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[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.]
UOP Renewable Jet Fuel From Camelina Powers KLM Demo Flight
November 23, 2009
UOP LLC used its renewable jet fuel process technology (earlier post) to convert oil from camelina, an inedible plant, to renewable jet fuel for a biofuel demonstration flight by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. (Earlier post.)
The flight, which took place today at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, is the first green jet fuel demonstration flight in Europe and the first test flight to carry a select group of observers. One engine of a Boeing 747 was powered by a fuel mixture consisting of a 50/50 mix of the green jet fuel and traditional petroleum-derived jet fuel.
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Embraer, GE, Azul and Amyris in Renewable Jet Fuel Evaluation Project
November 19, 2009
| Amyris engineers microbes to convert sugar to hydrocarbon fuels. Micrograph of fermentation fluids from production of Amyris Renewable Diesel (Nov 2007). Source: Amyris. Click to enlarge. |
Embraer, General Electric, and Amyris Biotechnologies, a synthetic biology company focused on developing renewable hydrocarbon biofuels (earlier post) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to evaluate the technical and sustainability aspects of Amyris’ No Compromise renewable jet fuel. The initiative can culminate in a demo flight, by early 2012, of an Embraer E-Jet using GE engines and belonging to Azul Linhas Aéreas.
This collaboration combines industry leadership in airframe and engine manufacturing, a new and committed airline, and next-generation jet fuel development and production. The goal is to accelerate the introduction of a renewable jet fuel that could significantly lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and provide a long-term sustainable alternative to petroleum-derived jet fuel.
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US Navy Researchers Synthesize Renewable High-Density Fuel With Properties Similar to JP-10 (Missile Fuel)
November 14, 2009
US Navy researchers have synthesized high-density fuel candidates in up to 90% yield from ß-pinene, a renewable compound derived from wood and plant sources. Pinenes (C10H16) are important constituents of pine resin; they are also found in the resins of other conifers, and more widely in other plants. A paper on their work was published online 13 November in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels.
The synthesized fuels have a density of 0.94 g/cm3 and a net volumetric heating value of 39.5 MJ/L (141,745 BTU/gallon). These values are nearly identical to those for the tactical fuel JP-10 (primarily composed of exotetrahydrodicyclopentadiene). JP-10 is commonly used in cruise missiles and other air-breathing missle systems.
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Exelus Selected for Up to $1.2M DOE Award to Further Biomass-to-Gasoline Work
November 13, 2009
| The basic Exelus BTG process. Source; Exelus. Click to enlarge. |
The US Department of Energy has selected Exelus, Inc. for an award of up to $1,200,000 to further its development of Biomass-to-Gasoline (BTG) technology—a novel thermochemical process that converts biomass into a clean, high-octane gasoline-compatible fuel. (Earlier post.)
The BTG process applies a series of moderate-temperature, catalyzed reactions to convert lignocellulosic biomass into gasoline-range alcohols. The BioGasoline produced by BTG has a high octane rating (greater than 105 using the (R+M)/2 method), and lower blending vapor pressure (RVP) and higher energy density than conventional ethanol.
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Accenture Reports Identifies 12 Disruptive Technologies Most Likely to Transform Supply and Demand of Transport Fuels and Cut Emissions Within Next 10 Years
November 10, 2009
| Accenture timeline for evolution of electrification technologies, the “game-changing” subset of the disruptive technologies. Source: Accenture. Click to enlarge. |
Accenture has identified 12 technologies that it concludes have the potential to disrupt the current views of transport fuels supply, demand and GHG emissions over the next 10 years. In a report comparing advances in combustion engines, biofuels, electrification and other technologies, Accenture warns that the commercial viability of those disruptive technologies will be delayed unless regulators more proactively support the transformation of science into applied technologies.
“Betting on Science – Disruptive Technologies in Transport Fuels” selected 12 innovations in electrification and genetically modified biofuels, as well as existing fuel sources that will have the most immediate impact on emissions and on the gasoline and diesel markets. The study profiled 25 companies that aim to commercialize these technologies in the next five (i.e., by 2014) and also examines different global markets.
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INEOS Bio Begins Advanced Waste-to-Ethanol Plant Feasibility Study
November 09, 2009
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| The INEOS Bio waste-to-ethanol process, originally developed by BRI. Click to enlarge. |
INEOS Bio, a subsidiary of INEOS, the world’s third-largest chemicals company, has started a feasibility study for a plant in the UK to convert locally generated biodegradable household and commercial wastes into carbon neutral road transport fuel and clean electricity, using the INEOS Bio technology process. (Earlier post.)
The £3.5-million (US$5.9 million) feasibility study, which includes detailed engineering design work for a plant at the company’s Seal Sands site in the Tees Valley, is being supported by a £2.2-million (US$3.7 million) grant from the Regional Development Agency One North East and the Department for Energy and Climate Change. When completed, the feasibility study will inform an investment decision in 2010 for a commercial INEOS Bio bio-ethanol and bio-energy plant. Subsequent expansion could turn the initial plant into a fully integrated bio-refinery by 2015.
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Report from CS3 Symposium Highlights Work Toward Artificial Photosynthesis For Direct Solar Production of Liquid Transportation Fuels
November 06, 2009
Scientists are making progress toward development of an “artificial leaf” that mimics photosynthesis, but that converts sunlight and water into a liquid fuel such as methanol for cars and trucks, according to a new report summarizing the discussions from the 1st Annual Chemical Sciences and Society Symposium (CS3). However, much work remains to be done in all the component areas, as well as in the integration of the components to a viable artificial leaf.
The three-day symposium, which took place in Germany this past summer, included 30 chemists from China, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. It was organized through a joint effort of the science and technology funding agencies and chemical societies of each country, including the US National Science Foundation and the American Chemical Society (ACS).
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New Tool for Determining Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Impacts of Hydrogen Infrastructure and Fuel Cell Vehicles
| GHG analysis for hydrogen from renewable sources (HR) and fossil sources (HF), compared to advanced gasoline ICE vehicles (Scenario G). The portion of GHG emissions associated with gasoline ICE vehicles is distinguished from those associated with HFCV. Credit: ACS, Stephens-Romero et al. Click to enlarge. |
Although studies widely agree that widespread deployment of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and the associated infrastructure would reduce air pollutant emissions from the transportation sector, the extent to which air quality in an urban airshed will be affected by these reductions is a more complex matter than simply quantifying emissions.
To address that, researchers at the University of California, Irvine have developed a new tool—spatially and temporally resolved energy and environment tool” (STREET)—to characterize the pollutant and GHG emissions associated with a comprehensive hydrogen supply infrastructure and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles at a high level of geographic and temporal resolution.
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Neste Oil and St1 to Collaborate in VTT’s TransEco Development Program; Focus on Bio-ethanol and Bio-components for Gasoline
November 04, 2009
Neste Oil and St1 have begun working together on a fuel project as part of the TransEco development program coordinated by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. The project will focus on developing cost-efficient solutions tailored to Finnish conditions that will enable the 20% bio-component target set for automotive fuel in 2020 as part of national climate goals to be achieved.
The joint project between VTT, Neste Oil, and St1 will concentrate on car fuels, as a number of other projects are already working on biofuel research related to trucks and other heavy vehicles. St1 will concentrate on optimizing high-blend bio-ethanol designed to replace fossil gasoline for Finnish conditions and minimizing the environmental impact of its use, while Neste Oil will focus on developing other bio-components suitable for blending with conventional gasoline.
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Honeywell’s UOP and China National Petroleum Corp. to Collaborate on Biofuels Projects in China, Including Renewable Diesel and Renewable Jet
| UOP’s Ecofining process produces drop-in hydrocarbon fuel replacements from natural oils. Source: UOP. Click to enlarge. |
UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, has signed a memorandum of understanding with China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC) under which the two companies will collaborate on a range of biofuels technologies and projects in China.
Under the terms of the agreement, announced at the 20th meeting of the China-US Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT), the companies will collaborate to demonstrate existing biofuels technology to produce green transportation fuels using feedstocks available within China. CNPC will evaluate the installation of a demonstration-scale UOP/Eni Ecofining process unit (earlier post) for the production of renewable diesel fuel, as well as a larger-scale unit at an existing or new CNPC refinery site.
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Researchers Discover That Fullerenes Support Hydrogenation Without Noble Metal Catalysts Under Mild Conditions
November 02, 2009
| Fullerenes can drive hydrogenation under mild conditions. Credit: ACS, Li and Xu. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at Nanjing University in China have shown that fullerenes (cage-like, all-carbon nanostructures) can function effectively as novel non-metal hydrogenation catalysts. Catalytic hydrogenation—used to refine crude oil, synthesize ammonia, and now in multiple processes to produce bio-hydrocarbon fuels from renewable fats and oils—conventionally relies on transition-metal catalysts.
Current catalysts and processes typically require high temperatures and pressures. The ability to replace these catalysts with carbon-based substitutes operating under milder conditions could reduce process costs—as well we environmental effects from metal pollution.
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EU-Funded Project Targets Sustainable Production of Ethyl Levulinate from Biomass as Diesel Miscibile Biofuel
October 31, 2009
| Representation of DIBANET processes, products and linkages. Source: Carbolea. Click to enlarge. |
An EU-funded research project is seeking to develop new technologies that will enable the sustainable production of diesel miscible biofuels (DMB) from cellulosic biomass wastes in Europe and Latin America.
Specifically, the DIBANET (Development of Integrated Biomass Approaches Network) project will advance the art in the production of ethyl levulinate from organic wastes and residues. Ethyl levulinate (EL) is a novel diesel miscible biofuel (DMB) produced by esterifying ethanol with levulinic acid. The project will also use fast pyrolysis to convert the residue left over from biofuel production to bio-oil for subsequent upgrading to DMB.
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Dynamotive Upgrades BioOil from Multiple Biomass Sources to a Uniform Hydrocarbon Product
October 28, 2009
Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation has successfully applied the BINGO (Biomass INto GasOil) BioOil upgrading process to BioOils produced from a variety of feedstocks. (Earlier post.) The feedstocks from which the BioOils were produced included sugarcane bagasse, bark rich forest trimmings, softwoods and palm fronds. BioOils upgraded were of widely varying quality and in some instances had been in storage for several years.
