-
-
TransAntarctic Biofuel-Powered Expedition
The Moon-Regan Trans Antarctic Expedition will cross the continent of Antarctica from the west coast to the South Pole, then heading north through the Trans-Antarctic Mountain Range to the coast at McMurdo, covering distance of around 3,000 miles. The team's goal is to educate the world about Antarctica’s key role in climate change.
A bio-fueled Concept Ice Vehicle (CIV) has been developed specifically for the expedition. Equipped with an ice radar, the un-manned CIV will lead the way and scan for hidden crevasses. Two larger Science Support Vehicles (SSVs) carrying the team and their equipment will follow the pilot vehicle. The original SSV was adapted by a team of engineers in Iceland, who dedicated 2,000 man hours to creating the perfect ice-busting expedition vehicle. They use a low emission, turbo-charged, fuel-injected, 7.3 litre, V8 (bio)diesel and will be equipped with solar panels to provide extra power. Unfortunately, Antarctica is much too cold for current battery technology, and this makes electric cars unpractical (not to mention the lack of charging stations). The Moon-Regan Trans Antarctic Expedition will cross the continent of Antarctica from the west coast to the South Pole, then heading n... more -
From Blight to Bright: Reclaiming marginalized land in Pittsburgh
Growth Through Energy and Community Health (GTECH) is a newly formed non-profit organization based in Pittsburgh, PA. GTECH Strategies is unique in every way; the innovative company was started as a graduate project for two students attending Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz School of Public Policy.
Chris Koch and Andrew Butcher have found a way to create a biofuel commodity by harvesting plants like Sunflowers and Canola that are grown on contaminated sites (brown fields) across Pittsburgh. These sites have become dilapidated over years as populations have dwindled. The houses that once stood on many of the 14,000 vacant lots in and around the city, are now contaminated with asbestos and heavy metals and cannot be built on until the soil is clear of chemical pollutants. The plants that GTECH Strategies harvests, leech the soil of its toxins, giving a rebirth to these sites and allowing for a development horizon timeline, usually 3-5 years. Additionally, GTECH Strategies provides 'Green' job training to young adults living in these marginalized communities. What GTECH Strategies is doing is nothing short of inspiring and phenomenal. Growth Through Energy and Community Health (GTECH) is a newly formed non-profit organization based in Pittsburgh, PA. GTECH Strategies... more -
Roundtable Reveals International Biofuel Standard
Biofuels offer the promise of a low-carbon fuel that could power vehicles and stimulate the world's rural economies.
-
Lotus Builds A Propeller-Driven Biofuel Vehicle On Skis
Lotus is renowned for building lightweight sports cars with razor-sharp handling, but it's traded tarmac for snow pack with a prop-driven, biofuel-burning ice-rider designed for a 3,000-mile trek across Antarctica.
The crew from Hethel built the Concept Ice Vehicle for researchers who will cross the South Pole during the Moon Regan TransArctic Expedition. The point of the journey is to raise awareness of the impact global climate change is having on the continent, but we can't help thinking the explorers are making the trip as an excuse to play with their cool new toy.
It wouldn't do for researchers making a point about global warming to tool around a polar ice cap spewing C02, so Lotus made the CIV as green as it is white.
The CIV was built by Kieron Bradley, a former Formula 1 chassis designer, and polar guide Jason de Carteret. It burns biofuel and uses what looks to us like a BMW motorcycle engine to spin a huge propeller. The vehicle is 15 feet long and 15 feet wide and rides on three skis, each with independent suspension -- Lotus builds sports cars, after all -- to make traversing the sastruga fields a little easier on the guy in the cockpit. Braking comes from a spiked foot that works a bit like an ice axe.
In keeping with Lotus' design philosophy, the CIV is light - so light the crew can drag it across terrain too rough to ski over. Still, pulling it out of a crevasse would be a hassle, so there's a GPS and ice-penetrating radar system to warn of dangers on, and below, the ice.
