Biodiesel
[Due to the increasing size of the archives, each topic page now contains only the prior 365 days of content. Access to older stories is now solely through the Monthly Archive pages or the site search function.]
Early Stage Algae Biofuel Company Closes $10.5M Funding Round; Additional $5M for Pilot Plant
November 11, 2008
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| Solix calculations on the theoretical maximum production of algal oil. (See below.) Click to enlarge. Source: Kristina Weyer, Solix Biofuels |
Solix Biofuels, a Fort Collins, Colo.-based early-stage company focused on algae-based intermediates for fuel and chemical production (earlier post), has raised $10.5 million in its first round of outside funding, and has reached an agreement with investors for an additional commitment of $5 million, to be used to build an algae biofuel facility near Durango, Colo. The pilot project is intended to showcase Solix’s ability to produce biofuel and feedstocks for the chemicals industry at commercially-feasible production levels and costs.
The funding will support Solix’s development of its fourth-generation technology, including a proprietary closed photo-bioreactor system intended to produce biocrude from algae cost-effectively. The $5 million follow-on commitment from the investor group will provide construction financing for the pilot plant, which will be developed jointly by Solix Biofuels and Southern Ute Alternative Energy LLC.
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New Process for Direct Conversion of Glycerol to Methanol
November 06, 2008
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| The new process catalytically converts glycerol to methanol using hydrogen under mild conditions. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at Oxford University (UK) have developed a new method to produce methanol (CH3OH) directly from glycerol (C3H5(OH)3), a byproduct of the transesterification process that produces biodiesel.
The process, developed by Professor Edman Tsang and his group at the Department of Inorganic Chemistry, uses direct catalytic hydrogenolysis of glycerol under mild conditions: 100°C and hydrogen at 20 bar pressure. Earlier this year, Tsang’s research in new catalytic materials identified a supported precious metal which efficiently converts glycerol to methanol.
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Simultaneous Reduction of Biodiesel NOx and PM Emissions with Low Temperature Combustion
October 29, 2008
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| Time integration of spatially integrated flame luminosity (SIFL) and NOx emissions of the 12 cases with different injection strategies and fuel blends. Click to enlarge. Credit: ACS |
Simultaneous reduction of NOx and soot in a biodiesel-fueled engine is possible through the use of low-temperature HCCI combustion modes, according to a study by a team of researchers from the US and Taiwan. Their paper was published online 28 October in the ACS journal Environmental Science and Technology.
A number of studies are exploring mechanisms for enabling the use of biodiesel in light- and heavy-duty diesel engines for lower PM, CO, SOx, and HC emissions without incurring a NOx penalty. (Earlier post.) Low-temperature combustion (LTC) is one promising technique to meet these requirements. LTC includes homogeneous-charge compression ignition (HCCI) and several other newer combustion concepts.
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I-65 Biofuel Corridor from Indiana to Alabama Complete
October 10, 2008
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| The I-65 Biofuels Corridor, with some of the station locations marked on the map (the numbers refer to the timeline of events on the promotional drive.) Click to enlarge. |
Interstate 65 is now “America’s First Biofuels Corridor” with the conclusion of a project to make E85 Ethanol and B20 Biodiesel available the entire 886-mile length of the Interstate, from Gary, Indiana to Mobile, Alabama. A driver is now no more than a quarter of a tank’s drive from a participating E85 retailer.
The $1.3 million federal project involved Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama, the four states through which I-65 travels. The project funded 31 E85 and five B20 stations in the states and one biodiesel blending facility on the Indiana-Ohio border. Indiana has 19 E85 pumps; Kentucky has one E85 pump; Tennessee has two E85 pumps; Alabama has eight E85/B20 pumps.
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Port Injection of Secondary Fuel Can Simultaneously Lower NOx and PM in a Direct Injection Biodiesel Engine
October 08, 2008
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| Effect of premixed fuels on the engine emissions at different equivalency ratios. Click to enlarge. Credit: ACS |
Researchers at Shanghai Jiao Tong University found that port fuel injection of a secondary fuel with a lower boiling point in a biodiesel-fueled, direct injection engine can simultaneously reduce both NOx and PM emissions. A paper on their work appeared online 4 October in the journal Energy & Fuels.
A number of studies have shown that the use of biodiesel in light- and heavy-duty diesel engines can lower PM, CO, SOx, and HC emissions compared to standard diesel fuel combustion with comparable or even slightly better engine efficiency. However, NOx levels can increase—a problem when confronting more stringent regulatory limits on NOx emissions.
