- Sugar crops such as sugar cane and sugar beets can be fermented and turned into ethanol.
- Corn or maize can be turned into ethanol through fermentation.
- Plant-based oils such as palm oil and soybean, and even algae, can be used directly in diesel engines or blended with petroleum. This is known as biodiesel.
- Wood chips, dust and bark can be converted into woodgas, methane or ethanol.
- Currently, ethanol relies on the edible parts of plants. Researchers are working on making cellulosic ethanol. This uses the inedible parts of the plant such as corn stalks, silk and leaves. It will be a while before this type comes to market, however, as it is not economically feasible yet.
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