The CIV scout the way for a pair of six-wheel drive "Science Support Vehicles" that will haul the team and its equipment. They're almost as cool as the ice vehicle. They've got low-emission, turbocharged 7.3-liter diesel engines, 20-speed transmissions and independent air suspensions with 26 inches of travel and 44-inch tires. Still, we're betting everyone will want to drive the CIV. Lotus is renowned for building lightweight sports cars with razor-sharp handling, but it's traded tarmac for snow pack with a pro... more -
What's your footprint?
Carbon footprinting is fun! Use the form below to find out your current fuel emissions. After you fill out the first part of the form and find out your footprint, click "submit" to see how your footprint compares to other folks who have used this calculator. More... Carbon footprinting is fun! Use the form below to find out your current fuel emissions. After you fill out the first part of the form ... more
-
Compost bug offers hope for biofuel industry
A detritus-loving bug that can be found in nearly every garden compost heap in the land could be about to transform the way the world makes biofuels.
Initially, it is set to make bioethanol production from corn in the US more efficient, but the British company that has developed it says it can be applied much more broadly.
Unlike the yeasts traditionally used in brewing and bioethanol production it is more tolerant of tough plant matter, so raw materials such as grasses, willow, forest waste, wheat stalks and waste cardboard could all be converted into fuel.
The company, TMO Renewables, has built a trial plant near Guildford in Surrey to demonstrate the process. It is the first plant in the UK to use so-called "second generation" raw material - inputs that are not themselves foodstuffs. "It completely eliminates the debate about food versus fuel," says the company's CEO, Hamish Curran.
Curran is no hair-shirted, lentil-eating ecowarrior. He began his career in the oil and gas industry and now has a fondness for burning around the Surrey countryside in his convertible BMW. "You have to be a petrol-head to work here," he says as we drive with the wind in our hair to TMO's demonstration plant. The hot maze of hissing and clanging silver-grey pipework is sited next to the track and hangar where the TV show Top Gear is filmed. "Whilst we want to save the planet, if it's not profitable it's not going to be sustainable," says Curran.
Critics argue that the massive expansion of biofuel production in the US has displaced food crops and taken land out of food production, contributing to a massive hike in food prices worldwide. According to a World Bank report obtained by the Guardian earlier this month, the extra demand for agricultural produce and land from biofuels has pushed food prices up by 75%. The US government claims the figure is 3%.
Using woody non-food plants would get away from the displacement problem and has long been the goal of the biofuels industry. But so far the technology to do it has proved elusive. The problem is breaking down tough molecules such as cellulose into smaller sugars that can be fermented into ethanol or other fuels.
Curran has big plans. "I see the opportunity within the UK to leapfrog the first generation and go directly to the second generation, making ethanol from biomass," he said. But he knows that is not going to happen anytime soon because the infrastructure for supplying the raw materials will take years to build up.
In the meantime TMO plans to license its technology to US corn ethanol producers. "The market is gigantic because of the legislative agenda in the US," he said. The fuel ethanol industry is currently worth around $30bn (£16bn) and this year is expected to produce between 9bn and 9.5bn gallons of fuel this year.
But making corn ethanol requires a substantial input of fossil fuels, which partially cancels out its green benefits. After fermenting the corn, producers are left with a cloudy ethanol mixture. The cloudiness is a cellulose-rich waste product that needs to be settled out, dried and then disposed of. At the moment producers recover some costs by selling the waste - called distillers dried grains - as cattle feed. That typically means transporting it from a bioethanol plant in the mid-West to a farmer in Texas using huge amounts of energy.
However, by feeding it into TMO's process, Curran says a plant could make 15% more ethanol and reduce its energy consumption by 35% to 50%. He says he has already had interest from 22 US bioethanol producers in buying the technology.
there's more...... A detritus-loving bug that can be found in nearly every garden compost heap in the land could be about to transform the way the world ... more -
First Look: Lotus Concept Ice Vehicle
Developed for the Moon Regan TransArctic Expedition to the Antarctic, the CIV features independent suspension of all three skis, an ice-penetrating radar to detect dangerous cracks and a biofuel powered prop.
