Caffeine fuels many of our days, but an even bigger energy source may be the grounds themselves. A new waste-to-gas technology, originally developed by NASA for powering lunar bases, is being adapted to turn enormous amounts of coffee waste (paper, burlap sacks, plastics, and biomass) into clean energy.
Green Mountain Roaster, a supplier to multinational corporations such as Starbucks and McDonald’s, is taking the first steps to demonstrate that the concept works with its own waste. "Syngas," a molecular cousin of natural gas which can burned to produce highly efficient electricity and heat, or used to power vehicles, is created by breaking down raw biomass into useful fuels. The basic concept, known as "torrefaction," is
not all that different from turning any "bulky, water-saturated material," raw biomass, into combustible fuel perfect for coal-fired power plants.
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