Scientists Turn Citrus Waste into Ethanol and Biogas

Each day scientists around the world attempt to transform organic waste into alternative fuel in order to make our lives greener.

Scientist from a Swedish university managed to discover a new fuel resource. They were successful in making fuel from orange, which was previously considered impossible due to the fact that citrus waste features an antibacterial substance that considerably slows the fruit's breakdown.

However, researcher Mohammad Taherzadeh together with his colleagues at the School of Engineering at the University of Boras in Sweden found that the acidic skins, in fact, can be really useful. In their experiment, scientists produced 4 different products from citrus waste, including: limon, which is an antibacterial agent; pectin, a gelling agent often used in foods like jams and jellies; biogas, a type of gas that can be compressed so it would latter serve as a power source for motor vehicles; and ethanol, informs Gizmag.

According to Mr. Taherzadeh, only in Boras 10,000 tones of citrus waste is gathered each year. With this in mind, the new method can prove to be highly successful in a variety of countries, especially poor regions around the world.

Posted by Maxriter