Did you know that the same plant that fires up the margarita you sip every Friday night at the bar can also fire up your car? Not to mention light up your house, power up your appliances, and heat your water for you? The agave plant, the plant that is used to manufacture every single shot of tequila, just might be the newest sustainable source of green energy.
Spirited Energy: Agave Biofuel
Biomass has always been one of the oldest forms of energy in the world. It is also one of the most commonly used sources of green energy, accounting for around 14 percent of the entire world’s energy use. We have been using biomass energy for awhile – since our ancestors discovered the powerful uses of fire and started to employ firewood to light up their caves and heat their food. Today, common biofuel sources include sugarcane, algae, corn, and hemp. In addition, a month ago, researchers found out that the by-products left over from the production of tequila can also be turned into agave biofuel. This discovery was published in the journal Global Change Biology Bioenergy.
The Most Sustainable Source of Biofuels
Being known to produce a drink with a sharp kick, agave is, not surprisingly, one tough plant. It can survive literally anywhere, even with little water and in places with temperatures up to 50° Celsius. The good news for us – experts now believe that agave can produce two times as much biomass energy as poplar can, thrice that of sugarcane, and four times more cellulose than eucalyptus. And if that wasn’t enough, agave is also known to absorb as much as five times the carbon dioxide that can be absorbed by the ideal ecosystem.
Fuel from Tequila: New Green Energy Source Found
Best Biofuel Production Sites
Agave biofuel is easily produced as a by-product of the tequila manufacturing process. There is minimal start-up cost since the production facilities are already in use for margarita production, perhaps only needing some renovations or additional equipment. And in Mexico, home of tequila, there are more than 80 million hectares of land that could be used to generate 5,600 million tons of biomass energy from agave plants. The dry and arid lands in Australia also provide just the right environment for growing agave.
Biofuel in Action
In the Land Down Under, which is very favorable for agave production, gas stations have already started offering 10% ethanol (E10) to their consumers. This is supported by the Australian government, which gives consumers who purchase E10 an exemption from fuel excise taxes. However, agave use is in its early stages and has yet to reap real, scalable environmental advantages; but who knows what the future holds?
So next time you have a margarita, make a toast to the agave plant…and the environment.
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