starches, in recent years. Past biofuel production processes are criticized for using too many fossil fuels and other forms of energy for too little benefit. However, Dr. Gunn put it best when she said “All analyses of ethanol production that you have come into contact with to date may no longer be accurate." She emphasizes that new reports on biorefining process "must be questioned as to…” the nature of the biorefinery process, parts of the crop that are being used, the possibility of value-added chemicals being derived and utilized, and their role in the economics of bioethanol production, in addition to other factors that affect the same economics.
Scientists are reworking the biorefining process in an ongoing attempt to make it more efficient, cost-effective and sustainable and that includes making use of cellulose (the whole cornstalk or other plants) instead of only the sugars found in eatable corn kernels, or developing GM crops with more efficient enzymes that are more suited to biorefining processes or alternative substrates. The just of the matter is, whenever you hear something about biofuels and biorefining, keep an open mind and never assume that what you’ve heard about it in the past applies now.
Sources:
M. Gunn. Welcome to Biotech Nation. AMACOM, New York, NY, USA. 2007.
Comments
Making a progress in Biorefining technology is a must under our world condition, but did we ever look into how anyone can come up with a linking management progress that able to combine from growing to Biorefining.
I am working in a China rural village for the past 4 years, farmers are burning paddy’s all over the area.
A)I bring in a Stove that burns wood ashes and paddy, the condition is getting a little better.
But the main problem still exist, they only grow 2 crops a year, paddy’s are lying all over the place from the individuals after harvest, since the poor farmers consider the summer harvest paddy’s are blocking their field on a continuos fall growth, they have no time to collect and burn them right on the spot.
To solve the situation I hired individuals to collect all the paddy’s from the field and stock in a nearby open area and prepare to process into compost, but this time is also a raining season, the area has no cover, when the paddy’s are wet, it become a work loading.
B)I bring in a machine to bundle up the paddy and store in a covered area, but it dosen’t help much, cause the farmers only allows me to collect the paddy from the summer harvest, in fall harvest majority of the paddy’s are using for stocking and use for raising their cattles in the winter time.
In terms of solving the above problem;
C)I bring in a machine that turns paddy’s into charcoal for the BioStove fuel, and safe up all the Biogas for the factory.
This is an experience I have been working and learning in the past 4 years, this is only in one small county village, I am not an expert, which I am learning and asking for products and machineries which able to help the world eco process.
I hope to understand more about Biorefining technologies to be able to solve the existing situation, Biorefining is progressing, but the main situation remain unsolved, the poor farmers still burning their paddy and stalk all over the place in the poor countries.
Thank you!