University of Florida see cellulosic ethanol production at $1.50 per gallon

In Florida, University of Florida scientists wondered how cheaply fuel ethanol can be made from inedible plant material—called biomass—using currently available technology. Their goal is to make this form of ethanol less expensively than gasoline and help reduce greenhouse-gas emissions.

But a UF bio-refinery pilot plant in Perry, Florida, uses crushed sugarcane and sweet sorghum stalks—also known as bagasse—to produce fuel ethanol. Study results showed that the lowest break-even price for producing cellulosic ethanol is still higher than the price of gasoline. At their most optimistic, UF/IFAS researchers say cellulosic ethanol could be produced for about $1.50 a gallon, which is still higher than the price that would make it cost-competitive with gasoline—about $1.29 per gallon.