Countdown to Bio-Butanol

I won’t say that butanol will solve the ever-rising cost per gallon of gasoline, but it is definitely worth further investigation. I heard the other day on the news that all things made with corn and sweetened with corn syrup is increasing in cost as well. The old story of supply and demand. As the demand for ethanol and corn to produce ethanol rises so does the demand and so does the cost. Furthermore only a small percentage of vehicles are “flex-fuel” ready. So now what… Bio-butanol of course. As the calendar draws closer to 2008, so does the availability of biobutanol. In my research so far, I have found that there was a patent in place on a process to which butanol could be produces by a multi-stage fermentation of sugar beets with two different strains of bacteriea. Wikiepedia’s article on butanol as a fuel whichÃ‚Â  includes comparison of the properties of gasoline, ethanol, methanol, and butanol. It just so happens that the gas and butane are a much closer match then ethonal. So close a match that butanol can be run in most modern automobiles without modification, and without being flex fuel equipped.

So when can you get it? Who knows for sure, but BP has a bio-butanol release date on their site noted as the end of 2007.

I’m ready, and my car is ready. So see you at the pumps!