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.]
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.
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Companies Form Joint Venture to Produce Camelina-Based Biodiesel
November 20, 2007
Targeted Growth, Inc. (TGI), a renewable energy bioscience company, and Green Earth Fuels, a vertically integrated renewable biodiesel energy company, have formed a joint venture called Sustainable Oils, Inc. to produce and to market up to 100 million gallons of camelina-based biodiesel by 2010.
Camelina sativa is an oilseed plant in the family Brassicaceae, which also includes rapeseed (Brassica napus). (Canola is a group of cultivars of rapeseed variants.) C. sativa can grow on marginal land, requires minimal water or fertilizer, and can be harvested with traditional equipment. Nearly all of the initial camelina production is expected to be grown in Montana. The deal represents the largest single US contract yet for the biodiesel-specific feedstock.
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GSPI and BTR to Build Commercial Algae-to-Biodiesel Facility
November 13, 2007
Green Star Products, Inc. and Biotech Research, Inc. (BTR) will build a 100-acre commercial algae facility in the Midwest, with field construction to begin in March 2008.
The 100-acre Algae Facility will be constructed adjacent to an existing biodiesel plant and will use the CO2 emitted from the biodiesel plant’s boilers to provide a portion of the needs of the algae facility. The algae oil produced from the facility will be turned into biodiesel through the existing biodiesel plant facilities.
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Arizona State University Launches Cyanobacteria Biodiesel Research Project with BP and SFAz
November 03, 2007
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| A microscopic image of cyanobacteria stained with fluorescent dyes for fat content. The cyanobacteria are being optimized to produce high-energy fat with an estimated high fuel yield. |
Arizona State University has entered into a two-year research project to optimize the cyanobacterium Synechocystis to serve as feedstock for biodiesel production, with funding from energy company BP and Science Foundation Arizona (SFAz). (Cynanobacteria are photosynthetic bacteria, and are sometimes called blue-green algae, although there is no relationship between the cyanobacteria and other organisms called algae.) This basic research will be complemented by parallel development of pilot production capabilities to define the optimum parameters for commercially viable, large-scale, biomass-to-energy conversion.
ASU Professors Wim Vermaas and Bruce Rittmann will lead the scientific R&D efforts while colleague Neal Woodbury will serve as project coordinator. Vermaas will direct metabolic engineering research to optimize the microbial systems while Rittmann will maximize the large-scale pilot production parameters.
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Researchers Assess Current Potential Global Production of Biodiesel at 51 Billion Liters; 12-Fold Increase Possible
October 18, 2007
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| Global biodiesel potential from existing lipid exports. Click to enlarge. |
After evaluating national-level potential for biodiesel production volumes and prices across 226 countries, territories and protectorates, researchers at the University of Wisconsin Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies have concluded that there is a current upper-limit worldwide production potential of 51 billion liters (13.5 billion gallons US) from 119 countries—47 billion of which could be produced profitably at today’s import prices. That volume could meet roughly 4-5% of the world’s existing demand for petroleum diesel.
They also concluded that significant production gains—a 12-fold increase over existing potential—are possible through the increase of agricultural yields, primarily by improving the management of tropical oilseed varietals.
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Chevron and AC Transit in Comprehensive B20 Biodiesel and GTL Fuel Test
October 13, 2007
Chevron and AC Transit, the transit operator for Alameda and Contra Costa counties in California (the San Francisco East Bay area), are conducting a test and evaluation of B20 biodiesel and synthetic GTL (Gas-to-Liquids) diesel. Cummins Engine and Cummins West are also participating in this test.
The statistically valid test will carefully monitor engine performance, emissions, fuel economy, vehicle handling characteristics (acceleration, smoothness of ride, and noise), and the impact of these fuels on lubricants and engine components. The proposed trial is to run for approximately six months, and constitutes one of the most comprehensive operational tests of alternative fuels yet, according to the AC Transit Board of Directors.
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NSF Awards Genome Research Grant for Study of Production of Novel Fatty Acids in Oilseeds for Biofuels and Biolubricants
October 12, 2007
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a four-year, $4.6M grant to a project team led by John Browse at Washington State University to continue research that uses biochemical genomics to reveal components of biosynthesis pathways necessary to produce novel fatty acids in oilseeds.
The types and respective quantities of fatty acids in vegetable oils have a direct impact on the fuel properties of biodiesel. The basic knowledge from this project is intended to enable the design of a new generation of specialty crops that will become the “green factories” of the future, providing for the production of industrial lubricants, solvent oils and biodiesel.
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IWMI Report Concludes That Conventional Biofuels Not Sustainable for India or China Due to Water Issues
October 11, 2007
A scenario analysis by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) indicates that although the increasing production of biofuels are, in the global aggregate, of “minor concern” to water resources, the local and regional impacts could be substantial.