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D1 Oils Exits Biodiesel Refining Business, Focuses on Jatropha Plant Science
D1 Oils, a UK-based early entrant into the global biodiesel market (earlier post), has restructured its business to concentrate exclusively on upstream plant science; the company has closed its two UK refining sites at Middlesbrough and Bromborough and ceased oil biodiesel trading activities.
Its principal focus now is the provision of the technology and services required to turn Jatropha curcas into a low-cost, sustainable crop for biodiesel. The company now has two components: a wholly-owned plant science business (D1 Oils Plant Science Limited, DOPSL); and a 50% stake in a joint venture with BP for the global planting and harvesting of jatropha (D1-BP Fuel Crops Limited, D1-BP Fuel Crops) (earlier post).
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USDA & DOE Release National Biofuels Action Plan; UN FAO Report Calls For Review of Biofuels Policies
October 07, 2008
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| NBAP top-level advanced biofuels commercialization timeline. Click to enlarge. |
The US Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Energy (DOE) released the National Biofuels Action Plan (NBAP), an interagency plan detailing the collaborative efforts of Federal agencies to accelerate the development of a sustainable biofuels industry.
Separately, in a new edition of its annual publication The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2008, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) called for an urgent review of biofuel policies and subsidies to preserve the goal of world food security, protect poor farmers, promote broad-based rural development and ensure environmental sustainability.
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Biofuels Accounted for 2.6% of UK Road Fuel in First Reporting Quarter
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| Biodiesel accounted for 84% of the renewable road fuel in the UK in the first reporting quarter. Click to enlarge. Source: RFA |
The Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA), the UK’s independent sustainable fuels regulator, released its first interim quarterly report which includes disclosure of company performance on the supply of biofuels under the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO).
In the year to April 2009, fossil fuel companies are obliged to supply 2.5% biofuel in UK road fuel. Biofuels accounted for 2.61% in the first quarter. More biodiesel (84%) has been supplied than bioethanol (16%). The carbon reduction achieved by the use of biofuels (44%) during the first three months of the obligation is greater than the 40% target set by the Government for the first year of the RTFO.
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India Sets Target of 20% Biofuels by 2017
September 12, 2008
India’s Cabinet approved implementation of the National Biofuel Policy that sets an indicative target of 20% ethanol and biodiesel in transportation fuel by 2017.
The country currently sells 5% ethanol blended gasoline (E5) and has a number of pilot projects underway with biodiesel. The ethanol component is due to double next month to 10% (E10), but availability of sugarcane for ethanol feedstock may hinder achieving that deadline.
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Euro Parliament Maintains Target of 10% Renewables in Road Transport Fuel by 2020; 40% of That From Non-Food Biofuels, Electricity or H2
September 11, 2008
The European Parliament’s Industry Committee has approved a co-decision report that maintains a 10% renewables component in transportation fuels by 2020, but specifies that at least 40% of this overall share must be met by non-food second-generation biofuels, electricity or hydrogen.
The decision came in the context of growing pressure to reduce the biofuels obligation given concerns of rising food prices and sustainability.
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Studies Show Fuel Efficiency Comparable to Full Diesel in Heavy-Duty Vehicles with B10 and B20 Blends
August 22, 2008
With about 200,000 miles left to go in the two-year Two Million Mile Haul over-the-road B20 biodiesel demonstration (earlier post), data collected from each truck’s electronic data recorder are showing fuel efficiency for the B20 blend comparable to that of petroleum diesel. The partners in the project announced the results to-date during the Great American Truck Show in Dallas, Texas.
Separately, a study by Purdue University for the Indianapolis, Indiana transit agency IndyGo found that switching to a B10 (10% biodiesel) blend in the IndyGo bus fleet had no impact on total fuel economy.
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In-Use Study on B20 in Transit Buses Finds Slight Decrease in Fuel Economy, Equivalent Reliability to ULSD Buses
August 08, 2008
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| Average fuel economy of the B20 and ULSD buses. The data shows a continuous slight decline in fuel economy for both. Click to enlarge. |
A 12-month evaluation by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) of the in-use performance of buses operating on B20 biodiesel (20% biodiesel, 80% petroleum diesel) found that the B20 buses exhibited 1.7% lower fuel economy than the ULSD (ultra low sulfur diesel) study group. Reliability, as measured by MBRC (miles between road calls), and maintenance costs between the two groups were comparable.
