Tag Archives: Bio Fuels

Three Types of Climate Action for Europe and Central Asia Region

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Under current trajectories, the world is headed toward a world that will be 4 degrees warmer by the end of this century.

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

>[…] However, as we try to show in our recent publication, Growing Green: the Economic Benefits of Climate Action, strategic investment in climate action can benefit these countries in the medium- and long-terms – thus offsetting the negative consequences of these investments.

Above all, countries need to focus on three types of climate action: climate action as aco-benefit, climate action as an investment, and climate action as insurance.

This first area of climate action is simply a co-benefit of policies that make sense even if we were not concerned about climate change. These are things like supporting energy efficiency investments or restoring degraded soils to make agriculture more productive (while also increasing carbon storage in soils).

The second area is what we call climate action as an investment. This gets at the issue of how countries can benefit from greening their economies – doing well by doing good. What we have seen in the last few years is that new firms emerge in countries that have implemented ambitious green policies early and take advantage of the economic opportunities that have sprung from these policies. […]<

See on blogs.worldbank.org

Synthesis of Butanol: Towards a Better Biofuel

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Researchers have developed a catalyst to convert ethanol into butanol with high selectivity, potentially allowing butanol to replace ethanol as a biofuel.

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

>[…] Because manufacturers can prepare ethanol from renewable sources, researchers consider the biofuel a good alternative to standard fossil fuels such as gasoline. Indeed, its production and use have increased remarkably in the last ten years; manufacturers now commonly add ethanol to gasoline fuels.

Despite this increased use, however, ethanol has several disadvantages. It has a lower calorific value than standard gasoline (19.6 vs. 32 MJ/liter); moreover, it is corrosive. For this reason, the maximum amount which can be added to standard gasoline is about 10 %; cars cannot use fuels with higher ethanol amounts without engine modifications.

Butanol: a Better Option

1-Butanol (CH3-CH2-CH2-CH2-OH), an alcohol with a longer chain, could be a better alternative to ethanol. Indeed, it has a higher calorific value (29.2 MJ/liter) and it is much less corrosive; because of this, manufacturers can add it to gasoline in higher proportions without engine modifications, and theoretically it could completely replace the gasoline. Moreover, its octane number is very similar to that of gasoline – 96 vs 91-99.

Despite these characteristics, however, we’re not yet using butanol in cars due to the difficulties in producing the alternative biofuel. […]<

See on www.decodedscience.com

Plan B Updates – 115: Peak Water: What Happens When the Wells Go Dry? | EPI

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Peak oil has generated headlines in recent years, but the real threat to our future is peak water. There are substitutes for oil, but not for water. We can produce food without oil, but not without water.

See on www.earth-policy.org

Ethanol critics rev up efforts to repeal biofuel rules on gas

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The ethanol industry is again under fire from critics who want to eliminate the federal mandate that oil companies blend biofuels into the gasoline supply.

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

>“There will be a push in our committee by some, Republicans and Democrats, to do away with the RFS, saying that it’s just completely unnecessary today, that we have enough gas and oil, that we just don’t need another fuel source, let alone subsidizing it,” Terry said.

An Environmental Protection Agency analysis found that the renewable fuel requirements will displace billions of gallons of petroleum-based fuel consumption, reduce domestic motor fuel prices and increase U.S. farm income. But it also found the potential for higher food prices.

In 2000, ethanol accounted for about 6 percent of the nation’s corn crop. Last year, it accounted for 40 percent of the corn crop.

That’s why the standard’s critics include the grocery industry and some livestock producers that want cheaper grain to feed their animals.<

See on www.omaha.com

China Eastern tests flight using biofuel – Xinhua | English.news.cn

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Sinopec is the first company in China to master the technology of turning palm oil and waste cooking oil into jet biofuel l.

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

The jet, which used a palm oil biofuel made by China Petroleum and Chemical Corp, or Sinopec, Asia’s largest oil refiner, flew for 85 minutes after taking off from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport.

Liu said he performed several extreme maneuvers, including diving above 12,000 meters, but found no significant difference between the Sinopec biofuel and gasoline. The plane’s left fuel tank was filled with gasoline to allow him to compare.

“The performance of the biofuel during the takeoff was powerful,” the pilot added.

Sinopec is the first company in China to master the technology of turning palm oil and waste cooking oil into jet biofuel.