Despite all the grumblings about the new Evora’s (over)weight, the CIV proves that Lotus still knows how to do bantamweight; it’s light enough for intrepid explorers to pull along when the going gets too rough despite the fact that it measures 4.5 meters square.
Like all Lotus designs, the CIV is engineering purity personified and proves yet again that the mantra of “performance through lightness” grows more relevant by the day. Developed for the Moon Regan TransArctic Expedition to the Antarctic, the CIV features independent suspension of all three skis, an ic... more -
Scientists Ask to Plant GM Trees
GM = Genetically Modified. The latest Green Air Filter on biotech forests for fuel.
-
Green news harvest: Visualizing biofuel enzymes, gadget recycling
NREL scientist Michael Crowley shows off his animation of an enzyme molecule, which was awarded second place in the Department of Energy's Electronic Visualization competition.
(Credit: National Renewable Energy Laboratories.)
More... NREL scientist Michael Crowley shows off his animation of an enzyme molecule, which was awarded second place in the Department of Ener... more -
Lab makes renewable diesel fuel from E. coli poop?
Video at Link
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, California -- Fossil fuels that keep our planet running -- oil, natural gas and coal -- were created from the decomposition of plants, plankton and other organic material over millions of years.
Today, scientists all over the globe are working to create fuels with the same properties but without that pesky 100 million-year wait. And "renewable petroleum" is now a reality, on a small scale, in some laboratories.
The biotech company LS9 Inc. is using single-celled bacteria to create an oil equivalent. These petroleum "production facilities" are so small, you can see them only under a microscope.
"We started in my garage two years ago, and we're producing barrels today, so things are moving pretty quickly," said biochemist Stephen del Cardayre, LS9 vice president of research and development.
How does it work? A special type of genetically altered bacteria are fed plant material: basically, any type of sugar. They digest it and excrete the equivalent of diesel fuel.
Humans have used bacteria and yeast for centuries to do similar work, creating beer, moonshine and, more recently, ethanol. But scientists' recent strides in genetic engineering now allow them to control the end product. Video at Link ... more -
Squeeze fruit seeds, get fuel
Bryan Beer, a citrus grower in southwestern Florida, sees himself as a bit of a pioneer. He's not digging for gold. It's more like he's planting for oil.
He is planting a jatropha tree, a plant that can produce diesel fuel and could one day power a 747. His plans are a little less ambitious; he just wants to plant enough to run his tractors.
"Any kind of relief or help we can get from a cheaper source of oil could impact the agricultural industry tremendously throughout the country, throughout the world," said Beer, whose family has been growing citrus for decades.
Jatropha means "doctor food." It originated in South America, where it was once used for medicinal purposes. There are three seeds within the golf-ball-sized fruit. When pressed, its oil can be used as fuel in any standard diesel engine with zero processing, experts say.
Sound like a pipe dream? It's not.
It's being taken very seriously by companies all over the world, including the Chrysler motor company and Air New Zealand. The airline is planning a test flight in November in Auckland in which jatropha biodiesel will be mixed with diesel fuel.
This is what has farmers, scientists and engineers excited. Video Bryan Beer, a citrus grower in southwestern Florida, sees himself as a bit of a pioneer. He's not digging for gold. It's mor... more -
Not So Bio-Degradable, Bio-Degradable Flash Drive
It seems like everything is going green today from our cars to our computers. Even the flash drive has gone green with products like the EarthDrive. If you want a drive even more environmentally safe than being recyclable now you can get a bio-degradable flash drive. The catch here is that if you toss this flash drive in the back yard it won't someday disappear into nothingness like say biodegradable paper.
It seems that for this drive to degrade the corn-based plastic the drive is made from has to be heated. That means you have to dispose of it at a recycling center rather than simply tossing it into the trash can and feeling good about yourself. Not exactly what I think of when we hear bio-degradable. The little drive even looks like an ear of corn; it should be a big hit with ethanol producers at their next trade show. It seems like everything is going green today from our cars to our computers. Even the flash drive has gone green with products like t... more -
Big Win For Biofuels
In a huge win for backers of biofuels, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Thursday denied a closely watched request to grant Texas a 50% waiver from a federal renewable fuel standard mandate.