BINGO (Biomass INto GasOil) is a two-stage process first involving pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass to produce a primary liquid fuel, BioOil, which is then hydroreformed to a Stage 1 gas-oil equivalent liquid fuel that can either be directly utilized in blends with hydrocarbon fuels for industrial stationary power and heating applications or be further upgraded to transportation grade liquid hydrocarbon fuels (gasoline/diesel) in a Stage 2 hydrotreating process.
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Oxford Catalysts in $5.9M Fischer-Tropsch Demonstration and Commercialization Agreement; Focus on Biomass- and Waste-to-Liquids Applications
October 27, 2009
Oxford Catalysts Group PLC, signed a definitive joint development agreement (JDA) with SGC Energia, SGPS, S.A. (SGCE) for the demonstration and commercialization of the Group’s Fischer-Tropsch (FT) technology, primarily for Biomass-to-Liquids (BTL) and Waste-to-Liquids (WTL) applications. Oxford Catalysts has a platform catalyst technology that provides the increased activity in microchannel reactors. (Earlier post.)
Oxford Catalysts’ US subsidiary, Velocys, Inc. and SGCE have been working together since 2007 under a memorandum of understanding. The recently signed JDA formalizes the commercial relationship between the parties and provides $5.9 million of further funding directly to the Group over the balance of 2009 and 2010.
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ARPA-E Awards $151M to 37 Projects for Transformative Energy Research
October 26, 2009
The Department of Energy (DOE) has selected 37 energy research projects for $151 million in funding through the recently formed Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). This is the first round of projects funded under ARPA-E, which is receiving total of $400 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Among the projects selected are an effort to develop new metal-air batteries using advanced ionic liquids with 6-20 times the energy density of Li-ion batteries at < 1/3 the cost; a project to produce a flow of gasoline directly from sunlight and CO2 using a symbiotic system of two organisms; and a new type of engine for use as a genset in a plug-in hybrid vehicle that is five times more efficient than traditional auto engines in electricity production, 20% lighter, and 30% cheaper to manufacture.
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MIT/RAND Study Concludes Three Types of Alternative Jet Fuel May Be Available in Commercial Quantities Over the Next Decade
October 25, 2009
| Normalized well-to-wake GHG emissions for low-, baseline- and high-emission cases for jet fuel pathways under different land use change scenarios. From Hileman et al. Click to enlarge. |
A joint MIT/RAND study of the near-term commercial feasibility of alternative jet fuels has concluded that three types of alternative jet fuels may be available in commercial quantities over the next decade: Jet A derived from Canadian oil sands and Venezuelan Very Heavy Oils (VHO); Fischer-Tropsch (FT) jet fuel produced from coal, a combination of coal and biomass, or natural gas; and hydrotreated renewable jet fuel (HRJ) produced by hydroprocessing renewable oils.
The study compared five different groups of potential alternative jet fuels on the basis of seven criteria: compatibility with existing aircraft and infrastructure; maturity of the fuel-production technology; near-term production potential; near-term production costs; life-cycle GHG emissions (“well-to-wake”); emissions affecting air quality; and the relative merit of using the fuel in aviation versus ground transportation. The focus of the work was on alternative jet fuels that could be available commercially in the next decade using primarily North American resources.
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Honeywell Tests 50% Renewable Jet Fuel Blend on TPE331 Engines; Comparable Performance to Conventional Fuels, 15-50% Lower Emissions
October 21, 2009
| TPE331 turboprop engine. Click to enlarge. |
Honeywell has completed initial testing of renewable jet fuel on its TPE331 turboprop engine, its TFE731 turbofan engine and a commercial Auxiliary Power Unit, with performance and fuel economy results comparable to typical aviation fuels.
Honeywell is part of a consortium of aviation companies, major airlines and engine manufacturers that have been testing bio-based jet fuels. For the past several months, Honeywell has been testing a biofuel blend developed by UOP LLC, a Honeywell subsidiary based in Des Plaines, Ill., which is 50% jatropha and algae-based biofuel, and 50% petroleum-based fuel. The engine tests included evaluation of combustion characteristics and a full-engine test for the TPE331 turboprop engine.
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BNL Researchers Identify Enzyme That Could Help Biofuel Crops Grow In Harsh Environments
October 20, 2009
| These images show that seeds deficient in HHT (right), an enzyme needed to synthesize an important component of plant cell walls, are more permeable to a red dye than normal plant seeds (left). Controlling the level of this enzyme may offer scientists a new way to alter plant growth for improved biofuel production. Source: BNL. Click to enlarge. |
Scientists at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) have identified a novel enzyme responsible for the formation of suberin—the woody, waxy, cell-wall substance found in cork. While effective at keeping wine inside a bottle, suberin’s most important function in plants is to control water and nutrient transportation and keep pathogens out.
Adjusting the permeability of plant tissues by genetically manipulating the expression of this enzyme could lead to easier agricultural production of crops used for biofuels. The research, led by Brookhaven biologists Chang-Jun Liu and Jin-Ying Gou, will be published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the week of October 19, 2009.
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Secretary of the Navy Sets Target for 50% of Total Energy Consumption from Alternative Sources by 2020; Role for Biofuels and EVs
October 15, 2009
In a speech at the Naval Energy Forum, US Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus set out five energy targets for the department to meet over the course of the next decade, including the overall goal of half of the total energy consumption for ships, aircraft, tanks, vehicles, and shore installations coming from alternative sources by 2020.
Another of the five goals is for the Department of the Navy to reduce petroleum use in its 50,000 strong commercial fleet by half by 2015. It will do that, Secretary Mabus said, by replacing the current fleet, as they go out of service, with a new composite fleet of flex fuel vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, and neighborhood electric vehicles.
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Discussion Paper Suggests Mechanisms for Addressing Biofuel GHG Emissions Under Cap-and-Trade Schemes; Avoiding the “Renewability Shortcut” and Moving Toward Carbon Management for All Transportation Fuels
October 09, 2009
Including biofuels under a cap-and-trade scheme could create a more complete carbon management framework for the transportation fuels sector, according to a new peer-reviewed discussion paper by Dr. John DeCicco. DeCicco, formerly on staff at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), is now a Senior Lecturer at the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment.
While including all fuels under a carbon cap is necessary for an effective climate policy, DeCicco argues, it is not sufficient for addressing all fuels-related emissions. “In particular, it fails to cover many GHG emissions during the production of biofuels and their feedstocks. It also risks emissions leakages through the interlinked fuels and agricultural commodity markets that cross the boundaries of capped and uncapped sectors both domestically and internationally. Thus, the carbon accounting system under a fossil-based cap alone is incomplete when it comes to biofuels.”
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GAO Report Concludes Industry and Government Face Significant Challenges in Meeting RFS Target While Minimizing Unintended Adverse Effects; Suggests Federal Research Give Priority to Non-Ethanol Biofuels
October 05, 2009
A report recently published by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) concludes that the US biofuels industry and federal agencies will face significant challenges in meeting the more demanding requirements for volumes of advanced biofuels in RFS2 while minimizing any unintended adverse effects.
As part of the report, which was requested by Senators Barbara Boxer (as Chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works) and Susan Collins, the GAO makes several recommendations to Congress and for executive (i.e. Department or Agency-level) action. Among those is the recommendation that “to minimize future blend wall issues and associated ethanol distribution infrastructure costs...the Secretaries of Agriculture and Energy give priority to R&D on process technologies that produce biofuels that can be used by the existing petroleum-based distribution storage infrastructure and the current fleet of US vehicles”—i.e., non-ethanol biofuels.
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UOP Renewable Jet Fuel Technology to Produce Almost 600,000 Gallons of Renewable Jet Fuel for US Navy and Air Force
October 01, 2009
| Process flow diagram for the production of synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) for jet fuel. Source: UOP. Click to enlarge. |
UOP LLC’s renewable jet fuel process technology will be used to produce almost 600,000 gallons of renewable jet fuel for the US Navy and Air Force as part of a joint program for the US Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) for alternative fuels testing and certification.
Working with feedstock partners Sustainable Oils, Solazyme and Cargill, Honeywell’s UOP will produce up to 190,000 gallons of fuel for the Navy and 400,000 gallons for the Air Force from sustainable, non-food feedstocks including animal fats, algae and camelina. (Earlier post.) The initial fuel, to be tested in a 50:50 blend, will be delivered in 2009 and 2010 to support certification and testing of alternative fuels for US military aircraft.
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Swedish Energy R&D Board Awards Up To US$72M to Chemrec for BioDME and Biomethanol Demo
September 28, 2009
The Swedish Energy R&D Board will provide an investment grant for the demonstration at industrial scale of the Chemrec technology for production of the renewable motor fuels BioDME (dimethyl ether) and Biomethanol. The new plant will be built at the Domsjö Fabriker biorefinery in Örnsköldsvik. (The biorefinery Domsjö Fabriker produces specialty cellulose, lignosulfonate and ethanol at Örnsköldsvik,550 km north of Stockholm.) The investment grant of up to SEK 500 million (€49 million, US$72 million) is contingent on approval by the EU Directorate General for Competition.
Earlier this month, Chemrec broke ground on a pulp mill-integrated BioDME biorefinery demonstration plant project in Piteå, Sweden, with expected biofuel production by mid-2010. The project will demonstrate the production of BioDME using black liquor from the pulp mill as feedstock, and will also demonstrate the use of this fuel in heavy vehicles in commercial service. (Earlier post.)
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Auto Industry Backs Additional Funding for Research into Impacts of Mid-Level Ethanol Blends
September 25, 2009
| Status of research into the effects of mid-level blends. Programs with red borders are unfunded; red bars are gaps in research. Source: Joint IEPR/TC workshop. Click to enlarge. |
The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM) and the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers (AIAM) sent a letter to US House and Senate Energy and Water Appropriators in support of additional funding to complete research into the impacts of mid-level blends of ethanol.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is current considering a request to allow more than the current limit of 10% ethanol in gasoline to increase overall ethanol consumption in the US fuel pool. (Earlier post.) The auto industry in principle is not opposed to the introduction of such mid-level blends (i.e., above 10% but below 85%; but it wants the completion of current durability testing plans. (Earlier post.)
