Development of Energy Canes for an Expanding Biofuels Industry

摘要

In the past 20 years, oil prices have increased from near 20 dollar per barrel in the 1990s to over 70 dollar per barrel in the 2000s. The rising cost of oil has caused a significant increase in interest in the utilization of renewable resources for biofuels production. Based on data from F. O. Licht, the sugarcane-based ethanol industry in Brazil produced over 16 billion liters of ethanol in 2006, while the U.S. produced over 19 billion liters of ethanol. Both countries continue to expand ethanol production to meet growing demands.