Mobile processing plants might hold the key to harvesting agricultural waste on the farm for biofuels production. Chemical engineers at Purdue University have come up with the concept and developed a new method to process agricultural waste and other biomass into biofuels. The method would utilize various types of biomass, including wood chips, switch grass, corn stover, rice husks, and …
EPA Proposes 2011 Renewable Fuel Standard
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today released a proposal for comment that sets the 2011 percentage standards under the agency’s Renewable Fuel Standard program, known as RFS2. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) established the annual renewable fuel volume targets, reaching an overall level of 36 billion gallons in 2022. To achieve these volumes, EPA calculates …
America’s Slippery Slope of Support for Renewable Energy
Our country is quickly sliding down a slippery slope. Not too long ago, we were the leaders in renewable energy – wind, solar, biofuels. Today, not only have the major technological advancements come from overseas, our manufacturing facilities, entrepreneurs and investors are going, or have gone overseas as well. Where are they going? Brazil. India. China. Why? Because these countries …
Green Process for Fuel Additive Could Help Ethanol Production
An Iowa State University researcher has developed a new green, bio-based process for producing the fuel additive isobutene that could help ethanol production. ISU biochemistry professor Thomas Bobik invented a process for manufacturing the much-used fuel additive and industrial chemical that is currently made from petroleum by identifying a new, natural enzyme that produces the fuel organically. Isobutene is a …
Biofuels Videos from Obama Administration
The Obama administration and USDA have released a couple of videos highlighting the importance of biofuels to the nation and what the government is doing to get us down the road to advanced renewable fuels. In a short YouTube video, USDA highlights current production and consumption capacities as well as projections to meet the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) which calls …
Air Force Testing Camelina Biofuel in Fighting Falcons
From a guy who has had some great opportunities to be right on the flightline as Fighting Falcons roared to life, this picture doesn’t do justice to that rumble you feel deep down in your bones as you watch these magnificent machines take off to fight the war in the air, ready to blow things up and kill the bad …
Ceres Develops First Salt Tolerant Energy Crop
Now this is interesting. I was reading earlier this morning in Cadillac Desert about how agriculture in many areas is suffering from water issues that include too much salt. The salt damages the soil, kills the crops and ultimately the land is taken out of production. Today, there are over one billion acres of cropland that have been abandoned around …
Three Algae Biofuels Consortia to Share $24 Mil Funding
Three groups researching algae-based biofuels will get a big boost from $24 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy. Biofuels Digest reports that Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Cathy Zoi made the announcemet at this week’s BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology and Bioprocessing in Washington, DC: According to Zoi, the selections will support the …
Flying Car Landing In A Driveway Near You
Apparently the FAA works much faster than the EPA – the FAA has just approved the “Flying Car,” also known at the Transition Roadable Aircraft. While the flying car, developed by Terrafugia (ter-ra-FOO-gee-ah), doesn’t currently run on an alternative fuel such as ethanol or biodiesel, it is an “alternative” way to get yourself around town. So here is how it …
World Economic Forum Sees Bright Biofuels Future
A new report by the World Economic Forum (WEF) concludes that converting biomass into fuels, energy, and chemicals has the potential to generate upwards of $230 billion to the global economy by 2020, most of that in the United States. The report, produced in collaboration with Royal DSM N.V., Novozymes, DuPont and Braskem, says that the biorefineries industry could supplement …