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Tobacco remains the largest non-food crop on Earth, but due to its addictive and carcinogenic properties when smoked or chewed. Now, a biotech research company-Tyton will manufacture renewable fuel from tobacco plant.
In Danville, Virginia — the beating heart of tobacco country — Tyton BioEnergy Systems has developed both a patented “energy” leaf tobacco plant and a patented chemical extraction process to produce a plethora of biofuels and green chemicals. Tyton expects to compete with petroleum at $40 per barrel and to outperform other leading biomass feedstocks as a low-cost, sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.
Co-founded by Professor Hilary Koprowski, a renowned virologist and inventor of the first live polio vaccine, Tyton researchers have combined selective breeding techniques with genetic engineering to boost tobacco’s natural sugar content by 300 percent, and oil content by 200 percent.
Tobacco is a suitable feedstock because of its heartiness and cost stability in contrast to the food crops traditionally used to produce biofuels. “Tobacco is a high biomass plant, and can thrive in conditions where other crops struggle,” says Peter Majeranowski, Tyton CEO and cofounder. “The ethanol market is seeking a replacement non-food source, and working with tobacco reduces the price volatility and stigma attached to food-based sugars.”
“It’s a thing of pride,” said Luke Henning, Tyton vice president. “I’ve seen farmers grow 50 acres of tobacco and 2,000 acres of corn and identify as a tobacco farmer first.”
Pike Research forecasts massive market growth in the biofuel ($185 billion by 2021) and green chemical ($98.5 billion by 2020) industries in the coming years. As more modern consumers kick the cigarette habit and embrace healthier lifestyles, alternative applications for tobacco could reaffirm the leafy plant’s cash crop status in the future.
“The extractor provides a cost-effective way to draw all the high-value contents out of tobacco,” Majeranowski said. “There’s absolutely no waste - 100 percent of the plant is used.”
To squeeze out every last drop, leaves and stalks are pressed, and the sugary, protein-rich juice is collected and separated. The remaining biomass, known as “cake,” is then entered into the extractor for deeper processing. Water is the only other ingredient required.
The company believes its technology could spur economic growth in the tobacco belt and provide new revenue streams for farmers. In fact, farmers can expect to boost their profits 15-30 percent by growing this energy crop, according to Tyton. And the thermal conversion technology isn’t limited to tobacco; the team is currently evaluating the process with other crops and materials, and has already synthesized corn and tobacco sugar mixtures.