Cobalt Technologies recently announced a breakthrough in producing bio-butanol from beetle-killed lodgepole pine feedstock. The beetle-infested dead trees have little use and pose a significant fire hazard. To evaluate the fuel's viability for commercial vehicles, the company has signed a fuel testing partnership with Colorado State University.
"With this breakthrough, we've been able to turn a problem into an opportunity," says Rick Wilson, CEO of Cobalt Technologies. "Harvesting beetle-killed trees could produce low-carbon fuels and chemicals, establish a foundation for a sustainable bio-refinery industry and create jobs, particularly in rural areas. If we use only half of the 2.3 million acres currently affected in Colorado alone, we could produce over 2 billion gallons of bio-butanol -- enough to blend into all the gasoline used in Colorado for six years."
Cobalt Technologies converts non-food feedstock, such as forest waste and mill residues into n-butanol, a versatile product that can be used as a drop-in biofuel to be blended with gasoline, diesel and ethanol; converted into jet fuel or plastics, or sold as is for use in paints, cleaners, adhesives and flavorings.
For more information, visit: www.cobalttech.com.
