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News and Trends
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-03/acs-ep030909.php A "continuously flowing fixed bed" process is reported as the "first economical way to produce biodiesel from algae oil". According to Ben Wen, vice president of United Environment and Energy LLC (New York, United States), the process costs much less than the conventional because running times are faster (smaller plants are possible), there are no water disposal costs, and a purification step is made unnecessary. The use of a solid catalyst provides the key advantage for the process. In conventional biodiesel production, the biodiesel-yielding reaction between the oil and the alcohol uses a liquid catalyst (usually an alkali solution). A purification step is necessary to separate the liquid catalyst from the biodiesel product. In the new process, the reactants are just run through a fixed column of solid catalysts. Conversion of the reactants into biodiesel proceeds as the liquid stream passes through the column. Hence, the final product can be collected at the end of the column without any purification step to separate the catalyst from the product. A pilot program for the process with a production capacity of nearly 1 million gallons of algae biodiesel per year is being conducted..
http://biofuelsdigest.com/blog2/2009/03/26/sabre-fuel-plus-lufthansa-launch-new-aviation-carbon-calculators-as-eu-emissions-trading-and-new-multi-fuel-world-looms/ The biofuels digest website reports the launching of a "new carbon calculating tool" for the aviation industry. The "carbon calculator" is designed to assist airlines in their new EU emissions reporting and carbon planning activities. The tool is essentially a software called, "FuelPlus Emissions", and will "enable carriers that are to be included in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to track, report and forecast tonne-kilometre data and aircraft emissions for every flight and every type of fuel"..
http://biofuelsdigest.com/blog2/2009/03/24/the-blunder-crop-a-biofuels-digest-special-report-on-jatropha-biofuels-development/ The Biofuels Digest website recently featured a special report on the status of jatropha biodiesel development in many countries. The report portrays a scenario of progress that is not going as smoothly as envisioned. Among the issues mentioned are : (1) the "hype that cites jatropha's "poor soil" tolerance and high yields without noting that jatropha survives, but hardly thrives, in very poor soil", (2) lack of mechanical harvesters, (3) lack of adequate soil testing in the rush to plant. The report looks into the situation in countries like China, India, Myanmar, Haiti, as well as the situtation in companies, such as D1 oils. The full report is available at the biofuels digest website (URL above).. Energy Crops and Feedstocks for Biofuels Productionhttp://www.biotechnologyforbiofuels.com/content/2/1/5 In an effort to develop an inexpensive and rapid evaluation of the feedstock quality for cellulose ethanol production, scientists from the University of Wisconsin and Iowa State University (both in the United States) report the use of forage quality and composition measurements to predict ethanol yield from corn stover. A variety of choices for cellulosic feedstocks are available for ethanol processing, but some may have better ethanol yields compared to others. Inevitably, rapid and high-throughput methods to predict/screen feedstocks with higher ethanol yields will be necessary to process a large number of samples. Such methods will also be useful in agronomic research and breeding programs for bioenergy crops. The results of the study indicate that ethanol yield is mostly a function of carbohydrate convertibility. Convertibility and ethanol yield are reported to be highly correlated with forage quality measurements, and are strongly, but negatively correlated with lignin content. The research is a preliminary step to establish models to predict biofuel feedstock quality from rapid measurements of digestibility and composition. The results are published in the open access journal, Biotechnology for Biofuels (URL above).. Biofuels Processinghttp://www.technologyreview.com/energy/22307/ The Technology Review website reports that Zymetis, a biotechnology start-up company in College Park, Maryland (United States), recently completed its first commercial-scale trial on a genetically modified, cellulose-degrading bacterium called Saccharophagus degradans. The bacterium was isolated from the marshes of Chesapeake Bay. A series of tests in large fermentors showed that the bacterium was able to convert one ton of cellulosic plant biomass into sugar in 72 hours. According to Scott Laughlin, CEO of Zymetis, the organism's main advantage is its ability to naturally combine two major steps in the ethanol process, which could considerably reduce the high costs of producing ethanol from cellulosic biomass.. Biofuels Policy and Economics
http://biofuelsdigest.com/blog2/2009/03/25/australian-researchers-say-saltwater-algae-biodiesel-production-is-at-parity-with-petroleum-diesel-costs-commercial-scaling-is-all-that-is-needed/ Researchers from Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) recently released a paper assessing the "the greenhouse gas, costs and energy balance on a life cycle basis for algae grown in salt water ponds and used to produce biodiesel and electricity". They considered a design scenario of an algal cultivation system based on Australian conditions, and subsequent processing of the algal biomass into biodiesel by conventional chemical methods. Results showed that it is possible to produce algal biodiesel "at less cost and with a substantial greenhouse gas and energy balance advantage over fossil diesel". The value of the biodiesel in economic and carbon terms may also be maximized by co-locating the algal production facility into a power grid and use the biodiesel for electrical power generation. Full access of the CSIRO report can be made at the CSIRO website (URL above).. http://www.biotechnologyforbiofuels.com/content/pdf/1754-6834-2-3.pdf Researchers from the Imperial College London recently investigated the factors that would determine the eventual production cost and commercial viability of cellulosic ethanol production in Europe. They developed a "holistic" cost model that can allow rapid comparison of different process concepts at the supply chain level, from feedstock production to feedstock consumption. Among the findings of their study are: (1) commercial cellulose ethanol production will be determined critically by the supply chain design, (2) feedstock supply is important, and the need for location-specific assessments of feedstock availability and price is highlighted, (3) "the role of subsidies and policy incentives in creating and sustaining the ethanol market highlights the importance of political engagement and the need to include political risks in investment appraisal", (4) maximum ethanol revenues and minimum need for subsidies may be realized with low percentage blends of ethanol with gasoline. Complete results of the study can be accessed from the open access journal, Biotechnology for Biofuels (URL above). Related information of the concept of "supply chain":
http://www.opecfund.org/news_press/2009/biofuels.aspx The website of the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) recently announced the summary of a study entitled, "Biofuels and Food Security: Implications of an accelerated biofuels production". The commissioned study (prepared by the Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), reviews the global status of biofuels development (national policies and support measures) and "quantifies the agro-ecological potential of first- and second-generation biofuel crops". First generation biofuel feedstocks are those which are food-based crops such as corn for ethanol and soybean for biodiesel. Second generation feedstocks are derived from non-food sources, such as cellulosic biomass for ethanol and jatropha for biodiesel. Among the highlights of the study are: (1) first-generation biofuels development as has been promoted by national policies is conflicting with goals of achieving food security", with only modest increases in agricultural value achieved in developing countries, (2) first generation biofuels can only achieve net greenhouse gas savings after 2030, and "creates additional risks of deforestation and threats to biodiversity", (3) To avoid negative impacts of biofuels on food security, concerted research efforts to increase agricultural productivity are necessary. The pamphlet summary can be downloaded from the OFID website (URL above).. |
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