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September 08, 2005
Grass to replace fossil fuel?
Britain's The Times newspaper reported that within the next ten years a type of gentically engineered giant grass (about 14ft long) could replace coal and oil in electricity generation.
Trials have shown that the plant, known as Miscanthus giganteus grows on most arable land, requires no fertiliser, suffers no pests or diseases and produces huge volumes of material that can be harvested using existing technology and burned in power stations.
If miscanthus were grown on 10 per cent of suitable land, it could generate 9 per cent of Europe’s electricity according to scientists.
The crop should prove profitable for farmers, with a onehectare field able to produce enough energy to replace 36 barrels of oil — at current prices, a yield would be worth $2,160 (£1,170) per hectare.
Posted by admin at September 8, 2005 08:00 AM