Recently in Biofuel Category

From Biofuels Digest:

In Brazil, a comprehensive report report in Biodiesel magazine on deforestation and soy cultivation quotes Greenpeace in saying that "Biodiesel demand for soy oil is not seen as a significant driver of Amazon deforestation. Most of the soya grown in Brazil including what is grown on illegal plantations is for animal and human consumption, and right now the Brazilian government is investing in other feedstocks for the development of its biofuels program."

Greenpeace said that a 2006 moratorium by ADM, Cargill and Bunge against trading soy grown on newly deforested areas has had a material impact, and that Greenpeace hopes the moratorium can be extended through 2010.

In addition, DTN is reporting that US corn and bean exports are remaining steady or increasing while Brazilian corn and soybean acreage is holding steady or shrinking. 

The Biofuels Center of North Carolina has launched a global Biofuels Wiki. From the Center:

The purpose of this wiki is to create a virtual biofuels community and a one-stop hub for information about renewable liquid fuels. To make biofuels in large quantities sustainably, it requires science, research, agriculture, forestry, feedstocks, logistical solutions, transportation, education, training, production, policy, distribution and people willing to put these biofuels blends in their vehicles. Because of the wide range of subject matter and specializations in this field, information about biofuels in all of these areas is often disconnected. In this wiki, we hope to provide a single interconnected place to find good information about the entire biofuels spectrum.

Learn more here.

EPA has released its notice of rulemaking regarding the national renewable fuels standard. Fact sheets and the full document can be found here. Stakeholders have 60 days to comment following the submission of the rule to the Federal Register. A brief review of the proposed EPA rules has been developed by SAFER Steering Committee member Nathan McClure of the Georgia Forestry Commission. The document can be found here.

From the Birmingham News:

A Livingston plant has converted wood scraps trucked from Hoover into ethanol that will be used for the first time Thursday to fuel some of the city's police vehicles.

Hoover Mayor Tony Petelos and Gulf Coast Energy CEO and President Mark Warner hail the development as groundbreaking in the conversion of wood waste to automotive fuel on a small commercial scale and in making the west Alabama demonstration plant a leader in advanced biofuel technology that uses wood to make clean-burning fuel.

By Thursday, the city will receive 100 gallons of fuel for use as E85, which is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline, from the Sumter County plant. Warner believes this is the first commercial transaction in the country, even though the amount is small, to come through "cellulosic gasification."

From Ceres:

Energy crop company Ceres, Inc., announced today that it will work with University of Georgia researchers to develop new high-yielding switchgrass seed varieties and improved crop management techniques for the southeastern United States. Switchgrass, which can reach yields of 6 to10 dry tons or more in the Southeast, is widely considered an ideal raw material for next-generation biofuels and biopower.

The multi-year project will bring together plant breeders, agronomists and support scientists at Ceres and the University of Georgia to develop improved seed varieties. Field researchers will also evaluate cropping practices in the Southeast, adapting developments made by The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, an Oklahoma-based agricultural research institution with which Ceres has a long-term product development collaboration.

Read the full press release here.

From SustainableBusiness.com:

Royal Dutch Shell announced Tuesday that it does not plan to make any more large investments in wind or solar energy, according to a Reuters report. The company also said it doesn't expect hydrogen to play a significant role in energy supply anytime soon. 

Linda Cook, head of Shell's gas and power unit told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday that those investment opportunities "continue to struggle to compete with the other investment opportunities we have in our portfolio."

According to Reuters analysis, the company invested $1.25 billion in green energy from 1999-2006, including the development of 550 megawatts (MW) of wind power capacity. 

Shell will limit its involvement in renewable energy to the development of biofuels. In September the company announced six new research agreements designed to complement Shell's own biofuels development. 

From Worldwatch Institute:

The Sierra Club and Worldwatch Institute today released a report, Smart Choices for Biofuels, highlighting the need for important policy reforms at this critical juncture in America's effort to increase the use of biofuels. The report outlines the economic and environmental impacts of first-generation biofuels such as corn ethanol, proposes strategies to make the biofuels industry more sustainable, and offers specific policy recommendations in four broad categories:

• Developing sustainability standards
• Advancing biofuels production and new technologies
• Creating green jobs through biofuels
• Promoting policy coherence across energy sectors

From the Minnesota Department of Agriculture:

Increasing the amount of ethanol blended into gasoline from 10 percent to 20 percent causes no significant change in performance of automotive fuel systems according to research conducted by the Minnesota Center for Automotive Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato. The study examined the impact of gasoline with a 20 percent blend of ethanol (E20) on the endurance, wear and performance of automotive fuel pumps and sending units. This study is the fourth in a series of research projects conducted to determine the effect of E20 on fuel system components.

The study looked at eight models of fuel pumps, running three identical versions of each model for 4,000 hours using one of three different fuels - gasoline, E10 and E20. Gasoline and E10 were used in the study as a reference to identify what effects two accepted fuels would have on the pumps and sending units. The 24 pumps were selected to represent a variety of manufacturers, model years, common vehicles and designs. In addition, the study examined the effect of E20 on nine different makes and models of sending units.

The study found that the pumps showed significantly less wear when tested with E20 than with gasoline. The study concluded that overall, E20 did not have any greater negative effects than gasoline or E10 on the fuel pumps tested. It also showed there were no substantial differences in the performance of the sending units tested in the three different fuels.

A new analysis by North Dakota State University finds that the economic impact of a cellulosic ethanol plant in North Dakota would have a larger economic impact than a corn ethanol plant. While a corn ethanol plant would have $17 million of annual economic impact and create 40 direct jobs, a cellulosic plant was projected to have an annual economic impact of $53 million and create 77 jobs. The authors suggest the additional impact from a cellulosic plant is due to (1) the creation of new revenue streams from agricultural residues that previously had little or no existing market and (2) additional costs in feedstock collection and transportation. The full analysis can be found here.

From Enerkem press release:

Enerkem Inc., an advanced biofuels and green chemicals technology company, recently announced its plans to build and operate a second-generation biofuels production facility located in Pontotoc, Mississippi. In addition, the company announced the signature of a Memorandum of Intent with the Three Rivers Solid Waste Management Authority of Mississippi (TRSWMA) for the supply of approximately 189,000 tons of unsorted municipal solid waste (MSW) per year for use as feedstock at the Pontotoc facility.

Plans call for the plant to be built, owned and operated by Enerkem Mississippi Biofuels, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Enerkem. It is expected to produce 20 million gallons per year of next-generation ethanol using a mix of feedstock comprised of wood residues from regional forest and agricultural operations, as well as urban biomass such as municipal solid waste, construction and demolition debris, and treated wood. In addition to the biofuels production facility, the investment includes an upstream municipal solid waste recycling and pre-treatment center.

The total project represents a US$250 million investment. The Enerkem process will recycle and convert approximately 60% of the MSW that crosses the gate at the Three Rivers landfill. The majority of the MSW will be converted into biofuels and the remainder will be distributed to recycling processors. The overall project is expected to create 150 long-term direct and indirect jobs, and to generate an additional 300 jobs during the construction and start-up phases.