SEBRING, Florida — Count motor racing as the latest entity fast-tracking its way to a "green" public persona, as the American Le Mans Racing Series, via General Motors' Corvette ALMS team, will be the first racing organization to officially use cellulose-based ethanol in competition.
The Corvette Racing team will be first to use racing E85 (85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline) at the first ALMS event for 2008, the 12 Hours of Sebring, on March 15.
Ethanol derived from cellulosic "waste" sources — rather than the corn-based stock that produces almost all of the ethanol used today — is deemed an important progression from today's ethanol, almost all of which is derived from corn.
The racing E85 comes from the nation's first operating cellulosic ethanol plant, which is located near Upton, Wyoming, engineered and operated by KL Process Design Group of Rapid City, South Dakota. The plant processes soft waste wood into ethanol and is the result of a six-year cooperation between KL and the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
The new plant, which KL describes as a small-scale commercial operation, is designed to annually produce 1.5 million gallons of the renewable fuel. The company says the facility also has successfully tested the process with wood-source waste materials such as cardboard and paper. KL says it employs proprietary technologies and newly developed enzymes that break down the cellulosic materials into the alcohol-based ethanol.
This is the first time any racing series has made a commitment to use E85, says the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. The ALMS says at least one other team, Aston Martin Racing, will use the KL-supplied ethanol during the 2008 racing season.
"This is a groundbreaking achievement not only in motorsports, but also in the drive to relevant fuel technologies," said Scott Atherton, president and CEO of the American Le Mans Series.
"The American Le Mans Series was recently recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the only motorsports entity to meet the criteria for 'green racing,'" Atherton adds.
GM recently provided a giant boost for cellulosic ethanol when it announced its part in a joint venture to build a plant capable of annually producing 50 to 100 million gallons of cellulose-derived ethanol by 2011.
What this means to you: Development of ethanol feed stock with fewer economic and environmental liabilities is an important step toward making it a viable alternative to gasoline for your everyday vehicle. — Bill Visnic, Senior Editor, AutoObserver.com
The Corvette Racing team will be first to use racing E85 (85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline) at the first ALMS event for 2008, the 12 Hours of Sebring, on March 15.
Ethanol derived from cellulosic "waste" sources — rather than the corn-based stock that produces almost all of the ethanol used today — is deemed an important progression from today's ethanol, almost all of which is derived from corn.
The racing E85 comes from the nation's first operating cellulosic ethanol plant, which is located near Upton, Wyoming, engineered and operated by KL Process Design Group of Rapid City, South Dakota. The plant processes soft waste wood into ethanol and is the result of a six-year cooperation between KL and the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.
The new plant, which KL describes as a small-scale commercial operation, is designed to annually produce 1.5 million gallons of the renewable fuel. The company says the facility also has successfully tested the process with wood-source waste materials such as cardboard and paper. KL says it employs proprietary technologies and newly developed enzymes that break down the cellulosic materials into the alcohol-based ethanol.
This is the first time any racing series has made a commitment to use E85, says the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. The ALMS says at least one other team, Aston Martin Racing, will use the KL-supplied ethanol during the 2008 racing season.
"This is a groundbreaking achievement not only in motorsports, but also in the drive to relevant fuel technologies," said Scott Atherton, president and CEO of the American Le Mans Series.
"The American Le Mans Series was recently recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the only motorsports entity to meet the criteria for 'green racing,'" Atherton adds.
GM recently provided a giant boost for cellulosic ethanol when it announced its part in a joint venture to build a plant capable of annually producing 50 to 100 million gallons of cellulose-derived ethanol by 2011.
What this means to you: Development of ethanol feed stock with fewer economic and environmental liabilities is an important step toward making it a viable alternative to gasoline for your everyday vehicle. — Bill Visnic, Senior Editor, AutoObserver.com
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