Brazil's Lula, Obama To Work On Trade, Biofuels - 2009-01-28 President Barack Obama wants to work with Brazil on biofuels and pledged to advance global trade talks as a way to stoke economic growth, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's spokesman said on Monday.
DARPA Awards SAIC $25M Prime Contract to Develop Algae-Derived JP-8 Fuel - 2009-01-26 The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) a prime contract to help develop an affordable alternative to petroleum-derived jet fuel (JP-8) from agricultural and aquacultural feedstock materials.
New England Firm Says Its New Waste-to-Energy System is a GEM - 2009-01-23 The IST Energy Corporation has launched a mobile green waste-to-energy conversation system and says its new GEM can serve any site that produces at least two tons of trash a day.
USDA Awards $80M Loan Guarantee to Range Fuels - 2009-01-19 The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded Range Fuels, Inc. a conditional commitment for an $80 million loan guarantee to assist construction of Range Fuels’ commercial cellulosic ethanol plant near Soperton, Georgia, the first phase of which is under construction and on track to begin production in 2010.
Verenium Announces First Commercial Cellulosic Ethanol Project; 36M Gallons per Year - 2009-01-16 Verenium Corporation will build its first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol facility in Highlands County, Florida. The Company has entered into long-term agreements with Lykes Bros. Inc., a multi-generation Florida agri-business to provide the agricultural biomass for conversion to fuel.
US Sugar to Explore Building 100M Gallon Coskata Cellulosic Ethanol Facility Using Sugar Cane Waste - 2008-11-18 US Sugar Corp. has entered into an agreement with Coskata, Inc to explore building a 100-million gallon per year cellulosic ethanol facility in Clewiston, Florida. The facility, which would be the world’s largest second-generation ethanol facility, would convert left-over sugar cane material into ethanol.
US Biofuels Sector Sees Ally In Obama - 2008-11-06 US biofuel makers, struggling to make a profit at a time of tumbling oil and gasoline prices, look upon President-elect Barack Obama as a staunch ally for growth.
Algae Biofuels Offer Enormous Promise, Face Tough Production and Cost Challenges to Scale - 2008-10-27 The 2008 Algae Biomass Summit (23-24 October), organized by the Algal Biomass Organization, drew more than 600 algae producers, scientists, engineers, investors and policy-makers from more than a dozen countries to Seattle to pitch, listen and network on emerging algae-based solutions to global energy, environmental, and economic issues.
Lignol and Suncor Sign Cellulosic Ethanol Project Development Agreement; Negotiating a JV - 2008-10-24 Canada-based companies Lignol Energy Corporation (LEC) and Suncor Energy Products Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Suncor Energy Inc., are extending their earlier announced collaboration on a US Department of Energy (DOE)-funded commercial demonstration cellulosic ethanol facility with a new cellulosic ethanol project development agreement.
Wisconsin Awards $7.3 Million in Biofuels, Clean Energy Funding - 2008-10-21 The state of Wisconsin recently awarded $7.3 million in grants and loans from the Wisconsin Energy Independence Fund (WEIF) for research and development and commercialization or adoption of new energy technologies, including biofuel and renewable hydrocarbon production.
Kinder Morgan Successfully Completes Tests of Ethanol Transport in Pipeline: To Offer the Service by Mid-November - 2008-10-20 Kinder Morgan Energy Partners (KMP), the largest independent owner/operator of refined products pipelines in the US, recently successfully completed a series of tests to demonstrate the commercial feasibility of transporting batched denatured ethanol is the 195-mile, 16-inch gasoline pipeline between Tampa and Orlando, Florida. The pipeline is one of its Central Florida Pipeline Company’s assets.
UK Throttles Back on Biofuels; More Funding to Study Algae and Pyrolysis - 2008-10-16 UK Transport Minister Andrew Adonis outlined plans to take a more cautious approach to biofuels, as part of the Government’s response to concerns about the indirect environmental and social impacts of producing them.
GM Developing Global Advanced Biofuels Program - 2008-10-14 GM has been steadily building a global advanced biofuels program as one element of its efforts to reduce the use of petroleum and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
New Life Cycle Study Concludes That Biomass for Ethanol Is Not the Most Advantageous Energy and Emissions Use of the Feedstock - 2008-10-08 A new life cycle study assessing the benefit of cellulosic ethanol in the context of projected feedstock constraints concludes that in terms of reducing greenhouse emissions and fossil fuel dependency, more is lost than gained when prioritizing biomass or land for bioethanol, rather than for use in technology pathways involving heat and power production and/or biogas, or natural gas and electricity for transport. The study was published online in the journal Environmental Science & Technology on 4 October.
