Company plans ethanol from algae in Mexico desert

Algae can be gown in water unsuitable for other uses and on land unsuitable for most crops. This could improve biofuel production levels significantly if perfected.
Reuters AlertNet - Algenol trains algae to turn carbon into ethanol

New cellulosic ethanol technique claims $1.00 production cost

An Israel company claims to have perfexcted a technique that will bring cellulosic ethanol production cost to under $1.00 USD. The technique is applicable to the step where sugars are extracted from the biomass.
GRAINNET News and Information for the Grain, Milling, Feed, Seed and BioFuels Industry

Ethanol getting credit for Missouri's lower gas prices

Finally, ethanol is getting credit for lowering gas prices. The article linked below credits Missouri's ethanol mandate as part of the reason that gas prices in Missouri are the lowets in the nation. I don't necessarily think a mandate is the way to go, but at least this shows ethanol has some benefit at the pump.
Cheap gas in Missouri - MSN Money

Turning human waste into energy

An Indian company, Sintex, has developed a family-sized, self-contained digester that can turn food, animal, and human waste into enough biogas to satisfy a family's need for cooking and a a fertilizer as well.
Turning human waste into energy - Feb. 27, 2008

Report concludes biofuels not dominant factor in food price increase

Even if all biofuel production never existed, we would still be facing the high energy prices that make it more expensive to plant, fertilize, cultivate, harvest, transport, and process food crops.
Food Price Increases: Is it Fair To Blame Biofuels?

Concentrator photovoltaics solar energy breakthrough

IBM is working on a system that would concentrate the sun'd energy on a smaller area, thus requiring less PV cells and other equipment. This could make large scale power production more feasible.
IBM Research Could Lead to Reduced Costs in Solar Farm Technology

Renewable Gasoline produced from Algae

Sapphire Energy announced production of a renewable gasoline from algae. This is not biodiesel or ethanol. It is a gasoline than can replace petroleum-based gasoline in any application and would be fully compatible with the petroleum pipeline system, unlike ethanol. They say their modular system can be easily scaled up and it works with water unsuitable for crop irrigation or drinking and on land unsuitable for food crops.
GRAINNET News and Information for the Grain, Milling, Feed, Seed and BioFuels Industry

Volvo plug-In hybrid concept includes flex-fuel engine

The ReCharge Volvo concept car is a plug-in hybrid with motors in the wheels, eliminating the need for a drivetrain. This increases efficiency. In addition, the small flex-fuel engine serves only to recharge batteries. This means it can run at a constant rpm and be tuned for optimum efficiency and fewest harmful emissions when running on ethanol fuel. This is perhaps the best application for biofuels such as ethanol.
Volvo ReCharge Plug-In Hybrid Concept Car Review and Specs |

Rice husk generator brings power to villages

Two University students have started a business that brings electricity to rural communities in India through gasification of rice husks. The idea could expand to other parts of the world.
Powering Villages from Rice Husks

Biofuels at Landfills

Scientific American posted this article about making ethanol from trash that would normally go to landfills. Methane escaping from landfills can be used to power the ethanol biorefinery.
Trash-Based Biofuels: From Landfill to Full Tank of Gas: Scientific American

Automated home ethanol production appliance available

Perhaps home production of fuel for your vehicle is getting easier. A California comany is taking orders for an automated home ethanol production and dispensing unit. The feedstock is sugar or alcoholic beverages. The company claims a production cost of $1.00 per gallon. They will work with sugar distributors for supplying customers with the feedstock. Tax rebates are available to offset purchase cost. Learn more at the company web site: http://www.efuel100.com/default.aspx

Ethanol from barley planned for new biorefineries

Not only does barley thrive outside the corn belt, but it can be grown on millions of acres of fallow ground in the winter in the U.S. Southeast without irrigation. That way it would not compete with food crops and in fact would tend to improve the soil (build organic matter) and lessen soil erosion. Biorefineries in the U.S. southeast would also be able to supply ethanol to customers in the southeast with much less transportation cost as compared to shipping ethanol from the midwest corn belt.
GRAINNET News and Information for the Grain, Milling, Feed, Seed and BioFuels Industry

Biofuels from bacteria

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have managed to develop a cyanobacteria (also known as blue-green algae, but not a true algae) that produces glucose and cellulose. The glucose and cellulose can be harvested without destroying the cyanobacteria. The cellulose is in a form that is easily made into biofuels such as ethanol. This could be a step toward producing much more biofuels on much less land, and on land unsuitable for food crops.
New Source for Biofuels Discovered by Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin | The University of Texas at Austin

Portable biorefinery turns trash into electricity

This sounds really cool. Purdue University scientists developed this system to solve two problemes at once for the military--disposal of trash and production of electricity where needed. The system produces ethanol and biogas (similar to natural gas). Both fuels are then burned in a specially designed generator. Such a setup could be designed to burn hydrated ethanol, which is considerably easier to produce than the anhydrous ethanol currently being used in U.S. automobiles. The article linked below does not address this aspect, but I assume it has something to do with the ability to design a small, portable system.
<p>Scientists develop portable generator that turns trash into electricity </p>

