Developing the vast deserted grassland in China to a huge renewable and clean energy base

Yen Junsen

Strategic Study of CAE ›› 2010, Vol. 12 ›› Issue (3) : 22-29.

PDF(890 KB)
PDF(890 KB)
Strategic Study of CAE ›› 2010, Vol. 12 ›› Issue (3) : 22-29.

Developing the vast deserted grassland in China to a huge renewable and clean energy base

  • Yen Junsen

Author information +
History +

Abstract

China has vast areas of desertified grass lands, totaled around 40 % of the national land area. These lands are not suitable and have not been used for food production. But after extensive ecological re-construction, they can produce bountiful harvest each year of giant silver grass (botanically known as "miscanthus x giganteus"  and is named after its partially silver color). This is a perennial grass with a lifespan around 15 years and is native to northern sections of China and Japan. It can survive in poor and decayed environment and can grow up to a giant 3.5 m tall, strong and dense wild grass and can live on saline water intake. After harvested with special machinery developed in Europe, it can be gasified and catalyzed and may yield around 17.2 tonne of bio-butanol per hectacre. Bio-butanol can be used as a renewable and clean fuel directly replacing the non-renewable gasoline or petroleum. With joint efforts announced by the biology and microbiology expert teams of Monsanto, Mondel and others, this productivity is expected to be improved further. Hence it is estimated that around year 2030 and by extensively planting giant-silver-grass over 46 % of the vast desertified grass lands, China may become independent of petroleum and coal and turn to the vast "giant-silver-grass oil-fields"  forrenewable and clean energy. Harvest from the remaining areas can be used for exports or for other uses. Then China can become a world-leading supplier of clean and renewable energy. It can work with other countries to stablize energy supply and energy price over long durations. It can lead the world to a new age of clean and renewable energy with stable energy supply.

Keywords

desertified grassland / giant silver grass / renewable clean energy / butanol

Cite this article

Download citation ▾
Yen Junsen. Developing the vast deserted grassland in China to a huge renewable and clean energy base. Strategic Study of CAE, 2010, 12(3): 22‒29
PDF(890 KB)

Accesses

Citations

Detail

Sections
Recommended

/