Ethanol eyed as job source

Economic development authority director sees potential for cleared brush

What is cellulosic ethanol and what can it do for Del Norte County?

It could provide jobs to local people while helping out the U.S. Forest Service and the environment, according to Bill Renfroe, the executive director of the Tri-Agency Economic Development Authority.

Every year, underbrush is removed from the Smith River National Recreation Area in the Six Rivers National Forest to prevent the spread of forest fires.

This underbrush is called forest fuel, but it also can be turned into ethanol to fuel cars.

During a visit to the Smith River NRA with the Forest Service, Renfroe noticed all these piles of underbrush that were being readied to burn.

“I was stunned by the amount of woody debris,” he said. “Then it clicked.”

That debris includes thousands of tons of biomass that could be made into cellulosic ethanol, Renfroe said. Doing rough math, 42,000 tons of biomass could be made into 4.2 million gallons of ethanol, he said.

“It looks good,” he said, “at least at first blush.”

Renfroe’s idea is that cellulosic ethanol would be produced and used locally, which would create 10-20 jobs and help people save on gas money.

Cellulosic ethanol would also be a beneficial use of something that’s disposed of each year.

The Forest Service is supportive of  Renfroe’s idea of converting forest underbrush into cellulosic ethanol, said Sheila Balent, a fuel planner.

Renfroe has yet to speak with Redwood National and State Parks officials.

The next step, Renfroe said, is finding funding for a study to figure out the best way to produce cellulosic ethanol in Del Norte, talking to potential investors and current producers.

One scenario is that Hambro Forest Products could haul out the biomass and convert it into ethanol or just be the collector for another company, he said.

The process involves removing sugar from the wood or plant material and making it into ethanol, an alcohol, he explained.

“This is nothing new,” Renfroe said, explaining how Germany made ethanol from biomass as early as 1898.

Today, newer cars can be programmed to use an 85 percent ethanol-15 percent gasoline mixture known as E85.

“It would be equal to or cheaper than gas,” Renfroe said.

Ethanol is one alternative to using gasoline. It emits less harmful greenhouse emissions into the atmosphere, he said, and is made from a renewable source.

Cellulosic ethanol is also more effective than corn ethanol at cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions, Renfroe said, plus it’s not using a food source.

“I don’t see a downside,” he said.