By Jana Cone/reporter
TIFTON — The U.S. Department of Defense announced Friday that it has entered into an agreement with Bell Bio-Energy, Inc. to build seven demonstration plants to gather engineering data on the Bell Bio-Energy process of converting biomass into fuel. The demonstration plants, which will be located on Army bases in six states, will convert bio-mass directly into hydrocarbon fuel through bacterial action. This process of direct conversion of biomass into hydrocarbon fuel is the discovery of Bell Bio-Energy, Inc.
J.C. Bell, agricultural researcher and CEO of Bell Bio-Energy, Inc., predicts that within the next three to five years the company will be producing around five million barrels of hydrocarbon fuel a day using its biomass to hydrocarbon process. Using this fuel will require no modification to automobiles, oil pipelines or refineries as they exist today and could forever end the United States’ dependence on foreign oil, Bell said.
Joe Kovacs, writing for World Net Daily, called Bell’s discovery “one of the biggest energy breakthroughs in history.”
The DOD will have six demonstration plants located on military bases in Fort Lewis, Wash., Fort Drum, N.Y., Fort Benning, Ga., Fort Stewart, Ga., Fort Bragg, N.C., and Fort A.P. Hill, Va. The Defense Energy Support Center will have a demonstration plant at their San Pedro, Calif., installation.
The locations of the plants were chosen by DOD to facilitate oversight by government officials and access by the press to the process of creating fuel from waste bio-mass.
“We will actually manufacture hydrocarbons from waste material generated on the bases,” Bell said. “We will use their paper, shipping pallets, grass clippings, etc., all the same waste civilians make.” He anticipates the first demonstration plant to open will be at Fort Benning and plans to have all of the facilities operational in August and September.
The DOD and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are providing funding for Bell’s demonstration plants.
“The purpose of the demonstration plants is to further develop the bacteria and engineering so that when we go to full-scale production, we will have the engineering data necessary to design the full-scale facility,” Bell said. He said each demonstration plant would have 10 different tanks capable of handling entirely different biomass and bacteria in each tank. Each demonstration plant is really an outdoor laboratory, he said.
Bell began researching his idea to convert biomass into fuel several years ago and began discussing his discovery with the DOD two years ago. He said, “We could not have done this without the help of Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson and Reps. Jim Marshall and Jack Kingston. Pamela Serino and Lee Oppenheim with the DESC were especially helpful. Deputy Under Secretary Floyd Gaibler with the USDA was also instrumental in making this happen.” Bell said the staff at DESC “saw the potential for this project.”
“Now we will begin the real-world production, using our process,” Bell said.
A television station in California has asked to film a documentary on Bell’s bio-energy process. The news crew gathered 50 pounds of biomass they have now delivered to Bell Bio-Energy, Inc. to convert into fuel. “They will film the process step by step to show the nation how it’s made,” Bell said.
Bell is aware of the ramifications of being able to produce all the fuel this nation wants or needs. He calls his discovery a paradigm shift. “There are certain times in history when there are major paradigm shifts,” Bell said. He cited the invention of the steam engine, car, telephone and computer as previous paradigm shifts.
“We are now at a major paradigm shift,” Bell said. “We are beginning the switch from the world’s dependence on fossil fuel to a 100 percent renewable fuel.”
Asked if he could make an unlimited amount of fuel, Bell answered, “Theoretically, yes. As long as we have waste, we have fuel.”
Bell said he anticipates the demonstration plants will operate for a minimum of one year. He plans to build his first full-scale production facility within the next nine to 18 months. Bell said his initial goal for the production facilities will be to produce one half million barrels of hydrocarbon fuel per day.
A critical part of Bell’s plan is a “very large, extremely well funded research facility where world-class research on the bacteria and bio-mass production will continue.” Bell said he has not yet decided where the research facility will be located.
To contact reporter Jana Cone, call 382-4321, ext. 208