The ruling will most likely accelerate the boom in ethanol production in the United States, which has attracted massive investments in the past few years from companies like British Petroleum (nyse: BP - news - people ), DuPont (nyse: DD - news - people ), Cargill and Archer Daniels Midland (nyse: ADM - news - people ).
Industry insiders say the EPA decision will also advance the arrival of next-generation biofuels produced from non-agricultural feedstocks. Many of those technologies are scheduled to enter commercial production in the next few years and plan to once the last technical and financial kinks are ironed out.
In April, Texas Gov. Rick Perry asked the EPA to reduce the total number of gallons of ethanol required to be blended into gasoline sold in the United States until 2010, arguing that biofuels production had increased the price of grain by diverting a huge share of the nation's corn harvest to ethanol production.
The "artificial demand for grain-derived ethanol is devastating the livestock industry in Texas," Perry claimed in a letter to the EPA, "needlessly creating a negative impact on our state's otherwise strong economy while driving up food prices around the world."
The EPA disagreed. "The threshold was whether the [standard] was causing severe economic harm, and our conclusion was no," said EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson in a press conference on Thursday.
The renewable fuels standard (RFS), originally established in the Energy Act of 2005, requires an increasing amount of biofuel to be blended into gasoline sold in the United States over the coming years. The Energy Act of 2007 raised the original RFS targets to a whopping 36 billion gallons by 2022. The legislation phases in the targets in semi-annual increments.
The targets require production of 9 billion gallons of renewable fuel this year--a level that is presently being met--to grow to 11 billion gallons by 2011. While second generation biofuels are produced from non-edible feedstocks like wood chips or methane gas emitted from landfills, currently available biofuels are generated almost exclusively from corn. Critics have accused the renewable fuel mandates of increasing food and grain prices.
But the EPA said Thursday that the impact of ethanol on corn prices was only 7 cents per bushel--a fraction of the overall price increase since last year. In a huge win for backers of biofuels, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Thursday denied a closely watched request to grant Tex... more -
Household waste to power cars
Chemical company Ineos develops technology to make bioethanol from waste.
With soaring oil prices and government policy drives to run car fleets on cleaner energy sources that emit fewer greenhouse gases, biofuels are growing in popularity. But with land being used to grow biofuel rather than food crops the shine has come off their green credentials.
Chemicals company Ineos thinks it has cracked the fuel v food debate with new technology that produces bioethanol from waste. Chemical company Ineos develops technology to make bioethanol from waste. ... more -
The Great Biofuels Con
A great rambling read, which points out a chronological history of bio-fuels right back to the invention of the Infernal Combustion engine, and yet the real "news" in the piece was limited to just a single line..."A Cornell University study shows that biofuel production from farm crops such as corn takes 29 per cent more energy than is yielded by the fuel itself (although second-generation biofuel crops, such as hemp, are much more efficient).
For years the cannabis/hemp community's headed by the indefatigable Jack Herer, have pointed out the unsurpassed ability of industrial hemp to sequester far more CO2 from the atmosphere than food crops grown for fuel use. But no-one was listening. It was all just a ploy to aid the greater cannabis legalisation debate right?
We also said there was no benefit to exchanging food crops for fuel crops as this would back-fire by way of raised food prices. The way forward was to continue with our food crops, whilst turning pasture land (The European Union pays farmers NOT to farm sections of their land as a result of...wait for it...EU food surplus's), into bio-fuel crops.
Today, it seems we were proved right all along.
http://cannazine.co.uk - Daily zine for the global cannabis scene. A great rambling read, which points out a chronological history of bio-fuels right back to the invention of the Infernal Combustion en... more -
Will pond scum become the new oil?