EERC 100% Renewable Biojet Fuel Meets Key JP-8 Standards - 2008-09-30 A 100% renewable biojet fuel produced by the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota (UND) has met seven key JP-8 specification parameters, including freeze point, density, flash point, and energy content. EERC created the fuel samples from multiple renewable feedstocks and submitted them to the US Air Force Research Labs (AFRL) for testing.
Sapphire Raises Over US$100 Mln for Algae Crude - 2008-09-18 Private company Sapphire Energy, which aims to squeeze "green" crude oil from blooms of one of the planet's oldest life forms, said on Wednesday it has raised over US$100 million from investors.
Arizona State Spins Out Technology for Algal Bio-Kerosene for Jet Fuel - 2008-09-03 Arizona State University (ASU) has entered into a research and commercialization collaboration with Heliae Development, LLC and Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz) to develop, produce and sell bio-kerosene-based aviation fuel derived from algae.
Struggling Forestries Bet On Biofuel Boom - 2008-08-22 European and North American forestry companies are increasingly investing in making biofuels out of wood residues, a market they say will be closely linked with their core paper business.
A New Environment for Biofuels - 2008-08-13 Gas prices may have gone down a bit in recent weeks, but interest in fuel alternatives is reaching new highs. Now the big questions for both lawmakers and consumers are: Where will the fuels come from and how economically and environmentally sustainable will they be?
BP and Verenium Form Strategic Alliance on Cellulosic Ethanol - 2008-08-06 BP and Verenium Corporation have formed a strategic partnership to accelerate the development and commercialization of cellulosic ethanol. The partnership combines a broad technology platform and operational capabilities in an effort to advance the development of a portfolio of low-cost, environmentally-sound cellulosic ethanol production facilities in the United States, and potentially throughout the world.
Chicken Manure to Power Chinese Farm - 2008-08-06 The three million chickens on a farm about 30 miles north of Beijing are now providing power and heat for the farm via their manure.
Large Field Trial Shows Miscanthus Could Meet US Biofuels Goals With Less Land - 2008-07-31 Researchers at the University of Illinois have concluded that the perennial grass Miscanthus×giganteus could produce enough ethanol to offset 20% of current US gasoline use, while requiring 9.3% of current agricultural acreage. By contrast, using corn or switchgrass to produce the same amount would require 25% of current US cropland.
Researchers Suggest Changes to Biofuels Incentives Rather Than Rollbacks or Moratoria - 2008-07-31 A report from reserachers at Harvard Kennedy School concludes that despite growing pressure from biofuels critics, governments should avoid simplistic and precipitous changes in course such as rollback or moratoria on existing biofuels mandates or incentives. Instead, the report urges governments to initiate an orderly, “innovation-enhancing” transition towards incentives targeted on multi-dimensional goals for biofuels development.
Pratt & Whitney Launches Biofuels Research Program for Small- and Medium-Sized Aircraft Engines - 2008-07-14 Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) is leading a four-year aerospace industry-university research program to investigate the potential use of biofuels from non-food sources for small- and medium-size aviation engine applications. These could include jatropha- and algae-derived biofuels, as well as biobutanol, to power aircraft engines.
FAA and X PRIZE Foundation to Develop Renewable Jet Fuel Competition - 2008-07-10 The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the X PRIZE Foundation, which awarded $10 million in 2004 to the first private team to launch a manned spacecraft into suborbital space, will lead a competition to develop a renewable alternative to jet fuel. The terms of the competition and the amount of the prize will be determined in the coming months.
Pennsylvania Legislature Passes Renewable Fuels Mandate; B20 and Cellulosic E10 - 2008-07-07 Both houses of the Pennsylvania General Assembly have passed HB 1202, a bill requiring that transportation fuels sold in Pennsylvania include increasing amounts of biodiesel, synthetic diesel or renewable diesel (in diesel fuel); and cellulosic ethanol (in gasoline), based on levels of in-state production.
Algenol Trains Algae to Turn Carbon Into Ethanol - 2008-06-12 Private US company Algenol plans to make ethanol from a primordial green soup that won't raise food costs compared to other biofuel feedstocks like corn and sugar cane.
Algenol Trains Algae to Turn Carbon Into Ethanol - 2008-06-11 Private US company Algenol plans to make ethanol from a primordial green soup that won't raise food costs compared to other biofuel feedstocks like corn and sugar cane.
Global Biofuel Output To Soar In Next Decade-Report - 2008-05-30 Global production of biofuels will rise rapidly over the next decade, helped by high government blending targets and subsidies, the OECD and the UN's FAO food agency said in a report published on Thursday.
