CDC Ptarmigan is particularly useful for ethanol production. CDC Ptarmigan has a very high yield with a high content of starch. To produce ethanol the starch must be broken down into sugar. Ethanol can actually be produced from any biological feedstock that contains starch. Most of the world's current ethanol is produced by Sugar Cane and Sugar Beets.

What is Ethanol?
Ethanol is a liquid alcohol that contains carbon, hydrogen and oxygen.

Ethanol Used in Your Vehicles
Throughout North America ethanol is being blended with gasoline at concentrations of 7 to 10 percent. Since the 1970s all cars built are fully compatible with up to a 10 percent ethanol (E-10) blend. Manufacturers warrant the E-10 blend for their vehicles. The ethanol/gasoline blend contains more oxygen and higher octane properties than regular gasoline.

Special factory-produced vehicles are able to operate on blends of gasoline up to 85 percent ethanol (E-85). The vehicles can also run on the traditional fuel (100 percent gasoline), so they are often referred to as "flexible" fuel vehicles.

Blends of ethanol and diesel fuel can also be used in diesel engines without any modification. Currently, high-level blends are not used in diesel fuel because of technical difficulties, one being ethanol resists self-ignition which is required in a diesel engine.

The Benefits of Ethanol
As the ethanol industry develops, in Canada and throughout the world, dependency on oil will decrease, as well as give farmers new markets for their grains. As technologies progress ethanol is becoming more cost-competitive with traditional fuels, such as gasoline. Canadian and American Governments are investing heavily in the industry and in developing ethanol technology.

In an environmentally conscious society, ethanol can play a vital role in reducing greenhouse gases. Using an E-10 fuel blend instead of straight gasoline can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3 to 8 percent, depending on how the ethanol is made. High-ethanol blends can lower levels of nitrogen oxides and toxic hydrocarbons such as benzene than gasoline does.

Government Support
In Canada, the ethanol portion of blended gasoline receives an exemption from the federal exercise tax of 10 cents per litre on gasoline. In Alberta and Ontario the ethanol portion of blended gasoline are exempted from their road taxes. In Saskatchewan and Manitoba, fuel ethanol produced and consumed in the respective provinces is exempted from their road taxes. The Canadian government as well as provincial governments are supporting developments of ethanol technology.