The strain on water resources in China and India in particular—two countries on which the analysis specifically focuses—would be such that the report authors conclude it unlikely that policy makers there will pursue biofuel options based on traditional field crops—e.g., bioethanol from corn or sugarcane.
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National Research Council Warns on Water Impact of Accelerating Biofuels Production
October 10, 2007
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| Irrigated land in the US. Click to enlarge. Source: NRC |
Although biofuels production currently entails a marginal additional stress on water supplies at the regional to local scale, the significant acceleration of biofuels production could cause much greater water quantity problems depending on where the crops are grown, according to a new report from the National Research Council of the US National Academies.
Growing biofuel crops in areas requiring additional irrigation water from already depleted aquifers is a major concern. Furthermore, if projected future increases in the use of corn for ethanol production do occur, the increase in harm to water quality could be considerable, the report authors conclude.
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Companies to Build 10M Gallon Biodiesel Plant Featuring Solid Catalyst
Benefuel, Inc., in partnership with Seymour Biofuels, plans to build a 10 million gallon per year biodiesel plant that uses Benefuel’s solid catalyst process. The plant, planned to be located in Seymour, Ind., eliminates the need for water in the production process and delivers a market-ready glycerin by-product.
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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Researchers in Brazil Use Ethanol and Lipases to Transesterify Palm Oil to Biodiesel with High Yield
October 07, 2007
Researchers in Brazil have used lipases (enzymes that break down fats to glycerol and fatty acids) from several sources with ethanol to transesterify palm oil to biodiesel with high yield and quality meeting D6751 specifications. Their work, which appears in the journal Energy & Fuels, highlights the on-going interest in enzymatic processes for transesterification, rather than the commonly used alkali-catalyzed processes.
The common commercial process of transesterification of triglycerides to biodiesel using an alkali (NaOH, KOH, carbonates or alkoxides) offers high conversion levels and short reaction times. However, the process is relatively energy intensive, recovery of the byproduct glycerol can be difficult, the alkaline catalyst must be removed from the product, the wastewater requires treatment and free fatty acids and water can interfere with the reaction.
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Renault Introduces B30 Logan eco2 Concept; Headed for Challenge Bibendum
October 02, 2007
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| The technologies of the Logan Renault eco² Concept. Click to enlarge. Credits: Hubert Vincent |
Renault has unveiled the Logan Renault eco2 Concept, the experimental car it will take to the upcoming Challenge Bibendum in Shanghai, China. The Logan Renault eco2 has estimated CO2 emissions of 97 g/km.
The Logan Renault eco2 Concept is powered by a B30-compatible 1.5 dCi diesel engine (63kW/85hp) and benefits from a set of technical solutions and optimizations that serve as development pathways for future Renault vehicles.
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NIST Awards Almost $10M to 5 New Bio-based Fuels and Chemicals Projects
September 27, 2007
The Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is awarding up to $138.7 million in funding to 56 new research and development projects under the agency’s Advanced Technology Program (ATP). The new awards represent a broad range of technologies, including alternative energy sources, biofuels, transportation, manufacturing, semiconductor electronics, nanotechnology, energy conservation, medical diagnostic techniques, and automated language translation, among others.
The 56 projects were chosen in a competition announced last April and represent the last set of R&D projects to be funded under the ATP. Of the 56 projects, five focus on the development of bio-based fuels and chemicals, and will receive combined funding of up to $9.941 million.
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EESC Critical of First-Generation Biofuels; Conditionally Supports 10% EU Transport Biofuels Target
September 26, 2007
In its plenary session today and tomorrow, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will adopt a series of opinions related to biofuels, greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, and carbon capture.
In its draft opinion, the Committee takes a very critical stance on the European Commission’s biofuel progress report. Though generally supportive of the energy targets as fixed in the Spring Council on Energy, the EESC emphasizes the manifold problems that go along with broader introduction of first-generation biofuels: high production costs and storage problems for biodiesel; and high consumption of water and fertilizers, potentially causing soil destruction, for ethanol.
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DuPont Introduces Soybean Varieties with Increased Yields of Up To 12%
September 21, 2007
DuPont is commercializing soybean varieties developed using a technology that increases yields by as much as 12% per acre. DuPont seed business Pioneer Hi-Bred is introducing five varieties with the technology for 2008 planting, pending wide-area product advancement trial results.
Enhanced yield is one of the attributes of what Steve Howell, Technical Director of the National Biodiesel Board, calls “second-generation biodiesel”—biodiesel crops optimized for crop yield, oil yield, and oil properties as determined by the specific fatty acid alkyl ester content that are optimized for fuel.
