this post was submitted on 23 May 2024
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Ecology
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What ever happened with cellulosic ethanol? I thought there was a big breakthrough in that process a few years ago that was supposed to make it viable.
short answer is that yes, it is technically possible, but the cost of capital (which hits you on returns and depreciation cost) to build the entire process and sourcing the raw material (demand for biomass) means that your final 'product cost' is higher than cheap corn ethanol, and/or investors don't see the risk vs reward they'd want to see.