Dec 20 2007
Syntec Biofuel is pleased with the passing of US Bill H.R. 6: Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007, because Syntec’s technology is positioned to take advantage of this legislation. Signed into law by President George W. Bush yesterday, December 19, 2007, the bill represents a major step forward in reducing America’s dependence on oil.
Other benefits of the bill include increased vehicle fuel efficiency (from the current 25 miles per gallon legislated in 1975, to 35 miles per gallon by 2020), and greater national implementation of biofuels with two-thirds to be cellulosic ethanol from renewable feedstock such as prairie grass and wood chips.
Calling for an increase of ethanol usage to 36-billion gallons per year by 2022, from the current 6-billion gallons, the bill encourages the diversification of ethanol production. Using cellulosic feedstock rather than corn, wheat, or sugar, the Syntec process can efficiently convert carbon-based matter into ethanol and other valuable higher alcohols.
Initially researched and developed in the labs at the University of British Columbia since 2001, the Syntec catalysts are focused on second-generation cellulosic ethanol production. The Syntec process is very simple. Renewable waste Biomass such as hard and soft wood, sawdust and/or bark, organic waste, agricultural waste (including sugar bagasse and corn stover), switch-grass and virtually any other type of cellulosic material is fed into a gasifier which produces syngas.
This syngas, which comprises approximately 40% carbon monoxide and 40% hydrogen, is then scrubbed clean and passed through a fixed bed reactor containing the Syntec catalysts to produce ethanol and other alcohols. The Syntec technology can also produce ethanol and methanol from biogas (sourced from anaerobic digestion of manure and effluent) as well as from landfill gas and stranded methane.