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Study: N2O Emissions from Biofuel Crop Production Negates Greenhouse Gas Benefits of Using Biofuels
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| Relative warming derived from N2O production for crops, crop residues, and forages used in the production of biofuel. Click to enlarge. |
A new study led by Paul Crutzen, winner of a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1995 for work on the formation and decomposition of ozone in the atmosphere, re-examines the total emission of nitrous oxide (N2O) from crop production and concludes that growing and burning many biofuel crops may actually raise, rather than lower, net greenhouse gas emissions.
N2O is a by-product of fixed nitrogen application in agriculture and is a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential (GWP) 296 times larger than an equal mass of CO2.
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Study for OECD Highly Critical of Prospects for Current Biofuels and Government Policies
September 11, 2007
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| Full lifecycle environmental impact of fuels based on UBP (UmweltBelastungsPunkte) indicator from The Swiss Institute. The UBP represents environmental impact on human health, ecosystems and the depletion of natural resources. Click to enlarge. |
A study, prepared for discussion by the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) Roundtable on Sustainable Development, concludes that the potential of current biofuel technologies—ethanol and biodiesel—to deliver a major contribution to the energy demands of the transport sector without compromising food prices and the environment is very limited.
The report—Biofuels: Is the Cure Worse Than the Disease—suggests that although second-generation technologies are promising, they may never be viable; that the economic outlook for biofuels is “fragile”; and that government policies are “inefficient”, "not cost-effective” and are setting ambitious market shares without an in-depth understanding of a sustainable production level and from where these biofuels could be supplied.
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Study: Petrodiesel PM More Damaging to Human Health Than Biodiesel PM
Researchers at Deakin University in Australia have found evidence that particulate matter (PM) from petroleum diesel exhaust is more damaging to human health than that from biodiesel.
Associate Professor Leigh Ackland led a team of researchers who compared the cellular effects of biodiesel emissions particulate matter (BDEP) and petroleum diesel emissions particulate matter (PDEP) using a human airway cell line (A549) in culture.
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Reaction Design To Lead Study on Chemical Mechanisms of Biofuel Combustion
September 06, 2007
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded Reaction Design a grant for a two-year study of the chemical and transport phenomena that take place during biofuel combustion.
Reaction Design will lead a team of researchers from Chevron and the University of Southern California (USC) to create computer simulation tools that will speed the development process for engine designers and fuel manufacturers as they strive to integrate biofuels into their products. The development and validation of the detailed chemical mechanisms that govern biofuel combustion will focus on US domestic alternatives.
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Statoil to Purchase 42.5% Interest in Baltic Biodiesel Company
August 30, 2007
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| The Baltic biodiesel plant. |
Statoil, the Norway-based integrated oil and gas company, has signed a letter of intent with SEB Venture Capital for the purchase of a 42.5% interest in UAB Mestilla. Mestilla is building the biggest biodiesel factory in the Baltic states. Owners of Lithuanian agricultural company Linas Agro will be the other shareholder, with a 57.5% stake.
Construction of the factory, which will have a capacity of just over 100,000 tonnes (about 30 million gallons US) per year, began in the spring of 2006. BioDiesel International (BDI) of Austria is building the plant. Plans call for production to begin this autumn.
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Sun Grant Initiative BioWeb Project Growing
August 29, 2007
BioWeb, an Internet library of peer-reviewed papers and information related to bioenergy and bioproducts, is beginning to grow, with about 75 researchers having contributed to it so far. The site went live in April.
Currently featured on the site is life cycle analysis (LCA) for corn grain to ethanol; corn stover to ethanol; switchgrass to ethanol; and soybeans to biodiesel. An LCA for an integrated biorefinery is in the works.
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Volvo Demonstrates Trucks Running on Seven Different Renewable Fuels; Evaluates the Fuels
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| Volvo’s seven renewable fuel trucks and a summary chart of the fuel evaluation. More evaluation detail below. Click to enlarge. |
The Volvo Group showed seven of its diesel trucks modified to run on 100% renewable fuels: biodiesel, biogas, biogas combined with biodiesel, ethanol/methanol, dimethyl ether (DME), synthetic diesel and hydrogen gas combined with biogas. The company also published the results of its own assessment of the potential and viability of these different fuels.
The seven Volvo FM trucks were equipped with Volvo’s own 9-liter engines that have been specially modified to illustrate the possibilities of what Volvo calls “carbon-dioxide-free transport.” Since all the fuels chosen originated from renewable materials—such as the gasification of biomass for DME and the synthetic Fischer-Tropsch diesel—the combustion of the fuels contributes no net carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Production of the fuels, however, does generate CO2 in amounts varying with the specific pathway—which is one of the criteria Volvo used in its assessment.
