First Closed System Process Ethanol Plant in America to Be Launched in Hawaii

By Warner Kimo Sutton, 2/9/2009 12:45:43 PM

Diamond Head Renewable Resources is a local company that will build a commercial energy and ethanol plant in Honolulu.

This will be the fist refinery of it's kind in America to include GHGs (Green House Gas) recycling with algae. It will be a closed system process by not just venting the CO2 into the atmosphere. This means a zero carbon footprint. We also will use waste and biomass not food, to produce the energy and ethanol. This green approach to alternative energy and fuels is an epiphany for the industry.

The Federal Department of Energy or Agriculture will guarantee capital loans for much of the cost. This will insure that Hawaii is not importing most of the ethanol we use. Blending gas now is 10% in Hawai'i and flex fuel vehicles can now use up to 85% ethanol though not sold here yet.

We will have a large construction project and then many new high tech jobs. The use of garbage and green waste will keep hundreds of thousands of tons out of Honolulu's landfills.

Dumping will be free for most cellulosic waste that can be used saving private companies thousands of dollars a year. We can even use the methane from the land fill to reduce GHGs.

This may be the first commercial operation that will open and actually make ethanol in Hawaii.

Other companies have talked for years about making ethanol here. They have not received the incentives from the federal government or financing. They are first generation technology (from food).

Diamond Head is second generation that is being put forward in new technology now. Algae grown in a vertical biogenerator can ?eat' the CO2 generated in the plant. Along with making oxygen the algae will be used in making biofuel.

Algae research in Hawaii has many safe strains and the carbon sequestered will be sold as credits in a Cap and Trade system. The sun shining longer all year round will make growing algae a big plus. We hope to use reverse osmosis processed waste water from Honouliuli for the plant.The drying building will use solar resources.

Diamond Head Renewable Resources LLC is working with two new technologies to make the plant ecologically friendly. The energy produced with a gasification process is 45% more efficient than H-power and is not polluting in this system.

We hope to work closely with both the State and City to bring this plant online as soon as possible.

Warner Kimo Sutton is the CEO for Diamond Head Renewable Resources LLC