biofuels

A collection of 92 posts

biofuels

Which countries produce the most biofuels?

Biofuels — liquid fuels made from everything from algae to corn — haven’t yet come anywhere close to replacing crude oil. But they’re being produced in increasingly large volumes around the globe. (Biomass is also used to produce electricity; we’ll have more details on biomass energy following our latest

biofuels

US earmarks $510m for biofuels, seeks matching private investment

The US Departments of Agriculture, Energy and Navy will invest up to $510 million over the next three years in partnership with the private sector to produce advanced aviation and marine biofuels for military and commercial transportation. The initiative is part of the Blueprint for A Secure Energy Future, the

biofuels

OriginOil takes algae process to commercialisation

California-based OriginOil is shifting from the development phase to the commercialisation phase in its goal of transforming algae into a renewable oil that’s price-competitive with petroleum. The company has also brought on board a new executive to fast-track the commercialisation process. Veteran technology executive Paul Reep has accepted the

biofuels

Energy revolutions: No overnight delivery

The cleantech company with the mystery microorganism it says can convert sunlight into liquid fuel announced this week it had been awarded a US patent for its “breakthrough” process. If it all sounds too good to be true, it’s worth remembering at this stage that there’s a looong

biofuels

Low-tech reactor converts wastes into clean fuels

A relatively inexpensive and low-tech reactor could help convert agricultural waste, used cooking oil and other biomass into super-clean fuels in just three steps. Albin Czernichowski, a professor at the University of Orleans in France, took his inspiration for the device from the process that lights up big-screen plasma TVs.

biofuels

It greens, it cleans, it fuels power plants: Humble canary grass

What began as an effort to find the best plant for beautifying contaminated industrial site ended up with a serendipitous discovery: a way to grow green biomass fuel. Researchers at Britain’s Teeside University have found that reed canary grass, a native plant, can not only grow well on polluted,

biofuels

Don't write off algae-based biofuels yet, industry says

Algae-based biofuels aren’t all they’re cracked up to be? Not so fast, say those in the — of course — algae-based biofuel industry. A recent study from the University of Virginia that found algae’s environmental footprint is higher than other energy crops has riled more than a few proponents

biofuels

Cut out the energy middlemen: Is it time to forget biofuels?

How much more have we yet to learn about the downsides of growing fuel? Could it ever reach the point where we decide it’s time to dump the idea and focus on the energy source that makes all biofuels possible in the first place: the sun? Cut out the

biofuels

Corn ethanol curse strikes again? Algae fuels have large footprint

Could algae-based biofuels suffer the same fate as the now much-discredited corn-based ethanol? They might, if we don’t find ways to reduce algal fuel’s environmental impact, according to a new study. After the race to turn corn into fuel helped spark a global spike in food prices, clean-energy

biofuels

Self-destructing bacteria could make for cheaper biofuels

US researchers believe they might have found a way to make biofuels cheaper and easier to produce … by genetically programming microbes to self-destruct after photosynthesis, thus eliminating the difficult task of separating the bacteria from the oil inside. “The real costs involved in any biofuel production are harvesting the goodies

biofuels

Palm oil biodiesel can increase greenhouse emissions by 2,000%

Growing palm oil for biodiesel not only not only contributes to the deforestation of tropical peatlands, but can end up generating as much as 2,000 per cent more greenhouse gases than fossil fuels, according to a new report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The report concludes that

biofuels

Study eyes potential for jet fuel from saltwater mangroves

Forget corn, soy and even jatropha; Boeing and Honeywell’s UOP have commissioned a study to see whether renewable jet fuel could one day come from saltwater-loving plants like mangroves. Commissioned as part of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group consortium, the study will be led by the Masdar Institute

biofuels

New research: Some biofuels could benefit wildlife

Increasing the cultivation of willow and miscanthus grass as biofuel stock wouldn’t come with the wildlife damage often seen with other energy crops, according to UK researchers. Both short-rotation coppice (SRC) willow and miscanthus grass could help the UK reduce carbon emissions and benefit wildlife, according to scientists from