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LS9 Closes $25M Round; Chevron Takes a Stake
September 24, 2009
| LS9 modifies the ACP pathway in bacteria to produce renewable hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals with optimized properties. Source: LS9. Click to enlarge. |
LS9 Company, a synthetic biology company producing renewable fuels and chemicals directly by fermentation, has successfully completed a $25 million round of funding. Participating investors included CTTV Investments LLC, the venture capital arm of Chevron Technology Ventures LLC; Flagship Ventures; Khosla Ventures and Lightspeed Venture Partners.
LS9 has engineered a one-step process using to convert fatty acid intermediates into petroleum replacement products via fermentation of renewable sugars. LS9 has also discovered and engineered a new class of enzymes and their associated genes to efficiently convert fatty acids into hydrocarbons.
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US DOE Announces up to $40M for Designing and Planning Next Generation Nuclear Plants; Integration of Nuclear Process Heat and Hydrogen with Other Industrial Processes
September 19, 2009
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| Illustration of the integration of a high temperature gas-cooled reactor with commercial manufacturing, hydrogen production, and the generation of electricity. Source: INL. Click to enlarge. |
The US Department of Energy has issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for up to $40 million to support cost-shared design and planning work for the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP). NGNP is envisioned to extend the application of nuclear energy into the broader industrial and transportation sectors, reducing fuel use and pollution and improving on the safety of existing commercial light water reactor technology.
Next Generation Nuclear Plants will use new, high temperature, gas-cooled reactor technologies to produce energy that is able to run both a primary and a secondary industrial application—for example, generating electricity while supporting petroleum refining or bio- and synthetic-fuel production through the provision of hydrogen and/or the provision of process heat.
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Study Finds that US Subsidies for Fossil Fuels Are Almost 2.5x Those for Renewables
September 18, 2009
| US subsidies for fuels and renewable energy, 2002-2008. Nuclear was not included in the analysis. Source: Adeyeye et al. 2009. Click to enlarge. |
The vast majority of US federal subsidies for fossil fuels and renewable energy from 2002-2008 supported fossil energy sources that emit high levels of greenhouse gases when used as fuel, according to research released on Friday by the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) in partnership with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
The study, “Estimating US Government Subsidies to Energy Sources: 2002-2008”, found that fossil fuels benefited from approximately $72 billion over the seven-year period, while subsidies for renewable fuels totaled $29 billion.
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Mascoma Announces Feedstock Processing and Lignin Supply Agreement with Chevron Technology Ventures; Chevron Working on Converting Lignin to Hydrocarbon Fuel Components
September 14, 2009
Mascoma Corporation has entered into a feedstock processing and lignin supply agreement with Chevron Technology Ventures (CTV), a division of Chevron USA, Inc. Under terms of the agreement, CTV will provide various sources of lignocellulosic feedstock to Mascoma. Mascoma will then convert the feedstock to cellulosic ethanol through its proprietary process, which produces lignin as a by-product.
Mascoma will provide this lignin to CTV for evaluation. CTV is developing proprietary technology and catalysts for the conversion of lignin into hydrocarbon components for transportation fuels. Chevron has filed applications for two patents on processes to convert lignin to a hydrocarbon feedstock via hydroprocessing; both applications were published on 3 September 2009.
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Study Concludes That Use of Cellulosic Feedstocks to Meet US Biofuel Requirements Will Still Likely Result in Expansion of the Gulf Dead Zone
September 10, 2009
| Nitrate output within the MARB (colored bars, lefthand y-axis) and mean areal extent of hypoxia in the NGOM with “No Buffer” and “50% Buffer” (gray scale bars, righthand y-axis). Nitrate output columns represent mean values and the 80% credible intervals from modeling. Credit: ACS, Costello et. al. Click to enlarge. |
A study by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh found that while moving from corn to cellulosics to meet the biofuel goals specified by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007) for ethanol production may result in a 20% decrease (based on mean values) in NO3- (nitrate) output from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya River Basin (MARB) relative to corn, this will still result in increased nitrate loadings, contributing to the expansion of the hypoxic “Dead Zone” in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM). (Earlier post.)
The findings suggest that an aggressive nutrient management strategy will be needed to reach the goal of a 5,000 km2 areal extent of hypoxia set forth by the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force even in the absence of biofuels, given current production to meet food, feed, and other industrial needs. Their paper was published online 13 August in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology.
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DESC Awards Solazyme Contract for Naval Renewable F-76 from Algae, Sustainable Oils Contract for Renewable JP-5 from Camelina
The Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) awarded an estimated $8.5-million contract to Solazyme, Inc. for an algae-oil derived renewable F-76 shipboard fuel for the US Navy. DESC also awarded Sustainable Oils, LLC a $2.7-million contract for Hydrotreated Renewable HRJ-5 for Navy aviation use. The Navy currently consumes 34.5 million barrels of fuels per year: 42% of that is for aviation, 40% for ships.
The DESC is a field activity of the DLA. As the Department of Defense’s combat logistics support agency, DLA is responsible for providing the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, other federal agencies, and joint and allied forces with a variety of logistics, acquisition and technical services. The Navy’s present base of petroleum-derived mobility fuels includes:
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Vattenfall and Aalborg University Partner with SCF Technologies on Near Supercritical Bio-oil Process
September 05, 2009
| Overview of the CatLiq process. Source: SCF Technologies. Click to enlarge. |
Vattenfall and Aalborg University are partnering with Danish startup SCF Technologies in a two-year project to design a demonstration plant based on SCF’s CatLiq process—an application of the firm’s supercritical fluid technology in the catalytic production of bio-oil from organic waste.
CatLiq converts biomass and organic wastes in water at near or supercritical conditions (280-350 °C and 180-250 bar). Under these conditions water is very reactive, and converts, in the presence of homogeneous (KOH) and heterogeneous (ZrO2) catalysts, the organic fraction of the feed into smaller and more saturated molecules in the form of a bio-oil product, a water-soluble organics product and a high calorific value gas product. In addition to the bio-oil/methane products, the process can be tuned to produce hydrogen and water soluble fuels such as methanol, ethanol or acetaldehyde.
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Collins Bus Corporation Enters Agreement With CleanFUEL USA to Develop LPI Type A School Bus
September 03, 2009
| The GM Cutaway G4500 will be the basis for the Collins LPI Type A buses. Click to enlarge. |
Collins Bus Corporation has entered an exclusive agreement with CleanFUEL USA to develop the first Type A small school bus to operate on autogas with a Liquid Propane Injection (LPI) system. Type A school buses can typically transport between 14 and 30 passengers.
CleanFUEL USA is a leader in the development of Liquid Propane Injection and the only company that will currently offer an EPA- and CARB-certified system on the GM 6.0L gasoline engine cutaway chassis. Collins, as the largest builder of Type A school buses will offer this system as an option for several of its GM dual rear wheel models (e.g., the Collins Super Bantam).
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DOE Selects High-Tonnage Biomass Feedstock Projects for up to $21M in Funding
August 31, 2009
The US Department of Energy will award up to $21 million to five projects that will develop supply systems to handle and deliver high-tonnage biomass feedstocks for cellulosic biofuels production. The selection of the projects is in response to a funding opportunity announcement issued by DOE back in March.(Earlier post.)
The chosen awards were selected as the best projects to stimulate the design and demonstration of a comprehensive system to handle the harvesting, collection, preprocessing, transport, and storage of sufficient volumes of sustainably produced feedstocks. Feedstocks or combinations of feedstocks that were considered include: agricultural residues, energy crops (e.g., switchgrass, miscanthus, energycane, sorghum, poplar, willow), forest resources (e.g., forest thinnings, wood chips, wood wastes, small diameter trees), and urban wood wastes.
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Researchers Produce Biocrude from Switchgrass with Subcritical Water
August 27, 2009
| Major pathways for the conversion of biomass to biofuels. The subcritical pathway in the study is outlined in red. Credit: ACS. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at Auburn University have shown a subcritical water treatment (hydrothermal liquefaction) that effectively liquefies switchgrass to produce a biocrude at a comparatively low temperature (235 °C) in a flow reactor. The biocrude in this study is an aqueous carbohydrate solution derived from the direct liquefaction of biomass; it can be converted to liquid fuel, hydrogen, or chemicals.
One of the perceived advantages to a hydrothermal liquefaction process is its ability to utilize mixed biomass feedstock without any pretreatment or drying, at a comparatively low temperature. Since water is used both as a reactant and as the reaction medium, the moisture content of biomass is not an issue.
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Waste Management Invests In Terrabon Waste-to-Renewable Gasoline Venture
August 26, 2009
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| Terrabon’s pathway to renewable hydrocarbon fuel produces ketones, which are then processed using conventional refinery technology. Click to enlarge. |
Waste Management, Inc. has invested in waste-to-fuel company Terrabon, LLC. Terrabon is the developer of a carboxylic acid fermentation platform licensed from Texas A&M University for the conversion of biomass to fuel intermediates that can then be upgraded into industrial chemicals and renewable gasoline. (Earlier post.)
Waste Management is the leading provider of comprehensive waste management and environmental services in North America. The company joins Valero Energy Corp., the largest refiner in North America, which also invested in Terrabon in April 2009 and recently increased its investment in Terrabon. This investment from Waste Management and Valero will be used by Terrabon to advance the scalability of their technology.
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US DOE Awards $300 Million in Clean Cities Grants to Support Alternative Fuels, Vehicles, and Infrastructure Development
| Geographical distribution of Clean Cities Recovery Act awards. Click to enlarge. |
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has selected 25 cost-share projects under the Clean Cities program that will be funded with nearly $300 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. These projects put more than 9,000 alternative fuel and energy-efficient light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles on the road, and establish 542 refueling locations across the country.