"Pond scum. The thought typically evokes images that leave most people cringing, but it may one day occupy an important role in the nation's energy supply.
Algae needs only sunlight, carbon dioxide, nutrients and water to grow.
Algae needs only sunlight, carbon dioxide, nutrients and water to grow.
The current fuel crunch, driven fundamentally by a rising global demand for oil, has spurred debate among consumers, political leaders, academics and entrepreneurs about plausible alternatives.
A good bit of the discussion has focused on biofuels, commonly defined as energy derived largely from plants and crops like corn, soybeans, switch grass among other sources.
"It's become obvious that the biofuels sector is much more viable now that the prices of oil are high," said Beth Ahner, an expert in biological and environmental engineering at Cornell University.
Algae, thought of as pond scum by many people, is an intriguing biofuel prospect, some researchers and entrepreneurs say.
"There's no difference running algae than there is running any other biodiesel fuel," says McCloy. "I've noticed very little difference in any of the biofuels that I run in this car or in my 1984 diesel Mercedes that I run at home."
McCloy says he gets a little lower gas mileage occasionally, but biofuel generally runs smoother than diesel. See McCloy's road trip blog
Algae does not need arable land, grows quickly and according to experts has low impact on the environment. Questions remain, however, about the cost of producing algae on a scale large enough to act as a practical alternative to oil for the nation's energy needs." "Pond scum. The thought typically evokes images that leave most people cringing, but it may one day occupy an important role in t... more -
Algae may fuel new power for motorists
Murdoch University is studying how to convert algae into biofuel, a cheaper and cleaner option than traditional fossil fuels.
-
Making moonshine from marijuana: Vermont state House approves hemp cultivation for...
In Vermont, the state House has approved a measure that would permit the cultivation of hemp in the state, subject to federal approval. The federal Drug Enforcement Administration regards hemp and marijuana as the same plant, although bill supporters say that the active element in marijuana can be reduced nearly to zero in industrial hemp.
Hemp can be used as an ethanol feedstock, raising the possibility that, in the future, biofuels could be made from dope using a fermentation process also used to make moonshine whiskey.
North Dakota has a similar law on the books, but farmers are not permitted by the DEA to cultivate hemp.
The state of Vermont has been working hard on taking a leading role in biofuels development. The Vermont Economic Progress Council awarded $1.7 million in job creation incentives to Mascoma to induce the company to relocate to the state. The introduction of hemp would certainly raise awareness of Vermont within the biofuels industry, although not perhaps a positive awareness in all corners.
Among the known feedstocks for ethanol, hemp is easily the most controversial because of the psychotropic properties of THC, a chemical found in all plants of the hemp (cannabis) family. Critics of DEA policy, which forbids the cultivation of hemp, point out that THC concentrations in industrial hemp are not sufficient for drug use.
Hemp is used throughout the world for paper, health foods, and rope, among other products. It is a fast growing plant, grows naturally in many parts of the US with no fertilizer or water inputs, and has a good energy returned on energy invested (EROEI) ratio.
In the United States, feral hemp, or “ditchweed”, continues to grow in at least 21 states where the DEA has eradication programs in place. The feral hemp is descended from plantings that date to the World War II “Hemp for Victory” program, when a shortage of raw materials led to a relaxation in the prohibition against hemp cultivation.
Henry Ford, in 1941, built a car out of 70 percent hemp fiber and powered it on hemp ethanol. Here is a YouTube video of the car in action.
hemp car
Above: Henry Ford’s 1941 Hemp Car, which was constructed from hemp fiber and ran on hemp ethanol.
In the US, ethanol must be “de-natured”, or mixed with a small amount of gasoline, to make it undrinkable. In its pure form, ethanol is 200 proof alcohol and is also popularly known as “moonshine”, especially in regions such as Appalachia where it continues to be made by home brewers.
“Moonshiners” would often put their own product into their cars to make them run faster, one of the earliest known usages of ethanol as an automotive fuel. The sport of stock car racing evolved from races between “moonshiners”, which perhaps explains why the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) has been more reluctant to embrace ethanol as a racing fuel. The Indy Racing League runs its cars on E100.
