News and Trends

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First Integrated Bioethanol-Biodiesel Plant Opens in Brazil
http://www.agenciabrasil.gov.br/noticias/2006/11/21/materia.2006-11-21.9932096957/view

Brazil’s first integrated ethanol-biodiesel plant was recently opened this November by no less than Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva. Located in Barra do Bugres, Mato Grosso (in Brazil’s soybean belt), the plant will produce cane-derived ethanol and biodiesel from soybean. The plant is seen to boost Brazil’s failing soy and oilseed crushing industries. The integration of bioethanol and biodiesel in a single integrated plant is said to provide major infrastructure and energy savings..

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Carbonpositive Implements Major forestry and biofuel project in China
http://www.carbonpositive.net/viewarticle.aspx?articleID=469

Carbonpositive, an organization involved in sustainable bioenergy projects in developing countries has secured about 266,000 hectares of land in Yunnan province, China, for reforestation and biofuels crops. About 2,000 hectares will have already been planted with Jatropha by February 2007. Biodiesel production from Jatropha plantations is said to contribute to China’s current five-year plan to have biodiesel as a substitute for coal..

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BP Fuels Technology and Du Pont Bioscience Blend Efforts to Develop Next Generation Biofuels
http://www.bp.com/genericarticle.do?categoryId=2012968&contentId=7018942

BP and DuPont (both internationally known energy and chemical/science companies, respectively) have formed a partnership to develop “advanced” or “next generation” biofuels, possessing properties that overcome limitations of presently used biofuels.

Biobutanol is the first such advanced biofuel planned for introduction as a gasoline component in the U.K. in 2007. As with ethanol, biobutanol is similarly produced by fermentation of starchy, saccharine or cellulosic feedstocks. The following are its desirable properties: (1) low vapor pressure and tolerance to water, (2) potential for blending at higher concentrations without engine retrofitting, (3) greater fuel economy and fuel efficiency..

Energy Crops and Feedstocks for Biofuels Production

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Dryland Crops as Biofuels Feedstocks
http://www.icrisat.org/Investors/wit_5/wit_5.htm

Dryland crops are said to have the potential to contribute to the development of biofuels in developing countries, while uplifting the living condition of the dryland poor. In a recent message by Dr. William Dar, Director of ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics), dryland crops are mentioned as comparably cost competitive with conventional feedstocks (with respect to raw material cost) for biofuel production. They are excited about the potential of the dryland crop, sweet sorghum, for ethanol production. Dr. Dar mentions that sweet sorghum is an efficient fixer of the atmospheric carbon dioxide, requires less irrigation compared to sugarcane, and still packs in a high sugar content in the stalks (about 15% to 20%). ICRISAT is identifying high-sugar parent lines for hybrid breeding from their global germplasm collection. The hybrids could be grown year-round and smoothen out raw material supply problems. Private sector collaborations are being established so that the hybrids find their way to industrial applications.

ICRISAT is also interested in two dryland species whose fruits have a good oil yields for biodiesel production (about 35%): Jatropha curcas, a drought tolerant shrub adapted to well-drained wastelands, and Pongamia pinnata, a leguminous tree adapted to wastelands with problem soils. The vision is to have village level plantations of these crops to increase economic opportunities for the dryland poor. Genetic variability levels of these species in Asia and Africa is being explored to find varieties with higher oil content and increased income-earning potential..

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Biomass Feedstock Composition and Property Database
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/biomass/printable_versions/feedstock_databases.html

This site by the U.S. Department of Energy- Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Biomass Progam contains information on the composition and physical properties of various biomass resources, a useful database for biofuels researchers..

Biofuels Processing

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“Fuel in a Flash”: Quick Production of Renewable Biofuels from Vegetable Oils/Biomass
(Press Release): http://www1.umn.edu/umnnews/Feature_Stories/Fuel_in_a_flash.html
(Complete article): http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/314/5800/801

Researchers at the University of Minnesota described a new process which can quickly extract hydrogen and carbon monoxide (synthesis gas) from vegetable oil and plant wastes. The process, called “reactive flash volatilization”, may make the production of synthetic diesel fuel and fertilizers more efficient in the future.

In their paper published by the journal Science, Lanny Schmidt and colleagues wrote that energy was generated by spraying soybean oil on a catalyst-coated ceramic foam at a temperature of 800 oC, and with a little amount of oxygen. This resulted in the production of hydrogen and carbon dioxide without any carbon residue. The researchers proposed that the new process may lead to better utilization of plant and animal waste products for energy production, which may in turn help the United States reduce the importation of fossil fuels..

Biofuels Policy and Economics

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Overview of the International Biofuels Scene
http://www.dpmc.gov.au/biofuels/final_report.cfm

The Australian Biofuels Task Force gives useful information on the international biofuels scene, particularly in the Americas, Asia and Europe. The study makes the following interesting observations: (1) Ethanol and biodiesel are the internationally dominant biofuels; but while these are growing in market share, the contribution to total transport fuel usage is small (about 1%), (2) The major producers of bioethanol are Brazil and the United State in the Americas, while India, China and Thailand are dominant in Asia. Europe is the main producer of almost all of the word’s biodiesel, (3) The driving incentive of many countries in the use and development of biofuels is agricultural support; many countries have subsidies, and regulatory preferences in support of biofuels. The Australian Biofuels Task Force Report also tackles many issues that are helpful in biofuels policy formulation..

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Life-Cycle Accounting Study Shows Biodiesel from Soybean and Bioethanol from Corn are Net Energy Positive
(News Article): http://www.biofuelsjournal.com/articles/Study_by_University_of_Minnesota_
Researchers_Shows_Biofuels_are_Energy_Positive-35954.html
(Abstract of Paper): http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/103/30/11206?maxtoshow=
&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=1&author1=Hill%2C+J
&andorexacttitle=and&andorexacttitleabs=and&andorexactfulltext=and
&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT

A study from the University of Minnesota evaluated the energetic, environmental and energy cost/benefits of two major transport biofuels in the United States: biodiesel from soybean and bioethanol from corn. The purpose was to determine whether these biofuels are viable alternatives to biofuels. Their study (published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) involved the use of “life-cycle accounting of direct/indirect inputs in the complete production and in use life cycles.”

From an energetic standpoint, corn-derived ethanol was shown to have 25% more energy relative to its energy input, while biodiesel had 93% energy gain. From an environmental point of view, biodiesel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions (relative to fossil fuels) by 41%, while ethanol could do the same by 12%. However, despite their having a net energy gain and positive environmental benefits, both biofuels cannot completely replace fossil fuels. Furthermore, the use of soybean and corn for biofuel production will have major impacts on food supplies. Researchers found that only 12% of the gasoline demand and only 6% of the diesel demand could be satisfied. Biofuels produced from low input biomass and grown on agriculturally marginal land was seen to provide much greater economic and environmental benefits..