The vehicles and infrastructure being funded include the use of natural and renewable gas, propane, ethanol, biodiesel, electricity, and hybrid technologies. And with the cost share contributions from the recipients, every federal dollar spent will be matched by nearly two dollars from the project partners.
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Study Finds Water Use for Switchgrass Ethanol Production Approximately the Same as for Gasoline
August 23, 2009
| Consumptive freshwater use for ethanol and petroleum gasoline production. Data: Wu, ANL/ESD/09-1. Click to enlarge. |
In the US, producing one gallon of ethanol from switchgrass consumes approximately the same net amount of water as does producing a gallon of gasoline from conventional crude or oil sands oil, according to a study by Argonne National Laboratory researchers presented at the 238th national meeting of the American Chemical Society last week.
The production of both bio and petroleum feedstocks and fuels requires substantial water input. Biofuel feedstocks such as corn, switchgrass, and agricultural residues need water for growth and conversion to ethanol; petroleum feedstocks such as crude oil and oil sands also require large volumes of water for drilling, extraction, and conversion into petroleum products. In many cases, the Argonne team noted, crude oil production is increasingly water dependent.
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Massachusetts to Accept Only Waste-Derived Biofuels to Qualify for Mandate for Diesel and Home Heating Oil
August 20, 2009
Only biofuels derived from waste feedstocks will initially be considered to qualify as an advanced biofuel to meet the Massachusetts Biofuels Mandate for diesel and home heating oil, according to the plan unveiled by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER), in coordination with the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
Waste feedstocks are defined in the enabling legislation specifically as “previously used or discarded solid, liquid or contained gaseous material with heating value resulting from industrial, commercial or household food service activities that would otherwise be stored, treated, transferred or disposed. Waste feedstock shall include, but not be limited to: waste vegetable oils, waste animal fats, substances derived from wastewater and the treatment of wastewater or grease trap waste.” Other forms of renewable biomass—agricultural crop residues, dedicated energy crops, or algae—are excluded.
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Navy to Test 50:50 Hydrotreated Renewable Jet Fuel Blend in F/A-18 Super Hornet; 590,000-Gallon HRJ Solicitation for Navy and Air Force
August 18, 2009
The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) fuels team will flight test a 50:50 blend of hydrotreated renewable JP-5 (HRJ5) and petroleum-based JP-5 in an F/A-18 Super Hornet at Patuxent River, Md., by next spring or summer. Preceding the flight tests will be laboratory and rig testing at Pax River, followed by static engine tests with the Super Hornet’s F414 engine on a test stand at the Lynn, Mass., facility of manufacturer General Electric.
The static tests will probably take place in the December-January time frame, according to Rick Kamin, Navy fuels lead. The NAVAIR fuels team is also getting ready to kick off a similar effort to test and certify biofuels for use on ships.
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ACS Meeting Symposium Focuses on Conversion and Utilization of CO2 for Fuels and Chemicals
August 16, 2009
Researchers at the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) led off a day-long symposium on advances in CO2 conversion and utilization being held at the 238th American Chemical Society (ACS) national meeting, which began today in Washington, DC. The NRL researchers presented their progress in hydrogenating CO2 to jet fuel via a two-stage, high-yield and highly selective synthesis process. (Earlier post.)
Robert Dorner and his colleagues are looking at converting CO2 and hydrogen (both won from sea-water) over catalysts, using the CO2 as a building block to form synthetic fuel. This reaction is energetically not favored and thus a catalyst is needed, which will lower the energy barrier of the reaction and increase the rate at which it occurs. The energy utilized to convert CO2 and hydrogen is also harvested from the ocean, by taking advantage of the temperature gradient of the water with increasing depth, making the fuel CO2-neutral.
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OriginOil, Carbon Sciences Apply for DOE Grants for CO2 to Fuels
August 13, 2009
OriginOil, Inc., the developer of technology for efficient and non-destructive (earlier post) extraction of oil from algae, led a consortium in a recently submitted application for a grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 targeting the beneficial use of CO2. The consortium includes the Idaho National Laboratory of the Department of Energy (DOE), two top US universities, and materials technology firm Media & Process Technology.
Carbon Sciences, Inc., the developer of a biocatalytic process to transform CO2 into low-carbon hydrocarbons (C1 to C3) for subsequent upgrading into higher-carbon fuels such as gasoline and jet fuel (earlier post), has also applied for an award under the FOA.
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EIA Projects 5% Decrease in Fossil-Fuel-Based CO2 Emissions in 2009; Little Change in Emissions from Gasoline
August 12, 2009
| US CO2 emissions growth. Source: EIA STEO. Click to enlarge. |
In its current version of the Short Term Energy Outlook (STEO), the US Energy Information Administration projects a 5% decline in fossil-fuel-based CO2 emissions in 2009. The decrease was driven by the economic downturn, combined with a significant switch from coal to natural gas as a source of electricity generation, according to the EIA.
For 2008, the EIA reported a 3.2% decrease in CO2 emissions from fossil fuels in 2008. An improving economy is expected to increase CO2 emissions from fossil fuels by 0.7% in 2010.
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BP and Martek Biosciences Enter a Joint Development Agreement to Deliver Advanced Microbial Biofuels
August 11, 2009
BP and Martek Biosciences Corporation signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to work on the production of microbial oils for biofuels applications. The partnership combines a broad technology platform and operational capabilities to advance the development of a step-change technology for the conversion of sugars into renewable diesel fuels.
Under the terms of the multi-year agreement, Martek and BP will work together to establish proof of concept for large-scale, cost effective microbial biofuels production through fermentation. Martek, a nutritional products company, has developed and patented two fermentable strains of microalgae which produce oils rich in docosahexaenoic acid, DHA. A similar patented process was developed for a fungus that produces an oil rich in arachidonic acid, ARA. Both DHA and ARA are important nutrients for optimal infant development.
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EPA Posts Peer Review of Renewable Fuel Standards Lifecycle Analysis
August 07, 2009
| Steps in determining biofuel lifecycle emissions. Source: EPA workshop, June 2009. Click to enlarge. |
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has posted the peer review of the renewable fuel standards lifecycle analysis—including significant indirect emissions, such as from indirect land use changes—online.
In May, EPA released its expected Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) detailing the implementation of changes to the existing Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS1) as required by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA). The proposed rulemaking includes new definitions and criteria for both renewable fuels and the feedstocks used to produce them, including new greenhouse gas emission (GHG) thresholds for renewable fuels and the incorporation of indirect land use change effects. (Earlier post.) At the time, Administrator Jackson announced the lifecycle analysis would be peer-reviewed.
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US DOE to Award More Than $327M in Recovery Act Funding for Science Research; Includes Support for Biofuels, Smart Grid and Fusion Energy
August 04, 2009
The US Department of Energy (DOE) will award more than $327 million for scientific research, instrumentation, and laboratory infrastructure projects including biofuels, smart grid and fusion energy research, among others.
Of the $327 million in Recovery Act funding, $107.5 million is slated to go to universities, nonprofit organizations, and private firms, generally on a competitive, peer-reviewed basis. The remaining $220 million will go to US Department of Energy National Laboratories for a range of research, instrumentation, and infrastructure projects, including $164.7 million for projects already allocated as follows:
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Use of Supercritical Diesel Fuel for Improved Efficiency and Reduced Emissions
| An experimental P-T diagram mapping the liquid, liquid-vapor, and SC regions for diesel fuel-CO2 mixtures with different compositions and densities (numbers in red and black, respectively). The fuel may coke for temperatures higher than 750 K (at the right of the red line). Anitescu et. al., Energy & Fuels 2009. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at Syracuse University (New York) have developed a method to prepare, inject and combust supercritical (SC) diesel fuel. The central part of the method is a new fuel system including high-temperature fuel injectors and a common rail to deliver SC fuel-diluent mixtures for combustion over ranges of conditions which will significantly improve engine efficiency, reduce PM and NOx and mitigate the environmental thermal impact. Heat required to bring the fuel to SC states is recovered from the exhaust gas of the engine. George Anitescu from Syracuse presented the work in a poster at the DEER 2009 conference in Dearbon, Michigan.
A supercritical fluid is any substance at a temperature and pressure above its thermodynamic critical point. The injection and combustion of supercritical fuels is also the core of Khosla-backed startup Transonic Combustion’s technology. (Earlier post.)
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New Method for Producing High-Performance Zeolite Membranes; Could Increase Energy Efficiency of Biofuel Production
July 31, 2009
| (Top) a conventionally calcined zeolite membrane and (bottom) an identically oriented membrane that has undergone rapid thermal processing (RTP). Red and green regions in the 3D schematics are indicative of zeolite crystal grains and defects/grain boundaries, respectively. Credit: Jungkyu Choi, University of California, Berkeley; Mark A. Snyder, Lehigh University; and Michael Tsapatsis, University of Minnesota. Click to enlarge. |
Engineers have developed a new method for creating high-performance membranes from zeolites; the method could increase the energy efficiency of chemical separations up to 50 times over conventional methods and enable higher production rates. Researchers led by chemical engineer Michael Tsapatsis of the University of Minnesota reported this discovery in the 31 July issue of Science.
The ability to separate and purify specific molecules in a chemical mixture is essential to chemical manufacturing. Many industrial separations rely on distillation, a process that is easy to design and implement but consumes a lot of energy. Tsapatsis’ team developed a rapid heating treatment to remove structural defects in zeolite membranes that limit their performance, a problem that has plagued the technology for decades.
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EERC Awarded Subcontract to Help Produce 100% Renewable Jet Fuel from Algae
July 29, 2009
The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at the University of North Dakota has been awarded a subcontract by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) to help produce renewable jet fuel from algae.
The effort is being funded by the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and is a continuation of the first successful production of 100% renewable fuel for the US military by the EERC. Under a previous DARPA contract, the EERC advanced the development of a feedstock-flexible thermocatalytic cracking and separation process in its production of renewable JP-8 from vegetable oils. (Earlier post.)