This evaluation of buses in the St. Louis (Missouri) Metro fleet was conducted under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). The study is the first B20 in-use fleet study using exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) equipped buses, and is also the first study to compare the use of B20 to ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD).
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Researchers Suggest Changes to Biofuels Incentives Rather Than Rollbacks or Moratoria
July 30, 2008
Over the last six months, the focus of the biofuel debate in Europe and the United States has shifted from emphasizing the potential contribution of biofuels to increase energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to concern about the impact on food prices, possible increase in greenhouse gas emissions and the loss of forests and biodiversity.
A report from reserachers at Harvard Kennedy School concludes that despite growing pressure from biofuels critics, governments should avoid simplistic and precipitous changes in course such as rollback or moratoria on existing biofuels mandates or incentives. Instead, the report urges governments to initiate an orderly, “innovation-enhancing” transition towards incentives targeted on multi-dimensional goals for biofuels development.
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OECD Report: Government Biofuel Policies Costly and Ineffective
July 16, 2008
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| The estimated impact on ethanol production of the removal of biofuel support policies, 2013-2017 average. Click to enlarge. |
Government support of biofuel production in OECD countries is costly, has a limited impact on reducing greenhouse gases and improving energy security, and has an impact on world crop prices, according to a new study by the OECD’s Directorate of Trade and Agriculture.
The report, Economic Assessment of Biofuel Support Policies, estimates that in the US, Canada and the European Union, government support for the supply and use of biofuels will rise to around US$25 billion per year by 2015 from about US$11 billion in 2006. It is estimated that these support policies would reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport fuel by only 0.5% to 0.8% by 2015.
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EPA Funds $900K UC Davis Study on Alt-Fuel Vehicle Emissions and Climate Change Impact on Those Emissions
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is funding a $900,000 research project at UC Davis to learn what emissions millions of alternative-fuel vehicles might produce and how climate change might affect those emissions. Alt-fuel vehicles to be studied include E85 vehicles; hybrid-electric cars; plug-in hybrid electric cars; and heavy-duty trucks fueled with biodiesel.
The research is urgently needed to improve forecasts of how climate change will affect air quality in California, said Michael Kleeman, the project’s lead researcher and a UC Davis professor of civil and environmental engineering.
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UK Gallagher Review Calls for Significant Slowdown in Introduction of Biofuels
July 07, 2008
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| Proposed trajectory of EU biofuels policy. The orange section provides a guaranteed market for renewable fuels to develop while control measures are introduced. Green illustrates a proposed mandatory obligation for advanced technology fuels from appropriate feedstocks. The blue section shows how the market for current technology might develop beyond 2013/14 if measures to ensure the sustainability of biofuels supplied proved successful including in avoiding indirect land-use change. Click to enlarge |
The just-released Gallagher Review of the indirect effects of biofuels production, requested by the UK government from the Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA) earlier this year, concludes that while there is a future for a sustainable biofuels industry, feedstock production must avoid agricultural land that would otherwise be used for food production.
According to the Review, the displacement of existing agricultural production, due to biofuel demand, is accelerating land-use change and, if left unchecked, will reduce biodiversity and may even cause greenhouse gas emissions rather than savings. As a result, the Review Calls for a significant slowdown in the introduction of biofuels “until adequate controls to address displacement effects are implemented and are demonstrated to be effective.”
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Pennsylvania Legislature Passes Renewable Fuels Mandate; B20 and Cellulosic E10
July 05, 2008
Both houses of the Pennsylvania General Assembly have passed HB 1202, a bill requiring that transportation fuels sold in Pennsylvania include increasing amounts of biodiesel, synthetic diesel or renewable diesel (in diesel fuel); and cellulosic ethanol (in gasoline), based on levels of in-state production.
The General Assembly also passed a second bill, (Special Session SB 22) extending the Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant Program (AFIG) to provide funding of $0.75 per gallon for all biodiesel produced in Pennsylvania by Pennsylvanians and sold in Pennsylvania. The AFIG fund will rebate up to $5.3 million each year for the next three years, with no single producer receiving more than $1.9 million each year. No funding will be available for corn-based ethanol.
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ASTM Approves New Biodiesel Blend Specifications, Including B20
June 30, 2008
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| The new B6-B20 biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester) blends will have a blue label at the pump to distinguish the fuel from others. B100 will have its own blue label. Click to enlarge. |
The ASTM International D02 Main Committee approved a trio of ASTM specifications for biodiesel blends after more than five years of research and subsequent balloting by the ASTM fuel experts.
