A biodiesel maker in Upstate New York has expanded its capacity to turn waste vegetable oil into the green fuel by five-fold. This story in Biodiesel Magazine says Buffalo Biodiesel Inc. can now crank out 5 million gallons each year: According to Sumit Majumdar, president of Buffalo Biodiesel, the expansion project took approximately two months to complete. Buffalo Biodiesel, which …
NY Announces Lake Erie & Ontario Wind Projects
Graceful wind turbines turning in the plentiful breezes off the Upstate New York shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario might soon become a reality. This story from RenewableEnergyWorld.com says the New York Power Authority (NYPA) has announced a major public-private initiative to develop wind energy in that area: To carry out the initiative known as the Great Lakes Offshore …
Hydrogen Honda Green Car of the Year
All you’ll see coming out of its tailpipe is clean water vapor. It’s no wonder that Honda’s hydrogen-powered FCX Clarity picked up World Green Car of the Year honors at the recent New York Auto Show. This story from EcoGeek.org says it beat out 22 other competitors for the title: The judges credited the FCX Clarity for advancing hydrogen fuel-cell …
Biodiesel Fuels Conservation Through Exploration Tour
It’s getting closer to that time of year when families across the country will pack up the kids, the dog and a couple of weeks of clothing and head out across the great expanse of America on a Griswold-family style summer vacation (Sorry folks, park’s closed. Moose out front shoulda told ya. — cracks me up every time!). But one …
VW Ready to Race on Biodiesel
A race circuit for young drivers to get their professional careers going… while running on a clean, renewable fuel, gets started this weekend. The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series kicks off at VIRginia International Raceway on April 25 & 26… the second year that VW has offered a new way of thinking about auto racing. The series, sanctioned by …
Turning CO2 Into Ethanol
A new process could be a way to reduce greenhouse gas… and turn that gas into fuel for your car. This story from Reuters says scientists at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology in Singapore are using non-toxic organocatalysts to make carbon dioxide into ethanol: In a statement, the institute said the team, led by Yugen Zhang, used N-heterocyclic carbenes …
Plantation Pipeline Expanding to Ethanol
A pipeline in the Southeastern United States that has already tested moving biodiesel (see my Feb. , 2009 post) is now looking at sending ethanol through that same conduit. This Reuters story says Kinder Morgan Energy Partners is looking at shipping ethanol on the Louisiana to Virginia Plantation duct: “We are evaluating the Plantation pipeline … as the next possible …
Sun to Power Wal-Mart Facilities in California
That familiar Wal-Mart smiley face might be glowing like the sun as the company has upped its commitment to sustainability efforts by adding solar panels to 10 to 20 Wal-Mart facilities in California. This company press release says these panels will be in addition to the 18 solar arrays currently installed at Wal-Mart facilities in California, bringing the retailer’s total …
Obama at Iowa Wind Turbine Plant for Earth Day
President Barack Obama was in Iowa for this Earth Day, visiting a former appliance maker that has converted to make parts for the state’s burgeoning wind energy industry. The Des Moines (IA) Register reports that the president also used the stop at the Trinity Structural Towers in Newton, formerly a Maytag appliance factory, to unveil plans to allow off-shore wind-energy …
Biodiesel Fueling Growth in Industrial Oils & Fats
The amount of industrial fats and oils in the U.S. has grown by nearly one-fourth over the past couple of years, fueled mostly by the growth in popularity of biodiesel. This story in ICIS Chemical Business says the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) reports fats and oils used for industrial applications in the U.S. rose last …