Plans to produce flex-fuel ethanol engine with better fuel economy

The British firm Ricardo expects to roll out a new engine design in 3-5 years that would run more efficiently on ethanol. They expect it to have only a 15% drop in fuel economy on ethanol, much better than the 30% drop experienced in most models today. This will make ethanol, such as E85, more cost-competitive and more attractive to consumers. The use of such engines in plug-in electric hybrids would create an attractive package in terms of fuel efficiency, low emmissions, and low cost of operation.
Ethanol stalled, but experts say it remains viable fuel option - Rebranding Michigan - Michigan Business Review – MLive.com: "It aims to leverage the higher octane and higher heat of vaporization elements of ethanol to increase fuel economy. It integrates direct injection technology, variable valve timing, exhaust gas recirculation and optimized ignition technology."

Direct Solar to Hydrogen Plant to be built in Australia

Water can be broken down into hydrogen and oxygen with electricity. This facility in Australia will use solar concentrators to directly heat water to 1000 degrees. At this level of heat a given amount of electricity can produce more than twice as much hydrogen in the electrolysis process. In essence, then, they are making hydrogen from direct solar energy (as opposed to solar electricity) by displacing some of the electricity needed for the electrolysis process.
Direct Solar to Hydrogen Plant Goes Up in Australia Hydrogen Cars and Vehicles: "Solar Systems of Hawthorne in Victoria, Australia is developing the country’s first and perhaps even the world’s first direct solar to hydrogen commercial power plant."

Ethanol from Idaho agricultural waste

Solving two problems at once can make a process more economically viable. In this case, it is waste management and fuel production.
ISU Headlines » Researchers seek to create ethanol from Idaho agricultural waste: "They are not exactly alchemists trying to turn lead into gold, but almost: researchers from Idaho’s three largest public universities are seeking to create ethanol from the Gem state’s agricultural waste.
And they have a realistic shot at converting potato, sugar beet and other agricultural waste – perhaps even cow manure – into a fuel that can run in your car.

Iowa Plant To Create Fuel From 'Pond Scum'

If all goes as planned, The CO2 coming from an Iowa ethanol plant will soon be used to promote the growth of algae for additional biofuel production. This kind of symbiosis could become important for the biofuel industry.
Iowa Plant To Create Fuel From 'Pond Scum' - The Green Pages News Story - KCCI Des Moines: "SHENANDOAH, Iowa -- In Shenandoah, green algae is going from pond scum to a power source."

Tax incentives for biogas proposed

Perhaps the most important benefit of biogas production from waste manure would be the reduction of odor and water pollution from manure handling. It would also replace some natural gas and produce new rural jobs.
The Independent > Archives > News > Ag > Nelson, Johanns sponsor biogas bill: "Nebraska Sens. Ben Nelson and Mike Johanns are among the sponsors of legislation promoting the development of biogas — a natural gas substitute created by converting agricultural, animal or other organic wastes — through tax incentives."

Bateria increases poplar biomass yield up to 50%

Poplar is being researched as a promising crop for cellulosic ethanol production. These trees grow very fast, even on marginal land unsuitable for most types of food production. It has long been known that many plants rely on organisms such as fingi and bacteria to optimize uptake of nutrients. The research described in the linked article seeks to optimize this relationship by innoculating with the most desireable types of bacteria. This technique might have applications for food crops as well. Farmers already innoculate legume crops on a routine basis to improve nitrogen fixation from the air. Other types of innoculation might be a good way to unlock the potential of nutrients found in the soil, but in a form that is unavailable to most plants.  
Greentech Media: Green Light � Blog Archive � Good News for Zeachem: Bacteria That Increases Poplar Growth

AFEX Pretreatment could reduce cellulosic ethanol cost

A more efficient way of releasing sugars from cellulose could revolutionize cellulosic biofuel production.
MSU-patented process can reduce the cost of making cellulosic biofuels MSU News Michigan State University: "The AFEX (ammonia fiber expansion) pretreatment process, developed by Bruce Dale, University Distinguished Professor of chemical engineering and materials science, uses ammonia to make the breakdown of cellulose and hemicellulose in plants 75 percent more efficient than when conventional enzymes alone are used.The AFEX (ammonia fiber expansion) pretreatment process, developed by Bruce Dale, University Distinguished Professor of chemical engineering and materials science, uses ammonia to make the breakdown of cellulose and hemicellulose in plants 75 percent more efficient than when conventional enzymes alone are used."

Biomass Gasification plus CHP in Denmark

A demonstration plant in Denmark is perfecting biomass gasification combined with CHP (Combined Heat and Power). The BioGas is used to power generators and waste heat is captured and used. This method results in more electricity produced from the biomass as compared to direct burning without gasification.
Biomass Gasification in Skive: Opening Doors in Denmark - Renewable Energy World

Cornell technology makes small scale biogas more feasible

Biogas can be made on a farm or landfill scale with simple technology. Removing the hydrogen sulfide, however, has been a more complicated process and not suited to small scale. It is toxic and needs to be removed for many applications and to reduce pollution. Scientists at Cornell have developed a small scale solution for removing hydrogen sulfide that is suitable for farms and other locations outside the large refineries. Biogas than then be used in properly equipped engines for electricity generation, transportation, and other work.