The committee approved changes to the existing B100 biodiesel blend stock specification (ASTM D6751); finished specifications to include up to 5% biodiesel (B5) in the conventional petrodiesel specification (ASTM D975); and approved a new specification for blends of between 6% (B6) to 20% (B20) biodiesel for on- and off-road diesel engines.
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UN FAO: Biofuels a Significant Demand Factor in Food Price Surge
May 29, 2008
Although not the sole cause for the worldwide rapid increases in food prices, the biofuels market has created a new and significant source of demand for some agricultural commodities such as sugar, corn, cassava, oilseeds and palm oil. This increase in demand, according to a report prepared by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) “has been one of the leading factors behind the increase in their prices in world markets which, in turn, has led to higher food prices.”
The report, Soaring food prices: facts, perspectives, impacts and actions required, was prepared as one of the discussion documents for an upcoming conference on world food security in Rome focused on the challenges of climate change and bioenergy.
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ACGT and Synthetic Genomics Complete First Draft of Oil Palm Genome; Jatropha Sequencing Progressing
May 21, 2008
The Asiatic Centre for Genome Technology Sdn Bhd (ACGT) and Synthetic Genomics Inc. (SGI) have completed a first draft assembly and annotation of the oil palm genome. (Earlier post.) The organizations also announced that they have made progress in sequencing and analyzing the jatropha genome.
The oil palm and jatropha genome projects represent the first stages of research undertaken through a joint venture between SGI and ACGT which was announced in 2007 and is aimed at developing more high-yielding and disease-resistant plant feedstocks.
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Eni to Invest US$3B in Republic of Congo; Focus on Tar Sands and Palm Biodiesel
May 20, 2008
Italy-based oil and gas major Eni will invest US$3 billion in the Republic of Congo over the next four years, generating an expected equity production of 150 million barrels of oil equivalent from tar sands and biodiesel production.
Eni reached an agreement with the government for the exploration and exploitation of non-conventional oil in tar sands in Tchikatanga and Tchikatanga-Makola, two areas covering a total of 1,790 square km. According to preliminary studies undertaken on a 100 square km area, recoverable reserves are estimated at between 2.5 billion barrels unrisked and 500 million barrels risked.
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Minnesota Enacts B20 Mandate for 2015; Begins Work for Mid-Range Ethanol Blends
May 14, 2008
Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has signed an omnibus bill, among the provisions of which are an increase in the state’s current 2% biodiesel mandate to 20% by 2015. According to the legislation, the mandate will increase to 5% on 1 May 2009; to 10% on 1 May 2012; and to 20% on 1 May 2015.
The bill also directs the appropriate state agencies to begin work to obtain Federal approval for the use of E20 and additional mid-range blends including, but not limited to, E30 and E50.
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European Environment Agency Scientific Committee Calls for Suspension of Europe’s 10% Biofuels Target
April 10, 2008
The European Environment Agency (EEA) Scientific Committee has called for the suspension of the EU target of 10% biofuels use in transportation by 2020, and is recommending a new, comprehensive scientific study on the environmental risks and benefits of biofuels.
The Scientific Committee assists the management board and executive director of the EEA by providing scientific advice and delivering professional opinions on any scientific matter in the areas of work undertaken by the Agency. The committee comprises 20 independent scientists from 15 EEA member countries, covering a variety of environmental fields.
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For Europe, A Second Look At Biofuels?
March 16, 2008
by Jack Rosebro
Remarks made by European heads of state following the European Council’s annual Spring Summit, which was held last week in Brussels, indicate that the European Commission’s aspirations to boost the use of biofuels in European transport to 10% of total use by 2020 may well be revised to address concerns that increased biofuel production is already impacting food costs and water supplies, while accelerating deforestation and reducing the biosphere’s carbon sinks, creating a resultant intensification of man-made greenhouse gas production.
According to Euractiv1, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, observed after the summit: “We’re not excluding the possibility that we’ll have to amend or revise our [biofuel] goals.” Regarding the viability of biofuels, EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer-Boël stated “I know that various objections have been raised, and the Commission takes them seriously. But we believe we can answer them.”
