« April 2011 | Main | June 2011 »

Possible e biomass to liquid fuel refining process pathways. Source: CSIRO. Click to enlarge. Establishing an economically and environmentally beneficial, bio-derived Australian and New Zealand aviation fuels industry is a viable proposition, according to a report compiled by CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Australia’s national science agency) in... Read more →


Toyota to increase production capacity in Indonesia

Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indonesia (TMMIN), Toyota Motor Corporation’s (TMC) vehicle production subsidiary in Indonesia, plans to increase the annual production capacity of TMMIN’s Karawang Plant from 100,000 vehicles to 140,000 vehicles by early 2013. The production increase includes a new-capital investment of approximately ¥16.5 billion (US$202 million) and plans to... Read more →


Schematic of a CO2 -EOR System. Components required for sequestration in brine formations that are in common with CO2 -EOR highlighted in red. Click to enlarge. A report from MIT and The University of Texas at Austin urges the US to accelerate efforts to pursue carbon capture and storage (CCS)... Read more →


Toyota develops tropospheric ozone-concentration simulator for South and East Asia

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) and Toyota Central R&D Labs., Inc., have developed a simulator able to predict tropospheric ozone concentrations across the whole of South and East Asia. The project was carried out in collaboration with Tsinghua University in China, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in India, and the... Read more →


President Obama issues Memorandum on Federal fleet performance to push for alternative fueled vehicles; GSA pilot project on EV purchases

President Obama has issued a Presidential Memorandum directing Federal agencies to implement government-wide fleet management practices that will move the government to purchasing 100% alternative fuel vehicles by 2015 and drive agencies to meet the required 30% decrease in petroleum consumption by 2020 under Executive Order 13514 signed by the... Read more →


Chrysler Group LLC completes refinancing and repays US and Canadian government loans

Chrysler Group LLC announced the repayment of $7.6 billion in outstanding US and Canadian government loans following the completion of new refinancing transactions. The original loans were repaid in full, more than six years ahead of schedule, along with the payment of accrued interest and additional consideration. Today, Chrysler made... Read more →


Azure Dynamics receives orders for 27 Transit Connect Electric vans

Azure Dynamics Corporation announced 27 Ford Transit Connect Electric van sales, including a five-unit sale to returning customer FedEx Express, a four-unit sale to the City of Toronto, a three-unit sale to DTE Energy, one of Michigan’s largest energy suppliers, and 15 unit sales to various Ford commercial truck dealers.... Read more →


Perspective: Europeans in the lead with range extenders for hybrid vehicles; 2nd vs. 3rd generation

by Dr. Peter Harrop, Chairman, IDTechEx We are in the decade of the hybrid electric vehicle despite the fact that most off-road and underwater vehicles are pure electric. That includes most forklifts, golf cars and mobility vehicles for the disabled plus Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) and personal submarines. Indeed, most... Read more →


Researchers develop new approach to optimize hydrogen production in a photosynthetic process

Researchers have developed a previously undescribed approach to optimize hydrogen production in a photosynthetic process by microorganisms such as algae and cyanobacteria. An open access paper on their work is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Although photosynthetic water splitting, coupled to hydrogenase-catalyzed hydrogen production, is... Read more →


Nine partners from seven countries have joined in a project to show that ethanol, biodiesel and bioproducts can be produced from algae on a large scale. The BIOfuel From Algae Technologies (BIOFAT) project, largely funded by the European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme, aims to demonstrate that biofuels made from microalgae... Read more →


Maxwell to supply ultracapacitors for energy recuperation system for commercial vehicles

Maxwell Technologies, Inc. will supply ultracapacitors to Flextronics Automotive, a segment of Flextronics and a global automotive supplier, for the energy storage module of a recuperation system that Flextronics Automotive will produce to reduce fuel consumption and emissions in commercial vehicles. Each energy storage module incorporates 16 3,000-farad ultracapacitor cells... Read more →


Clean Air Power launches Genesis Edge Dual Fuel Volvo Euro5 truck in Australia

Clean Air Power (CAP), the developer of a dual-fuel combustion technology that enables heavy-duty diesel engines to operate on a combination of diesel and natural gas, has launched its Genesis Edge Dual Fuel Volvo FM13 Euro5 product in Australia. (Earlier post.) CAP says that Australia is a mature Dual Fuel... Read more →


