Ethanol Researchers Make Breakthrough in Energy Recovery

Aug 15, 2012

MSU Researchers Claim 2000% Increase in Energy Recovery from Ethanol Process

Researchers at Michigan State University claim they have made an important breakthrough in energy recovery from the ethanol process. A research team at MSU, led by Dr. Gemma Reguera, has pioneered a microbial electrolysis cell that utilizes a specific type of fermentative bacteria capable of generating large amounts of energy with reduced levels of waste.

The specialized bacteria have been shown to thrive on corn stover – the left over portions of the corn plant that are often seen as waste after the corn has been harvested for cobs and kernels. The research team claims that this breakthrough may boost energy recovery from the ethanol process by 2000%. The more traditional methods of ethanol production are capable of recovering up to 4.5% of the energy found in corn stover, while the new process developed by the MSU researchers could yield up to 40% in energy recovery from the same corn stover.

News of this breakthrough comes at a time when most farmers and consumers are worried about their crops and food supply in the wake of severe drought conditions, while ethanol industry critics are deeply concerned that too much valuable corn is being used as a fuel source instead of feeding a hungry planet. The breakthrough could lead to significant increases in ethanol production without being a burden on food supplies.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.