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Joule Biotechnologies Introduces Its Technology for Producing Renewable Transportation Fuels
July 27, 2009
| Joule Biotechnologies uses proprietary, highly-engineered product-specific organisms to produce renewable fuels and chemicals. Click to enlarge. |
Joule Biotechnologies, Inc., a bioengineering startup, unveiled its Helioculture technology—a system that leverages highly engineered photosynthetic organisms to catalyze the conversion of sunlight and CO2 to usable transportation fuels and chemicals. Among the co-founders of Joule Biotechnologies is Harvard Medical School Professor of Genetics George Church, who also co-founded LS9.
Joule’s SolarFuels meet today’s vehicle fuel specifications and infrastructure; the company expects to achieve widespread production at the energy equivalent of less than $50 per barrel. The company’s first product offering, SolarEthanol fuel, will be ready for commercial-scale development in 2010. Joule has also demonstrated proof of concept for producing hydrocarbon fuel and expects process demonstration by 2011.
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New Cell Programming Method Could Significantly Boost Biotech and Synthetic Biology Work
| MAGE enables the rapid and continuous generation of sequence diversity at many targeted chromosomal locations across a large population of cells through the repeated introduction of synthetic DNA. Wang et al., Nature. Click to enlarge. |
A new cell programming method called Multiplex Automated Genome Engineering (MAGE) promises to give biotechnology, in particular synthetic biology, a powerful boost. MAGE was developed by a team led by a pair of researchers in the lab of Harvard Medical School Professor of Genetics George Church. In addition to his scientific accomplishments, Dr. Church co-founded Joule Biotech (solar fuels), LS9 (bio-petroleum), and Knome (full human genome sequencing).
Using the platform, the team rapidly refined the design of a bacterium by editing multiple genes in parallel instead of targeting one gene at a time. They transformed E. coli cells into efficient bio-factories that produced a desired compound in three days—a feat that would take most biotech companies months or years. A paper on their work was published online in the journal Nature on 26 July.
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Report from the REFF-Wall Street; Themes in Renewable Energy Finance
July 22, 2009
by Bill Cooke
Green Car Congress attended the Renewable Energy Finance Forum - Wall Street (REFF-Wall Street) conference (23-24 June) sponsored by Euromoney Energy Events and the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE). ACORE is an organization of member companies and institutions that are dedicated to moving renewable energy into the mainstream of America’s economy.
Ed Feo is a partner with the law firm of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy and was voted one of the “Five Most Influential People in Renewable Energy” in 2008 by Euromoney / Institutional Investor. He identified three major themes in 2009 for renewable energy: “Energy markets are undergoing their most fundamental changes since the 1930s; cap and trade is the most complex issue outside of health care; and schisms exist within the energy community that will grow stronger over time.” Although not part of the conferences formal structure, the themes were addressed in the presentations and panel discussions.
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Air Force Office of Scientific Research Awards $3M for Research into Graphene Additives for Novel Aviation and Diesel Fuels
July 21, 2009
The US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) has awarded an interdisciplinary team of scientists led by Princeton engineers a two-year, $3-million grant to develop nanoscale graphene additives for novel fuels to help supersonic jets fly faster and diesel engines cleaner and more efficient.
The funding, which comes as part of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Research Program (funding opportunity AFOSR-BAA-2009-3), will be used to tackle a fundamental fuel barrier to designing faster supersonic aircraft.
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Researchers Outline Consensus Position on “Beneficial Biofuels”
July 19, 2009
Noting that society “cannot afford to miss out” on the multiple benefits of biofuels “done right”, but that society also “cannot accept the undesirable impacts of biofuels done wrong,” eleven researchers suggest what they describe as a consensus position on beneficial biofuels in a paper published 17 July in Science.
Lead author is David Tilman of the University of Minnesota. Co-authors include the U of M’s Jonathan Foley and Jason Hill; Princeton’s Robert Socolow, Eric Larson, Stephen Pacala, Tim Searchinger and Robert Williams; Dartmouth’s Lee Lynd; MIT’s John Reilly; and the University of California, Berkeley’s Chris Somerville.
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UK Publishes Strategy for Low Carbon Transport
July 15, 2009
The UK’s Department for Transport has published a strategy designed to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide from the transport sector by around 14% (17.7 million tonnes) by 2020 compared to 2008.
The document, entitled “Low carbon transport: a greener future”, also frames the debate for a longer-term decarbonization of transport to give people and businesses more low-carbon choices about when, where and how to travel or transport goods. Transport currently makes up 21% of all UK domestic carbon emissions. The Carbon Reduction Strategy for Transport is based on three main themes:
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Five More Airlines Join Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group
July 13, 2009
Five new airlines have been accepted as members of the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group (SAFUG), an airline-led industry working group focused on accelerating the development and commercialization of sustainable aviation fuels: Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, TUIfly and Virgin Blue.
Current airline members include Air France, Air New Zealand, ANA (All Nippon Airways), Cargolux, Gulf Air, Japan Airlines, KLM, SAS and Virgin Atlantic Airways. Boeing and Honeywell’s UOP, a refining technology developer, are associate members.
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GAO Preliminary Observations on Links Between Water, Biofuels and Electricity; Calls for More Research
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) last week provided preliminary observations as testimony to the House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, Committee on Science and Technology on the water-energy nexus related to biofuels and water and thermoelectric power plants and water.
The subcommittee had requested GAO undertake three studies related to (1) biofuels and water, (2) thermoelectric power plants and water, and (3) oil shale and water.
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Requiring Lower Sulfur Marine Fuels Could Reduce Emissions-Related Deaths by Up to 50% Annually By 2012
July 09, 2009
| Annual premature mortality for the No Control scenario compared to a “no shipping” case. Credit: ACS. Click to enlarge. |
Requiring ships to use marine fuel with 0.1% Sulfur (1,000 ppm) content within 200 nautical miles of coastal areas could reduce annual premature deaths resulting from emissions-related affects by around 43,500 by 2012—approximately 50% of the 87,000 deaths estimated to occur in a no control scenario (assuming 2.7% or 27,000 ppm S)—according to a new study by researchers from the US and Germany, led by Dr. James Winebrake at the Rochester Institute of Technology.
The study is published in the current issue of the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology.
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US EPA Proposes New Emissions Rules for Category 3 Marine Diesel Engines, Tighter Fuel Sulfur Restrictions; Harmonization with International Standards
July 01, 2009
As the next steps in a strategy to cut harmful emissions from ocean-going vessels, the US Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new engine emissions and fuel standards for large marine diesel engines on US-flagged ships that would harmonize with international standards.
The proposed rulemaking follows on a proposal last March by the United States and Canada to designate thousands of miles of the two countries’ coasts as an Emission Control Area (ECA). (Earlier post.) The International Maritime Organization (IMO), a United Nations agency, begins consideration of the ECA plan this month, which would result in more stringent standards for large ships operating within 200 nautical miles of the coasts of Canada and the United States.
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Linc Energy Chinchilla UCG to Liquids Demo Plant Producing High-Quality Synthetic Hydrocarbons
June 29, 2009
| The Chinchilla Demonstration Facility combines UCG and GTL technologies Click to enlarge. |
During the first half of 2009, the Linc Energy Limited Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) to Liquids demonstration plant at Chinchilla (earlier post) ran four major production campaigns each of which has seen further improvements in plant performance, according to the company. The May campaign has been the most successful operation to date, producing high-quality synthetic hydrocarbon products over the entire operating period. The demonstration plant has now operated over extended periods with the anticipated levels of reliability.
The first liquids were produced in October 2008, with improvements in operations over the past few months. Linc Energy says it can now use this abundant and relatively cheap gas to make synthetic liquid hydrocarbons (with a focus on diesel).
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DoD Researchers Work to Increase the Production of Higher Chain Hydrocarbons from CO2 Using a Traditional Fischer-Tropsch Catalyst
June 27, 2009
Researchers at the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and the Center for Applied Energy Research at the University of Kentucky are investigating the hydrogenation of CO2 using a conventional Fischer-Tropsch cobalt catalyst for the production of valuable hydrocarbon materials.
Other studies have shown the ability to convert CO2 primarily to methane with a distribution of other hydrocarbons (earlier post as one example). The focus of this work, reported online 25 June in the ACS journal Energy & Fuels, is to attempt to improve the production distribution toward higher chain hydrocarbons (HCs) and increase conversion rates using conventional Fischer-Tropsch catalysts (Co-Pt/Al2O3).
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ASTM Aviation Fuel Subcommittee Passes Specification Enabling Use of Synthetic Fuel in Aviation
June 26, 2009
The ASTM International Aviation Fuels Subcommittee having responsibility for jet fuel (D02.J0.01) formally voted upon and passed a new fuel specification, labeled DXXXX until final issuance, that will enable use of synthetic fuels in commercial aviation. The specification describes the fuel properties and criteria necessary to control the manufacture and quality of these fuels for aviation use.
The new specification constructs a framework to enable the use of multiple alternative fuels (including both non-renewable and renewable blends) for aviation, and targets complete interchangeability with conventional fuels produced to specification D1655. This specification is being structured, via annexes, to accommodate different classes of alternative fuels.
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Rentech Takes 25% Stake in Biomass Gasification Company
June 24, 2009
Rentech, the developer of a Fischer-Tropsch process for the conversion of syngas derived from biomass and fossil resources into synthetic fuels, specialty waxes and chemicals, has acquired a 25% stake in ClearFuels Technology Inc. through a strategic investment.
ClearFuels, established in 1998, has exclusive rights to a proprietary High Efficiency Hydrothermal Reformer (HEHTR) and process for biomass to syngas conversion (BTG). The ClearFuels technology can convert multiple cellulosic biomass feedstocks such as sugarcane bagasse and virgin wood waste into clean synthesis gas (syngas) suitable for integration with synthetic gas-to-liquids technologies.
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Industry Tests Show Bio-Derived Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene Performs as Well as Petroleum Jet Fuel; Aviation Partners Push for Approval for Use
June 18, 2009
| Overview of UOP’s Bio-SPK production process. Click to enlarge. |
Boeing and a team from across the aviation industry today released high-level elements of a study that shows that sustainable biofuels analyzed in a series of test flights performed favorably in comparison to petroleum-based fuel.
