Comments on: SunOpta trying to beef up its biofuel unit http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/11/29/sunopta-trying-to-beef-up-its-biofuel-unit/ Trends, happenings and innovations in the clean technology market Thu, 18 Mar 2010 22:38:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/11/29/sunopta-trying-to-beef-up-its-biofuel-unit/comment-page-1/#comment-776 Anonymous Thu, 30 Nov 2006 19:51:00 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/11/29/sunopta-trying-to-beef-up-its-biofuel-unit/#comment-776 Tyler, Thanks for your prompt reply. I made an error in my original posting. My fault. Black actually says that the EROEI is negative and that it is energy intensive and reliant on fossil fuels to extract the ethanol from cellulosic fiber. He, unfortunately, draws the conclusion that a hydrogen economy powering hydrogen cars will get us off of our addiction to oil but he ignores the fact that the cheapest and the most oft proposed source for this hydrogen would come from methane which may be in short supply down the road if current estimates about Canada having only a 10 year supply of natural gas ring true. Tyler, Thanks for your prompt reply. I made an error in my original posting. My fault. Black actually says that the EROEI is negative and that it is energy intensive and reliant on fossil fuels to extract the ethanol from cellulosic fiber.

He, unfortunately, draws the conclusion that a hydrogen economy powering hydrogen cars will get us off of our addiction to oil but he ignores the fact that the cheapest and the most oft proposed source for this hydrogen would come from methane which may be in short supply down the road if current estimates about Canada having only a 10 year supply of natural gas ring true.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/11/29/sunopta-trying-to-beef-up-its-biofuel-unit/comment-page-1/#comment-775 Anonymous Thu, 30 Nov 2006 17:22:00 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/11/29/sunopta-trying-to-beef-up-its-biofuel-unit/#comment-775 It has the potential for high EROEI (energy return on energy investment), largely because it's using forest and crop waste as the feedstock (i.e. no irrigation, fertilization and other costs associated with growing dedicated crops) and many of the residual material from the process can be used to fuel the process itself. I think the big problem is turning this potential into everyday practice. It's still a new approach so there are no economies of scale and processes continue to be refined. I'm no expert on it, but that to me seems to be the basics. It has the potential for high EROEI (energy return on energy investment), largely because it’s using forest and crop waste as the feedstock (i.e. no irrigation, fertilization and other costs associated with growing dedicated crops) and many of the residual material from the process can be used to fuel the process itself. I think the big problem is turning this potential into everyday practice. It’s still a new approach so there are no economies of scale and processes continue to be refined. I’m no expert on it, but that to me seems to be the basics.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/11/29/sunopta-trying-to-beef-up-its-biofuel-unit/comment-page-1/#comment-774 Anonymous Thu, 30 Nov 2006 17:06:00 +0000 http://www.cleanbreak.ca/2006/11/29/sunopta-trying-to-beef-up-its-biofuel-unit/#comment-774 I read an article in Journal Jewish Reform where Edwin Black, the author the book, "Internal Combustion: How Corporations and Governments Addicted the World to Oil and Derailed Alternatives," was interviewed and he stated that the EROEI is rather high for cellulosic ethanol. Is this really true Tyler? Regards, Rick I read an article in Journal Jewish Reform where Edwin Black, the author the book, “Internal Combustion: How Corporations and Governments Addicted the World to Oil and Derailed Alternatives,” was interviewed and he stated that the EROEI is rather high for cellulosic ethanol. Is this really true Tyler?

Regards,

Rick

]]>