I am not sure on the process. I think fermentation not high temp cracking. Not sure on Maint but cost is $10,000 but there are some tax breaks so maybe $8,000. Michael is right that we have 3x more oil in shale oil in the rockies than Saudis and 3 x more in coal diesel plus maybe 100 billion barrels of oil in N Dakota. Congress (mainly Dems) are fooling around with CO2 and carbon cap & trade plus carbon credits. The whole carbon thing is a scam that Al Gore and his pals will get incredibly rich on. It is a total fraud.

I think these eFuel guys are the real deal with real world Silicon Valley successes. eFuel should do well and good for them. Brazil in cleaning up with sugar based ethanol. The only risk is sugar costs could soar.

- What is the cost per gallon of ethanol produced?
- What raw material does it use? Sugar, like in the sacks from the grocery store? Lawn clippings? What?
- How much, and how often, do you have to feed it?
- How does the thing work? Does it have yeast or bacteria that ferment the stuff? Or is there some kind of high-temperature cracking process?
- What kind of maintenance does this thing require? And how much does it cost?

nhick
http://www.itrush.com

Oil hit a new high of $120 a barrel on May 5, 2008.

The cost of making a barrel of synthetic fuel from coal is estimated to be around $55, including the sizeable infrastructure investments and the labor force necessary to operate the plant.

Petroleum poor Germany fueled WWII with synfuel from coal. It is proven technology.

America is the Saudi Arabia of coal with 1/3rd of the deposits on planet. We can eliminate dependence on foreign oil.
Reducing America’s trade imbalance keeps money, technology and jobs here in America.

It is estimated that every billion in trade deficit equals 13,000 American jobs lost. $400 billion for oil last year: do the math.

And we can quit sending those billions to countries that sponsor terrorism.

Synfuels are cleaner burning than gasoline and carbon sequestration can remove the CO2 hot house gases.

Visit http://governor.mt.gov/hottopics/faqsynthetic.asp

Ethanol from corn is a windfall for farmers but is it good for motorists.

After 4 months Congress is already rethinking. Unintended consequences include higher food costs for wheat, chicken, beef, pork, less grain for export, reduced gas mileage and incompatibility with older cars.

Harness your anger at the pump. Call or write your US Senators and demand a Manhattan Project to create an American synfuel industry within the decade.

If you don’t raise your voice the international companies, lobbyist and politicians will assume you are fat dumb and happy and ready to pay even more.

Call you’re US Senators and demand they break ground on America’s energy independence.

Kentucky is breaking ground on two synfuel plants within 90 days.