Picture a fuel that doesn't come from the Middle East, costs as much as six times less to produce than corn ethanol and could actually help the environment.

That's ethanol from sugarcane, which grows like weeds in Florida, and it made something of a star of Bradley Krohn on the first day of Adam Putnam's second annual Florida Energy Summit in Orlando.

Krohn is manager of Highland Envirofuels LLC.

During a session called "Converting Crops to Fuel," moderated by Gary Peter, professor of forest genomics and cell biology at the University of Florida, Krohn told Summit participants that he and his company are cobbling together a cache of investors, putting money into UF research and intend to produce the same kind of success some South American nations have to power-grow sugarcane ethanol.

Brazil, for instance. Sugar ethanol is fueling economic growth in the nation that between its oil reserves and the burgeoning ethanol industry has attained energy self-sufficiency, Krohn says.

Brazil has spent billions of dollars over decades of research to develop the technology to mass produce ethanol from the millions of cane acres that spread along the South American landscape.

Probably more than any other nation in the world, Brazil has managed to carve out a thriving ethanol industry that exports millions of barrels a year -- including about 160 million to the U.S. -- and provides about a million jobs for its residents. 

Krohn believes all he lacks is enough seeds. Seeds to plant voluminous crops. That's where the University of Florida researchers come in -- to help clone the seeds, produce more than ever before. 

"Ethanol produced from Florida sugarcane and sweet sorghum is the most energy efficient and environmentally sustainable form of ethanol," Krohn said. "And it will support our state's efforts to reduce carbon emissions and global warming."

Highlands EnviroFuels LLC last October completed a comprehensive economic impact study for construction and operation of its sucrose-based, 36 million gallon-per-year advanced biofuel ethanol production plant in Highlands County. 

The study concludes that the permanent economic impact of the Advanced Biofuel ethanol plant, provided by the ongoing annual operations, will provide $51 million of GDP for the Highlands County economy and nearly $44 million in household income annually. In addition, the economic activity generated by the plant will support up to 60 full-time, high-paying permanent jobs, and nearly 700 indirect and induced jobs in all sectors of the county.

"This is very, very exciting stuff," Krohn enthused.



Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.