Dean Foods Explores Turning Cow Waste to Energy - 2008-05-27 Dairy giant Dean Foods Co. plans to turn animal waste from its thousands of cows into renewable energy for the local power grid. The move will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and generate carbon and renewable energy credits.
Ford Cuts North American Production of Large Trucks and SUVs, Increases Production of Cars and Crossovers - 2008-05-23 Ford Motor Company announced that it is cutting planned North American production and revising downward its near-term North American Automotive profit outlook, while planning further manufacturing capacity realignments, additional cost reductions and changes to its product mix to respond to the rapidly changing business environment in the US.
NCSU to Produce and Test Renewable Diesel, Biojet and Biogasoline Fuels from Centia Process - 2008-05-20 The Biofuels Center of North Carolina has awarded North Carolina State University (NCSU) a $200,000 grant to further the development of Centia—a three-step thermal, catalytic, and reforming process that has the potential to turn virtually any lipidic compound into drop-in replacements for petroleum jet fuel, diesel, and gasoline.
http://planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/48378/story.htm - 2008-05-16 Legislation that would renew billions of dollars in tax breaks for solar, wind, biomass and and other renewable energy sources and extend a proposed new tax credit for ethanol fuels not produced from corn advanced in the US House of Representatives on Thursday.
High oil prices spur alternative fuel shift - 2008-05-08 Record U.S. crude oil futures near $124 a barrel have reached a "break point" that will spur a shift away from an oil-centric transportation sector toward alternatives, energy analyst Daniel Yergin said on Wednesday.
New Source for Biofuels Discovered - 2008-05-07 A newly created microbe produces cellulose that can be turned into ethanol and other biofuels, report scientists from The University of Texas at Austin. The scientists say the microbe could provide a significant portion of the nation's transportation fuel if production can be scaled up.
Culver signs energy bill promoting renewable energy - 2008-05-07 With Representative Dolores Mertz calling it a historical day in Algona and for the state of Iowa, Governor Chet Culver signed Senate File 2386 - Energy Efficiency Initiatives into law on Tuesday, May 6, on the factory floor at the Hydrogen Engine Center in Algona
Canada Biofuel Mandate Wins House Support - 2008-05-02 Canada's plan to ensure that gasoline contains 5 percent ethanol by 2010 won support in the House of Commons on Thursday despite increasing concern about the impact of biofuels on world food supplies.
GM Enters Strategic Relationship with Mascoma for Cellulosic Ethanol - 2008-05-01 General Motors Corp. and Mascoma Corp. have entered a strategic relationship to develop cellulosic ethanol based on Mascoma’s Consolidated Bioprocessing single-step biochemical conversion of non-grain biomass into low-carbon alternative fuels.
BP To Take 50% Stake in Brazilian Ethanol Company Tropical BioEnergia SA - 2008-04-25 BP announced today that it intends to take a 50% stake in Tropical BioEnergia SA, a joint venture established by Brazilian companies Santelisa Vale and Maeda Group, which is constructing a 435 million liter (115 million gallons) a year ethanol refinery in Edéia, Goias State, Brazil.
Amyris and Crystalsev Form JV for Renewable Hydrocarbon Fuels - 2008-04-23 Amyris Biotechnologies, a synthetic biology company focused on developing renewable hydrocarbon biofuels (earlier post), and Crystalsev, one of Brazil’s largest ethanol distributors and marketers, are establishing a joint venture to commercialize advanced renewable fuels—including diesel, gasoline and jet fuel—made from sugarcane.
Green companies to watch: Renewable energy - 2008-04-22 Which are the companies to watch in clean tech? Most are definitely not household names but they are having an impact.
EU Commission Says Not Dropping Biofuels Goal - 2008-04-22 The European Commission is not starting to backtrack on its target of getting 10 percent of its road transport fuel from crops and biomass by 2020, a spokesman said on Monday.
Report: Update on State Renewable Portfolio Standards - 2008-04-22 According to a new report, "Renewables Portfolio Standards in the United States: A Status Report with Data through 2007," released by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a growing number of states are supporting renewable electricity through the creation of renewable portfolio standards (RPS).
Bad Policy, Not Biofuel, Drive Food Prices - Merkel - 2008-04-18 Bad agricultural policies and changing eating habits in developing nations are primarily to blame for rising food prices, not biofuel production as some critics claim, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday.
Reuters Summit - US Seen Importing Ethanol, But Tariff Uncertain - 2008-04-07 The United States will need to import more sugarcane-based ethanol to meet renewable energy mandates, a top US official said, but he stopped short of recommending that a controversial ethanol tariff be lifted.