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Researchers Develop New Continuous Transesterification Process for Biodiesel Production
March 08, 2008
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| The Mcgyan process. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at Augsburg College and SarTec Corporation have developed and are commercializing a new continuous transesterification process for the production of biodiesel. The “Mcgyan Process”—so termed based on the names of the inventors (McNeff, Gyberg and Yan)—can use a wide variety of feedstocks, does not consume the catalyst, reduces the reaction time from hours to seconds, and uses no water or dangerous chemicals.
An alcohol and a lipid (vegetable oil or tallow) are combined by high pressure pumps into a lipid stream that is passed through a continuous fixed-bed reactor filled with a sulfated metal oxide catalyst at elevated temperature and pressure. The reactor performs transesterification and esterification reactions simultaneously.
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EIA Forecasts Significant Shortfall in Cellulosic Biofuel Production Compared to Target Set by Renewable Fuel Standard
March 04, 2008
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| Under the EIA AEO2008 forecast, a shortfall in cellulosic ethanol production will trigger an adjustment of the RFS target. Click to enlarge. |
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) is forecasting a significant shortfall in the production of cellulosic biofuels required to meet the targets of the Renewable Fuel Standard established in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA2007).
In testimony before the US Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources today, EIA Administrator Guy Caruso provided a summary of the agency’s Annual Energy Outlook 2008 (AEO2008) forecast, revised to factor in the different provisions of EISA2007, including the new RFS target of 36 billion gallons by 2022 and new CAFE requirements.
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Research Suggests Biodiesel Blending is Often Inaccurate; New Radiocarbon Analysis Method Directly Quantifies Carbon of Biological Origin in Blends
February 28, 2008
While sampling blended biodiesel fuels purchased from small-scale retailers, researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) found that many of the blends do not contain the advertised amount of biofuel.
Marine chemist Chris Reddy and colleagues sampled pure biodiesel and blends from more than a dozen distributors across the United States. When testing fuels listed as B20, they found that the actual percentage of biofuel ranged from as little as 10% to as much as 74%. Only 10% of samples met the specifications for biofuel blends required for vehicles of the US Department of Defense, one of the leading consumers of the products.
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Virgin Atlantic Uses Biojet Fuel Blend in 747 Test Flight; Babassu and Coconut Oil as Feedstocks
February 24, 2008
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| Earlier testing by Boeing indicated that biojet fuels blended at 20 percent with Jet-A appear to pass the jet fuel thermal stability (JFTOT) requirement, and is much improved over the results for B100 biodiesel. Click to enlarge. |
Virgin Atlantic, in partnership with Boeing, GE Aviation and Imperium Renewables, a leading biodiesel producer based in Seattle, Washington, successfully flight tested a Boeing 747 equipped with GE engines today using a 20% blend of a biojet fuel derived from babassu and coconut oil in one engine. No modifications were made to either the aircraft or its engines to enable the flight to take place.
The flight marked the first in-flight demonstration of a biofuel in a large commercial jet. Earlier in February, Airbus launched its alternative fuel research program with the 3-hour flight of an Airbus 380 between the UK and France fueled by a Gas to Liquids (GTL) blend. (Earlier post.) Boeing, Air New Zealand and Rolls-Royce also plan a biofuel demonstration flight in the second half of 2008 using an Air New Zealand Boeing 747-400 equipped with Rolls-Royce engines. (Earlier post.)
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UK Transport Secretary Announces Review of Indirect Impacts of Biofuel Production
February 21, 2008
UK Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly has asked the UK’s Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA) to lead a study of the wider economic and environmental impacts—particularly the indirect impacts—of different forms of biofuel production. The UK created the Renewable Fuels Agency in November 2007 to administer the Government’s Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) and to report to Ministers and to Parliament on its impacts. The RTFO directs that 5% of all the fuels sold in the UK should come from biofuels by 2010.
The results of the study will help inform the development of both the UK and EU’s policies in this area, and will underpin the consideration of EU biofuel targets after 2010.
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Solazyme Ups Soladiesel Testing to B100
February 11, 2008
Solazyme, which recently announced the road-testing of blends of Soladiesel, its first algal biodiesel (earlier post), has successfully taken the test blends up to B100, according to Jonathan Wolfson, Solazyme’s CEO.
Soladiesel, the first of Solazyme’s planned algal fuel projects, is a biodiesel produced from algae that are engineered to produce an oil with an optimized fatty acid profile to enhance cold flow performance, among other properties, and are also modified to grow in the dark in industrial fermentation tanks fed with plant sugars.