A modern-day Hemp Car toured the United States between July 4 and October 2, 2001, racking up 10,000 miles of travel in the process, and promoting the use of industrial hemp. The Mercedez Benz vehicle used hemp-based biodiesel as a fuel.
hemp car 2001
Above: The 2001 Hemp Car, which traveled 10,000 miles in 2001 across the United States promoting the use of industrial hemp. In Vermont, the state House has approved a measure that would permit the cultivation of hemp in the state, subject to federal approval... more -
Fuel from Trash? I'm down....
Ok, seriously, this is a good idea. We can at least put more of our wasteful society to good use.
-
Performance Plants - Hemp - Accelerates Food Crop and Biofuels Biotechnology
World War II Poster (Photo Credit: Hemphasis.net)
KINGSTON, ON, July 21 /CNW/ - Performance Plants Inc. ("PPI"), a leading
global agricultural biotechnology company with research and development
facilities in Kingston, Ontario, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and Waterloo, New
York, announced today the completion of a $13 million equity financing.
PPI has developed and patented a range of stress-resistant crop seed
technologies (weatherproofing "traits") that deliver higher yields and more
consistent and cost effective harvests for farmers and feedstock suppliers
under conditions of environmental stress such as drought and excessive heat or
cold. The company's traits are being evaluated for food crops both internally
and in partnership with world-leading seed companies including DuPont business
Pioneer Hi-Bred, Syngenta Biotechnology, Stine Seed Company, RiceTec Inc. and
The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company.
The company's breakthrough Yield Protection Technology(R) ("YPT(R)") is
at the heart of its suite of technologies. YPT(R) enables plants to better
tolerate drought conditions and to recover faster when watered. Extensive
field trials of YPT(R) corn are underway for the third year in the United
States, and field trials will begin in South America later in the year.
PPI is also developing non-food biomass crops such as switchgrass,
Miscanthus grass and hemp for biofuels use that can be grown on marginal
farmland with increased convertibility to fermentable sugars. The company
recently purchased a world-class biotechnology research facility in Waterloo,
New York that will become the centre for its biofuels research activities. PPI
also recently entered into a multiyear agreement with Lafarge Canada Inc. to
develop and grow clean energy biomass for use as fuel at the Lafarge Cement
Plant in Bath, Ontario.
The funds raised will be used to further develop and expand PPI's
portfolio of crop seed traits, accelerate commercialization of the company's
food crop traits, and aggressively develop its biofuels business plan and
expand its clean energy industrial partnerships.
The equity financing was led by Ceres Global Ag Corp. of Toronto,
Ontario. Eastwood Capital Corp. was the other major investor in the financing.
Ceres Global Ag Corp. was established in December 2007 to invest in leading
global public and non-public agricultural businesses. It is listed on the TSX
(TSX-CRP) and is managed by Front Street Capital and Muir Detlefsen &
Associates Limited. Eastwood Capital Corp. is an investment holding company
owned by William T. Holland of Toronto, Ontario. Other investors include a
syndicate of private Boston investors, including Saturn Asset Management, and
Montreal-based Endurseaux Inc.
"This investment signals a strong endorsement of the company's patented
food and biofuels biotechnology," said Peter Matthewman, President,
Performance Plants Inc., "and will facilitate the aggressive development of
our food crops and biomass feedstocks for liquid transportation fuels, coal
replacement and biochemicals."
"Ceres Global Ag Corp. provides investors with an opportunity to gain
private equity exposure to leading global agricultural businesses, such as
Performance Plants Inc.," said Tom Muir, Chief Transaction Officer & Director,
Ceres Global Ag Corp. "As the world grapples with shortages of food and
increasing food prices, PPI's yield-enhancing technologies put it at the
forefront of providing solutions for increased global food production." World War II Poster (Photo Credit: Hemphasis.net) ... more
-
related topics
Biofuel
Contributors (232)
Biofuel