Cornell Chronicle: Cornell technology makes biogas greener: "Cornell plant scientists have invented a new method that uses manure and other farm byproducts to remove toxic hydrogen sulfide from biogas -- a renewable energy source derived from the breakdown of animal waste."

Companies turning algae Into jet fuel

The article linked below discusses these 5 companies: Solazyme, Inventure Chemical Technology, Sapphire Energy, Aquaflow Bionomic Corp., and Algenol Biofuels.

Algae in the Air: 5 Startups Turning Algae Into Jet Fuel

Scaling up biochar and pyrolysis for energy and agriculture

Pyrolysis means heating biomass in an oxygen-deprived environment. The result is pyrolysis oil, syngas (can be burned to make electricity) and biochar (a promising fertilizer). If it can be sacaled up, it could be an important solution for food production, greenhouse gas reduction, and clean energy production.
Carbon Sequestration, Agriculture, and Charcoal - Can Biochar Stop Global Warming? - Popular Mechanics: "Biochar goes beyond this, directly removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by stimulating plant growth as well as storing the carbon from decomposing plants in the soil as well as those that were burned to make it for as long as 5,000 years."

Interactions between ethanol, oil, and food prices

With the plummetting oil and food prices around the glode, we now have data needed in order to analyze what effect ethanol truly has on food prices. As the article below points out, food prices are tied more to oil prices than anything else. Ethanol production continues to expand even as food prices fall due to lower oil prices. All this should promt us to develop more regionalized and localized sustainable food systems that are less reliant on oil (fossil fuel) inputs.
Fact vs. Fiction on Food vs. Fuel - International Analyst Network: "At the height of the oil crisis, ethanol was responsible for keeping the price of oil 15% lower than where it would otherwise have been. This means that as vexing as some find annual ethanol subsidies of roughly $5.6 billion, the use of ethanol saved the U.S. economy in 2008 roughly ten-times that amount which otherwise would have ended up in the coffers of foreign oil-exporting countries - many of them hostile to us."

Saltwater Crops May Be Key to Solving Earth's Land Crunch

Certain plants can be grown on land with a high salt concentration. Some of them could produce high biomass yields for cellulosic ethanol production. Most food crops cannot be grown on these soils, so they are largely under-utilized for farming.
Food vs. Fuel: Saltwater Crops May Be Key to Solving Earth's Land Crunch Wired Science from Wired.com: "His team's report for the agency estimates that salt-loving crops could be used to produce 1.5 billion barrels of ethanol annually on a swath of new agricultural land almost five times the size of Texas."

Recovering CO2 with Algae

Algae is capable of converting CO2 into biomass. The algae biomass can then be converted to ethanol or biodiesel. Costs will need to be brought down, however.
Untitled Page: "They propose to employ algae to scrub carbon dioxide from the flue-gases of coal-fired power plants _ of which Kentucky has many _ and use the algae to produce an oil that could then be refined into fuel."

KMP begins ethanol shipment by pipeline

The cost of shipment by rail and truck has been a limiting factor for the ethanol industry. Pipeline transportation may provide an answer in some cases. Pipelines must be modified or designed for shipment of ethanol.
Press Releases: "HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 2, 2008--Kinder Morgan Energy Partners, L.P. (NYSE:KMP) today announced it is now transporting commercial batches of denatured ethanol along with gasoline shipments in its 16-inch Central Florida Pipeline (CFPL) between Tampa and Orlando, Fla., making CFPL the first transmarket gasoline pipeline in the United States to do so."

Making Clean Energy from Waste with PEM

Especially in the current financial environment, renewable energy production will be much more competitive if it solves other problems at the same time, such as waste disposal.
Making Clean Energy from Waste - Renewable Energy World: "Rather than incinerating waste, InEnTec uses its Plasma Enhanced Melter (PEM) Systems to heat waste to very high temperatures using electrically charged gas (plasma), breaking down organic material and creating a variety of products."

Clean water and biofuel with algae

Scientists say a system for cleaning river water with algae is ready to go large scale. They want to then produce biofuels such as butanol from the algae. A small scale system is cleaning water flowing into Chesapeake Bay.
LancasterOnline.com:News:Project aims to produce bio-fuel while cleaning up bay: "The constantly growing algae is vacuumed up with an everyday Shop-Vac. The gooey material, when dried, could be a prime catalyst for fermenting a bio-fuel."

Iowa Ethanol maker to add algae bioreactors

Green Plains Renewable Energy Inc. plans to expiriment with algae production at an Iowa ethanol biorefinery. This could increase the efficiency of biofuel production by utilizing waste heat and C02.