According to the study, Evaluation of Bio-Derived Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (Bio-SPK), a series of laboratory, ground and flight tests conducted between 2006 and 2009 indicated the Bio-SPK test fuels performed as well as or better than typical petroleum-based Jet A. The testing included several commercial airplane engine types using blends of up to 50% petroleum-based Jet A/Jet A-1 fuel and 50% sustainable biofuels.
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New PNNL Small-Scale Hydrodesulfurizer/Steam Reformer System Lets Portable Fuel Cells Use JP-8 or Diesel
June 12, 2009
| JP-8 steam reformer (left) and a compact hydrodesulfurization system (right). Source: PNNL. Click to enlarge. |
A new system developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory allows portable fuel cells to operate using JP-8—a common fuel used worldwide in military applications with and sulfur levels that can vary considerably from region to region—or road diesel.
The development of fuel cell power systems supplied by liquid hydrocarbon fuels such as JP-8 or diesel has continued to be challenged by the difficulty in cleanly reforming these fuels without catalyst deterioration. One of the major sources of catalyst deterioration and resulting low conversion activity has been the presence of sulfur in these fuels.
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New One-Pot Catalytic Pathway to Convert Cellulose to Glucose and HMF, an Intermediate for Fuels and Chemicals
June 09, 2009
| Hydrolysis product yield from cellulose using single and paired CuCl2 /CrCl2 catalysts. Zhang et. al. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed a catalytic pathway for the rapid conversion of cellulose to sugars and further to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF)—a versatile intermediate for chemicals and fuels.
In 2007, the PNNL team had reported developing a catalytic system to efficiently convert glucose to HMF. (Earlier post.) However, for such a process to be commercially sustainable in large quantities, cellulosic biomass must be able to be used as the feedstock. The bottleneck has been the decrystallization of cellulose followed by hydrolytic cleavage. The new work addresses that issue.
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Study Finds Water Footprint for Bioenergy Larger Than Other Forms of Energy; Bioelectricity the Smallest, Biodiesel the Largest
June 06, 2009
| Total weighted global average water footprints (blue and green) for major ethanol and biodiesel crops in m3 water per GJ fuel. The yellow marker (also left axis) indicates the total weighted global average WF for bioelectricity from the same crops. The red marker (right axis) indicates liters of water required to produce one liter of fuel. Data: Gerbens-Leenes et al. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the University of Twente, Netherlands have calculated the water footprints (WFs) of bioenergy from 12 crops that currently contribute the most to global agricultural production: barley, cassava, maize, potato, rapeseed, rice, rye, sorghum, soybean, sugar beet, sugar cane, and wheat. In addition, their study includes jatropha, an energy crop.
In general they found that bioelectricity is more water-efficient than first-generation biofuels (due largely to the ability to use the entire biomass to produce energy, rather than just the starch or oil fraction of the yield for liquid fuel production). They also found that the WF of bioethanol on a m3 of water per GJ of fuel basis appears to be smaller than that of biodiesel. Their results appeared 2 June in an open access paper in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
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Velocys Awarded Commercialization Grant for Microchannel Reactor Technology for Hydroprocessing to Upgrade Fischer-Tropsch Fuels and Heavy Petroleum Feedstock
May 28, 2009
A collaboration led by Velocys, Inc., the US subsidiary of UK-based Oxford Catalysts Group PLC, has been awarded a $5-million, 2.5-year commercialization grant to apply Velocys’ microchannel reactor technology to hydroprocessing for transportation fuels. (Earlier post.)
The project focuses on hydrocracking to upgrade Fischer-Tropsch fuels and heavy petroleum feedstock for jet and diesel fuel. Additional hydroprocessing application opportunities include the processing of edible oils, specialty and fine chemicals, and conversion of natural oils and fats to transportation fuels.
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Waste Management and InEnTec Create Joint Venture to Develop and Operate Plasma Gasification Facilities for Synthetic Fuels and Power
May 21, 2009
| Overview of the PEM process. Click to enlarge. |
Waste Management, Inc. and InEnTec LLC (earlier post) have formed S4 Energy Solutions LLC, a joint venture to develop, operate and market plasma gasification facilities using InEnTec’s Plasma Enhanced Melter (PEM) technology. The joint venture is expected to process waste from the country’s increasingly segmented commercial and industrial waste streams to produce a range of synthetic fuels and chemicals as well as to generate electricity.
S4 Energy Solutions’ initial focus will be to process medical and other segregated commercial and industrial waste streams. The company’s future commercialization plans may also include the processing of municipal solid waste once the technology has been demonstrated to be economical and scalable for such use.
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Researchers Propose a Renewable Energy Cycle Based on Co-electrolysis of Water and CO2 to Produce Syngas
| Schematic illustration of a generic liquid-fuel energy cycle utilizing a renewable electrical source. Credit: ACS. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at Northwestern University are proposing, and have begun experimental validation of, a renewable liquid-fuel energy storage cycle based on the co-electrolysis of H2O and CO2 using a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) powered by renewable electricity to produce syngas. The syngas is then in turn converted into liquid fuels (e.g., methanol or synthetic hydrocarbons) which could be used in a direct fuel cell.
The direct fuel cell produces electricity, with water and CO2 as byproducts of the oxidation of the liquid fuel in the fuel cell. These would be captured and recycled back into the co-electrolysis process.
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New One-Pot Catalytic Process For Hydrogenation of Bio-Oil to Produce Alkanes
May 12, 2009
| Plot of phenol conversion, cyclohexanol selectivity, and cyclohexanone selectivity for the aqueous-phase hydrogenation of phenol as a function of reaction time. Zhao et al. (2009) Click to enlarge. |
A team of German and Chinese scientists led by Johannes A. Lercher at the Technical University of Munich has developed a new catalytic process for the aqueous-phase hydrogenation of components of bio-oil directly into alkanes and methanol. As reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie, the process is based on a “one-pot reaction” catalyzed by a precious metal on a carbon support combined with an inorganic acid.
Bio-oil (or pyrolysis oil) is produced by fast pyrolysis or liquefaction of biomass. Although a promising second-generation renewable energy carrier, its high oxygen content, instability and lower energy content make direct use as an advanced liquid fuel not feasible. Consequently, there are a number of research initiatives underway exploring pathways for the efficient upgrading of bio-oil to a fungible hydrocarbon fuel. The US Department of Energy is also funding research in stabilizing bio-oils to support such upgrading. (Earlier post.)
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Study Finds Bioelectricity Better Option Than Liquid Biofuels for Transportation Output and GHG Emissions
May 08, 2009
| Kilometers per crop hectare for switchgrass feedstock with a small SUV. Campbell et al. (2009) Click to enlarge. |
A new life cycle assessment comparing the performance of bioelectricity and ethanol from a variety of pathways with respect to transportation kilometers and GHG offsets achieved per unit area of biofuels cropland concludes that bioelectricity used to charge a battery electric vehicle outperforms ethanol for a combustion engine across a range of feedstocks, conversion technologies, and vehicle classes.
The study by University of California, Merced, Assistant Professor Elliott Campbell along with Christopher Field of the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Global Ecology and David Lobell of Stanford University, found that bioelectricity produces an average 81% more transportation kilometers and 108% more emissions offsets per unit area cropland than cellulosic ethanol. A paper on the work appeared in the 8 May issue of the journal Science.
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European Automotive Industry Outlines R&D Priorities for EU Green Car Initiative
May 07, 2009
European automotive suppliers and vehicle manufacturers have united to submit a series of R&D priorities to the European Commission to shape the European Green Car Initiative (EGCI), announced by the EU. CLEPA (the European umbrella membership organization representing the interests of the global automotive supply industry) and EUCAR (the European Council for Automotive R&D from the major European passenger car and commercial vehicle manufacturers) jointly prepared the document.
The Green Car Initiative, a part of the European economic recovery plan, aims to allocate €5 billion (US$6.7 billion) through a Public Private Partnership to bolster innovation in the automotive sector and sustain its focus on environmental progress. The initiative complements the European Clean Transport Facility which, through the European Investment Bank, serves to provide more immediate financial relief to the sector.
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Transonic Combustion Completes New Round of Venture Funding
May 06, 2009
Start-up Transonic Combustion, Inc., has raised a C-round of equity funding. Existing investors Venrock, Khosla Ventures, Rustic Canyon Partners and Saints Capital all increased their support of Transonic in the round.
Transonic Combustion is developing an advanced lean combustion process and associated gasoline fuel injection system which it projects will enable practical 100 mpg cars. The patented combustion process remains stable well above a 200:1 air/fuel ratio and can support vehicle cruise power at a 100:1 air/fuel ratio.
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DOE to Provide $786.5M from Recovery Act to Accelerate Biofuels Research and Commercialization
May 05, 2009
The US Department of Energy plans to provide $786.5 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to accelerate advanced biofuels research and development and to provide additional funding for commercial-scale biorefinery demonstration projects. The funding is a mix of new funding opportunities and additional funding for existing projects. It will be allocated across four main areas: integrated pilot- and demonstration-scale biorefineries; commercial-scale biorefinery projects; fundamental research; and ethanol research.
The US Department of Energy (DOE) Biomass Program will leverage DOE’s national laboratories, universities, and the private sector to help improve biofuels reliability and overcome key technical challenges, with the goal of creating third-generation biofuels such as renewable gasoline, diesel, and jet fuels.
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EPA Proposes New Regulations for Renewable Fuel Standard to Implement Requirements of EISA; GHG Reduction and Indirect Land Use Change Effects Included
| Example of results from EPA lifecycle analyses in the NPRM. Emissions for select fuel pathways for the two time horizon/discount rate approaches. (See below.) Click to enlarge. |
The US Environmental Protection Agency released its expected Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) detailing the implementation of changes to the existing Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS1) as required by the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA). The proposed rulemaking for RFS2 establishes new specific volume standards for cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, and total renewable fuel that must be used in transportation fuel each year. (Earlier post.)
