BIOFUELS SUPPLEMENT
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A bi-weekly summary of world developments on biofuels, produced by the Global Knowledge Center on Crop Biotechnology, International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications SEAsiaCenter (ISAAA)
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September 14, 2007
In This Issue:
News and Trends
- Distance Learning for Jatropha Biodiesel Established
- New Zealand Starts Rapeseed Biodiesel Trials
- “Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining”: A New Journal for Biofuels
- Grain Ethanol Comparable with Advanced Biofuel Technologies
- "Largest" Soybean Biodiesel Production in the US Opens
Biofuels Processing
- Quest for Alternative Fermenting Microbes
Biofuels Policy and Economics
- China Energy Plan Targets 15% Renewable Energy Use by 2020
* NEWS AND TRENDS *
Distance Learning for Jatropha Biodiesel Established
http://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
http://www.stuff.co.nz/thepress/4184775a6531.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
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://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline-equivalent_gallon