GRAINNET News and Information for the Grain, Milling, Feed, Seed and BioFuels Industry: "Using advanced photobioreactor technology developed by the company from base technology licensed to the company by BioProcessH2O, BioProcess Algae expects to produce algae at Green Plains' ethanol plant in Shenandoah, Iowa, sustained by the plant's recycled heat, water and carbon dioxide."

Biodiesel and Ethanol from catfish ponds

PetroSun Biofuels proposes making biodiesel and ethanol from algae grown in Mississippi catfish ponds, producing both catfish and biofuels in the same space.
Grainnet Information for the Grain, Milling, Feed, Seed and BioFuels Industry: "Based on an annual potential production rate of 2,000 gallons per acre, the existing 80,000 acres of ponds would produce 160 million gallons of algal oil annually for conversion to biodiesel."

Biogas potential from U.S. livestock farms

Other countries have developed large-scale production of biogas and electricity from livestock manure. With the proper regulatory environmnet and incentives, the U.S. could do the same. This article and the comments are a good introduction to the benefits and challenges of biogas from livestock manure.
Biogas: what options for Slurry power in the US? - Renewable Energy World: "Intensive animal farming produces large amounts of waste – about 75 kg per cow, per day – that is both a source of methane pollution and a potential groundwater pollutant. Using anaerobic digestion to treat animal slurry can provide a solution to this problem, as well as renewable energy."

Ethanol biorefinery to be powered by landfill gas

Biogas (mainly methane) from a landfill will be used in place of natural gas as the process fuel used to turn corn and grain sorghum into ethanol. This should improve the energy balance of the ethanol produced and the city will receive a royalty.
The Robesonian > St Pauls Review > News > Ethanol plant permitted: "The plant will partner with Robeson County on the site. Robeson County, which signed a 15-year deal with Solv-It Technologies in February, 2007, will install a $1.1 million methane gas collection system to power the plant. The methane will be collected from the landfill."

St. Joseph demonstration plant for next generation biofuels

Gevo and ICM are teaming up to build a demonstration plant in St. Joseph, Missouri. They will investigate Gevo's technology for converting standard ethanol biorefineries so that they can produce isobutanol and other alcohol-based chemicals from cellulosic agricultural waste materials. The technolofy is outlined here: http://www.gevo.com/our_technology.php. The end result could be cost effective bio-based renewable auto fuels, diesel fuels, jet fuels, and plastics.
Gevo – Next Generation Biofuels: "“Our data says that it will cost less than $0.30 per gallon to retrofit an ethanol plant to make isobutanol. Isobutanol can be converted to gasoline blendstocks for less than an additional $0.25 per gallon. Think of it: gasoline from an ethanol plant for less than $0.60/gallon additional capital,” stated Gruber. “This technology is a win-win for both the agricultural and petrochemical industries. It opens up new and broader value-added markets to the agricultural community, and it provides the petrochemical industry with an easier route to incorporate renewable fuels and chemicals into their existing infrastructure,” said Gruber."

New Method Turns Wood into Sugar for Biofuels

German researchers appear to have a breakthrough in this new method for turning wood into simple sugars. Simple sugars can be easily turned into ethanol or other useful substances.
New Method Turns Wood into Sugar for Biofuels: "Up to now, conventional methods for converting cellulose to sugar have used acid baths or high temperatures and pressures that require massive amounts of energy. This new method, however, works by first dissolving cellulose in an ionic liquid so that the long chains are broken down into shorter, single stranded chains called oligomers."

Improving biobutanol production efficiency

Researchers at the USDA Agricultural Research Service are working on more efficient ways to produce celllulosic biobutanol, an alcohol with properties superior to ethanol. They are able to combine some of the steps necessary to make biobutanol from straw.
Banking on Biobutanol: "If scaled up further, the process could yield 307 combined kilograms, or 99 gallons, of acetone, biobutanol, and ethanol from 1 ton of wheat straw. The P260 strain produces a specific ratio of the three chemicals, but efforts are now under way at Peoria to develop genetically modified bacteria that will make only biobutanol."

UNL study shows ethanol production efficiency growing

Previous studies on ethanol production often used data from outdated technology. More recently, the ethanol industry is using less fossil fuels per unit of ethanol produced, and especially less petroleum.
UNL study: Ethanol energy efficiency growing - Grand Island, NE - Grand Island Independent: "Cassman said if the goal is to reduce dependence on imported oil, his research estimates that 13 gallons of ethanol are produced for every gallon of petroleum used in the production life cycle for corn ethanol."

New ethanol biorefinery will use barley

Construction has begun on an ethanol biorefinery in Virginia that will use barley as the primary feedstock. Using barley will open up large new areas of the U.S. Southeast for ethanol production. Aslo, barley is generally a winter crop, double cropped with soybeans in this region. This winter crop cuts down on soil erosion and runnoff into the ocean because soil is not left unprotected through the winter. So this is and instance where ethanol could provide environmental benefit and help preserve soil productivity.
DD Construction to begin on new ethanol plant

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