JEDDAH: In line with the Saudi government's initiative to diversify energy resources and promote clean environment at the same time, a US company is introducing an innovative, versatile biofuel solution to produce ethanol using waste paper and whey as feedstocks. Whey is the watery part of milk that is separated from the curd in making cheese. The Modular Ethanol Production System (MEPS) of Easy Energy Systems, Inc., a Minnesota-based company, is a fully self-contained, fully automatic ethanol production system that is pre-built in a factory and can be shipped anywhere in the world, Sam Roy, adviser to founder and CEO and director of Business Development said. Roy, who is currently in the Kingdom, said he has productive dialogues with potential investors and representatives from both the private and government sectors. "They are very keen on our system," he added. Ethanol or ethyl alcohol used for fuel is being blended into gasoline at concentrations of 5 to 10 percent. However, in the US, there is a small but expanding segment of flexible fuel vehicles than runs on fuel that contains 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. In Brazil, vehicles that regularly use 100 percent ethanol fuel are expanding. In an interview with the Saudi Gazette, he said that though fossil fuel would still last for a long period, the fact is that the time will come when it will be depleted, notwithstanding the harm it does to the environment relative to biofuel. "Fossil fuel would soon be gone," he noted, saying that "it's time to switch to renewable energy … which is less polluting as an energy source." "If Saudi Arabia wants to still be the energy capital of the world, it has to innovate by investing in renewable energy," he further said. "We should consider our future generation," he added. Noting the abundance of paper and paper-related waste in Saudi Arabia, Roy said the time is right to utilize them for useful purposes and MEPS would the job. MEPS solution produces cellulosic ethanol more feasible and cheaper than the traditional, large-plant model. He said that with an investment of $6 million as compared with $100 million for the traditional model, MEPS could produce 1 million gallon of ethanol a year in a smaller feedstock area of 680 hectares or less as against 68,000 hectares or more for the traditional type. It requires no steam to operate, he added. Roy said one ton of waste paper can produce 65-80 gallons of ethanol, depending on the quality of the paper and the feedstock processes involved. Ten gallons of whey will yield about 1 gallon of biofuel. He said Riyadh municipality is also interested in the possibility of using watermelon as feedstock. Resorting to biofuel would also "create balanced economy as cultivation of feedstock will empower farmers to create wealth for themselves." "It's a win-win situation for the people, the country, the planet and the future," he noted. On concerns that such condition would trigger high food prices, Roy cited the case of Brazil in which there is a mandate that supply for human consumption and for ethanol production will have an equal share. MEPS, Roy said, has also the advantage of being shipped conveniently anywhere in the world, as the entire system is built in modules which can be individually picked up. The whole system can be installed and operational in 6 months, he added. Besides, though it may appear expensive as a start-up investment, continued progress with ethanol production technologies would eventually lead to competitive ethanol production costs against fossil fuels. Roy said once everything is in place and "perfected", it would be much cheaper and environment-friendly, too. Moreover, Easy Energy Systems welcomes Saudi investors to be its partners in the company's projects not just in the US, but in other countries as well, Roy added.
