Can Ethanol Reduce American Oil Dependence?
Waste could be crucial in search for cleaner fuels LONDON, Jan 30 (Reuters) – What we throw away could soon be used to power our cars, if projects to produce ethanol from commercial waste are ramped up. Some companies are exploring the environmental and financial benefits of putting waste to good use and are developing technology to produce bioethanol. Magazine paper company UPM Kymmene and renewable fuel supplier Lassila & Tikanoja are currently running pilot tests to produce bioethanol from the pulp-based waste created by the paper industry. “We will start discussions with the European Union over investment support in February and hope to make a decision on a full-scale plant by the end of the year,” Lassi Heitanen, senior expert at Lassila & Tikanoja, told Reuters. By developing waste processing units, Finnish energy company St1 Oy’s biofuel division hopes to produce 70 million litres a year of bioethanol by the end of 2011. Industrial and household waste is vastly under-utilised an
