A tree that can reach 90 feet in six years and be grown as a row crop on fallow farmland could provide an additional feedstock for biofuels production. According to a Purdue University release, researchers Clint Chapple and Rick Meilan (pictured with trees) are using genetic tools in an effort to design trees that readily and inexpensively can yield the …
Strong Interest in FFVs and Hybrids
A new market research study shows very strong consumer interest in flex fuel vehicles, but fuel economy is an issue with them. The study, by global market research company Synovate, shows that 37% of US consumers would consider purchasing a Flex Fuel vehicle that runs on gasoline or E85 (85% Ethanol) the next time they are in the market to …
Seeds For Growth
Sandia National Laboratories and Monsanto Company are joining forces to increase ethanol production through new varieties. According to a press release, the arrangement is aimed at aligning Sandia’s capabilities in bioanalytical imaging and analysis with Monsanto’s research in developing new seed-based products for farmers, including corn products that may be able to produce more ethanol per bushel.
USDA and DOE Fund Biofuels Research Projects
The U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy are jointly funding some $5.7 million dollars in research projects aimed at the development of alternative fuel resources. According to a USDA release, USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service and DOE’s Office of Biological and Environmental Research awarded the grants “to facilitate the use of woody plant tissue, specifically lignocellulosic materials, …
Waste Not, Want Not
To some people, manure is just waste. To Iowa State University researcher Samy Sadaka, it’s bio-oil. He and other researchers at ISU are working on a project to convert farm waste into bio-oil. According to an ISU release, the project is being supported by $190,000 in grants from the Iowa Biotechnology Byproducts Consortium. The researchers are working to take wastes …
Making the Switch
USDA’s Agricultural Research Service says switching to switchgrass would make sense to make ethanol. A report in this month’s ARS magazine says “this deep-rooted carbon-storing perennial has great biofuel production potential.” This native perennial has been shown to store more soil carbon than the major U.S. farm crops. They found that switchgrass stores most of its carbon deep underground….The reason …
Ethanol Awareness Increases
Seventy-three percent of American consumers are likely to purchase ethanol-enriched fuel, according to the results of a new national study by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. This represents a nine percent increase over January 2005. In addition, nearly 90 percent of those who are familiar with ethanol associate the fuel with its many positive benefits. However, Tom Slunecka, executive …
Mold Could Increase Ethanol Production
According to a release, researchers at Iowa State University have found a way to use mold to convert corn fiber into ethanol. And that could boost ethanol production by about 4 percent or 160 million gallons a year, said Hans van Leeuwen, an Iowa State professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering. “I believe this is a breakthrough,” said van …
Drivers Want E85
The American Lung Assocation of the Upper Midwest just released survey results that say that drivers want E85. Some findings from the study include: Nearly all respondents in all regions expressed strong interest in purchasing a vehicle that could use E85. More than 80 percent strongly or somewhat preferred an E85-capable flexible fuel vehicle recognized as a Clean Air Choice. …
Ethanol Myths and Realities
Business Week Online tries to take a somewhat balanced look at ethanol here that falls a bit short. The article has a decidedly cynical tone about ethanol but does present some positive information regarding the energy issue, presenting the findings of Michael Wang with the Argonne National Laboratory for Transportation Research – some very good research. Whenever anyone starts talking …