VATIS UPDATE Article

Researchers at Ghent University (UGent), Belgium, have developed a process that turns grass into bio-fuel. To improve its biodegradability, the grass is first pretreated, and then bacteria are introduced. The bac-teria convert the sugars in the grass into lactic acid and its derivatives. This lactic acid can serve as an in-termediate chemical to produce other compounds such as biodegradable plastics (PLA) or fuels. The lactic acid then was converted into caproic acid, which was further converted into decane, which can be used in aviation fuel.

Although it might sound revolutionary, there’s still a lot to do before this becomes practical. Right now, the amount of biofuel that can be made from grass is still limited to a few drops. The current process is very expensive, and engines would have to be adapted for this new kind of fuel. “If we can keep working on optimizing this process in cooperation with the business world, we can bring down the price. And maybe in a few years, we can all fly on grass,” said Way Cern Khor, at UGent.