Hey OP, why not just burn the waste pellets for energy production on site and sell to the grid? Or sell the pellets as pellet grill fuel? Lots of options. Also, some amount of the sieve separated anhydrous ethanol can be used as a feedstock for producing biodiesel - which commands a much higher ROI. Lastly I think as the means of production becomes more streamlined and vertically integrated and as the switchgrass ethanol industry grows the cost to produce will go down dramatically. P.s., is it possible to just ferment for longer and eliminate the need to treat the slurry with acid all together? Would this be another way to possibly reduce cost? Would this hurt conversion of biomass to ethanol efficiency? I am genuinely curious.
Oh don't get it twisted... EVs are the future and not because of no green washing propaganda. They're just cheaper to run (dramatically higher energy efficiency, lower non fixed costs like brake and tire wear due to regeneratibe braking and linear torque loading respectively). They are far smoother in operation (see - previous reason). The maintenance is far more tolerable to a nation of hopeless idiots who don't understand what an oil change is. And the performance they offer is absolutely bonkers. These are all things even a petrolhead like myself must make admission of. I deal in reality. Also, the complete reduction of localized particulate emissions is a big plus. I grew up near an interstate and had asthma as a kid due to that. I don't care about carbon footprint because as of right now, all human activities release carbon. It's up to people far smarter than I to figure out how to fix that issue. For now I will do what makes sense for me. HOWEVER. NOT everything can be feasibly transitioned to electrification. Long range large trucks, locomotives, vintage sports cars, enthusiast ICE vehicles, virtually all aircraft save for short hop or training aircraft, farming machinery, military vehicles, boats and other marine craft, liquid fueled rockets. Plus thermoplastics industry, petrochemical (or biosynthetic hydrocarbon chemicals), fertilizers, etc. among MANY other sectors will require petroleum or biofuel feedstocks. This is where technologies like the one detailed in this video will thrive. And for a long time. Perhaps when you and I have grown old and gray battery chemistries will have advanced to a level that achieves performance parity with liquid hydrocarbon fuels. Only then will it make sense to convert everything else to electric drive.