The revised statutory requirements for RFS2 also include new definitions and criteria for both renewable fuels and the feedstocks used to produce them, including new greenhouse gas emission (GHG) thresholds for renewable fuels and the incorporation of indirect land use change effects.
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Polystyrene-Biodiesel Blends for Energy Recovery from Waste Plastics
May 04, 2009
| Comparisons of NOx, CO, soot, and engine brake power using different PS blends with the factory-set injection timings. Credit: ACS. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at Iowa State University are proposing dissolving waste polystyrene (PS) in biodiesel for use as a diesel engine fuel as a mechanism for energy recovery from the waste plastic. Use of polystyrene-biodiesel blends can result in an increase an engine power with polystyrene concentrations of up to 5%, according to a new study by a team of researchers from Iowa State University. At concentrations higher than 5%, engine power decreased.
However, emissions of NOx, soot, CO and hydrocarbons increased with polystyrene concentrations if the injection timing was free to advance due to the increased bulk modulus and fuel viscosity. Varying engine operating parameters, including the fuel injection timing and exhaust gas recirculation resulted in lower NOx emissions but still resulted in higher soot, CO, and HC emissions.
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Researchers Propose Solar-Driven Biomass Gasification Pathway for Synthetic Fuel Production
May 01, 2009
| Schema of synfuel synthesis through solar-driven biomass gasification. Solar energy produces both heat for gasification and H2 via electrolysis. From Hertwich et al. (2009) Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) are proposing a new process for producing synfuel from biomass using concentrating solar energy as its main energy source.
High temperature heat for biomass gasification is obtained from a molten-salt system in a solar concentrating tower. Hydrogen for reverse water gas shift reaction to avoid producing CO2 during the process is produced by electrolyzing water, driven by solar power.
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Study Finds Strong Synergy Between Spark Ignition Engine Downsizing and Low-to-Moderate Alcohol Blend Fuels
A study by engineers from Mahle Powertrain Ltd and BP found strong synergy between spark ignition (SI) engine downsizing and fuel containing low-to-moderate amounts of alcohol, including ethanol and butanol. The team presented a paper on their work at the recent SAE 2009 World Congress in Detroit.
The researchers found that the combination of technologies allowed improvements in fuel economy over the engine drive cycle. Furthermore, a reasonable improvement in dilution tolerance could be achieved at higher engine loads, which could eliminate over-fueling requirements under such conditions.
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Dynamotive Produces Renewable Gasoline and Diesel from Biomass in Three-Stage Process: Pyrolysis, Hydroreforming, Hydrotreating
April 25, 2009
Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation has successfully produced renewable gasoline and diesel from biomass at its research facility in Waterloo Ontario through a novel two-stage upgrading process of its pyrolysis oil, BioOil.
The BINGO (Biomass INto GasOil) process involves pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass to produce a primary liquid fuel, BioOil, which is then hydroreformed to a Stage 1 gas-oil equivalent liquid fuel that can either be directly utilized in blends with hydrocarbon fuels for industrial stationary power and heating applications or be further upgraded to transportation grade liquid hydrocarbon fuels (gasoline/diesel) in a Stage 2 hydrotreating process. (Earlier post.)
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California Adopts Low Carbon Fuel Standard, with Indirect Land Use Change Effects for Biofuels
April 24, 2009
| The LCFS is an important component in California’s effort to reduce transportation GHG. Source: ARB. Click to enlarge. |
At its meeting on Thursday, the California Air Resources Board adopted a regulation that will implement Governor Schwarzenegger’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (earlier post) calling for at least a 10% reduction from 2006 levels in the carbon intensity (measured in gCO2e/MJ) of California’s transportation fuels by 2020. When fully implemented, ARB projects that this regulation will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 15 million metric tons a year (CO2 equivalent).
The regulation also levies the calculation of Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) effects against biofuels, against the opposition (earlier post) of the biofuels industry.
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Researchers Discover Potential Weaknesses in Structure of Lignocellulose; Insight Could Lead to Cost-Effective Strategies for Biomass Conversion
April 23, 2009
| Click to enlarge. Source: Los Alamos National Laboratory. |
In separate papers published in Biophysical Journal and recently in an issue of the journal Biomacromolecules, Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers identify potential weaknesses among sheets of cellulose molecules comprising lignocellulosic biomass, the inedible fibrous material derived from plant cell walls. The insight ultimately could lead to a cost-effective and energy-efficient strategy for turning biomass into alternative fuels.
Cellulose is biosynthesized in plant cells by the polymerization of glucose into long chains (green, dark blue in diagram at right). As the chains are produced, they are assembled into sheets (light blue) that stack on top of each other through van der Waals forces to form nanometer-thick crystalline microfibrils (blue rods) in the cell wall (gold). The microfibrils are encrusted in other polysaccharides and lignin. Cellulose stability is maintained by networks of hydrogen bonds (yellow dashes) within the sheets.
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Group of Scientists and Economists Urge Inclusion of Indirect Land Use Change Effects for Biofuels and All Transportation Fuels in California LCFS
April 21, 2009
More than 170 scientists and economists have sent a letter to California Air Resources Board (ARB) Chairman Mary Nichols urging the board to account for greenhouse gas emissions from indirect land use change for biofuels and all other transportation fuels under the state’s proposed low carbon fuel standard (LCFS). The signatories include nine members of the National Academies of Science and two Nobel laureates.
During its meeting on 23-24 April, the Board will consider the adoption of the LCFS, which requires a 10% reduction in the carbon intensity (measured in gCO2e/MJ) of transportation fuels in California by 2020.
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Researchers Develop Process for Conversion of CO2 to Methanol Under Mild Conditions
April 16, 2009
| IBN researchers demonstrated their CO2 reduction process with dry air from a balloon, as well as a compressed air supply. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at Singapore’s Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN) have developed a catalytic process for the conversion of CO2 to methanol under mild conditions (room temperature). A paper on the work was published in the 20 April issue of the journal Angewandte Chemie International Edition, where it was designated a “Hot Paper.”
The IBN researchers, led by Dr. Yugen Zhang, reduced CO2 with silane using a stable N-hetereocyclic carbene (NHC) organocatalyst. The organocatalyst is more efficient and stable, even in the presence of oxygen, than transition-metal catalysts for this reaction, the researchers found. As a result, the CO2 reduction action can take place under mild conditions in dry air.
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Ceres and University of Georgia Researchers Focus on High-Yielding Switchgrass for Southeast US
April 13, 2009
Energy crop company Ceres, Inc., will work with University of Georgia researchers to develop new high-yielding switchgrass seed varieties and improved crop management techniques for the southeastern United States. Switchgrass, which can reach yields of 6 to 10 dry tons or more in the Southeast, is being widely considered as a raw material for next-generation biofuels and biopower.
The multi-year project will bring together plant breeders, agronomists and support scientists at Ceres and the University of Georgia to develop improved seed varieties.
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Analysis of Superfamily of Plant Genes Yielding Insights to Assist in Optimizing Plants for Biofuel Production
April 12, 2009
By studying a superfamily of genes in Populus and Arabidopsis, scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory are gaining insights that may assist in engineering plants to be more tractable for biofuel production. The study, published online 3 April in the journal Plant Molecular Biology, also lays a foundation for understanding these genes’ evolutionary and structural properties and for a broader exploration of their roles in plant life.
The team, led by Dr. Chang-Jun Liu, is studying the large specific protein superfamily BAHD, which comprises plant acyl-CoA dependent acyltransferases. Acyl groups attached to cell-wall fibers can act as barriers to hinder the conversion of plant biofibers to sugar. Acyl groups can also form cross-linked networks that make cell walls extra strong.
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Perspective: Shoddy Environmental Bookkeeping—Biofuels and Indirect Land Use Change
April 03, 2009
Perspective by Professor Bruce Dale, Michigan State University
Until early last year, it was widely accepted that biofuels such as ethanol significantly reduce total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared to gasoline. Then, a high-profile study using indirect land use change (ILUC) analysis suggested biofuels may have worse GHG performance than petroleum-based fuels. An uproar resulted in the related academic and business communities. Today, the issue is still far from resolved.
The basic idea behind ILUC is that biofuels use crops that might otherwise go to traditional uses, such as animal feed. The world agricultural system responds to this “loss” by replacing the production. During this replacement process, new lands might be cleared for agriculture, resulting in very large GHG releases (e.g. from burning tropical forests). This hypothetical GHG release is called the “carbon debt”. This “ah-hah moment” was embraced by critics of biofuels.
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SCOPE Biofuels Project Releases Assessment on Environmental Effects of Biofuel Technologies
The SCOPE (Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment) International Biofuels Project, has published the full proceedings of its Rapid Assessment workshop on the environmental effects of biofuel technologies, 22-25 September 2008. SCOPE is part of the International Council for Science.
While noting that most recent studies based on lifecycle analysis show that even first generation biofuels can result in “a substantial reduction” in net greenhouse gas emissions (80% to greater than 100% for sugarcane ethanol, 30% to 50% for corn ethanol), papers in the study express concerns over what they contend are potentially undercalculated N2O greenhouse gas effects; the exacerbation of hypoxia from run-off; the need for inclusion of indirect land use effects in greenhouse gas assessments; water use and quality; and other environmental and social effects.
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Researchers Propose New F-T Process for Synfuels; Less Work Required Could Result in 15% Reduction in CO2 Emissions Compared to Conventional Route
March 28, 2009
| The proposed CO2 and H2 pathway (bottom) rather than the traditional CO and H2 pathway (top) can improve efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions by 15%. Credit: Adapted by P. Huey/Science. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), South Africa and Rutgers University are proposing new Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) reaction chemistry and process designs that they say could increase F-T process efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions by 15% compared to the conventional process.
The new process, which uses a carbon dioxide and hydrogen route rather than the traditional carbon monoxide and hydrogen route, could also open up a pathway for the direct use of CO2 and H2 derived from low-carbon processes (nuclear, wind, solar, bio). A brief description of the proposal, derived via thermodynamic analysis, was published in the 27 March issue of the journal Science.
