Researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute have found that bamboo, the fastest-growing plant on Earth, could help power cars, planes, and trains. In a study published in Sustainable Energy & Fuels, the team showed that bamboo can turn into liquid fuel at a price that competes with regular oil while pumping out far fewer greenhouse gases.

The process uses hydrothermal liquefaction technology, which cooks plant matter into a raw biocrude. Bamboo works well here because it grows fast and grabs massive amounts of carbon from the air and ground. In fact, bamboo could match current corn-ethanol production in the U.S. while using about 13% of the land.

“Our study suggests bamboo has a role to play in the future of fuel,” said Michael Timko, professor of chemical engineering and head of the department at WPI. “I think this research is especially timely and important because fuel prices are high and the transportation sector produces more greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. than any other. Bamboo would use different land than we are using for food production, so there is no food versus fuel trade-off. Farmers win, consumers win.”

Bamboo is Cheap and Better for the Planet

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Photo: ANEK SANGKAMANEE/Shutterstock

Beyond saving space, bamboo keeps costs down. According to the research team, bamboo-based fuel could cost as little as $2.75 per gasoline-gallon equivalent once production scales up. That price covers the money needed to build and run the refining facilities.

It leaves a much smaller carbon footprint, too. Converting and burning bamboo fuel creates 26 times fewer greenhouse gas emissions than conventional diesel. Bamboo also has less than 1% ash content, so processing it leaves almost zero waste behind.

“The U.S. has enormous land area under cultivation for corn ethanol, a fuel which is often blended into gasoline,” said Timko. “Freeing up at least some of that land could allow for more food production and reduce the burden on the environment.”

He added, “Bamboo may eventually offer industry a way to generate low-carbon liquid fuels at scale. With further research and development, bamboo could be a compelling option for decarbonization in sectors that are difficult to electrify, including heavy-duty transport and aviation fuel supply chains.”