Germany Cancels Plans to Introduce E10 in 2009 - 2008-04-04 German environment minister Sigmar Gabriel has canceled plans to raise the mandatory ethanol content of all Euro91 and Euro95 gasoline grade fuel sold in the country from the current 5% to 10% in 2009.
Philippines To Import Ethanol From Brazil, Thailand - 2008-04-03 The Philippines plans to import about 170 million litres of ethanol from Brazil and Thailand in 2009, Archie Amarra, executive director of Philippines Sugar Millers Association Inc, said on Wednesday.
Brazil Flex-Fuel Cars Help Tame Gasoline Prices - 2008-03-17 A massive new fleet of flex-fuel cars in Brazil has prevented state oil company Petrobras from charging more for gasoline despite record world oil prices, the company said Friday.
Continental Airlines, Boeing and GE Aviation Plan Biofuel Flight Test in 2009 - 2008-03-14 Continental Airlines, Boeing and GE Aviation plan to conduct a biofuel demonstration flight in the first half of 2009 as part of an ongoing effort in the aviation industry to identify sustainable alternative fuel solutions.
Study: Meeting RFS Goals for Corn Ethanol Production Will Worsen “Dead Zone” in Gulf of Mexico - 2008-03-11 Ramping up the production of corn ethanol to meet the targets set by the new US Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) will worsen pollution in the Gulf of Mexico, increasing the “Dead Zone”—a growing hypoxic region in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM)—that kills fish and aquatic life, according to a Canadian-American research team.
Biofuels: Fields of dreams - 2008-03-10 We can run our cars on corn, sugar cane or wheat: limitless cheap energy grown on our doorstep. But are biofuels the answer to exhausted oil wells or just another nightmare scenario?
Minnesota Study Finds E20 Passes Materials Compatibility and Driving Performance Tests - 2008-03-05 Increasing the amount of ethanol blended into gasoline from 10% (E10) to 20% (E20) does not present problems for materials used in current vehicles or fuel dispensing equipment and provides similar power and performance, according to a new study released Wednesday by the State of Minnesota.
US Won't Meet Ethanol Goal Due Cellulosic Shortfall - 2008-03-05 The United States will not meet Congress' mandate to produce more ethanol from waste products over the next 15 years, resulting in an overall shortfall in ethanol production requirements contained in a new energy law, a government forecaster said Tuesday.
US DOE to Invest Up to $33.8M to Improve Enzyme Systems for Production of Cellulosic Ethanol - 2008-02-27 The US Department of Energy (DOE) will invest up to $33.8 over four years (FY 2008-2011) for four projects that will focus on developing improved enzyme systems to convert cellulosic material into sugars suitable for production of biofuels. Combined with industry cost share, up to $70 million will be invested in these projects, with a minimum 50% cost share from industry.
Virgin Atlantic Uses Biojet Fuel Blend in 747 Test Flight; Babassu and Coconut Oil as Feedstocks - 2008-02-25 Virgin Atlantic, in partnership with Boeing, GE Aviation and Imperium Renewables, a leading biodiesel producer based in Seattle, Washington, successfully flight tested a Boeing 747 equipped with GE engines today using a 20% blend of a biojet fuel derived from babassu and coconut oil in one engine. No modifications were made to either the aircraft or its engines to enable the flight to take place.
Britain Invests In Waste Digesting Energy Plants - 2008-02-19 Britain is to invest in several anaerobic digestion plants as it seeks to cut emissions of greenhouse gas methane and boost renewable energy production.
Solazyme Ups Soladiesel Testing to B100 - 2008-02-11 Solazyme, which recently announced the road-testing of blends of Soladiesel, its first algal biodiesel (earlier post), has successfully taken the test blends up to B100, according to Jonathan Wolfson, Solazyme’s CEO.
US DOE Selects First Round of Small-Scale Biorefinery Projects for Up to $114M in Federal Funding - 2008-01-30 The US Department of Energy (DOE) will invest up to $114 million, over four years, (Fiscal Years 2007-2010) in four small-scale biorefinery projects to be located in Commerce City, Colorado; St. Joseph, Missouri; Boardman, Oregon; and Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. Combined with industry cost share, more than $331 million will be invested in these four projects.
EU Sets Tough Criteria for Green Biofuels - 2008-01-24 Biofuels used in the European Union will have to provide a real saving in greenhouse gas emissions of at least one-third compared to fossil fuels and meet other criteria, the EU's energy chief said on Wednesday.