 

See on news.xinhuanet.com

USDA Renews Dairy Energy Pact – Domestic Fuel

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Agriculture Secretary Vilsack today renewed a historic agreement with U.S. dairy producers to accelerate the adoption of innovative waste-to-energy projects and energy efficiency improvements on U.S. dairy farms…

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

USDA support for agricultural and waste-to-energy research has played a key role in the agreement’s success to date. Since signing the MOU, USDA has made nearly 180 awards that helped finance the development, construction, and biogas production of anaerobic digester systems with Rural Development programs, such as the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels, Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program, Value Added Producer Grants, amongst others. These systems capture methane and produce renewable energy for on-farm use and sale onto the electric grid. Additionally, during this period, USDA awarded approximately 140 REAP loans and grants to help dairy farmers develop other types of renewable energy and energy efficiency systems at their operations.

See on domesticfuel.com

Biofuel Used to Make Stronger Building Materials

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Biodiesel Fuel. Image Source: Tomorrow Is Greener Civil engineers have developed a tougher and more resilient form of concrete by using waste material created during the manufacture of biofuel as a proxy for cement.

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

Biofuel manufactured from cellulose materials such as wood and straw creates a residue called lignin, which is generally deemed a waste product and disposed of via burning or burial.

Engineers at the University of Kansas have found that the lignin has immense potential as a green building ingredient. When 20 per cent lignin waste was added to a concrete mix as a replacement for cement, the ensuing chemical reaction created a building material endowed with 30 per cent more strength.

The findings could have tremendous implications for both the biofuel and concrete industries, as well as the carbon footprint of the construction sector, which generates immense CO2 emissions due to cement production.

See on designbuildsource.com.au

Aemetis Announces Restart of 60 Million Gallon Per Year Keyes Biofuels Plant – WSJ.com

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Aemetis, Inc. (OTCQB: AMTX), an advanced fuels and renewable chemicals company, announced today that the Aemetis 60 million gallon per year capacity ethanol facility in Keyes, California has completed planned maintenance and preparations for the production of Advanced Biofuel under recent EPA rulings, and is now restarting production.

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

The plant will start up using corn as the principal feedstock, with grain sorghum or a feedstock blend used after startup to maximize operating income. In December 2012, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the use of grain sorghum feedstock along with biogas in a combined heat and power system to produce an Advanced Biofuel containing approximately 50% lower carbon content than gasoline. Advanced Biofuel generates D5 Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) that have traded at a premium to traditional ethanol D6 RINs.

[…]  “About $5 million of capital investment and new working capital has been invested since mid-January for maintenance and to enable the plant to produce Advanced Biofuel in a flexible configuration that enables the use of multiple feedstocks and energy sources.”

McAfee added, “The Keyes plant has sustainable cost advantages in Advanced Biofuels production. The plant’s location enables both rail and ocean shipping access to advanced biofuel feedstock from lower-cost supply sources. The Keyes plant is also equipped with an energy-efficient Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system to reduce energy costs and decrease the carbon content of fuel. By using grain sorghum feedstock and sourcing biogas for the CHP system instead of natural gas, the Keyes facility is now able to produce Advanced Biofuel to support EPA requirements for advanced fuels.”

See on online.wsj.com

Waste and Recycling Industry – Landfill Gas Collection Almost 50% of Renewable Energy Supply USA

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WASHINGTON, April 18, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The waste and recycling industry is continuing to reduce its release of greenhouse gases — even as waste volumes increase, according to the latest greenhouse gas inventory released by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

Despite the fact that we are landfilling 6 percent less than 20 years ago, we have greatly improved our ability to reduce methane emissions. As a result, these emissions declined by 30 percent during the same period. This has happened as a result of converting methane to energy, flaring of methane emissions and oxidation techniques.

There are 594 landfill gas-to-energy sites in the United States that generated 1,813 megawatts (MW) of energy and 312 million standard cubic feet a day (mmscfd) of gas. This is enough energy to directly power 1 million homes and heat 729,000, respectively.

Methane gas collected at landfills is used to power home, businesses and government facilities across the nation. Some of it is even used to fuel garbage trucks. Landfill-gas-to-energy projects and other forms of biomass-derived energy make up the almost half of the nation’s renewable energy supply, almost the same amount as is derived from solar, wind, geothermal and hydropower combined.

See on online.wsj.com

Whisky distilleries start powering biomass energy plant

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A cluster of Scottish whisky distilleries have started supplying a new biomass energy plant with enough waste to power 9,000 homes.

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

The innovative Helius CoRDe energy plant was opened in Rothes, Speyside, this week to transform the by-products from the local whisky industry into power.

Adrian Bowles, Helius Energy CEO said: “This is renewable energy in action using innovative technology to provide enough power for 9000 homes, and produce animal feed using by-products from local whisky distilleries.

See on www.clickgreen.org.uk