Plans for 1,800-mile

[loki]

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/01/17/plans-for-1-800-mile-ethanol-pipeline-across-eastern-u-s-unveil/

3.6 billion gallons a year. 1,800 miles long. $4 billion dollars. 20-inch diameter.

These numbers describe a new ethanol pipeline plan unveiled last week by Poet Ethanol Products and Magellan Midstream Partners. If built, this would be the first long-distance pipeline in the U.S. (pictured above is the Trans Alaska-Alyeska Oil Pipeline) and would run from the midwest to the east coast. In some areas, the biofuel pine would run alongside existing petroleum pipelines. In others, it would need to blaze new paths. Poet and Magellan say that 80,000 new jobs would be needed to build the thing, and then 1,100 people would be employed operating it. The soonest that the pipeline could be opened would be four years from now.

In late 2008, Kinder Morgan Energy Partners successfully tested ethanol in a pipeline, so the technology apparently works. There has also been political support for a project like this, and Poet and Magellan say that the pipeline is dependent on getting a U.S. Department of Energy loan guarantee.

with one comment of

If they spend 4 billions in this insanity, it really means that America has lost its common sense. Nobody wants this ethanol,and ethanol as a fuel doesn't make any sense neither economic or environmental

seems some of the comments are basically this.

best comment- "Now, a BEER pipeline might have some uses."

[Drew Dowdell]

Ethanol as a fuel doesn't make any sense when it's derived from corn...... when it's derived from waste products, algae, kelp, and grass clippings however......

You know what else ethanol is good for? Turbocharged engines. Think it's a coincidence that so many turbos are on their way?

[A Horse With No Name]

...stang runs laughing to the garage....

[loki]

Ethanol as a fuel doesn't make any sense when it's derived from corn...... when it's derived from waste products, algae, kelp, and grass clippings however......

You know what else ethanol is good for? Turbocharged engines. Think it's a coincidence that so many turbos are on their way?

i'd think if compression changing engines gained a good foot hold in the market,, sure... but it still is a lot of construction, lots of energy for something that doesn't run in most engines and the ones that do typically have a fair mileage deficit when using it.

[67impss]

Ethanol as a fuel doesn't make any sense when it's derived from corn...... when it's derived from waste products, algae, kelp, and grass clippings however......

You know what else ethanol is good for? Turbocharged engines. Think it's a coincidence that so many turbos are on their way?

+1!

This is where we need to direct the ethanol movement so we don't drive the price of food up, it MUST be made from waste to be economical.

Check out this link Micro Fueler (couldn't resist)

[Camino LS6]

My hopes for ethanol don't include pipelines.

I'd much rather see lots of small, local, trash-to-fuel plants supplying their own areas.

[67impss]

That's where Micro fueler is aimed at. Though it should be cheaper to produce in volume like you said regionally.

[loki]

This is where we need to direct the ethanol movement so we don't drive the price of food up, it MUST be made from waste to be economical.

direct.... how? do you speak of subsidies ethanol already gets?

[Camino LS6]

Even corn ethanol makes sense, if used locally.

Not an ideal feedstock, but ok in the cornbelt.

BTW: The idea that it drove-up food prices was all BS - we pay farmers NOT to grow corn in this country!

But the pipeline idea has Pork Barrel written all over it.

Edited January 20, 2010 by Camino LS6

[67impss]

Most farmers around here converted their wet silos to dry for the very purpose of holding out for the highest price for fuel production.

[Camino LS6]

Most farmers around here converted their wet silos to dry for the very purpose of holding out for the highest price for fuel production.

A direct effect of two things, farm subsidies keeping the yield down amd a temporary spike in the price of gasoline.

We have the capacity to grow enormous amounts of corn. It will settle to a reasonable level if foolishness like the pipeline idea doesn't intefere.

[Drew Dowdell]

i'd think if compression changing engines gained a good foot hold in the market,, sure... but it still is a lot of construction, lots of energy for something that doesn't run in most engines and the ones that do typically have a fair mileage deficit when using it.

Chicken/Egg

The engines that have the fair fuel economy deficit are the relatively low compression pushrod V6es. Ethanol is effectively over 100 octane which means you can dial up the boost on a turbo quite a bit.

The new Regal's turbo is going to be flex fuel from the factory which can be exciting from a performance standpoint. Imagine a Taurus SHO or Ford F-150 3.7t running the stuff with the boost turned way up.

[Camino LS6]

I could go for a high-compression,naturally-aspirated V8.

[SAmadei]

My hopes for ethanol don't include pipelines.

Me either... if I buy Ethanol, I don't want it watered down. Pipelines are notorious for water contamination, and ethanol just sucks the water right in.