Using cow manure to produce ethanol in Texas
Making ethanol from corn requires steam which is typically generated by burning natural gas. Dallas-based Panda Ethanol is trying a new approach. Instead of natural gas they are planning burning cattle dung in an ethanol plant. The facility in Muleshoe, Texas will have the capability to gasify manure. The manure gas will replace the natural gas and save the energy equivalent of 1,000 barrels of oil per day. The plant will have an annual capacity of 115 million gallons of ethanol. That's enough to potentially displace 2.6 million barrels of oil.[Source: Ward's Auto World]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
MarkR 10:23AM (1/03/2008)
Its about time they put the manure methane from the feed lots to work other than just fertilizer. Now if they can only get rid of the smell at the feed lots by bottling the methane and other gases before its released in the atmosphere. It would also help me enjoy that stretch of 84 better as I head to Colorado. I don't remember many feedlots along 84 in Muleshoe but there is definitely plenty of Manure around the many north Texas feed lots.
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Karkus 10:58AM (1/03/2008)
Hmmm, so since many cows eat corn, does that qualify this as corn ethanol too? :)
Might make the corn ethanol efficiency numbers come out slightly better.
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Owain Ozymandias Buck 8:23AM (1/04/2008)
Let's go for the best: grass fed cows. Would that qualify as cellulosic ethanol? ;)
But seriously, this is cool. There's work being done with chicken litter too. The little point sources add up in their small efficiencies.
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mohamed 10:32AM (1/13/2008)
can any other animal produce ethanol or methane?
and can a 7th grade boy try to do it or does it need equipment
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