Researchers explore guayule’s potential as a fuel of the future
Guayule is already a commercial source for high performance, safe natural rubber, but researchers from the USDA ARS, Yulex Corporation and Mendel Biotechnology, Inc. are exploring the use of guayule as an economical and environmentally friendly energy source. Researchers have found that energy can be made from ground-up guayule stems and branches, called “bagasse,” that are left after the latex has been removed. Guayule bagasse would provide about the same amount of energy as charcoal.
Researchers are exploring use of the bagasse as a source of ethanol, bio-oil, and synthetic gas, or syn-gas. With a pretreatment, guayule bagasse can be readily fermented into ethanol. Additionally, researchers have found that the contents of guayule bagasse can be burned to generate electricity, made into value-added products or converted into bio-oil.
A few benefits of guayule as an energy source:
- Cost: The cost of getting to the bagasse as a starting point has already been borne by the latex-extraction.
- Competition: Guayule isn’t a food or feed crop so it’s doesn’t compete with those uses.
- Clean and Green: the latex extraction process uses water, not harsh solvents.
To learn more, see the recent USDA Agricultural Research Service article, Go Native With This Promising Biofuel—and Biomedical—Crop.
Hi, I have recently watched a program on growing guayule in Montpellier area in France. I would like to know about the last trials made in France and Europe regarding this plant which represents green solutions in the fuel and medical industries. Also, I would like to know what works and articles have been published in French on this plant and its applications/utilisations. Thank you in advance. Regards. DM
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