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TechDay 2007: Audi Targeting 20% Reduction in CO2 from its Vehicles by 2012
August 27, 2007
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| The emissions control system on the Tier 2 Bin 5 TDI. Click to enlarge. |
Audi used its TechDay event in Germany to outline its strategy for achieving a 20% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions from its models by 2012.
At the heart of the strategy are the next-generation, Tier 2 Bin 5 compliant diesels (earlier post) and a set of technologies from what Audi calls its Modular Efficiency program. Hybrid systems round off Audi’s efficiency strategy.
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EC Says Meeting 10% Biofuel Obligation Will Consume 15% of Arable Land
August 14, 2007
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| Projected growth in biofuel consumption in Europe under the 10% obligation. Click to enlarge. Source: DG AGRI |
Meeting the 10% obligation for biofuel in Europe by 2020 will consume about 15% of the arable land in Europe, according to a recent analysis published by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI). The 15% figure is predicated on the assumption that 30% of biofuel production will be from second-generation processes and 20% of the supply will be imported.
Under the 10% obligation, about 59 million tons of cereals—mostly soft wheat and corn—or 18% of domestic use, is expected to be used for first-generation biofuels, and including straw, also as second-generation biofuels. Even with a projected yield increase of about 1% per year, domestic use of cereals will increase significantly while exports will decline.
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BioDiesel Technologies Launching First Commercial Jatropha Biodiesel Project in Brazil
August 08, 2007
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| The CPU 1000 unit. |
Brazil’s first commercial jatropha biodiesel project goes into operation this month following the delivery of BioDiesel Technologies’ (BDT) processing unit.
BDT will deliver an additional four processing units to increase the plant's annual capacity to 40,000 tonnes (about 10 million gallons US) by the end of 2007. The President of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, will officially open the plant in September.
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National Express Group Suspends First-Generation Biodiesel Trials
August 06, 2007
National Express Group (NX), one of the UK’s largest transport chains, has suspended its first-generation UK biodiesel bus trial due to concerns over whether the benefits outweigh the risk to the sustainability of food crop sources.
The Group has called a halt to the trial on its UK buses until second-generation biofuels, which use non-food crops such as wood chips and straw, are available or issues relating to the sustainability of the production have been addressed.
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Study: Biofuel Potential in Oregon May be Costly and Limited; Results More Widely Applicable
July 30, 2007
The adoption of biofuels in Oregon could reduce the state’s fossil fuel use by less than one percent, but at a much higher cost to society than more direct approaches such as a gasoline tax or raising fuel economy standards, according to a study by the Oregon State University (OSU) Extension Service.
The study by OSU economists Robin Cross and Thorsten Egelkraut compared three types of biofuels: corn ethanol, canola biodiesel, and wood-based (cellulosic) ethanol. The authors examined the fuels’ commercial viability, potential production scale, and cost-effectiveness for achieving energy independence and reducing greenhouse gases.
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European Transportation Biofuel Consumption Up 78% from 2005 to 2006
July 24, 2007
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| Consumption of biofuels by country. Click to enlarge. |
Consumption of transportation biofuels in the 25-member European Union jumped 78% from 2005 to 2006, rising from 3 million to 5.38 million tonnes of oil equivalent (toe), according to the Biofuels Barometer published by EurObserv’ER, a renewable industry consortium. That increase resulted in biofuels representing a 1.8% share of the total consumption of transportation fuels, compared to a 1% share in 2005.
In 2006, biodiesel represented 71.6% of the energy content of biofuels dedicated to transport, far out ahead of bioethanol (16.3%) and other biofuels (12.1%). Of the “other” biofuels, pure vegetable oil accounted for 629,809 toe (11.7% of total biofuel consumption) and biogas for 13,940 toe.
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European Biodiesel Production Doubles in Two Years; EBB Warns on Need to Eliminate “Legislative and Standards Desert”
July 18, 2007
Although production of biodiesel in Europe has more than doubled in the last two years, urgent market measures are required to create a real market for the fuel quantities being produced, according to the European Biodiesel Board (EBB). Absent those measures, the Board says, production may decline.
Production of biodiesel in Europe jumped 54% in 2006 to 4.89 million tonnes (about 1.5 billion gallons US), up from 3.184 million tonnes (about 961 million gallons US) in 2005, according to the EBB. This follows 65% record growth in 2005 over 2004.
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Jane’s Warns Pursuit of Biofuels Brings New Global Security Risks
July 16, 2007
Jane’s Intelligence Review reports that while biofuels offer many advantages for producing countries, the potential long-term environmental degradation and increased competition for land and water resources means it cannot be viewed as a risk-free alternative to non-renewable fuels.
Anna Gilmour, an independent analyst for Jane’s Intelligence Review, says greater use of land for biofuel production will inevitably mean a reduction in land for food crops at a time when the rising global population is putting increased demand on food and water supplies.