For years, it was believed that corn-derived ethanol was the future of biofuels – a naivety that failed to entertain the implications of putting a major strain on global food supply. Ethanol, however, is an extremely attractive source of fuel for those who might produce it in a more practical fashion.
Using a process developed at the University of California at Berkeley, CleanTech is closing in on the efficient production of what is referred to as “cellulosic ethanol” from a non-food source. So what otherwise useless material has a high organic content, and is readily available for processing? If you guessed garbage, you are absolutely correct.
The company utilizes proprietary technologies that effectively convert organic waste into “process-engineered fuel”, which can then be converted into sugars that are fermented to produce clean-burning ethanol. Of itself, this new source of propulsion is a lovely prospect indeed, though with CleanTech’s method, the resulting reduction of necessary landfill space is an added perk. With the widespread implementation of this revolutionary process, CleanTech asserts the possibility of cutting landfill requirements by as much as 85 percent.
CleanTech CEO, Edward P. Hennessey, stated: “The preliminary data we received is extremely positive. We are optimistically awaiting the final results that will quantify more key variables in the waste-to-energy economics equation.”
It is solutions like these that could ultimately lead to a better future for everyone. Freedom from fossil fuels, and an answer to the ongoing problem of waste disposal; CleanTech Biofuels aims to kill these two birds with one stone.
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