Getting ready to take off on your summer vacation? Planning to drive 100… 200… 1,000 miles from home? How about 60,000 miles? That’s been Brian Brawdy’s 11-month long road trip fueled with biodiesel, solar and wind power… plus he captures rainwater when he can to drink. Brawdy has been using a Ford F-350 diesel pickup truck with a camper in …
World Ag Congress Discusses Biofuels
Biofuels from the perspective of India and East Africa, as well as Europe and the United States, were part of the discussion at the World Ag Congress in St. Louis on Tuesday. Henk Joos with London-based D1 Oils moderated the panel focusing on an integrated approach to biofuels. He stressed that the purpose of the panel was to find solutions. …
DF Cast: Climbing Over Ethanol’s Blend Wall
Ethanol seems to have hit a bit of wall. While it has been great for mixing with regular unleaded gasoline at a 10 percent blend, the industry wants to up that amount to 15 percent, overcoming what is being called a “blending wall” that is keeping the green fuel from growing beyond its current levels. While some might worry what …
New EPA Rules Could Be Bad News for Biodiesel
While the new Environmental Protection Agency rules regarding the Renewable Fuels Standard have been welcomed by some renewable fuel advocates (see Cindy’s post from earlier today), the news is not as bright for backers of biodiesel. According to this story in the Des Moines (IA) Register, biodiesel made from soybeans… very popular in the Midwest… won’t meet the new requirements …
Ethanol Report on California ARB Decision
California has adopted the first-ever fuel requirement that is carbon-based – and that’s a good thing. “What is frustrating to the ethanol industry is that the board still went ahead and approved a program that has some really ridiculous land use data,” says Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO Bob Dinneen. Despite the Board’s vote, Dinneen says RFA remains cautiously …
DF Cast: Advanced Biofuels Need More Funding
With Wall Street still not recovered from the economic downturn and banks keeping a tight hold of the credit purses’ drawstrings, the next generation of biofuels producers could have a rough time getting going and staying going. Recently, the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO)… a group that represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations …
Ethanol Report on Global Biofuels Policy
The need for renewable fuels to replace fossil fuels is becoming more and more of a global necessity. This edition of the “Ethanol Report” features information about the Global Renewable Fuels Alliance (GRFA) and the organization’s goals for providing scientific information about life cycle assessment and greenhouse gas reduction, as well as the importance of expanding biofuels production for developing …
Valero Invests in Biofuels Company Terrabon
BP has been marketing itself as “Beyond Petroleum” for several years now but it appears that Valero is vying for the top spot in “green energy”. Valero has now invested in Terrabon, a company that is developing technology to produce “green” gasoline through the conversion of trash from landfills to energy. Terrabon’s main technology for biofuels is MixAlco, an advanced …
DF Cast: Farm Foundation’s Global Conversation
The latest edition of Domestic Fuel Cast listens in on some of the conversation at this week’s Farm Foundation “Transition to a Bioeconomy: Global Trade and Policy Issues” conference. This is the fourth in a series of conferences looking at the transition to a bioeconomy the Farm Foundation has sponsored. This week’s event brought people from around the world to …