A new study by University of Sydney and Oxford University researchers is exploring the possibility that the agave plant could be farmed as a fuel source in the Australian outback. Best known as a Mexican plant used to distil tequila and mescal, one can generate up to five times more energy out of the plant than you put in. The agave plant can produce around the same amount of ethanol as sugar cane, but the advantage is that the plant can survive in dry areas with little water. The agave plant has been touted as one of the most promising crops available to produce ethanol-based fuels as it can grow in arid areas without irrigation, it doesn’t compete with food crops or put demands on limited water supplies.