Global Bioenergy Partnership agrees on set of sustainability indicators for bioenergy

The Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP) has agreed on a set of voluntary, practical and science-based sustainability indicators with the aim of helping countries to assess and develop sustainable production and use of bioenergy. In addition the Partnership has approved to launch a capacity building initiative that seeks to promote the... Read more →


Novozymes collaborates with Meihua Group on biomass-to-chemicals research

Global enzyme company Novozymes signed a Framework Agreement with Meihua Group, a China-based agricultural processor, jointly to develop an enzymatic process turning various agricultural residues into sugar, followed by fermentation to produce amino acids for food additives. If successful, Meihua Group will target to produce glutamic acid, lysine, and threonine,... Read more →


by Jack Rosebro The Prius v. Click to enlarge. Seeking to build upon the “mystique and persona”, in its words, of the current Prius, Toyota introduced the Prius v, its new hybrid wagon/crossover and the second vehicle in a planned family of at least four carrying the Prius nameplate, to... Read more →


MBD Energy orders large-scale algae extraction system from Origin Oil

OriginOil, Inc. has received a firm order for a large-scale algae extraction system from MBD Energy, Ltd., a solutions provider in the field of industrial CO2 waste management, (MBD). The order follows recent collaborative trials of OriginOil’s equipment focused on optimizing capacity to handle large volumes of algae continuously. OriginOil... Read more →


ABB launches new DC power system for marine applications; reduce fuel consumption by up to 20%

ABB, the power and automation technology group, introduced a new DC (direct current) electrical system for marine applications. The new system is part of a revival of power solutions using DC electricity, and will provide highly efficient power distribution and electric propulsion for a wide range of vessels. The new... Read more →


Concept of the SunFire process. Click to enlarge. Bremen, Germany-based SunFire is acquiring staxera, a developer and manufacturer of SOFC high-temperature fuel cells sited in Dresden, from Webasto, a supplier to the automotive industry. The acquisition will enable SunFire—the developer of a process to generate renewable fuels from CO2 and... Read more →


Artist’s conception of Honda Smart Home System. Click to enlarge. Honda Motor Co., Ltd. and the city of Saitama signed an agreement to cooperate in the E-KIZUNA Project. The E-KIZUNA Project, managed by the city in collaboration with a wide variety of stakeholders, aims to help fight global warming and... Read more →


BAE Systems reports more than 3,500 HybriDrive series hybrid systems delivered or ordered worldwide

BAE Systems announced that its HybriDrive series hybrid electric propulsion system has more than 3,500 units delivered or ordered worldwide. The HybriDrive series hybrid electric system consists of a diesel-powered generator, an electric motor, and an energy storage system. The system also uses no mechanical transmission, a significant maintenance item... Read more →


Volkswagen rolls out “Think Blue.” initiative in the US

Volkswagen is rolling out its “Think Blue.” initiative in the United States. The aim is to encourage eco-friendly mobility and progressive ideas for responsible action in everyday life. The US launch coincides with the partnership between Volkswagen and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York as well as... Read more →


Initial field test results of genetically modified poplar shows ethanol yield up 81% over non-modified trees

​The yield of bio-ethanol from the wood of genetically modified (GM) poplar trees from a VIB (Flanders Institue of Biotechnology) field trial is up to 81% higher than non-modified poplars, according to results presented at the 26th New Phytologist symposium Bioenergy Trees in Nancy, France. This is just the beginning.... Read more →


New Siemens gas turbine in combined cycle with steam turbine sets efficiency record of 60.75%

A new Siemens gas turbine operated in a combined cycle with a steam turbine in Irsching, Bavaria, has set a world record for efficiency, with a net efficiency of 60.75% achieved during the test run. This surpassed the target value of 60%; the previous generation of the turbine had an... Read more →