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Metabolix to Develop Advanced Industrial Oilseed Crops for Bioplastic and Biofuel Production
February 08, 2008
Metabolix, Inc. has initiated a program to develop an advanced industrial oilseed crop to produce bioplastics. Oilseeds are the primary feedstock for the more than 250 million gallons of biodiesel produced annually in the United States and the co-production of bioplastics promises to improve the economics of this crop industry.
Industrial oilseeds represent the third crop system to which Metabolix is applying its patented technology. The company is also developing enhanced switchgrass, and sugarcane crops to co-produce bio-based and biodegradable plastic within the leaves and stems of these crops to more economically meet energy and bioplastic needs globally.
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New Studies Identify Change in Land Use Associated with Biofuel Production as Major Contributor of Greenhouse Gases, Far Offsetting Benefits of Most Current Biofuels
Two separate studies published in the current online edition of the journal Science identify land use change—the conversion of rainforests, peatlands, savannas, or grasslands to produce food-based biofuels or to replace existing cropland diverted to biofuel crop production—as a major source of increased carbon dioxide emissions, far offsetting the presumed greenhouse gas benefits of using most current biofuels.
The studies stress the importance of using biomass waste or biomass grown on non-agricultural lands as feedstock for biofuel production to avoid this problem.
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Texas A&M System and General Atomics Receive $4M from State for Biofuel Microalgae Research
February 04, 2008
Texas AgriLife Research, part of the Texas A&M University System, and General Atomics, a San Diego-based technology company, have received a $4 million grant from the Texas state’s Emerging Technology Fund (ETF) for biofuel microalgae research.
The ETF grant will be supported by more than $4 million of parallel US Department of Defense sponsored research aimed at developing microalgae-derived biodiesel fuels to support US domestic and military needs.
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Report Compares Existing Global Standards Specifications for Bioethanol and Biodiesel
February 02, 2008
The governments of the United States, Brazil and the European Union (EU)—the world’s major producers of biofuels—released an analysis of current biofuel specifications with the goal of facilitating expanded trade of these renewable energy sources.
One potential obstacle to achieving greater efficiency in the global biofuels market is confusion over differing—and sometimes conflicting—standards for characterizing the make-up and properties of biofuels. To clarify the current situation and identify potential roadblocks to improved compatibility, the US and Brazilian governments and the EC convened a task force of experts from standards developing organizations (SDOs) to compare critical specifications in existing standards used globally (factors such as content, physical characteristics and contaminant levels that govern a fuel’s quality) for pure bioethanol and biodiesel.
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On-Road Testing Phase of Alberta Renewable Diesel Demonstration Begins
January 23, 2008
The on-road testing phase of the Alberta Renewable Diesel Demonstration, Canada’s largest evaluation and demonstration of renewable diesel fuels to date, has officially begun. More than 60 trucks of various sizes are operating throughout Alberta on B2 and B5 blends of various renewable diesel fuels to test for performance, cold weather operability and impact on engine components.
Alberta’s climate poses extreme challenges to renewable diesel use. The demonstration will provide hands-on, cold-weather experience for fuel blenders, distributors, long-haul trucking fleets and drivers.
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Solazyme Introduces Its First Algal Biodiesel, Enters Development Agreement With Chevron
January 22, 2008
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| The Soladiesel test car. |
Solazyme, Inc., a synthetic biology company formed in 2003 to pursue biofuels from microalgae, is introducing Soladiesel, its first algal biodiesel, which has undergone road testing in a blend by powering a Mercedes-Benz sedan for long distances under typical driving conditions. Solazyme also announced that it has signed a feedstock development and testing agreement with Chevron Technology Ventures, a division of Chevron USA.
Solazyme is currently producing thousands of gallons of algal oil for use in producing algal biodiesel via conventional transesterification or algal renewable diesel via refinery-based hydrotreatment.
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UK Environmental Audit Committee Calls for Moratorium on Biofuel Targets
January 21, 2008
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| Greenhouse gas emissions plotted against overall environmental impacts of 29 transport fuels, scaled relative to gasoline. Fuels in the shaded area are considered advantageous in both their overall environmental impacts and greenhouse gas emissions. Adapted by Scharlemann and Laurance from Zah et. al. Click to enlarge. |
In a report released today, the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) of the UK House of Commons concludes that the UK government and the European Union should not have pursued targets to increase the use of biofuels in the absence of robust sustainability standards and mechanisms to prevent damaging land use change. The EAC calls for a moratorium on biofuel targets in the UK and in Europe.
