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News and Trendshttp://www.jatrophaworld.org/54.html The Center for Jatropha Promotion, an India-based organization devoted to providing support and services related to the development and establishment of Jatropha as a biofuel crop, has announced its “Distance Training (Learning) Program on Jatropha Biodiesel & Agricultural Hi-tech Techniques”. Jatropha is a tropical plant, whose non-edible nuts can be extracted for oil that can be used as raw material for biodiesel production. The program consists of online documents, CDs, DVDs, and covers a wide range of topics on Jatropha growing, processing, and economics. Among the topics are: (1) Jatropha oil crop – concepts, sources, bio diversity and potential as renewable energy, (2) Jatropha crop cultivation & Jatropha crop care, (3) Jatropha oil and press machines, (4) Jatropha biodiesel- small scale production, (5) Jatropha economics and marketing, (6) Jatropha crop productivity, profitability, sustainability, and (7) Jatropha and CDM (Clean Development Mechanism) aspects. More information can be obtained at the above URL. Related information on the Jatropha plant: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jatropha
http://www.biofpr.com/news_070805.html New Zealand is on its way in the development of the biofuels industry, ensuring adequate supply of feedstocks for biodiesel production. Although tallow (animal fat from meat processing plants) and used cooking oil (from food processing commercial establishments) are considered as potential biodiesel feedstocks, oilseed crops like rapeseed are being considered as supplemental feedstock supply. The “biofpr” website reports that Biodiesel New Zealand, is seeking cropping farmers who would plant rapeseed for a 1500 hectare biofuel trial in South Island. The planting, scheduled to start in October, covers “North Otago and Canterbury, south of the Ashburton River and north of the Waimakariri River, and as far south as Southland”. Planting boundaries are regulated to prevent contamination of vegetable seed crops for export. Under the agreement, the company will shoulder transport costs and compensate farmers in staggered payments. The farmers would initially cover the cost of seeds, which would be repaid after crop harvest. The trial will provide more information on cost/benefit assessment of rapeseed as biodiesel feedstock in the region.
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/jabout/114071350/ProductInformation.html The Society for Chemistry and Industry (SCI) and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, has launched a new “review and commentary” journal called “Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining”. The journal provides useful information on developments and issues related to sustainable use of renewable biobased raw materials for the production of fuels and chemicals. The journal presents a mix of news, reviews, features, patent intelligence reports and recent advances. Topics covered include feedstock design and production; biomass treatment and conversion; separation and process technology; and industrial development. The maiden journal issue, contains interesting articles on the latest technologies in the processing of lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels; the challenges and opportunities of biodiesel; and on perspectives on the “food or fuel” debate..
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/114801276/ABSTRACT Scientists from the Iowa State University’s Center for Sustainable Environmental Technologies conducted a techo-economic analysis to compare the costs of grain ethanol obtained from biochemical processing of corn with four lignocellulose-feedstock-based “advanced biofuels”, produced either by the “biochemical platform” or the “thermochemical platform”. The four “advanced biofuels” include: (1) cellulosic ethanol (2) thermochemical hydrogen (3) thermochemical methanol and (4) thermochemical Fischer-Tropsch liquids. Using a 150 million gallon “gasoline-equivalent” of the target biofuel per year as the common basis for production capacity, the results show that the operating costs of the “advanced biofuels” were comparable with those of grain ethanol. Although the capital costs for “advanced biofuels” were higher than grain ethanol by a factor of 5, the corresponding costs of the lignocellulosic feedstocks were lower. Under the present conditions, the scientists conclude that both grain ethanol and advanced biofuel technologies have “opportunities to compete with each other”. The experiment and the complete analysis is published in the journal “Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining” (URL above). Related information on the concept of “gasoline equivalent gallon” http://alternativefuels.about.com/od/resources/a/gge.htm http://www.biofuels-news.com/news/world_soy.html The “largest integrated soybean-based biodiesel plant in the world" opened in Indiana, United States. Estimated to have a production capacity of 946,000 liters/day of biodiesel, and a capital investment of about US$150 million, the facility by the Louis Dreyfus Company plans to process about 50 million bushels of soybean provided by both county and regional farmers.. Biofuels Processing
http://www.biofpr.com/features_070902.html Baker’s yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, has been the microorganism of choice for the industrial production of ethanol by fermentation using saccharine substrates (such as molasses and sugarcane juice). A recent paper by Alain Vertes and colleagues (Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, URL above) suggests the need for alternative fermentation technologies to baker’s yeast for fuel bioethanol production.The authors believe that the alternatives “may allow a greater diversity of substrates used to produce an individually tailored mix of ethanol and other chemicals” and overcome some constraints related to fermentative bioethanol production. The paper describes a few alternative technologies, including the concept of “multiplex fermentation”, the use of genetically engineered bacteria, and strategies for the decoupling of growth and product formation.. Biofuels Policy and Economics
http://biopact.com/2007/09/china-unveils-265-billion-renewable.html In order to pursue sustained economic development, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of China announced a 2 trillion yuan (US$265 billion) energy plan which targets an increase in the use of renewable energy from 7.5% of the total energy consumption in 2005, to 15% by 2020. The plan focuses on the development of biomass energy (biogas, biodiesel, bioethanol) as well as on the development of solar and wind energy, and hydropower. By 2020, China plans to replace its 10 million-ton-per-year oil consumption with 10 million tons per year of bioethanol and 2 million tons per year of biodiesel.. |
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