Massive Yet Tiny engine in three-way commercialization deal for gensets

Angel Labs, LLC has entered into a three-way arrangement to bring its 6-inch Massive Yet Tiny (MYT) engine (earlier post) to market powering a 40 kW genset distributed by Industrial Green Power Inc (IGPI) that runs on 100% biodiesel fuel provided by Titan Biodiesel. The Massive Yet Tiny (MYT) engine... Read more →


Renault launches multi-year product offensive in India

Renault marked the official market launch of Fluence in India, one of the three priority countries in Renault’s international development strategy. This is the first stage in a five-product product that is scheduled through to the end of the 2012 and will give Renault the youngest line-up on the Indian... Read more →


Korea’s SK Innovation study concludes biobutanol one of the best alternative bioalcohol fuels for near future

Researchers at SK Innovation, South Korea’s largest oil refiner, performed a comprehensive study evaluating the performance of biobutanol-blended gasoline in passenger cars. They reported on their results in a paper published in the International Journal of Automotive Technology. Biobutanol is considered a better biofuel than bioethanol as it has no... Read more →


Maersk Line implements policy for sustainable container floors

Maersk Line has implemented a new policy to refrain from purchasing shipping containers with floors made of uncertified tropical hardwood. Traditionally, shipping lines have had their containers fitted with tropical hardwood floors. It takes two cubic meters of hardwood to produce floors for three 40-foot containers. The container industry uses... Read more →


Partnership agreement between PVI and SODETREL (EDF Group) for Valence Li-ion battery rental and service for electric vehicles

PVI (Power Vehicle Integration), a manufacturer of commercial electrical vehicles, and SODETREL, a wholly owned subsidiary of the EDF group, signed a master agreement in April 2011 to establish a partnership that will offer PVI customers rental and service contracts for Valence Technology batteries. PVI started marketing 100% electric buses... Read more →


Team characterizes different spray behaviors of first- and second-generation biofuels in a diesel engine

A team from Instituto Motori in Italy has analyzed the spray behaviors of first-generation (soybean- and rapeseed-biodiesel) and second-generation (gas-to-liquids) biofuels in a diesel engine, both neat (100%) and in a 50% blend with commercial diesel. They selected two engine operating conditions under the NEDC: 1500 rpm at 2 bar... Read more →


Construction to begin on 260K bpd PetroChina-Rosneft JV refinery in Tianjin in 2H 2011

Xinhua. The construction of a 13 million tonne per year (about 260,000 barrels per day) oil refinery joint venture between PetroChina Company Limited and Russia’s Rosneft in Tianjin is expected to start in the second half of the year. In addition to the refinery, the venture is expected to develop... Read more →


Student winners in solar and hydrogen fuel cell car races

Sixty-five teams from 24 Colorado schools participated in the Junior Solar Sprint and Hydrogen Fuel Cell car competitions hosted by the YS Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The student teams raced solar or hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles they designed and built themselves. Trophies for the fastest... Read more →


Left: Rate capability of MoS2/G samples at different current densities:(1) MoS2/G (1:1); (2) MoS2/G (1:2); (3) MoS2/G (1:4). Right: cartoon of the composite. Credit: ACS, Chang and Chen. Click to enlarge. A pair of researchers from Zhejiang University (China) have synthesized layered MoS2/graphene (MoS2/G) composites using a facile biomolecular-assisted process... Read more →


Regalbuto: Sea change in direction of US Federal funding from cellulosic ethanol to renewable hydrocarbons

In a paper in the journal Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining, Professor John Regalbuto, Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago, describes what he calls “a real sea change” in the direction of US federal funding for biomass conversion into biofuels. The direction of federal funding for... Read more →


NRC Chairman says Westinghouse must address some issues with AP1000 reactor design

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) issued a statement saying that its efforts to confirm its review of Westinghouse’s amended AP1000 reactor (earlier post) design have resulted in the uncovering of additional technical issues. NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczkow said that Westinghouse must resolve the issues before the NRC can consider... Read more →


Eurocopter’s X3 hybrid helicopter demonstrator has achieved a speed milestone on 12 May during stable, level flight, delivering a true airspeed of 232 knots (267 mph, 430 km/h) for several minutes; its original speed target was 220 kts. This occurred during only the third mission after a scheduled upgrade that... Read more →


