Michigan Plays Key Role in Growing Biofuels Industry

As Featured in the Vol. 5 No. 3

You hear more and more about ethanol these days. The alternative fuel, which in the U.S. is derived mostly from corn, is a viable option for millions of vehicles on the road today.  Ethanol is made from fermented sugars.  While corn is an excellent raw material from which to make the fuel, other plant or cellulosic materials – such as wood, straw and grass – are also good candidates for ethanol production. “There’s active research in what are called ‘energy crops,’” said Bruce Dale, Ph.D., professor of chemical engineering at Michigan State University and faculty advisor of MSU’s Biomass Conversion Research Laboratory. “These are plants that you grow not for their grain content; they’re not a food plant, but they’re simply material that would be convertible to fuel.”

Michigan’s automotive industry gives the state an advantage in the growing biofuels industry. “The fuels that we produce need to be in sync with the vehicles that can use them, and we have that opportunity here in Michigan to actually work closely with the auto industry to help develop fuels that are most suitable for either existing or future engines,” Dale said. Additionally, Michigan boasts a strong agricultural research and technical base such as the agricultural science program at Michigan State University.  The state has the capacity to produce not only corn, but other cellulosic raw materials such as forestry and grass.

Cellulosic biofuel may be in its early stages, but stay tuned for more advances in this industry in the months and years ahead. “We’re going to see major transitions in the way that we fuel our vehicles,” said Dale. “I think Michigan as a state and Michigan universities are in a really great position to play a leadership role here.”

Visit www.everythingbiomass.org to learn more about cellulosic biofuel.