GM Eyes Breakthrough in Cellulosic Ethanol - 2008-01-14 General Motors Corp said on Sunday it has bought a stake in start-up biofuel company Coskata Inc. which has developed a commercially viable process to bring cellulose-based ethanol to the market in 2011.
California H2 Highway Infrastructure Is Contracting - 2008-01-10 Instead of expanding, California’s Hydrogen Highway fueling infrastructure is contracting. Three hydrogen stations have recently closed, including one in Richmond that served county buses.
Study Boosts Switchgrass as New Alternative Fuel - 2008-01-09 There has been little evidence that growing grass could actually make a dent in the demand for oil. But now there's new research showing that this prairie plant might actually be a good source of ethanol.
Renewables Supply 14 Pct of German Power - Industry - 2008-01-09 Renewable energy made up more than 14 percent of Germany's power consumption in 2007, up from almost 12 percent in 2006, with wind as the main contributor, the German Renewable Energy Federation (BEE) said on Tuesday.
São Paolo Puts Ethanol Bus into Service in BEST Project; E25 Prius Hybrids Under Test - 2007-12-24 São Paulo, Brazil’s Sistema Metropolitano de Transporte (Metra—Metropolitan Transport System), has put into operation the first Scania-based E95 ethanol bus it will test as one element of Brazil’s two-part involvement in the BioEthanol for Sustainable Transport (BEST) project.
Report: Combined Heat and Power can Significantly Alter Energy Consumption and Carbon Emissions for Corn Ethanol Production - 2007-12-20 The adoption of combined heat and power (CHP) in dry mill ethanol plants can reduce total energy use by up to almost 55% over state-of-the-art dry mill ethanol plants that purchase central station power and can result in negative net CO2 emissions depending upon the fuel type used and CHP configuration, according to an updated report by the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) CHP Partnership.
House Sends Energy Bill to President Bush; New Renewable Fuel Standard - 2007-12-19 By a 314 to 100 vote, the US House of Representatives passed the energy bill (H.R.6) that had come back from the Senate, thereby sending the package of programs to the White House. President Bush has indicated that he will sign the bill into law before the end of the year.
US and China Increase Biofuels Cooperation - 2007-12-13 The US Departments of Energy (DOE) and Agriculture (USDA) and China’s National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to cooperate in the development of biomass resources and biofuels.
China Fires Up Biomass Plants, Eyes CO2 Reduction - 2007-12-05 China has fired up eight biomass plants in leading grain-producing provinces in hopes of cutting carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation, state media reported on Tuesday.
VeraSun Energy and US BioEnergy to Merge - 2007-11-29 By the end of 2008, the company is expected to have a total production capacity of more than 1.6 billion gallons per year (BGY) and 16 facilities constructed by Fagen, Inc. and utilizing ICM process technology.
Companies Form Joint Venture to Produce Camelina-Based Biodiesel - 2007-11-20 Targeted Growth, Inc. (TGI), a renewable energy bioscience company, and Green Earth Fuels, a vertically integrated renewable biodiesel energy company, have formed a joint venture called Sustainable Oils, Inc. to produce and to market up to 100 million gallons of camelina-based biodiesel by 2010.
Ontario Biomass Could Provide 1.6B Liters of Ethanol or 6.9 TWh of Electricity - 2007-10-29 Currently available agricultural residues could provide up to 1.6 billion litres (423 million gallons US) of ethanol for transportation fuel or 6.9 terrawatt hours of electricity in Ontario, according to a recent study examining the near-term potential of cellulosic biomass in the Canadian province.
Abengoa Bioenergy Opens Cellulosic Ethanol Pilot Plant in Nebraska - 2007-10-15 The plant, which involves an investment of more than $35 million, will be exclusively dedicated to the research and development of biofuel production processes from lignocellulosic biomass.
New Refinery to "Fix" Key Flaws in Biodiesel Production - 2007-10-11 Seymour, Indiana. It's the birthplace of American rock singer-songwriter, John [Cougar] Mellancamp. But the city's biggest claim to fame may one day be in the form of a biodiesel refinery based on technology that converts low-grade fats and vegetable oils into biodiesel.
Companies to Build 10M Gallon Biodiesel Plant Featuring Solid Catalyst - 2007-10-10 Benefuel, Inc., in partnership with Seymour Biofuels, plans to build a 10 million gallon per year biodiesel plant that uses Benefuel’s solid catalyst process. The plant, planned to be located in Seymour, Ind., eliminates the need for water in the production process and delivers a market-ready glycerin by-product.
From Refuse to Reuse - 2007-10-04 Garbage is being turned into electricity at a Lebanon County dump where PPL Corp. dedicated a new power plant Wednesday morning.
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