Australia awards Holden A$39.8M for fuel efficiency improvements for the Commodore

The Federal Government of Australia is awarding A$39.8 million (US$42.5 million) from the Green Car Innovation Fund to support fuel efficiency improvements for the next Holden Commodore. The co-investment funding, part of the Government’s New Car Plan for a Greener Future, will allow Holden, one of only seven fully-integrated global... Read more →


Honeywell UOP Green Jet Fuel powers USAF Thunderbirds demonstration

UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, announced today that its Green Jet Fuel will power two Air Force F-16 aircraft as part of a Thunderbirds demonstration at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. During a Joint Services Open House at the base on 20 and 21 may, two Thunderbird aircraft will perform... Read more →


(Part 1 of a series) Low Temperature Combustion (LTC) strategies offer the potential to enable high-efficiency and low-emission operation. Source: Gurpreet Singh, DOE. Click to enlarge. Many near-term (<10 years) efforts of industry and academia in developing more efficient, low-emitting engines are being applied to Low Temperature Combustion (LTC) strategies.... Read more →


Next Fuel, Inc. signs definitive agreement to field test coal-to-gas technology in China; Chinese partner makes strategic investment

Next Fuel, Inc., a development stage company seeking to commercialize a microbial in situ coal-to-gas (CTG) technology (earlier post), has signed a definitive agreement with San Ding Jiu Yuan (dba Future Fuel) to field test Next Fuel’s technology in Inner Mongolia, Peoples Republic of China, to determine the commercial viability... Read more →


Porsche Panamera S Hybrid and 911 Carrera take awards in Challenge Bibendum Inter-city Rally

The Porsche Panamera S Hybrid with its parallel full hybrid drive (earlier post) has won the combustion engine driven production vehicle category in the Inter-city Passenger Car Rally at the eleventh Michelin Challenge Bibendum, an international forum for sustainable mobility being staged this year in Berlin. Second place was taken... Read more →


Mercedes-Benz delivers first two of eight Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid buses to Dresden

Mercedes-Benz has delivered the first two of a total order of eight Mercedes-Benz Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid (earlier post) buses to the Dresden (Germany) Transport Company. The articulated Citaro series hybrid uses a downsized diesel engine as the genset to provide power for a lithium-ion battery pack located on the... Read more →


Graphic of Prelude FLNG. Click to enlarge. The Board of Royal Dutch Shell plc has made the final investment decision on the Prelude Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) Project in Australia (100% Shell); Shell will now start detailed design and construction of what will be the world’s first FLNG facility.... Read more →


Nissan and Mitsubishi Motors to establish JV for minicar business

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation signed a contract for the establishment of a joint venture related to their minicar business in the Japanese market. The establishment of the joint venture was part of an agreement signed in December 2010 to expand the scope of cooperation between the... Read more →


Cutaway of the 875cc TwinAir. Click to enlarge. Fiat’s 875cc TwinAir engine (earlier post) was named the International Engine of the Year 2011. Judged by a panel of 76 motoring journalists from 36 countries as disparate as the USA, Japan, China, Russia, New Zealand, India, Korea, Germany, France, Romania, South... Read more →


Stationary fuel cell revenue by market sector, world markets: 2011-2017. Source: Pike Research. Click to enlarge. The stationary fuel cell market experienced 60% year-over-year growth in unit shipments between 2009 and 2010, according to a new report from Pike Research, which forecasts that sales volumes will continue to expand over... Read more →


Conversion of glucose to 5-HMF over solid acid catalyst

Researchers at the South China University of Technology report on the use of a Zr(H2PO4)2 solid acid catalyst in an isobutanol-water (1.6:1/V:V) two-phase system to convert glucose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF), an important green platform chemical with wide applications in the production of fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, plastics and liquid alkanes. Although... Read more →


At Challenge Bibendum 2011, organized by Michelin and held in Berlin from 18–22 May, Fiat Group company Iveco is featuring its concept Iveco Glider truck. With fuel consumption estimated up to 40% lower than a conventional diesel truck, the Glider incorporates a number of technologies for boosting efficiency, including generation... Read more →