Poplar Tree Pegged as Next Big Thing in Biofuel

Biofuel has long been pegged as the saviour of the green tech industry. However scientists have yet to perfect the art of mastering a cost effective, economically efficient production technique. Now, researchers from the University of Washington maintain that poplar trees could be the answer. In the wake of a five year, US$40 million study, the researchers have concluded that groves of poplar trees could one day be the key to powering vehicles, and creating chemicals.

From flora to fuel

The process is simple yet brilliant, with sustainably produced poplar feedstock being converted into energy at what will be the world’s first wood-based cellulosic ethanol production facility. Using a combination of thermal/chemical pre-treatment and enzymatic reactions, sugars are actively extracted from the trees. The use of a high-pressure reactor also opens up wood structures to enable enzymes and access remaining carbohydrates. After being harvested, the sugars are then fermented to manufacture a myriad of products including acetic acid and ethanol.

The project was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and drew on the joint expertise of 10 academic institutions and private companies. Together, they identified hybrid poplars as a viable feedstock source. This is largely due to the tree’s fast growth rates of up to 20 feet a year, perennial availability and wood that can be easily broken down into fermentable sugars. Plus, the trees have exceptional regeneration capabilities, with each able to regrow six times before a new specimen must be planted.   

“They grow like mad,” explains Rick Gustafson, project leader and UW professor of bioresource science and engineering at the University of Washington. “The production growth rate of these trees has just been phenomenal.”

Bringing poplar biofuel to the masses

Already, mercantile partners are looking at commercialising the findings. Colorado-based biofuels company ZeaChem plans to build an Oregon based production facility that will produce fuel-grade ethanol and bio chemicals using poplar trees.

“We’ve established that poplar is a viable and sustainable feedstock for the production of fuels and bio-based chemicals,” says Gustafson. “We’ve provided fundamental information that our industry partners can use to convince investors that production of fuels and chemicals from poplar feedstock is a great investment.”

Until biofuel goes mainstream companies will continue to face increasingly strict fuel regulations. ‘Next Generation Derived Cetane Analysis: High Precision Enables Refineries to Operate Close to Specifications and Increase Profitability’ looks at how fuel injection timing plays a role in increasing the efficiency of combustion and minimising refinery costs.