The Department of Defense has signed a contract with Syntroleum Corp. to buy 500 gallons of biofuel made from animal fats. The feedstock for Syntroleum’s fuel would come from Tyson Foods. This company press release says it’s a first-of-its-kind test program that is aimed to see if the military could use fuel from domestic, renewable sources: Under terms of the …
U.S. House Allows Sugar as Ethanol Stock
The U.S. House Agriculture Committee is considering a measure that would allow U.S. growers to sell cane and beet sugar for making ethanol. It’s part of an 111-page proposal updating U.S. agriculture subsidies. This Reuters story says the proposal was written by Ag Committee chair Cong. Collin Peterson of Minnesota: Support rates for sugar would rise under the proposal, to …
Green Star Algae-Biodiesel Test Successful
California-based Green Star Products, Inc. announced today that it has completed the second phase of testing its facility that turns algae into biodiesel. According to this company press release, the company has been testing the five most important operating parameters that need to be controlled at its Montana facility including daily and seasonal pond temperatures, pH, evaporation, salinity, and invasion …
Shipping Ethanol Could Be Literally On Track
Ethanol producers facing the dilemma of not being able to ship much of their fuel through pipelines… but also not wanting to burn more fuel to make deliveries of the green fuel… have found the answer in an industry that can ship large quantities at a relatively cheaper price than semi-trucks: trains. This article in Business Week says the boon …
US Tells EU No Way on Ethanol Ban
C Boyden Gray, the American representative to the European Union, says his country won’t be considering any ban on ethanol production for fuel. The US program has come under some fire for using a food source, corn, to make the fuel source, ethanol. Forbes.com reports his comments came during an international conference in Brussels, Belgium: ‘The only way to stop …
Green Celebrities
OK, I’m not talking about Kermit the Frog or even The Riddler – Frank Gorshin (although he was more of a green wearer, and not actually green in hue on the old Batman TV show). But as the world gets ready to hold Live Earth, nine concerts across the globe expected to attract an audience of two billion people to …
Cellulose Poised to Unseat Corn as Ethanol King
Corn-based ethanol, right now, is the king of the alternative energy world, but experts say ethanol made from cellulose is the next big thing on the horizon. This story on CNN.com says while lawmakers in Washington, DC are debating a far-reaching energy bill with lots in it pertaining to renewable fuels, they want more of those biofuels to come from …
Iowa State, DNR Study Biodiesel
Iowa State University and Iowa’s Department of Natural Resources will study biodiesel and compare the different blends for engine performance and emissions. This story in the Sioux City (IA) Journal says they’re getting money from the Central States Air Resources Agencies to conduct the study: ISU’s Center for Transportation Research and Education will test and quantify performance of blending different …
Willie Helps Celebrate SeQuential’s 2nd Birthday
Wilie Nelson will help SeQuential Biofuels celebrate its second anniversary of biodiesel production at an event tomorrow morning (July 6th) at 10:30 at the SeQuential-Pacific Biodiesel plant in Salem, Oregon. This company press release points out that SeQuential is Oregon’s first and only commercial biodiesel production facility and only the second in the entire Pacific Northwest: “Oregon has always been …
Illinois State to Offer Renewable Energy Degree
The flux in high-tech jobs in the renewable energy field has prompted Illinois State University to look at offering a bachelor’s degree in the field. This article in the Matoon and Charleston, Illinois Journal Gazette Times-Courier says the degree would offer studies in biofuels, wind, and solar power: If approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education, ISU will launch …