A strong Irish-style beer is being successfully turned into cheap fuel for cars in the United States.
The Coors brewing company is converting its waste product into ethanol to fuel cars, with Killians Irish Red turning out to be the most efficient fuel source.
The beer has a higher alcohol content than regular Coors beers, which converts to greater fuel content when converted to ethanol. Coors and its engineering partner, Merrick, is already producing 1.5 million gallons of ethanol, using Killians and other Coors products.
Coors are opening a second $2.3 million ethanol plant later this month, which will double ethanol production by adding millions of gallons of beer that spilled during the brewing process.
Merrick vice-president Steven Wagner said the project will last at least 15 years. "It's a pretty unique solution. Killians has a higher alcohol solution, so you get just that bit more energy from it," he said.
Mr Wagner said that the Coors brewery in Golden, Colorado, produces more than 21 million barrels of beer a year and could be a major ethanol source.
He said it would take just a few weeks before his company sets up the second ethanol production plant.
Researchers say the plant will be an expanding project that will help the environment and help beat rising fuel costs. The ethanol from the Coors plant will sell at about $2.55 (€2.11) a gallon, or 47 cent a litre.
