REA's question of the week: Why Isn't Butanol More Prevalent?
Renewable Energy Access posts a weekly question for alternative energy promoter Scott Sklar to answer. This week, Sklar answers a looks at why butanol, with its high energy content, isn't more prevalent on the biofuel scene. Sklar responds that it is true that butanol's BTU content rivals that of gasoline and that it is less evaporative than either ethanol or gasoline. But, with low yields from biomass and little effort put into promoting the fuel, the market for butanol as a fuel remains quite tiny. Also, most of the butanol used today is made from petroleum, although it has been made since the early 1900s from corn and molasses. Related:
- DuPont, BP ready "Advanced Biofuels" like biobutanol
- How about butanol?
- Butanol: Are You Still Out There?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Andrew 11:31PM (9/13/2006)
Ethanol is politically ahead. Ethanol costs more per mile but get huge subsidies and is backed up with mandates.
Imagine you have a way of making Butanol cheaply, so you can cut equivalent per gallon costs 30 cents per gallon. Why do it? Ethanol gets 51 cents per gallon of taxpayer money.
The government should not pick winners - but this is just what is happening. Didn't we learn anything from the old Soviet block?
Treat gasoline, ethanol, and butanol the same.
Reply