Switchgrass, the new green energy hope?

 

A new study carried out by the US Department of Agriculture has suggested that using switchgrass to produce ethanol could produce a sustainable, energy alternative.

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Switchgrass is a native North American perennial grass that frequently grows naturally on the borders of cropland.
 
The findings, which were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show that end product ethanol produced from switchgrass could yield 540 per cent more energy than that required to produce it. Furthermore, one acre of land could deliver an average of 320 gallons of bioethanol.

Crop commitment

The US Department of Energy has committed to partially funding six cellulosic biorefineries which could process the crop, in addition to other materials such as wood waste from the timber industry.
 
‘Second generation’ biofuels, such as switchgrass, involves a more complex operation to convert them to a usable fuel, but they produce much higher yields as they use the whole plant rather than just the seeds.
 
 

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