Shell Oil Company has partnered with Virent Energy Systems of Madison, Wisconsin, to develop a process that converts various sugars directly into gasoline and gasoline-blending components. This could lead to new biofuels that may be added at high percentages into standard gasoline engines. These biofuels could potentially eliminate the need for specialized distribution infrastructures and new engine designs.
Virent's BioForming process employs catalysts to convert plant sugars into hydrocarbon molecules that are similar to those produced in an oil refinery. The new biogasolines reportedly have a higher energy content than ethanol, can be readily blended into conventional gasoline or combined with gasoline containing ethanol, and produce better fuel mileage. The sugar can be produced from non-food sources such as corn stover, sugarcane pulp, switchgrass and wheat straw, so it won't drive up food prices.
After a year of research, the companies report that the process has advanced faster than expected, exceeding expectations for yield, cost and quality. Now they will work to further improve the technology and scale-up production.
