The Earthrace, the 100 percent biodiesel-powered boat trying to set a record for circumnavigation of the globe, is approaching its last port before its final run back to Spain… and a world record. This update from the earthrace.net web site says Earthrace will dock at Port Suez, Egypt, after getting special permission to go through the Suez Canal, and fuel …
Biodiesel Could Be Future for Railroads
Trains are being touted right now for their efficient use of fuel. And riding the rails could become even greener, if some testing of biodiesel in locomotives proves positive. A small train company in the Pacific Northwest is using biodiesel on some of its routes. This story from the Seattle Times says the Eastern Washington Gateway Railroad has fueled up …
Biodiesel Could Bail Out Hummers
General Motors’ Hummer has caught a lot of heat with gas prices climbing above $4 and $5 a gallon. Those high prices could be the death sentence for gas-guzzling, all-terrain vehicles, as GM looks to save its business by finding products that will sell. But their could be a glimmer of hope on the horizon for the go-anywhere… but drink-everything-in-the-tank… …
Money Changing Hands at NexGen Biofuels
Well, money oversight at least. NexGen Biofuels has announced plans to replace its current CFO with a more local representative. NexGen Biofuels Ltd. has announced that Eran Rotem, its Chief Financial Officer, who currently lives in Israel, will be leaving NexGen, effective June 2008. The Company has initiated search for a suitable candidate in the United States to fill this …
The Evolution of Ethanol
“The industry is at a point where the next evolution is here. You know it’s at the next phase.” Toni Nuernberg, the new Executive Director of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council says the ethanol industry is facing significant changes and challenges. That’s why, she says, both EPIC members and non-members attended the organization’s first annual meeting in Omaha, Nebraska …
Biodiesel Blend Regulations Expected to Boost Support and Demand
Biodiesel is expected to become a hotter commodity with consumers. The ASTM International D02 Main Committee has approved a trio of ASTM specifications for biodiesel blends. Changes to the existing B100 biodiesel blend stock specification (ASTM D6751) Finished specifications to include up to 5% biodiesel (B5) in the conventional petrodiesel specification (ASTM D975) A new specification for blends of between …
Duke Energy Ohio Looks for Renewable Energy Options
Duke Energy Ohio is seeking proposals for renewable energy resources. The energy company says it’s looking to begin delivering energy through more renewable means sometime between 2009 and 2012. The effort falls in line with Ohio’s new renewable energy portfolio standards. Types of renewable resources that would qualify: — Wind energy — Solar photovoltaic or solar thermal energy — Geothermal …
Biomass Pellets Making Electricity
An energy cooperative has successfully completed a test burn of 150 tons of biomass pellets to produce electricity at a power facility near Kansas City, Missouri… a first for biomass pellets in the U.S. This story on redOrbit.com says the Show Me Energy Cooperative (SMEC) has produced the power at the Aquila power company’s generating facility at Sibley, Missouri from …
Biodiesel Wins Full ASTM Approval
As you might remember from my post this past Tuesday (June 17th), biodiesel received preliminary approval from a subcommittee of ASTM International… an organization that sets standards for a variety of things, including fuels. Now, biodiesel has cleared the next important hurdle as the full ASTM International D02 Main Committee voted to approve three long-awaited specifications for biodiesel blends. This …
Brewing Up Biodiesel for an “A”
A group of students in West Virginia are learning how to brew up biodiesel, while helping run the buses to get them to those classes. This story from the The State Journal says in the face of $5-a-gallon diesel fuel… and the likelihood of that growing to $6… the Lincoln County High School FFA has started the first biodiesel production …