To date, China is the second-biggest corn producer globally, next to the US. The US Department of Agriculture projects a 16.5 million metric tons produce from China this year. That amounts to at least 20.9% of the worlds total corn production.

The US, on the other hand, produces an average of 307.39 million tons of corn every year. This makes up for about 38.9% of the world’s total corn production.

China is also a big corn consumer overall: 72% of the country’s produce is used as feed; 20% as ingredients for biofuel, starch and sugar; and 1% are sold as food. The remaining 7% is either used as seed to replenish supply, or is amounted to harvest loss.

Novozymes, as a leader in technology, sees vast potential in China’s bioethanol production. They hope to be the first company to be prepared for large-scale production by 2010. The company has been associated with the development of conversion processes and advanced enzymes necessary for churning agricultural waste to second-generation bioethanol.

COFCO, on the other hand, is the leading producer and supplier of processed agricultural products in China.

With the two company’s partnership with Sinopec, the third-largest oil refiner in the world, this large-scale bioethanol production should be possible. Sinopec holds 60% of China’s refined-oil market.

And whether one agrees with the way in which ethanol feedstocks are produced and the fact that ethanol powered vehicles still rely on fossil fuel gasoline in some way, Chevrolet presents a diverse selection of alternative fuel vehicles including the Avalanche, Impala, HHR, Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe and Express.

For those that feel eco friendly vehicles compromise the rugged nature of a solid vehicle or that biogases lessen the power of the “he-man” truck, think again because even the big V8 engine in the Silverado is being offered in E85. In fact, it is believed that E85 offers more octane than traditional gas thereby increasing the horsepower to some extent in vehicles using the biofuel. The thought now is that E85 is in reality more powerful, contrary to the beliefs of the naysayers who are still caught in some time warp using any excuse to smash down technology.

In addition, Chevrolet seems to have added another model to the E85 group according to television commercials airing in Canada. The most recent addition, which will be made available to the public December 2008, is the sedan class 2009 Chevy Malibu E85 FlexFuel.

Further reading:

• http://www.gm.com/experience/fuel_economy/altfuel/vehicles/sedan/2009_malibu_e85/index2.jsp
• http://www.chevrolet.com/biofuels/