Ecofasa turns waste to biodiesel using bacteria

News Type: Event — Seeded on Sat Oct 18, 2008 2:38 PM EDT

Article Source: autobloggreen.com

technology, bacteria, biofuel, biodiesel, ecofasa

A group of Spanish developers working for a company called Ecofasa just announced a new biofuel made up from trash. This isn't a biodiesel made from used frying oil; instead, it's made from general urban waste which is treated by bacteria. The result of that bacteria? Fatty acids that can be used to produce standard biodiesel. According to the company's CEO, the process is fully biologic, competes with no feedstock and is really sustainable. However, the process doesn't yield that much actual fuel: just one liter of biodiesel from 10 kg of trash. The project is now in a development phase, but Ecofasa said that a commercially viable model could be ready in three to four years.

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{"commentId":3564710,"authorDomain":"inghar2004"}

gladbutterfly

Sounds very promising. Soon there will be many innovative products coming down the chute.

{"commentId":3564710,"threadId":"392619","contentId":"2014473","authorDomain":"inghar2004"}

4 votes

#1 - Sat Oct 18, 2008 2:57 PM EDT

{"commentId":3564802,"authorDomain":"lele"}

Leah M

I agree. Even if this process is not the most efficient way to make biofuel, I am heartened to see evidence of people thinking 'outside the box'.

{"commentId":3564802,"threadId":"392619","contentId":"2014473","authorDomain":"lele"}

5 votes

#1.1 - Sat Oct 18, 2008 3:04 PM EDT

{"commentId":3565170,"authorDomain":"BlueLeftHand"}

Kim-298921

And think- fuel from trash. We need fuel, we have too much trash. Elegant solution.

{"commentId":3565170,"threadId":"392619","contentId":"2014473","authorDomain":"BlueLeftHand"}

4 votes

#1.2 - Sat Oct 18, 2008 3:32 PM EDT

{"commentId":3565439,"authorDomain":"Extremist-Moderate"}

Extremist Moderate

just one liter of biodiesel from 10 kg of trash.

That's an ENORMOUS product yield! I'm highly skeptical, particularly since I am involved in bio-fuel research and am fully aware of the highly "forward-looking" claims made by start-up companies looking for venture capital.

Don't think I'm being overly harsh or negative about this topic here, I am thoroughly optimistic about the future of bio-renewable energy. It just that premature, speculative and overly enthusiastic reporting of advances in science give people unrealistic expectations. The letdown when this is realized, lessens the reception the mature technologies receive....which just isn't fair. But, I guess that just life.....sigh.

{"commentId":3565439,"threadId":"392619","contentId":"2014473","authorDomain":"Extremist-Moderate"}

7 votes

#1.3 - Sat Oct 18, 2008 3:52 PM EDT

{"commentId":3566354,"authorDomain":"lele"}

Leah M

I definitely don't think you're being overly harsh on that, I have no idea what a good or bad yield would be. Its funny because in the blog post they think that is a low yield, but 1L from 10 kg does seem pretty high just from any sort of chemical synthesis knowledge. Do you know anything about this process? Do they grow bacteria on the trash? How is it harvested?

{"commentId":3566354,"threadId":"392619","contentId":"2014473","authorDomain":"lele"}

2 votes

#1.4 - Sat Oct 18, 2008 5:14 PM EDT

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"392619","isPrivate":false}

LEAH M

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Ecofasa turns waste to biodiesel using bacteria

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