Biodiesel could be the fuel that charges fuel cells for electric vehicles. ScienceDaily reports Norwegian company Nordic Power Systems (NPS) has developed a silent generator that works with California-based SAFCell Inc.’s new fuel cell using a smart diesel reformer and a tolerant fuel cell and could contend for the market in generators in electric vehicles: This combination of two advanced …
Brown Researchers Green WVO-to-Biodiesel Conversion
Researchers at Brown University have found a more streamlined and greener way to turn waste vegetable oil into biodiesel. This school press release says Brown University chemist Jason Sello and postdoctoral researcher Aaron Socha have eliminated the corrosive chemicals usuallu used in the reactions… a process that is six times faster than previous methods, using less energy: “We wanted to …
OPXBIO Named GoingGreen Silicon Valley Top 100
GoingGreen Silicon Valley has named it’s Top 100 for 2010 and on the list includes renewable biofuel and biochemical company, OPX Biotechnologies (OPXBIO). The list honors the companies that are developing technologies that will ‘change the world’ and ‘disrupt existing markets and entrenched players’. The list is based on five major categories including innovation, market potential, commercialization, stakeholder value, and …
Study: More Fleets Using Ethanol & Biodiesel
A study from a group that represents fleet managers of sedans, public safety vehicles, trucks, and buses of all types and sizes, and a wide range of military and off-road equipment shows that more fleets are using alternative fuels, and ethanol and biodiesel are high on the list of the fuels of choice. The survey from the NAFA Fleet Management …
Flint Company Offering New Onsite Biodiesel Maker
While Flint, Michigan might be best known for being the birthplace of General Motors … and, more recently, the poster child for the decline of the U.S. auto industry … one company there is hoping the city will soon be known for its contribution to the biodiesel industry. The Flint Journal reports that OnSite Energy LLC’s Genesee Biodiesel Processor is …
Hemp Shows Promise as Biodiesel Feedstock
Industrial hemp could be a good feedstock for biodiesel. Researchers at the University of Connecticut have found that Cannabis sativa’s ability to grow in poor soils makes it a sustainable source for the green fuel: “For sustainable fuels, often it comes down to a question of food versus fuel,” says [Richard Parnas, a professor of chemical, materials, and biomolecular engineering …
Study: Biodiesel Safer for Workers than Diesel
A new study shows that workers around the exhaust from biodiesel have reduced exposures to health risks than those exposed to petroleum diesel exhaust. New Hampshire’s Keene State College did the study entitled, “Biodiesel versus Diesel: A Pilot Study Comparing Exhaust Exposures for Employees at a Rural Municipal Facility,” and Biodiesel Magazine reports that a B20 blend “dramatically reduces work …
US Fuel Convoys Under Attack, Amplifies Call for Renewable Energy
The beginning of October has brought at least 10 Pakistani attacks on oil tankers carrying fuel for NATO vehicles in Afghanistan. The NY Times reported today that fuel convoys are “sitting ducks” and as a result, have come under increasing attack. In response, U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords came out in support of bipartisan leaders of the House Armed Services Committee …
Bioheat Focus of National Biodiesel Board Webinar
The success of New York City’s 2 percent biodiesel requirement in heating oil … a mix known as bioheat … was recently touted during a webinar hosted by the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). City Councilman James F. Gennaro, who spearheaded the Big Apple’s bioheat mandate, explained that New York started with using biodiesel in its heavy duty truck fleets. That …
New Algae Incubator Program Launches
The National Algae Association is launching a new Algae Production Incubator Program for qualified algaepreneurs. The program begins on October 1, 2010 and is considered the first Algae Production Incubator starting in the U.S. More specifically, it will be a new algae farming cooperative. For people and companies who are interested in developing algae for various markets including jet fuel, …