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Caltech Researchers Create Group of Synthetic, Thermostable Enzymes for Cellulosic Biofuel Production
March 24, 2009
| Portions of three natural fungal cellulase enzymes that have been recombined to produce a synthetic, thermostable cellulase are denoted by blue, green and red coloring. The recombined cellulase enzyme modeled here functions at higher temperatures than any of the three parents. Source: Caltech. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) led by Frances H. Arnold, the Dick and Barbara Dickinson Professor of Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry at Caltech, and gene-synthesis company DNA2.0 have developed a new group of 15 highly stable fungal enzyme catalysts that efficiently break down cellulose into sugars at high temperatures for conversion into a variety of renewable fuels and chemicals.
Previously, fewer than 10 such fungal cellobiohydrolase II (CBH II) enzymes were known. In addition to their remarkable stabilities, Arnold’s enzymes degrade cellulose over a wide range of conditions. A paper on the work was published 23 March in the early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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DOE to Award Up to $15M for High-Tonnage Supply Systems for Biomass Feedstocks for Cellulosic Biofuels
March 19, 2009
The US Department of Energy (DOE) will award up to $15 million to stimulate the design and demonstration of a comprehensive system to handle the harvesting, collection, preprocessing, transport and storage of sufficient volumes of high-impact feedstocks required to achieve the rapid expansion of the commercial domestic cellulosic biofuels industry.
For the purposes of awards under this Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-FOA-0000060), high-impact feedstocks must have the ultimate sustainable potential of providing at least 100 million dry metric tonnes per year.
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Business Leaders Call for Linking Water, Energy and Climate in Global Talks
| Log scale plot of illustrative water consumption by energy-related activity. In the examples cited in the report, biomass for biofuels has the largest and widest ranging footprint: from 24,000 m3 per 1,000 GJ in the Netherlands to 143,000 m3 per 1,000 GJ in Zimbabwe. Data: WBCSD (2009). Click to enlarge. |
Business leaders from some of the world’s biggest companies called for water, energy and climate change issues to be linked in global negotiations, such as the international climate talks due to culminate in Copenhagen in December.
The business leaders were speaking at the launch of a report by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) at the 5th World Water Forum in Istanbul. The report, Water, Energy and Climate Change: A contribution from the business community says water, energy and climate change are inextricably linked. The World Water Forum is expected to produce a ministerial statement calling for proactive policies on water issues.
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New Nano-sized Photocatalyst for Artificial Photosynthesis; Step Toward Production of Carbon-Neutral Transportation Fuels
March 13, 2009
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| Under the fuel through artificial photosynthesis scenario, nanotubes embedded within a membrane would act like green leaves, using incident solar radiation (Hν) to split water molecules (H2O), freeing up electrons and oxygen (O2) that then react with carbon dioxide (CO2) to produce a fuel, shown here as methanol (CH3OH). Credit: Flavio Robles, Berkeley Lab Public Affairs. Click to enlarge. |
Artificial photosynthesis for the production of liquid fuels is a potential source for renewable and carbon-neutral of transportation energy. The basic concept is to integrate light-harvesting systems that can capture solar photons and catalytic systems that can oxidize water, then to combine this water oxidation half reaction with a carbon dioxide reduction step in an artificial-leaf type system to produce a liquid hydrocarbon, such as methanol (CH3OH), that can be stored, transported, and used for transportation or other applications.
Researchers with the US Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) have now found that nano-sized crystals of cobalt oxide can effectively carry out the critical photosynthetic reaction of splitting water molecules. Heinz Frei, a chemist with Berkeley Lab’s Physical Biosciences Division, and his postdoctoral fellow Feng Jiao reported the results of their study in the journal Angewandte Chemie, in a paper entitled: “Nanostructured Cobalt Oxide Clusters in Mesoporous Silica as Efficient Oxygen-Evolving Catalysts.”
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Study Finds Integrated Biorefinery Processes Could Be Highly Competitive With Petroleum Fuels on Efficiency and Costs, While Offering Substantial Reductions in Greenhouse Gas Emissions
March 08, 2009
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| Processing efficiencies for biorefinery scenarios (energy out as percent of feedstock lower heating value). Laser et al. (2009) Click to enlarge. |
Biomass refining technologies integrating biological and thermochemical processing to produce biofuels and/or power could offer similar, if not lower, efficiencies and costs and very large reductions in greenhouse gas emissions compared to petroleum-derived fuel, according to a comparative analysis of 14 mature technology biomass refining scenarios.
The paper results from the “The Role of Biomass in America’s Energy Future (RBAEF)” project and is published in a special issue of the journal Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining which presents a collection of papers with technology-oriented analysis resulting from the RBAEF project.
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Growth Energy and Ethanol Producers Request Waiver Allowing E15 from EPA
March 07, 2009
Growth Energy, a new advocacy group promoting ethanol and biofuels, has submitted, on behalf of 52 US ethanol manufacturers, a request for a “green jobs” waiver allowing an increase in the ethanol blend limit from 10% (E10) up to 15% (E15) to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The waiver does not seek to mandate use of E15, but to remove the barrier to its optional use.
Announcing the submission at an event at the National Press Club in Washington DC, General Wesley Clark, USA (Ret.), co-chairman of Growth Energy, said that increasing the blend up to E15 would create 136,101 new jobs and inject $24.4 billion into the US economy annually. Growth Energy released a report earlier in the week on the economic impact of higher blends of ethanol.
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California Air Resources Board Releases Proposed Regulation for Low Carbon Fuel Standard
March 05, 2009
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) released its proposed regulation to implement the Low Carbon Fuel Standard. The release of the proposed regulation allows 45 days for the public to review the language and provide comment before the item is considered at the 23 April 23 ARB hearing.
The regulation establishes two performance standards that fuel producers and importers must meet each year beginning in 2011. One standard is established for gasoline and the alternative fuels that can replace it. A second similar standard is set for diesel fuel and its replacements. Each standard is set to achieve an average 10% in the carbon intensity of the statewide mix transportation fuels by 2020. The regulation is expected to result in 16 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2020.
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Lotus Engineering to Showcase Omnivore Engine Concept in Geneva
February 25, 2009
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| The Lotus Omnivore engine. Click to enlarge. |
Lotus Engineering will display a single-cylinder research engine monoblock demonstrating the architecture of the Omnivore engine concept at the upcoming 79th International Geneva Motor Show. (Earlier post.)
The Omnivore was designed in collaboration with Queen’s University Belfast and Orbital Corporation Limited Australia for high thermal efficiency when fueled on any alcohol-based fuel or gasoline. It features an innovative variable compression ratio system and uses a two-stroke operating cycle with Orbital FlexDI direct fuel injection. It is ideally suited to flex-fuel operation with a higher degree of optimization than is possible with existing four stroke engines, according to Lotus.
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DOE to Award Up to $300M in Stimulus Bill Funding for Projects to Expand Use of Alt-Fuel and Advanced Technology Vehicles
February 23, 2009
The US Department of Energy has issued a $300-million Funding Opportunity Announcement (DE-PS26-09NT01236-04) for applications for cost-shared projects that expand the use of alternative fueled vehicles and advanced technology vehicles. The installation or acquisition of infrastructure necessary to directly support an alternative fueled vehicle or advanced technology vehicle is also eligible.
The FOA modifies a much smaller and earlier-issued FOA by incorporating a supplemental $300 million appropriated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 (the stimulus bill) for the Energy Policy Act (EPACT) of 2005 Section 721 to fund a competitive grant pilot program to be administered through the Clean Cities Program.
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Alberta Renewable Diesel Demonstration Shows Successful Cold-Weather Use of Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel Blends
February 21, 2009
The recently concluded Alberta Renewable Diesel Demonstration (ARDD), Canada’s largest cold-weather study of bio-derived diesel fuels, demonstrated the successful on-road use of low-level blends of biodiesel (fatty acid methyl ester, FAME) and hydrogenated-derived renewable diesel (HDRD) in a range of Canadian climatic conditions.
Designed as a two-phased study, the ARDD involved laboratory testing followed by real-world use of the diesel blends by Alberta trucking fleets. The on-road demonstration, which ran from December 2007 to September 2008, put first- and second- generation renewable diesel fuels on the road in 59 long-haul commercial vehicles across Alberta. During winter months (16 December 2007 through 15 April 2008) 2% blends of FAME (100% canola methyl ester) and HDRD were used. During the spring and summer, 5% blends of HDRD and FAME (comprising 75% canola methyl ester and 25% tallow methyl ester) were dispensed.
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Researchers Develop Two-Step Chemical Process to Take Untreated Biomass to Furans for Fuels and Chemicals
February 12, 2009
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| Yields of bio-based chemicals from a variety of feedstocks, including untreated corn stover. Conditions are optimized for the conversion of carbohydrates into HMF (1 step) and DMF (2 steps). Credit: ACS. Click to enlarge. |
Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a two-step, low-temperature, non-enzymic pathway from lignocellulosic biomass to furans, specifically 2,5-dimethylfuran (DMF), a promising alternative biofuel. DMF has an energy content (31.5 MJ/L) similar to that of gasoline (35 MJ/L) and 40% greater than that of ethanol (23 MJ/L). With a boiling point of 92-94 °C, DMF is also less volatile than ethanol (bp 78 °C) and is immiscible with water.
The key to the new process is the first step, in which a novel solvent system converts cellulose into the renewable platform chemical 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), from which a variety of valuable commodity chemicals and fuels can be made. A paper describing the process was published in the 11 Feb issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
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Researchers Propose New Method for Life Cycle Impact Assessment; Transportation Fuels as a Case Study
February 08, 2009
A pair of researchers from Purdue University and Rochester Institute of Technology are proposing a new approach to Lifecycle Impact Assessment (LCIA), designed to represent simultaneously multiple weights spaces and the sensitivity of the rank ordering to uncertain or multiple stakeholder values expressing different priorities.
To demonstrate the technique, Kristin Rogers and Thomas Seager applied it to a set of conventional and alternative transportation fuels (carefully noting that their purpose was purpose to illustrate the method, not to provide definitive conclusions about alternative fuels). An open-access paper on their work was published online 6 February in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology.
