Biotechnology and Fuel: Renewable Energy Resource: Fuel Ethanol Production From Wheat

Issue 36 May, 1998
Published by AG-WEST BIOTECH INC.
Biotechnology and Fuel: Renewable Energy Resource

A province like Saskatchewan has the advantage of clean air and open spaces. However, the more we use cars and trucks to conquer those open spaces, the less likely it is that the air will remain clean. Burning non-renewable fossil fuels is a major source of air pollution. Biotechnology is providing some solutions to this environmental problem. Ethanol, a clean-burning fuel which comes from renewable sources, is a product of biotechnology. Conventional ethanol production involves fermenting grain like wheat and corn. Research is now being conducted to produce ethanol from products that are now considered waste, like the sludge from pulp and paper production, yard waste like leaves and other solid waste dumped in municipal landfills. Total ethanol production in Canada is about 55 million litres a year, with 17 million litres being used as fuel and the rest going to industrial uses. Industrial ethanol is used as a solvent in products such as toiletries, cosmetics and medications for external use. In Saskatchewan, the PoundMaker ethanol plant at Lanigan has the capacity to produce about 13 million litres per year. This plant is integrated with a feedlot. Beef cattle are fed the distillers grain which is a byproduct of the ethanol production process. Ethanol production in the United States is considerably higher. About 6 billion litres are produced each year. amyloglucosidase, is added, along with a yeast called Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The enzyme and the yeast work together to ferment the wheat mash. The enzyme slowly releases glucose, a sugar. The glucose is immediately used by the yeast, and the process of fermentation occurs. The fermentation is usually complete in 56 hours. The process of distillation then recovers the ethanol. The water is removed from the ethanol, either through filtration or treatment with a chemical. The mash that is left over from the fermentation process can be fed to beef cattle as distillers grain. Use of the byproduct in this way reduces the need for cattle feed production, reduces the cost of ethanol production and helps produce a valuable consumer product.
Fuel Ethanol Production from Wheat Whole Grain Cleaning Cooking with Enzyme Added Combined sugar production and fermentation Distillation Filtration Cattle feed Ethanol Alternate Feedstock for an Alternate Fuel
Other materials, or feed stocks, which can be used to produce ethanol include waste sludge from pulp and paper mills, waste paper, grass, straw, leaves and other solid landfill wastes that contain cellulose, or plant fibres. Research has previously focused on using agricultural
Fields of Fuel
Ethanol made from wheat is created through the process of fermentation. Fermentation is a series of biochemical reactions, using microorganisms like yeast, which yields ethanol. Several different types of wheat can be used, including durum, hard red spring and hard red winter wheat. The process begins with cleaning and milling of the whole wheat kernel. Then a special enzyme (a naturally occurring substance), which can withstand high temperatures, is added, and the wheat is cooked at 95C. This process of enzyme treatment and cooking breaks down the starch in the wheat. Then the mash is cooled to 30C, the temperature at which fermentation can take place. Another enzyme, called
Agbiotech Information Bulletin for Schools courtesy of Ag-West Biotech Inc.
wastes like straw, and solid landfill wastes. These products are thought to be free because they dont have any market value. However, there are costs associated with these free feedstocks. For example, there is the cost of transporting the material, and in some cases (such as straw, which is harvested once a year), stockpiling it. There is also a cost involved in separating the materials which contain cellulose from landfill waste. Some of this material would also have to be treated before it could be used.
Straw is only about 30 per cent cellulose. In general, the researchers found that sludge is a cheaper option for ethanol production than material like straw. The process of making ethanol from pulp and paper sludge is similar to the process used in making ethanol from wheat. The sludge is pre-treated to further break down the cellulose. Enzymes are added to convert the cellulose to glucose. Then yeast or, in some cases, genetically altered bacteria, are added to create the fermentation process. The mixture is then distilled to produce ethanol.
Fuel Ethanol Production from Pulp and Paper Waste Sludge Feedstock Pre-treatment Enzyme treatment Fermentation Distillation Ethanol
Researchers predict considerable potential for the use of sludge and other cellulose-based feedstocks for ethanol production. One company which produces enzymes for cellulose treatment, Logen Corp. in Ottawa, is working with PetroCanada to build a $30-million pilot plant. The plant would convert cellulose-based feedstocks to ethanol. The use of biotechnology is not only creating a clean fuel which can reduce the use of fossil fuels, it also offers potential for further environmental protection through the utilization of waste products.
Special thanks to Dr. Krystyna Sosulski of the Saskatchewan Research Council for her help in preparing this Infosource. If you would like to receive future issues of this agbiotechnology information publication for schools, please contact: Ag-West Biotech Inc., 101-111 Research Drive Saskatoon, Sask., S7N 3R2 Canada (306) 975-1939 Fax: (306) 975-1966 E-mail: agwest@agwest.sk.ca Web: http://www.agwest.sk.ca Published by The Signature Group Inc., 608 Duchess Street Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 0R1 Canada (306) 934-1772 Fax: (306) 664-6615 E-mail: siggroup@sk.sympatico.ca Funding assistance provided by Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food
However, sludge from the pulp and paper industry could be considered a free feedstock because it is a waste product that would otherwise require disposal. It is generated on an ongoing basis, so there would be no need to stockpile it. The pulp and paper industry in Canada produces at least 1.3 million tonnes of sludge each year. The year-round supply would also eliminate problems with spoilage, which could occur with agricultural products like straw. The wood fibres in pulp and paper sludge have also been pre-treated in the pulp-making process. Since the cellulose has already been partly broken down, the sludge could require less processing than other ethanol plant feedstocks.
Creating Fuel from a Waste Product

Scientists at the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) Bioprocessing Laboratory in Saskatoon have shown that sludge from pulp and paper production can be used to make ethanol. They first created a database of the composition of the different types of sludge created by various pulping processes. Sludge varies in composition, depending on the amount of recycled materials being used to make different paper products. Each time paper is recycled, the resulting sludge contains more wood fibre. The scientists used the database to evaluate various processing methods and the potential ethanol yield from each type of sludge. They determined that pulp and paper sludge contains between 45 per cent to 70 per cent cellulose. Thats the plant fibre which is converted to glucose for ethanol production.

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Issue 36 May, 1998

Published by AG-WEST BIOTECH INC.

Biotechnology and Fuel: Renewable Energy Resource

Agbiotech Information Bulletin for Schools courtesy of Ag-West Biotech Inc.

Creating Fuel from a Waste Product

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