DuPont claims cellulosic energy efficiency code cracked

A DuPont (NYSE: DD) executive says his company's cellulosic technology delivers more energy output for energy input than conventional grain ethanol... or even gasoline.

DuPont Biofuels Vice President & General Manager John Ranieri made the comments in a speech today at the World Biofuels Markets conference in Belgium.

Ranieri told the audience that DuPont's cellulosic process, which it has licensed to Broin, the largest dry-grind ethanol producer in the United States, delivers a higher energy ratio—energy delivered to a customer divided by the energy used to create cellulosic biofuels—is greater than both the energy ratio for grain ethanol and gasoline.

Last week, the DOE awarded up to $80 million in funding to Broin to accelerate the construction of a commercial-scale bio-refinery at Broin's Emmetsburg, Iowa, facility. This is the same Broin that is now involved a set of lawsuits regarding employees and trade secrets.

Some critics maintain ethanol's energy ratio is not efficient enough. Some have even claimed negative ratios, saying ethanol takes more energy to produce than is delivered. Ethanol producers say the conclusions are based on old data, and that modern processes, particularly new closed-loop approaches deriving energy from farm wastes, are dramatically energy efficient.

In addition to helping make conventional grain ethanol more efficient, DuPont's Ranieri also pointed to the company's efforts to further biobutanol in a partnership with BP.

Biobutanol will resolve fuel stability issues in that biobutanol-gasoline blends can potentially be distributed via the existing fuel supply infrastructure, Ranieri said. It also improves blend flexibility allowing higher biofuel blends with gasoline, improves fuel efficiency (better miles per gallon) compared to existing biofuels and enhances ethanol-gasoline blends by lowering the vapor pressure when co-blended with these fuels.

Biobutanol is targeted for introduction later this year in the United Kingdom. Additional global capacity will be introduced as market conditions dictate, Ranieri said.

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