Free
download:
fueling.pdf
To view video of Robert Gallant,
click the link below:
Windows
Media (4:11)
PowerPoint presentation:
ethanolopps.pdf (Gallant & Baker)
8. When it comes to fueling the future,
agriculture will play a vital role. There
are high hopes for the "green" fuel
of ethanol.
Time is running out for petroleum. Bernard
Tao, Associate Professor of Agricultural
and Biological Engineering at Purdue University,
estimates that given a three per cent growth
rate in the economy, the world will run
out of petroleum products just after 2025.
He asks, "How will we run our cars?
We'll need alternative energy and ethanol
will be ready to take over."
Ethanol is an environmental fuel source
currently produced mainly from corn starch
and wheat blended with traditional gasoline.
Tao believes that future ethanol likely
won't depend upon corn starch because of
its limited supply. Instead, it will use
grass, tree stumps and other natural supplies
broken down into cellulose. Also on the
horizon is commercially available fuel produced
from vegetable oil.
While current ethanol gas is only a 10 per
cent blend, industry is moving towards 85
per cent and eventually 100 per cent.
What does all this mean to farmers? Tao
believes the agriculture sector is perfectly
positioned to take advantage of the move
to ethanol. "There is the chance for
new business ventures beyond food and fibre
production."
Bliss Baker, President of the Canadian Renewable
Fuel Association agrees, pointing out that
ethanol production reduces green house gas
emmissions and therefore has government
support. Revenues typically stay within
the local area and there are new markets
for grain.
Bob Gallant is the CEO of Commercial Alcohols,
the largest ethanol producer in Canada with
major plants located in Ontario and one
planned for Quebec. Although a potential
business for farmers, he cautions that any
producer getting into ethanol needs to be
committed. That's because, "this industry
operates 24/7 and a shortage of raw material
will shut us down. We need to be supplied
non-stop."
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 Bernard
Y. Tao
Associate Professor of agricultural
and biological engineering
Purdue University
The Federal Government’s Green
Plan mentions that fuel used for transport,
which has been made from renewable
sources, would contribute to reduce
the emission of the Greenhouse effect.
With the reduction of the petroleum
reserve plus the price of gas at the
pump going up, this strengthens the
argument for the use of biomass renewable
fuels.
For more on Bernie Tao, visit his
website.
 Bliss
Baker
President
Canadian Renewable Fuels Association
(CRFA)
The Canadian Renewable Fuels Association
(CRFA) is a non-profit organization
mandated to promote renewable bio-fuels
(ethanol, biodiesel) for automotive
transportation through consumer awareness
and government liaison activities.
 Robert
Gallant
President and CEO
Commercial Alcohols Inc.(CAI)
Commercial Alcohols Inc. is the largest
ethanol producer in Canada. The company
boasts a world-scale state-of-the-art
150-million litre plant in Chatham,
Ontario and also operates a 23-million
litre per year ethanol manufacturing
facility in Tiverton, Ontario. Plans
to build a similar plant in Varennes,
Québec, are underway.
Visit the Commercial Alcohols web
site: http://www.comalc.com |
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