Frequently Asked Questions

What is Eco Global Fuels' policy on the growing of food for bio-fuels?

Fuel chemistry and production are undergoing exciting and rapid change. The range of possible bio-fuels includes cellulosic ethanol, cellulosic butanol, cellulosic gasoline, cellulosic bio-diesel, cellulosic "bio-crude," and many other forms.

Commercially speaking, the only established biological pathway for ethanol production is the fermentation of corn, sugar and sorghum. The most up-to-date research from the cellulosic chemical engineers at Caltech states that "the cost of industrial cellulolytic enzymes from other plant material is 20-50 cents per gallon of ethanol produced" while "the cost must fall to 3.5 cents per gallon for cellulosic corn ethanol."

Caltech's engineers are now searching for better fermentation enzymes to improve the cost effectiveness of cellulosic ethanol production. Because corn ethanol is generally blended with gasoline, its market value is directly tied to the price of oil. There is thus a fraught political dimension to the oil, corn and ethanol markets.

While cellulosic ethanol is technically a green fuel, it is in fact unsustainable from both an environmental and a market perspective. Given the limitations of available arable land, current global cellulosic bio-fuel production can only result in rendering these food sources inflationary. Moreover, food should not be used for transportation. To produce enough cellulosic ethanol to replace all fossil fuels globally for a year (7.5 billion gallons), more than twice the total amount of arable land on earth would be required.

The Hydroxy Hydrogenation Solanol model is more cost effective than corn-based ethanol, bearing a higher ROI yield without subsidies and without having any effect on food prices. Whereas the cost per gallon of cellulosic ethanol production is $4 without government subsidies, the production of Solanol comes to $1.35 per gallon.

While the federally mandated consumption levels of corn ethanol will not for the foreseeable future be truly cost competitive with gasoline, Solanol is cost competitive with gasoline now. And in a complete reversal of the carbon emission process, we also produce 17 lbs of enviro-oxygen for every gallon of Solanol manufactured which is a valuable byproduct commodity. Top

Can seawater and impure water be used just as efficiently for the production of Solanol?

Yes. All water converted into hydroxy gas must first be purified. Water filtration is a well-established and necessary component of the electrolysis process. Top

 

What if water is unavailable?

There is always water available. In addition to using recycled water, TRI has the capability to purify sea water from the oceans of the world. Top

I have heard of people developing water-based hydrogen to use in their cars - i.e., saving fuel by using Brown's gas produced by water. How does this relate to Eco Global Fuels?

While we manufacture solar alcohol fuels for all transport, we are not in the business of combining hydroxy with fossil-based fuels for car engines.

At present, fueling cars with water is inefficient insofar as the production process consumes far more energy than the fuel could ever possibly release.

It would make much more sense to use the electrical energy created via electrolysis instead to produce Solanol. Top

What is the argument for a hydrogen economy?

A so-called hydrogen economy promises to eliminate all of the problems created from the extraction and burning of fossil fuels. Fossil fuels create a range of problems, including air and environmental pollution, global warming and dependence on imports from politically volatile regions of the world.

Reserves of fossil fuels are depleting fast, and it is imperative that new, sustainable alternatives are incorporated into the energy mix.

The Solanol fuel economy is the beginning of a new hydrogen economy and it starts with the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide in the Solanol fuel process model, which warehouses the hydrogen molecule within the matrix of alcohol acting as a natural storage medium developing carbon neutral alcohol fuels.

The Barrier of Hydrogen Alone as Fuel

University of Groningen scientists have designed a lightweight structure that could safely store 6.1% of its weight in hydrogen for use in fuel cells to power phones, laptops and cars. While promising in theory, this technology presents the following difficulties:

  • Due to the low-calorie value of hydrogen, absorption must be substantial - making containment an issue.
  • Because there are metal hybrids that can absorb hydrogen, weight becomes a problem.
  • Because there are crystalline structures that can absorb hydrogen, cost becomes a problem.
  • Refilling hydrogen at service stations would be hazardous.
  • The infrastructure costs of a hydrogen-based service station would be too high.

The best way to safely store hydrogen is within an alcohol fuel matrix, which can be blended with existing fossil fuels initially - along with their existing infrastructure.

Moreover, the alcohol-based fuel methanol is much more stable and compact than hydrogen – and is currently used with fuel cells for phones, laptops and cars.

We are not in the business of making hydrogen for the sake of hydrogen. Rather, we are in the business of making hydrogen in the most cost-efficient manner possible and then converting into renewable and carbon neutral  alcohol-based fuels that are environmentally-sound and - unlike hydrogen - safe for storage and transport. Top