Sunday, September 28, 2008

Tropical sugar beet could benefit biofuels industry

Sugar beets are typically grown in cooler climates. However, Syngenta has released a variety that thrives in tropical climates with yields similar to suagar cane, but in less time and with less need for water. This could prove quite useful for ethanol production, both in sugar cane regions and regions too dry for growing sugar cane without irrigation. 
GRAINNET News and Information for the Grain, Milling, Feed, Seed and BioFuels Industry

Thursday, September 11, 2008

MO power plants to cut emissions by growing algae for biofuels

According to an AP article, two Missouri power plants plan to test a system that would use waste CO2 to grow algae that could be turned into ethanol, biodiesel, and animal feed. CO2 acts like a fertilizer for the green algae which also gathers energy from the sun via photosynthesis. If successful, the system could be implimented at numerous facilities that currently vent CO2 into the atmosphere.
Mo. power plants to cut emissions by growing algae - Forbes.com