Ethanol lowers overall cost of gasoline

The small portion of the food price increase that is due to ethanol production appears to be offset by a lowering of fuel prices according to this article:
Ethanol production saving consumers money

Manure gasification at Texas ethanol biorefinery

The aricle linked below has a nice diagrams and explanation of Panda Ethanol's manure gasification system. It will almost eliminate the use of natural Gas at the facility. Farmers in the area currently pay to have manure hauled away. Now Panda will haul it away at no charge to the farmers.
GRAINNET News and Information for the Grain, Milling, Feed, Seed and BioFuels Industry

E10 ethanol blend reducing fuel cost for Missouri drivers

I live in Missouri, and I've noticed gasoline prices around here are always considerably less than the national average. Perhaps ethanol is playing some part in this, as claimed in this article:
Missouri Ruralist

Cattle power ethanol plant technology

Here is a nice description of an ethanol biorefinery powered by cattle manure:
Cattle power new ethanol plant technology

Company offers to provide cellulosic biofuel feedstock anywhere in U.S.

A provider for cellulosic feedstocks could be a vital piece in the biofuel puzzle for many biorefineries.
Domestic Fuel � Archives � Company Offers Wood for Cellulosic Ethanol

Green Gasoline Could be Better than Ethanol

Here is an example of technology possibly evolving from current biofules such as ethanol to better ones. The cellulosic "green gasoline" discussed in this article sounds like it could be a direct replacement for gasoline without the modifications needed fo high levels of ethanol:
Green Gasoline Could Power Future Cars and Jets

bioethanol from trash could be significant

Concerned about fodd crops going for biofuels? How about using trash as a feedstock? The researcher mentioned in this article thinks the trash going to U.S. landfills each year could provide enough ethanol to replace the oil coming from the Middle East:
Cooking up a load of bioethanol - 07 Apr 2008 - Oil & gas news - NZ Herald: "the annual US refuse stream of about 500 million tonnes could theoretically yield up to 13 per cent of his country's transport fuel."

Economist says ethanol plays very small role in food price increase

This research, not funded by the ethanol industry, concludes ethanol was responsible for no more than a 2% rise in food prices over 5 years.
North Platte Telegraph - Expert: Ethanol gets bum rap

Study shows switchgrass may be better than corn for ethanol

Switchgrass can be grown in many places and on many soils unsuitable for the major food crops such as corn. It also requires less irrigation. It is generally not irrigated, even in areas much too dry for growing most row crops without irrigation. This new study uncovers still more advantages of switchgrass:
Radio Iowa: Nebraska professor says switchgrass beats corn ethanol in several ways

Firm to make biofuel from algae found in waste streams

A New Zealand company about to begin producing "biocrude" from algae found in the waste stream from industry. Their technology is designed to purify the wastewater and produce biocrude in a sicngle process.
Emerging Energy News: Aquaflow steps up algae-to-biocrude project

Biosolid disposal system can also make syngas and electricity

This Florida system will use syngas (biogas) derived from the waste material itself to power the waste treatment process, saving the cost of purchasing natural gas. Larger systems, they say, will be able to make excess electricity as well, turning the system into a net power producer. As the cost of energy continues to rise, every municipality
should consider something like this when building or upgrading waste treatment facilities.
Sanford, Florida Chooses MaxWest Environmental Systems to Turn Sludge into Renewable Energy: "'Compared to the projected cost of natural gas, a fossil fuel, Sanford will save $9,000,000 over the 20-year life of our contract,' said Paul Moore, Sanford Utility Director. 'This technology has provided us with the opportunity to save money while managing our waste stream and protecting the environment.'"

Ethanol not the only cellulosic biofuel

Little-known biofuel alternatives to ethanol might actually be easier to make from cellulosic materials and just as useful. Biogas could replace natural gas and BioOil can replace heating oils. Here is an article about a Canadian company making BioOil from sawdust plus they make fertilizer and generate electricity in a cogeneration plant:
GRAINNET News and Information for the Grain, Milling, Feed, Seed and BioFuels Industry: "Dynamotive Energy Systems Ships BioOil and Char From West Lorne and Guelph, ON Plants"

Iowa ethanol facility wants to grow algae for biodiesel production

Green Plains Renewable Energy Inc. in Shenendoah, Iowa has applied for a grant to help with an algae to biofuels pilot project. Research has already shown that huge yields per acre of mainly biodiesel and some ethanol can be had from algae grown in water. Why do this next to an ethanol biorefinery? The carbon dioxide by-product from making ethanol can be used to help the algae grow faster--a very nice symbiotic relationship. The local newspaper has very good in-depth article here:
SW Iowa News - 'Green scum' at GPRE plant could be key to energy crisis: "'What's exciting is it's taking waste products from an ethanol plant, like water and carbon dioxide, 148,000 tons of which is dispensed into the air as a green house gas,' said Connell. 'They'll use that to produce massive amounts of algae.

'To put it in prospective, if you had a diesel car, one acre of algae would allow you to drive that car 370,000 miles, compared to about 2,400 miles on soybean oil, which is the basis for most bio-diesel.'"