Ethanol fuel in Hawaii
Encyclopedia
Ethanol
is not presently manufactured in Hawaii
.State Law and Current Use=
Hawaii State law requires all gasoline
sold for vehicles to have 10% ethanol blended (E-10). No E-85 (85% ethanol) is yet sold for flex fuel use. Presently, over 40000000 gallons (151,416,480 l) of ethanol are imported from the Caribbean or continental US. Shipping costs, which amount to 20 to 30 cents per gallon, are passed on to the consumer.
Local Production Proposals=
Several companies registered to make ethanol over 3 years ago in Hawaii, but none had started construction as of 2008/9. The two sugar cane plantations are expected to make ethanol, but only Gay and Robinson on Kauai
plan to stop sugar operations to make ethanol, using two processes. The first technology is fermentation
of a faster growing cane and secondary process employs Clear Fuels cellulosic
process from the waste (bagasse
) of the first process. Enough ethanol is expected to be made for Kauai's use, but it must be shipped to Oahu
for blending and returned for sale .
is researching thermophilic algae by La Wahie to make ethanol. Sun makes algae
grow faster in the tropics and animal feed may be available from cane leftovers. is absorbed by the catalyst.
. A new boiler
is projected to cost $65,000,000. The 2 old boilers are down often for repair.
and green waste. The projected conversion of waste to fuel is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They are also considering landfill methane as a feedstock for making ethanol. The plant makes a syngas
(synthesis gas) that is converted by catalysts to fuels. Syngas
can be burned to generate electricity. The plant is expected to produce over 10 megawatts of power, for its own use and for the grid. Net reductions of approximately 74,000 tons of are available using 10% biofuels.
The plant is expected to use 350 dry tons a day to make product and electricity, producing 12 million gallons of a mix of ethanol, methanol and other alcohols a year, growing to 40. This process and technology is similar to the Clear Fuels proposal, without the sugar to ethanol element.Tax Benefits and Constraints=
Food-based ethanol projects have had financial difficulty, because the incentives from the Farm act of 2008 emphasize cellulosic biomass to ethanol. Incentives include a $1/gallon tax credit, loan guarantees, and grants or funds available for small operations. State incentives include tax incentives and a business development department. Second generation ethanol is a priority for permitting by health officials.
A 100% state tax credit for high tech and new generation ethanol may be reduced or abolished.
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
is not presently manufactured in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.State Law and Current Use=
Hawaii State law requires all gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
sold for vehicles to have 10% ethanol blended (E-10). No E-85 (85% ethanol) is yet sold for flex fuel use. Presently, over 40000000 gallons (151,416,480 l) of ethanol are imported from the Caribbean or continental US. Shipping costs, which amount to 20 to 30 cents per gallon, are passed on to the consumer.
Local Production Proposals=
Several companies registered to make ethanol over 3 years ago in Hawaii, but none had started construction as of 2008/9. The two sugar cane plantations are expected to make ethanol, but only Gay and Robinson on Kauai
Kauai
Kauai or Kauai, known as Tauai in the ancient Kaua'i dialect, is geologically the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. With an area of , it is the fourth largest of the main islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, and the 21st largest island in the United States. Known also as the "Garden Isle",...
plan to stop sugar operations to make ethanol, using two processes. The first technology is fermentation
Fermentation (food)
Fermentation in food processing typically is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide or organic acids using yeasts, bacteria, or a combination thereof, under anaerobic conditions. Fermentation in simple terms is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol...
of a faster growing cane and secondary process employs Clear Fuels cellulosic
Cellulosic ethanol
Cellulosic ethanol is a biofuel produced from wood, grasses, or the non-edible parts of plants.It is a type of biofuel produced from lignocellulose, a structural material that comprises much of the mass of plants. Lignocellulose is composed mainly of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin...
process from the waste (bagasse
Bagasse
Bagasse is the fibrous matter that remains after sugarcane or sorghum stalks are crushed to extract their juice. It is currently used as a biofuel and as a renewable resource in the manufacture of pulp and paper products and building materials....
) of the first process. Enough ethanol is expected to be made for Kauai's use, but it must be shipped to Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
for blending and returned for sale .
University of Hawaii Algae Research
The University of HawaiiUniversity of Hawaii
The University of Hawaii System, formally the University of Hawaii and popularly known as UH, is a public, co-educational college and university system that confers associate, bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees through three university campuses, seven community college campuses, an employment...
is researching thermophilic algae by La Wahie to make ethanol. Sun makes algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
grow faster in the tropics and animal feed may be available from cane leftovers. is absorbed by the catalyst.
Big Island Proposal
Several other ideas have come forward with agricultural basis on the island of Hawaii where former cane fields lie fallow. One company wants to use the wood grown in old cane areas that were planted with eucalyptus. High costs are an obstacle.City of Honolulu
The City of Honolulu has incinerated garbage to produce electricity (h-power) since 1992. It presently handles about half of the island's garbage and green wasteGreen waste
Green waste is biodegradable waste that can be composed of garden or park waste, such as grass or flower cuttings and hedge trimmings, as well as domestic and commercial food waste...
. A new boiler
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
is projected to cost $65,000,000. The 2 old boilers are down often for repair.
Kimo Sutton and Diamond Head Renewables
Diamond Head Renewable Resources LLC (DHRR), proposes to make alcohol fuels, including ethanol, from garbage, biomassBiomass
Biomass, as a renewable energy source, is biological material from living, or recently living organisms. As an energy source, biomass can either be used directly, or converted into other energy products such as biofuel....
and green waste. The projected conversion of waste to fuel is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. They are also considering landfill methane as a feedstock for making ethanol. The plant makes a syngas
Syngas
Syngas is the name given to a gas mixture that contains varying amounts of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Examples of production methods include steam reforming of natural gas or liquid hydrocarbons to produce hydrogen, the gasification of coal, biomass, and in some types of waste-to-energy...
(synthesis gas) that is converted by catalysts to fuels. Syngas
Syngas
Syngas is the name given to a gas mixture that contains varying amounts of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. Examples of production methods include steam reforming of natural gas or liquid hydrocarbons to produce hydrogen, the gasification of coal, biomass, and in some types of waste-to-energy...
can be burned to generate electricity. The plant is expected to produce over 10 megawatts of power, for its own use and for the grid. Net reductions of approximately 74,000 tons of are available using 10% biofuels.
The plant is expected to use 350 dry tons a day to make product and electricity, producing 12 million gallons of a mix of ethanol, methanol and other alcohols a year, growing to 40. This process and technology is similar to the Clear Fuels proposal, without the sugar to ethanol element.Tax Benefits and Constraints=
Food-based ethanol projects have had financial difficulty, because the incentives from the Farm act of 2008 emphasize cellulosic biomass to ethanol. Incentives include a $1/gallon tax credit, loan guarantees, and grants or funds available for small operations. State incentives include tax incentives and a business development department. Second generation ethanol is a priority for permitting by health officials.
A 100% state tax credit for high tech and new generation ethanol may be reduced or abolished.