Scientists at Scotland's Edinburgh Napier University have filed a patent for a new biofuel--called "biobutanol"--that can be used in ordinary vehicles without any modifications! The source of this wonder gas? Whiskey distillation!
The two-year research project found that two main byproducts in the whiskey distillation process--pot ale, a liquid produced by the copper stills, and draff, the spent grains--create butanol, which can be used as fuel.
Scientists claim that biobutanol will be the next-generation biofuel, producing 30 percent more power than ethanol. Martin Tangney, who directed the research, says that "The most likely form of distribution of the biofuel would be a blend of perhaps 5 percent or 10 percent of the biofuel with petrol or diesel, but 5 percent or 10 percent means less oil, which would make a big, big difference."
Scotland's $6.2 billion whiskey industry is one of the country's largest, producing 1.6 billion liters of pot ale and nearly 200,000 metric tons of draff.