Inside LS9’s cluttered laboratory – funded by $20 million of start-up capital from investors including Vinod Khosla, the Indian-American entrepreneur who co-founded Sun Micro-systems – Mr Pal explains that LS9’s bugs are single-cell organisms, each a fraction of a billionth the size of an ant. They start out as industrial yeast or nonpathogenic strains of E. coli, but LS9 modifies them by custom-de-signing their DNA. “Five to seven years ago, that process would have taken months and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars,” he says. “Now it can take weeks and cost maybe $20,000.”
He means bugs. To be more precise: the genetic alteration of bugs – very, very small ones – so that when they feed on agricultural waste such as woodchips or wheat straw, they do something extraordinary. They excrete crude oil.
Unbelievably, this is not science fiction. Mr Pal holds up a small beaker of bug excretion that could, theoretically, be poured into the tank of the giant Lexus SUV next to us. Not that Mr Pal is willing to risk it just yet. He gives it a month before the first vehicle is filled up on what he calls “renewable petroleum”. After that, he grins, “it’s a brave new world”.
“Our plan is to have a demonstration-scale plant operational by 2010 and, in parallel, we’ll be working on the design and construction of a commercial-scale facility to open in 2011,” says Mr Pal, adding that if LS9 used Brazilian sugar cane as its feedstock, its fuel would probably cost about $50 a barrel.
Look at it from another angle... the landfill side..
Look at it from another angle... the landfill side..
Add the chance that it could be made in small (or very small) local plants and farmers or co-ops could generate another income from their waste. Remote areas with poor shipping could generate their own fuel, allowing easier modernization.
Could something similar work on human waste to convert sewage plants into a source of income? Partially recover operating cost even if doesn't generate a profit from the sewage plant as a whole.
Unlike other solid-to-liquid-fuel processes such as cornstarch into ethanol, this one will accept almost any carbon-based feedstock. If a 175-pound man fell into one end , he would come out the other end as 38 pounds of oil, 7 pounds of gas, and 7 pounds of minerals, as well as 123 pounds of sterilized water. While no one plans to put people into a thermal depolymerization machine, an intimate human creation could become a prime feedstock. "There is no reason why we can't turn sewage, including human excrement, into a glorious oil," says engineer Terry Adams, a project consultant. So the city of Philadelphia is in discussion with Changing World Technologies to begin doing exactly that.
"The potential is unbelievable," says Michael Roberts, a senior chemical engineer for the Gas Technology Institute, an energy research group. "You're not only clean ing up waste; you're talking about distributed generation of oil all over the world."
I don't follow why they're planning to sell the Oil at $15 a barrel, it seems asinine. If they sell them at market price of at least $130 they can recoup the entire constrution cost of the plant in one year. Drop the price after that.
"This is our first-out plant, and we estimate we'll make oil at $15 a barrel. In three to five years, we'll drop that to $10, the same as a medium-size oil exploration and production company. And it will get cheaper from there."
I don't follow why they're planning to sell the Oil at $15 a barrel, it seems asinine. If they sell them at market price of at least $130 they can recoup the entire constrution cost of the plant in one year. Drop the price after that.
From the Article:Quote"This is our first-out plant, and we estimate we'll make oil at $15 a barrel. In three to five years, we'll drop that to $10, the same as a medium-size oil exploration and production company. And it will get cheaper from there."
I think that the keyword is MAKE. If I am interpretting it right they are saying it will cost them $15 a barrel dropping to $10 as they refine the process and pay off the debts incurred in making it. Likely they will sell at the market price which should drop as they build capacity.
Advantages of making your own oil:(or this tech specifically)
The US millitary has converted a Hummer to run on Hydrogen Peroxide (HO) converting it directly from water just before it enters the fuel injection system.
Link to full article ([url]http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4133668.ece[/url])QuoteInside LS9’s cluttered laboratory – funded by $20 million of start-up capital from investors including Vinod Khosla, the Indian-American entrepreneur who co-founded Sun Micro-systems – Mr Pal explains that LS9’s bugs are single-cell organisms, each a fraction of a billionth the size of an ant. They start out as industrial yeast or nonpathogenic strains of E. coli, but LS9 modifies them by custom-de-signing their DNA. “Five to seven years ago, that process would have taken months and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars,” he says. “Now it can take weeks and cost maybe $20,000.”QuoteHe means bugs. To be more precise: the genetic alteration of bugs – very, very small ones – so that when they feed on agricultural waste such as woodchips or wheat straw, they do something extraordinary. They excrete crude oil.
Unbelievably, this is not science fiction. Mr Pal holds up a small beaker of bug excretion that could, theoretically, be poured into the tank of the giant Lexus SUV next to us. Not that Mr Pal is willing to risk it just yet. He gives it a month before the first vehicle is filled up on what he calls “renewable petroleum”. After that, he grins, “it’s a brave new world”.Quote“Our plan is to have a demonstration-scale plant operational by 2010 and, in parallel, we’ll be working on the design and construction of a commercial-scale facility to open in 2011,” says Mr Pal, adding that if LS9 used Brazilian sugar cane as its feedstock, its fuel would probably cost about $50 a barrel.
If it can be done, even just supplementing exising supplies it would be useful.
If i am wrong i plead someone come and shoot me in the head or beet me to death with a stick.
I HATE DEMOCRATS!!!!!!!!!! I may be a kid, but democrats want to take away the second amendment and that will not happen in the South. At least not without a full scale civil war and I'd fight in it as well. Also, can I kill you with a tub of jello instead? Sorry, I've had a bad night with my neighbor firing his cannon for his birthday ALL night long, I haven't had any sleep for the last 48 hours and I can't sleep during the day. And for the matter of al gore, I say they're the biggest hypocrites the planet has known so I say we should kill'em and get it over with. :2gun:
I HATE DEMOCRATS!!!!!!!!!! I may be a kid, but democrats want to take away the second amendment and that will not happen in the South. At least not without a full scale civil war and I'd fight in it as well. Also, can I kill you with a tub of jello instead? Sorry, I've had a bad night with my neighbor firing his cannon for his birthday ALL night long, I haven't had any sleep for the last 48 hours and I can't sleep during the day. And for the matter of al gore, I say they're the biggest hypocrites the planet has known so I say we should kill'em and get it over with. :2gun:
:police: Please keep the Democrat - Republican civil war in Hot and Spicy, this is for the technical and scientific side only. :police:
So, your point is? You mentioned, I put my opinion on it. Beshides, I still say Earth can take care of herself and she'll be here even after we've basically glassed the surface from the nukes we'll launch at each other.
If to F9thCenturus then he was joking around. He is quite well known for that.
Hey, that reminds me, I saw an awesome bumper sticker in Dallas last week.. it was a parody on the Mothers Against Drunk Drivers.. it said:
MADD - Mexican Against Digging Ditches.. :laugh: