A US company has announced that it is using platinum-based catalysts to help convert sugar water into the chemical equivalent of gasoline, CNET reported on Friday (20th March).

Virent Energy Systems is set to build a demonstration plant in Madison, Wisconsin, which will allow it to produce 10,000 gallons per year of liquid hydrocarbons from a feedstock of sugar cane and other plants.

Based on research at the University of Wisconsin, the firm has been using catalysts made from the white metal in reactions which produce heat and therefore do not require a significant energy input.

This means that production costs remain low, while the nature of platinum allows it to be reused in such reactions.

Lee Edwards, CEO of Virent Energy, told the news provider: "Chemical engineers of the world love catalytic processes ... because you can control the yield and scale. It allows us to make a refinery from different (and the least expensive) feedstocks."

According to the company, its fuels are carbon-neutral throughout production and use, while the gasoline it produces will be 102 octane and contain less air pollutants than conventional alternatives.

Virent Energy has already raised $30 million from venture capital and $40 million from government funds towards the pilot plant and expects to require $200 million to build a full-scale, 100 million-gallons-per-year version.

Source:

Virent Energy to turn sugar into green gasoline (21/03/09)
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10200988-54.html