A team of researchers have found the agave plant used to make tequila could be an environmentally-friendly solution to Australia’s transport fuel shortage, and could also help produce ethanol for hand sanitisers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an article published in the Journal of Cleaner Production, researchers from the University of Sydney, University of Exeter and University of Adelaide analysed the potential to produce bioethanol (biofuel) from the agave plant, which is a high-sugar succulent grown in Mexico often used to make tequila.
It is now being grown on the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland by MSF Sugar and has the potential to provide “significant advantages” over existing sources of bioethanol such as sugarcane and corn.
University of Sydney agronomist associate professor Daniel Tan said agave is heat and drought tolerant, meaning it can survive Australia’s hot summers.
“It can grow in semi-arid areas without irrigation; and it does not compete with food crops or put demands on limited water and fertiliser supplies,” he said.
“The economic analysis suggests that a first generation of bioethanol production from agave is currently not commercially viable without government support, given the recent collapse in the world oil price.”
“However, this may change with the emerging demand for new ethanol-based healthcare products, such as hand sanitisers.”
The study is the first comprehensive lifecycle assessment and economic analysis of bioethanol produced from a five-year agave field experiment, said Tan, with the plants having the potential to yield 7414 litres of bioethanol a hectare each year.
Sugarcane yields 9900 litres a year, however, agave outperforms on a range of measures, including water consumption, as it uses 69 per cent less water than sugarcane.
