One more point against methanol is its combustion and volatility characteristics. Out of all the available fuels only iso-octane and ethanol which are providing favorable performance for the 4 stroke engine, even n-octane is excluded.
Are the costs involved in producing ethanol on a commercial scale from coal astronomical?
On the contrary, it can not be much easier, the plant itself is minute it mainly consists out the storage areas for coke, coal, natural gas, and ethanol.
Are there environmental constraints?
No, there...
COAL AND NATURAL GAS PRODUCE ETHANOL
Unhappily Coal is totally misunderstood, its real value is totally undiscovered, despite that scientific progress is claiming maturity and nothing is still left behind unnoticed.
Coke and Natural Gas= Ethylene Gas(hydration)= Ethanol
C + CH4 = C2H4 +H2O =...