Mexican Student Seeks to Create Bioethanol from Water Hyacinth Plant Mu Xuequan - Xinhua
go to original September 1, 2016

A Mexican engineering student has developed a formula to turn the water hyacinth plant into bioethanol and will see his project presented to the 2016 Nobel prize-winners in Stockholm in December.

José Alberto Espejel, a student of environmental engineering at La Salle University, said that he developed the formula since waterways in Mexico City are clogged with this plant.

"The project came up a year ago with the purpose of turning the water hyacinth into something useful," Espejel told Xinhua. "The water hyacinth acts as a natural filter of pollutants. However, it can become a plague as has happened in the canals of Xochimilco."

The canals are one of Mexico City's most famous tourist attractions, with long, colorful boats sailing them daily.

"There have been many proposals to deal with the hyacinth plague and claim back the waters of Xochimilco... with the goal of doing something useful," he pointed out.

Espejel explained that many proposals sought to turn the plant into biodegradable plastic but he focused on a different route. He decided on a process to make bioethanol in a similar way that is currently used with maize or sugarcane.

Read the rest at Xinhua

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