Ethanol refineries on the horizon
Researchers at NDSU announced in a recent study that a new technology could help bring ethanol refineries to North Dakota.
Researchers are working to develop a technology that would allow ethanol plants to create a new byproduct called “nanowhiskers” through the use of materials that were once thought to be useless.
The “nanowhiskers” could later be used to create materials similar to fiberglass and other plastics, creating a new source of revenue for ethanol plants.
Larry Leistritz, professor of agriculture economics, said the new findings are encouraging, and could potentially bring new economic development to the state.
“ Preliminary results are very encouraging,” Leistritz said. “Our research analyzed the economic value of producing cellulose nanofibers as a co-product in an ethanol biorefinery.
The co-product addition to the refinery appears to significantly improve the overall economics of the production process by capturing additional value from the wheat straw feedstock.”
North Dakota agriculture commissioner, Roger Johnson said the new technology have proven to be twice the strength of fiberglass and could capture the attention of other companies and developers.
“ The ‘nanowhiskers’ project at NDSU has a potentially enormous impact on the future of renewable energy and bioproduct development,” Johnson said.
“ The potential uses for this material are virtually limitless, and include serious interest from the automotive industry.”
Due to the enormous growth of the biomass sector, ethanol plants have become a major source of economic development and opportunity for rural communities.
Because biomass plants rely on resources such as feedstock, biorefineries would most likely locate near farms that offer vital resources for the factories.
Researchers at NDSU said because of the findings, new ethanol plants could locate in North Dakota, providing state farmers and feedstock ranchers with additional sources of income.
Sen. Byron Dorgan, who helped secure funding for the research, said in addition to the findings, the new study could potentially spotlight North Dakota as a key player working to reduce the nation’s dependence on foreign energy.
“ This study provides insight into a significant opportunity to boost North Dakota’s ethanol industry,” Dorgan said. “As we work to reduce our country’s dependence on foreign sources of energy, North Dakota’s ethanol industry must play a large role.”