biofuels

Diesel or biomethane? Bus runs on either

A unique dual-fuel, low-emissions bus is making its debut this week at the UK’s leading low-carbon vehicles technology exhibition. Adapted from a standard Optare Solo single-deck midibus, the vehicle’s Mercedes-Benz engine can be powered by either diesel or biomethane, a low-carbon fuel generated from biowastes. The innovative design

biofuels

60-megawatt waste-to-energy plant OK'd

The Government today approved plans for a new 60-megawatt biomass- and waste-to-energy plant to be built on an old industrial site at Tilbury Docks in Essex. The plant will be built by Tilbury Green Power Ltd, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Express Energy Holdings. “If we are to

biofuels

BP jumps into race for algae-based biofuels

Coming on the heels of ExxonMobil’s announcement that it’s pursuing a genetically-modified algal biofuel, BP has now also launched a joint venture to develop microbial oils for biofuels. BP and Martek Biosciences Corporation will work together with the goal of developing a step-change technology for the conversion of

biofuels

Global biofuel land grab conjures up 'C' word

As in “colonialism.” It’s a word being used more and more as developed nations, large corporations and large consortiums increasingly eye — and buy — lands in developing countries to grow food or biofuels, or to tap the sun’s energy for their own needs. Just last month, a group of

biofuels

Fuel your car with ... prawn power!

Ahh, we’ve written about so many “next-generation” transport fuel sources — corn, soybeans, used cooking oil, switchgrass, algae, jatropha — we thought we’d heard them all. Then along comes the news that scientists in China are researching ways to boost biodiesel power with … wait for it … shrimp shells. Their study,

biofuels

Plans OKd for UK's largest food-waste-to-fuel plant

Plans have just been approved for the UK’s largest anaerobic digestion plant, to be built on the site of a former citric acid factory in Selby. Planning permission for the Selby Renewable Energy Park was granted this week by North Yorkshire County Council. Once completed, the anaerobic plant is

biofuels

Venter and Exxon: Biofuel saviours or unholy alliance?

Will the marriage of an oil giant and a company dedicated to tweaking the genetic forms of life as we know them lead to a cheap, clean and renewable source of energy or a Frankenfuel of unpredictable consequences? Thanks to a new partnership, we might all have a chance to

biofuels

Spanish researchers study microalgae's energy potential

The energy unit at Spain’s TECNALIA is researching the potential of mass production of microalgae as a crop that can be converted into energy. Among the researchers’ areas of focus: the selection of stocks, the optimisation of crop production systems (open, closed and mixed), and the optimisation of various

biofuels

Stockholm adds another 85 ethanol-powered buses

Scania has sold 85 ethanol-powered articulated buses to Busslink, operator of bus services for Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL), the regional public transport company in the Swedish capital. “A continued commitment to ethanol power is consistent with SL’s decision to buy only buses that operate on renewable fuels starting in 2010,

biofuels

One litre of biodiesel costs 14,000 litres of water

Biofuels carry a heavy water footprint, although the size of that print varies widely from crop to crop, according to new research from the Netherlands’ University of Twente. Researchers at the university analysed 13 crops to determine the optimal production regions for each based on water consumption and climate date.

biofuels

Found: A greener way to process wood for biofuel

Scientists at Queen’s University in Belfast say they’ve found a new eco-friendly way to dissolve wood that could be used to produce biofuels, textiles, clothes and paper. Héctor Rodríguez and Robin Rogers from the University’s School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering worked along with The University of

biofuels

EU should consider land-use impacts of biofuels: T&E

The European Federation for Transport & Environment (T&E) is challenging the EU to follow the lead of California, which recently approved the world’s first law taking into account the indirect changes in land use caused by the production of biofuels. California’s “Low Carbon Fuel Standard” (LCFS)