Tequila plants could produce a new form of biofuel to be used in transport, which would cut carbon emissions released into the atmosphere.
At the moment corn is responsible for most ethanol based alternative fuels, and in the US particularly it’s pushed up corn prices to record levels.
Biofuels as replacements for petrol and diesel has received criticism recently, with an inquiry blasting them as unethical because their production damaged the environment.
However, a study on the desert plant, agave tequilana, found that harvesting it for biofuels would produce good yields. What’s more, it wouldn’t have an impact on the environment in the dry lands.
Studies on the fleshy-leafed rosette plant were conducted in the tequila state of Jalisco in Mexico. The facility converts the plant’s sugar resource into alcohol. This can then be used as a fuel.
It was found that during production there was an emission of just 35g for every mega Joule of energy produced. Meanwhile, corn ethanol can reach heights of 85g/mJ.
Brazil still harbours the most efficient production line of ethanol, with its sugar cane releasing just 20g/mJ.
However, these conditions are hard to replicate outside of the country, as it has a unique combination of water, fertile soil and low-carbon hydroelectricity.
Andrew Smith, who is a member of the research team, said: “The characteristics of the agave suit it well to bioenergy production, but also reveal its potential as a crop that is adaptable to future climate change.”
The plant scientist from University of Oxford added: “In a world where arable land and water resources are increasingly scarce, these are key attributes in the food versus fuel argument, which is likely to intensify given the expected large-scale growth in biofuel production.”
Biofuels contributed 2.7% to the world’s transport fuel in 2010.