Some information, what I have picked up from my Finnish mate:
Sweden, of the Scandinavian nations is the most aggressive in terms of introducing, switching to more and more ethanol based gas, 10-40% and up to 70%. This is probably because of their domestic car manufacturing, Saab and Volvo, works as a domestic test bed.
Note the problems of storing, transporting, distributing ethanol, much more demanding than gasoline, binds water, oxidized pipes, rubber-gaskets, etc,etc..
Sweden has been aggressive in introducing ethanol based gas pumps nationwide (expensive for the gas pump owner, new tanks, etc), tax incentives for hybrid cars and driving on ethanol.
Additionally the major question of heavier professional traffic, busses, trucks, post-deliveries, etc.
I do not know what goes on in Norway, but in addition to oil and gas they also have more hydro-power due to mountains and more rain than any other European nation. Electricity was earlier almost free in Norway.
Finland is going more slowly with ethanol (in terms of 10-20-40% goals for cars); we focus on "biodiesel" (for heavier traffic) as well as heating houses, to replace oil.
We have a much larger part of our population in the "heating area" where a normal family uses more oil for heating during the winter than gasoline for the car.
I guess we are both busy researching, investing in the "final solution", to use enzymes and gene manipulated bacteries, etc to produce both biodiesel and ethanol from cellulose due to our forestry industries.
Anyway, we (Finland) started an ethanol producing plant *state funded) many years ago (similar technology as when producing vodka) but suddenly that was stopped.
Our "energy company" says that to really work a plant like that has to able to use lots of different raw-material as well as the ethanol-biodiesel balance.
Sweden too started some (small scale) ethanol plants many years ago, but they too are going slowly in that specific direction (producing ethanol from eatable stuff like wheat, etc).
That is, this is what I wanted to write you after the background above.
Sweden actually imports most of its ethanol from Brazil and will continue doing that until this "new technology" has been "invented", improved, tested and proven to work at a large enough scale.
The goal, as I have understood it, is to - be able to use lots of different raw materials from top quality wheat to (home sorted) household garbage
- Especially "leftovers", branches, etc from the forestry industry.
- To produce both ethanol and biodiesel.
In terms of forestry there is this interesting north-south, slow-fast growing trees, issue.
- good quality paper (glossy, etc) demands "long-fiber" cellulose, whole the faster growing trees, plants mostly produce short-fiber cellulose, "low quality" paper.
(btw, as in Uruguay, producing cellulose does not demand much energy but producing paper from it demands a lot of energy, next step in Uruguay, Argentine and also Brazil).
Scandinavia obviously does not have anything like sugar cane, while Brazil, etc have.
Then there is also the question of palm-oil in Asia, etc, etc.
That is, all of this is the reason why "a total new thinking, logistics and technology" has to be produced during maybe the coming 10-30 years, including all the other energy issues, nuclear, solar, wind and water, etc, etc.
Not to forget the problem of how to use the gas from the gas and oil fields. (How to reliably transport and store gas or gas-based energy)
All of this is "fascinating" and some say that USA is too bogged down for their huge demand, need, of private, large cars and an incapability to make huge USA-wide long terms investments and plans. (Quarter driven economy and industry) |
