Valencia to make ethanol from orange peels

Scientists in Spain's top citrus fruit growing region, Valencia, are looking into using the peels of the fruits as a feedstock for the production of ethanol.

Esteban González Pons, president of Valencia's Land and Housing council, explained that "with the introduction of a new processing plant, we will generate some 500,000 tons of orange waste from which we can derive an estimated 37.5 million liters of ethanol. This constitutes 16% of Spain's current national ethanol production, which stands at 240 million liters."

Revitalising the economy
Utilising residues from the orange processing industry allows "the creation of a new space of productivity, with which we can revive one of our region's traditional sectors, which was otherwise doomed to disappear. The new revenues will be large enough to turn the entire industry around. The money can be invested in combating erosion and desertification," Gonzáles Pons adds.

The revenues from the initiative will make it possible to regenerate and reclame 100,000 hectares of heavily degraded land in the interior of Valencia, while the desertification rate can be cut back by up to 30%, the president adds.

The combination of economic revival and bioenergy production "allows us to combine ecology and economy and to reduce our oil dependence as a region by 40%. It allows us to keep the 100,000 Valencian families who depend on the orange industry employed, and what's more, 2500 direct and 20,000 indirect new jobs will be created. In addition, we will obtain CO2 emission rights worth €40 million per year," the Gonzáles Pons said:
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The president referred to trials in California, which have proved the feasibility of using this type of waste. According to González Pons, the project would produce enough biofuel to power 550,000 cars, around 25% of the entire fleet of the Spanish east coast.

The ethanol made from citrus and orange peels will reduce CO2 emissions in the region's transport sector by up to a third.

The initiative was presented to Al Gore, during a climate change conference in Madrid. Gore, who is on a European tour, was very enthusiastic and proposed to have the fuel called "zumos oil" ("juice fuel").

Within the context of the project, the region of Valencia is currently negotiating with Ford, who has a manufacturing plant there, to make bio-ethanol capable engines at its Almusafes plant. Likewise, the government of Valencia is talking to Spains largest fuel distributors, Abengoa and Acciona, who have shown very positive signals of interest.

Valencia currently grows oranges on some 190,000 hectares of land.

Photo: Al Gore and Esteban Gonzáles Pons at the Madrilenian Climate Change Conference.

More information:
Agroprofessional: Los coches del futuro funcionarán con zumo de naranja - Feb. 9, 2007.
Ambientum: La Generalitat valenciana propone convertir la pulpa de las naranjas en energía renovable - Feb. 9, 2007.