The EAC report—Are biofuels sustainable?—also concludes that biofuels are generally an expensive and ineffective way to cut greenhouse gas emissions when compared to other policies. Emissions from road transport can be cut cost-effectively, and with lower environmental risk, by implementing a range of other policies, the report concludes.
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DOE JGI Releases Preliminary Soybean Genome Assembly To Enable Worldwide Bioenergy Research Efforts
January 18, 2008
The US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) has released a preliminary assembly and annotation of the soybean genome, Glycine max, to the greater scientific community to enable bioenergy research. The preliminary data can be accessed at http://www.phytozome.net/soybean.
The large-scale shotgun DNA sequencing project began in the middle of 2006 and will be completed in 2008. A total of about 13 million shotgun reads have been produced and deposited in the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Trace Archive in accordance with the consortium’s commitment to early access and consistent with the Fort Lauderdale genome data release policy.
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Süd-Chemie to Manufacture Benefuel Solid Biodiesel Catalyst
January 08, 2008
New Delhi-based Süd-Chemie India Pvt. Ltd. (SCIL), part of the Germany-based Süd-Chemie Group, one of the world’s largest catalyst companies, will manufacture the proprietary solid catalysts for Benefuel’s biodiesel production facilities globally. This marks Süd-Chemie’s entry into the biodiesel catalyst market.
Benefuel was formed from the merger of Gripp Industries and New Century Lubricants (NCL). NCL had entered into an exclusive worldwide agreement with National Chemical Laboratory (NCL-India) to demonstrate and commercialize a new NCL-India transesterification catalyst and process for the production of biodiesel fuels and bio-lubricants. (Earlier post.)
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SunPine Developing Tall Oil Refinery for Production of Biodiesel or Renewable Diesel Feedstock
December 31, 2007
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| SunPine’s tall oil process produces either crude tall diesel for hydroprocessing at a refinery or standard biodiesel. Click to enlarge. |
SunPine AB is planning to build a production plant in Piteå, Sweden to convert crude tall oil (CTO) either to “crude tall diesel” for subsequent hydroprocessing at a refinery into a renewable diesel component or, via purification, into standard EN14214 biodiesel. The plant will have a capacity of up to 100,000 m3 of crude tall diesel per year. Construction work is planned to start early in 2008 and production in 2009.
Crude tall oil is a byproduct of the kraft (sulfate) processing of pinewood for pulp and paper. Crude tall oil starts as tall oil soap separated from recovered black liquor in the kraft pulping process. The tall oil soap is acidified to yield crude tall oil. Crude tall oil contains 40-50% fatty acids such as oleic and linoleic acids; 5-10% sterols, alcohols, and other neutral components.
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Researchers Investigate Supercritical Method of Converting Chicken Fat and Tall Oil into Biodiesel
December 20, 2007
Chemical engineering researchers at the University of Arkansas have investigated supercritical methanol as a method of converting chicken fat into biodiesel fuel. The new study also successfully converted tall oil fatty acid, a major by-product of the wood-pulping process, into biodiesel at a yield of greater than 90%, significantly advancing efforts to develop commercially viable fuel out of plentiful, accessible and low-cost feedstocks and other agricultural by-products.
Supercritical methanol treatment dissolves and causes a reaction between components of a product—in this case, chicken fat and tall oil—by subjecting the product to high temperature and pressure. The simple, one-step process does not require a catalyst.
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House Sends Energy Bill to President Bush; New Renewable Fuel Standard
December 18, 2007
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| The new Renewable Fuel Standard in the energy bill calls for a rapid acceleration in the production of cellulosic biofuels (red), and a capping of corn ethanol at 15 billion gallons per year. Click to enlarge. |
By a 314 to 100 vote, the US House of Representatives passed the energy bill (H.R.6) that had come back from the Senate, thereby sending the package of programs to the White House. President Bush has indicated that he will sign the bill into law before the end of the year.
In addition to raising CAFE standards to an average 35 mpg by 2020 (earlier post), the bill also contains some provisions that provide a major increase in the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS); the electrification of transportation; improved standards for appliances and lighting; energy savings in buildings and industry; energy savings in government and public institutions; support for research into solar, geothermal, marine and hydrokinetic energy technologies, and energy storage for transportation and electric power; research, development and demonstration of carbon capture and sequestration; the modernization of the electric grid; and a variety of other initiatives.
