Ethanol is inefficient. Yes, it's slightly better for the environment, but you have to use more of it to get the same distance thus making it a non-factor.
Actually, a large percentage of ethanol is moved via inland tankbarge. These barges carry anywhere from 10,000 to 30,000 bbl. Conversely, a tank truck carries about 5,000 gal, or about 110 bbl.
How much is it running these days, anyway? I haven't seen it anywhere so I haven't seen what the prices are like.
You only get about 30% of the total sugar cane processed. Most mills burn bagasse to help power their mill. Also, sugar cane is grown in warm tropical climates. I just don't see how we can grow enough sugar cane in this country to produce enough bagasse. I'm not familiar with this process, so what am I missing? Barges can only get you so far. Wouldn't you have to use trucks to carry the ethanol from the terminals to places where barges can't go? It's about $2.50. It would have to be at least a 1/3 less than gas just to break even.
I saw the stuff at a fuel station in Iowa for 2.39. There were a lot of farmers in their Massey, Deere, Case, and AG CO tractors filling up. At 2.39 I don't see how it could be even worth the investment needed to make it viable. I read an article recently that stated that any type of plant could be used to make ethonal. This article stated that switch grass would be a major plant used in making ethanol in Louisiana. Is the state still going forward with its 2 ethanol plants? Can someone please explain how ethanol is actually made. Remember that I am very dumb and can barely understand three syllable words.
Subsidies According to this article, we have 10 ethanol plants in the works. The Daily Advertiser In simple terms, it's made the same way as alcohol. The sugar and starch in grains are fermented and distilled. If you had an E85 engine in your car, you could run it on 190 proof alcohol, like Everclear, or make your own moonshine.
Yes. But, once the barges are unloaded at the terminals, they would go locally by truck, or by pipeline. You would be amazed at how much bulk liquid chemical is moved by inland barge.
