In the U.S., use of biomass for energy production alone is moving beyond corn (ethanol) and soybean (biodiesel) to new alternative crops that will not drive up food prices. Yulex Corporation is developing proprietary technologies to capitalize on guayule’s superior qualities as an energy-producing crop and its promising future as a renewable energy source.
Guayule is an economical alternative to cotton and alfalfa for growers, and given its high energy content is an attractive cultivated crop.
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| Guayule | Bagasse: Variable |
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| Corn | 8,100 Btu kernels 7,768 Btu stover |
Ethanol / Distillers’ dried grains with solubles | |
| Sugarcane (Brazil) | 8,532 Btu bagasse | Ethanol | |
| SwitchGrass | 7,200 Btu | Ethanol | |
| Miscanthus (EU, NA) | 7,300 Btu | Ethanol | |
| Soybean | 10,230 Btu bean 7,570 Btu hull |
Biodiesel / bioplastics | |
| Canola (Canada, EU) | N/A | Biodiesel / meal | |
| Jatropha (India) | 9,400 Btu | Biodiesel | |
Biomass generated more energy consumed in the U.S. than all other renewable sources combined.
Wood energy is the leading source of energy from biomass, followed by municipal waste; however, when considering alternative cellulosic feedstocks, particularly in the southwestern U.S., forestry residues remain largely uneconomical to collect and transport to either an electrical power generation or ethanol production facility.
Yulex Corporation is planning to co-locate its biorefinery operations with its existing and new latex production facilities thus creating a cost-effective model for converting guayule biomass for energy or ethanol production.
