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http://cssaustralia.org.au/content/view/86/133/
Chambers says high quality selected agaves are excellent feedstock material for ethanol production because the plant can be grown in semi-arid regions.
“It does need water and will grow better when fertilised,” he said. “Agave’s use (of water) is low in comparison to other crops. Agave is non-food and certain varieties produce up to three times more sugars than sugar cane. We have used a conservative production figure of 8000 litres of ethanol per hectare. However, they are claiming two and a half times that output in Mexico. The pilot planting will confirm these figures, but even at the lower conservative numbers the crop is very attractive because of its low input requirements.”
Content reveals impressive figures
Chambers points out that agave has a sugar content of 27 to 38 percent, compared to sugar cane’s content of 10 to 14 percent. Cane produces about 6000 l/ha/a from the sugar, while certain selections of agave in Mexico have produced up to 18,000 litres per hectare.
“Added to that, agave fibre (dry biomass) has a cellulose content of almost 65 percent as against 45 percent for conifers, up to 49 percent for deciduous trees and up to 48 percent for sugar cane,” he says.
“These figures far outshine the plants that are dominating ethanol and biofuels research, development and investment today – not only in terms of potential ethanol yield per hectare but also in terms of energy balance – the ratio of energy in the product to the energy input to produce it.”
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Ausagave says the plants for the Australian project have been selected from some of the best fields in Mexico, and then further selected for vigour and disease resistance to ensure the company has the best planting stock available.
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“We are conducting trials here in South Australia and all has progressed well to date,” he said. “But because it is colder – and that is also when there is moisture (winter rains) – the plant does not grow very quickly. There will be quicker growth in Queensland, where the climate is more similar to that in its native habitat in Mexico.”
Chambers believes liquid biofuels, including ethanol, will be a part of the renewable energy landscape for many years to come.
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