Ethanol from Sweet Potatoes

According to the Charleston Post and Courier, Janice Ryan-Bohac of North Charleston and businessman Alan Overcash of Gainesville, Georgia, would like to see more than 1 million South Carolina acres planted with these special potatoes and other feedstock.

This they believe would provide enough raw material for 23 bio-refineries, which they say could replace 85 per cent of all gasoline consumed here.

The Post and Courier says that Ms Ryan-Bohac currently is seeking a patent on the strain of sweet potato that can grow up to 40 pounds and provide up to six times as much ethanol as corn or three times as much as sugar cane per acre.

She and Mr Overcash, who works for Southeastern Biofuels Inc., have formed CAREthanol LLC and hope to begin work soon on a $400,000 feasibility study that would pinpoint a site for a new bio-refinery, assess its economic impact and carbon footprint and detail the amount of energy it could produce.

They say that first refinery could be at the Clemson University Restoration Institute on the former Charleston Naval Base.

They have met with 1st District Rep. Henry Brown, Senate President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, and North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey, and they also hope to win support from the Ted Turner Foundation in Atlanta.

Last week, they met with the Charleston County legislative delegation to seek its blessing, and lawmakers agreed to write Clemson a letter.

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