Hybrid grass could become biomass fuel
Giant Miscanthus, a hybrid grass that can grow 13 feet high, could become renewable solid fuel, according to researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Pictured here is doctoral student Emily Heaton standing next to a plot of Giant Miscanthus. The grass has tall bamboo-like stems that can be harvested in spring and burned for fuel. The researchers say burning the grass to produce electricity is carbon neutral. They also say it is a very efficient fuel, because the energy ratio of input to output is less than 0.2. In contrast, the ratios exceed 0.8 for ethanol and biodiesel from canola. :: RenewableEnergyAccess
