-
Boise State students gunning for land speed record with biofuel, this time 215 mph
Filed under: Biodiesel, Green Culture, Racing 
Last November, the Boise State University student team called Greenspeed broke the land speed record for a truck (in its class) that uses vegetable oil with a run of 155 miles per hour. Now, they're confidently ready to go after the faster, dirtier, petroleum-powered trucks.
To get that record, the modified 1998 Chevrolet S-10 pick-up truck - which has a dual-fuel powertrain that burns both regular diesel to start and then straight vegetable oil - will need to go faster than 215 miles per hour. The Greenspeed team announced its intent at the Washington Auto Show last week and hopes to set the new record during Speedweek at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah this August.
Even though the team of students is filled with confidence, the truck has not exactly been put through the on-road ringer. Thus far, it's only driven about 4.5 miles burning SVO, since it only does so on the test track. The 155-mph record was set on a 1.3-mile dry lakebed called El Mirage in the Mojave Desert at a Southern California Timing Association race. That short distance is also why the team is confident it can hit 215 mph. At Bonneville, the 780 horsepower powertrain will have three miles to really get going.
Idaho Senator James Risch (R) came by during the show to stand on a piece of Boise State's famous blue turf and congratulate the team. He said that, "This is one way we can move away from dependence on oil and to a self-sustaining nation." This may be true, but Sen. Risch still supports importing more fossil fuels into the U.S.
Watch a short video of the team being interviewed after the jump.Continue reading Boise State students gunning for land speed record with biofuel, this time 215 mph Boise State students gunning for land speed record with biofuel, this time 215 mph originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
EPA boosts production goal for advanced, cellulosic biofuels by more than a third
Filed under: Biodiesel  The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) boosted its 2012 goals for production of non-corn-based biofuels by about 36 percent, reflecting the federal government's efforts to both cut its dependency on foreign oil and find alternatives to corn- and alcohol-based fuels.
The EPA boosted its production goal for advanced biofuels, whose feedstocks range from sugarcane ethanol to algae, by 48 percent, while increasing its goal for cellulosic biofuels, or biofuels produced from grasses, wood and plants, by 34 percent. Production of biomass-based biodiesel is set to rise 25 percent next year, according to the EPA.
The EPA also reiterated its goal set in June to boost renewable fuel production next year by 9 percent to 15.2 billion gallons, or 9.2 percent of total fuel production. Those numbers are up from the 13.95 billion gallons, or 8 percent of the fuel-production total, that the EPA set for 2011.
Annual increases in the EPA's renewable-fuel production guidelines are in response to the Renewable Fuel Standard 2 (RFS2) and 2007's Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA), which in part set a U.S. production goal of 36 billion annual gallons of renewable fuel by 2022.
What the new goals mean for the environment is debatable, given the issues surrounding the production of biofuels such as corn ethanol. Supporters say more ethanol production lessens domestic dependency on foreign oil and creates more farming jobs. But many environmentalists, academic researchers and economists have questioned using corn as a fuel feedstock, citing both spikes in corn prices that at times have exacerbated worldwide shortages of many grain-based foods, and environmental concerns related to potential waterway contamination from fertilizer and additional water and electricity requirements for corn production.
Some of these issues may be mitigated by more production of second-generation ethanol from waste material, algae and other feedstocks instead of corn. Pressures to change are coming from all sides. Earlier this week, the United States Congress decided against extending corn-based ethanol subsidies in a move that's drawn praise from environmental groups and taxpayer advocates. Continue reading EPA boosts production goal for advanced, cellulosic biofuels by more than a third EPA boosts production goal for advanced, cellulosic biofuels by more than a third originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 29 Dec 2011 16:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Biofuels market value to double to $185.3 billion in ten years
Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol  Will there be enough feedstock to support a massive biofuel boom? It sure seems possible, 'cause Pike Research predicts that the value of the biofuels industry could double in the next ten years, depending on the emergence of advanced feedstocks.
Motivated, mainly, by concerns about energy independence and climate change, at least 38 national governments across the globe have enacted blending mandates to accelerate the production and consumption of biofuels.
According to Pike Research's latest report, the production and consumption of biofuels will more than double in the next decade, with the cleantech firm forecasting that the global biofuels industry will increase from $82.7 billion in 2011 to $185.3 billion in 2021. Pike senior analyst, Mackinnon Lawrence, states:
The widespread scale-up of biofuels could radically alter the industrial and geopolitical landscapes. But with conventional biofuels constrained by social and environmental concerns, and price parity and access to financing a persistent obstacle to advanced biofuels scale-up, a number of difficult challenges must be overcome if the industry is to keep pace with emerging mandates.
Lawrence adds that while Brazil, the United States and the European Union have demonstrated the commercial viability of conventional biofuels, it's the emergence and eventual success of advanced biofuels that will either make or break the biofuels industry.Continue reading Biofuels market value to double to $185.3 billion in ten years Biofuels market value to double to $185.3 billion in ten years originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 17 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Is rapeseed biodiesel worse for the environment than diesel?
Filed under: Biodiesel, Diesel, Europe/EU 
As one might expect, Europe's biodiesel industry rejected the findings of a draft study showing that the cultivation of rapeseed for biodiesel is likely significantly worse for the environment than manufacturing conventional diesel, i.e., from petroleum.
On Friday, the European Biodiesel Board (EBB) stated that the European Union's study's was "highly debatable and unscientific." At a news conference in Belgium, EBB secretary general Raffaello Garofalo stated:
Can an industry like the biodiesel industry - the number one renewable fuel industry in Europe - be at risk of closing its production plants because of something that is not validated?
On that same day, a coalition of 150-plus international scientists warned that biofuels have a significant indirect impact and urged EU policymakers to take immediate action:
All the studies of land use change indicate that the emissions related to biofuels expansion are significant and can be quite large.
Indirect land use change (ILUC) - a theory that relates to the unintended consequence of releasing more carbon emissions because of different ways to use the land around the world because of an increased global demand for biofuels - is a relatively controversial concept and, as such, has been questioned by several authoritative figures.Is rapeseed biodiesel worse for the environment than diesel? originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
USDA: Advanced biofuel payouts will create jobs, jobs and even more jobs
Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol, Legislation and Policy, USA  Let's create jobs while concurrently expanding the U.S. output of advanced biofuels, says Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
Just days ago, the USDA announced that its will fork over some money to more than 160 energy producers in 41 states to support the expansion of advanced biofuels. As Secretary Vilsack says, this is really mainly a job-creating scheme:
Renewable energy production will create tens of thousands of direct, American jobs; thousands more indirect jobs, and clean electricity to power millions of homes. The payments I am announcing today represent the continuing commitment of the Obama administration to work with producers to provide the biofuel necessary to reduce our nation's dependence on foreign energy sources.
The payments are authorized under the Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels and will be made available only to firms looking to increase output of advanced biofuels. Payments are based strictly on the amount of biofuel a recipient produces from renewable biomass. Corn-based ethanol producers can't apply, as that type of biofuel is not considered "advanced."
One example of a BPAB payment is the $98,507 given to Ever Cat Fuels to help offset the costs of producing 881,000 gallons of biodiesel from plant oils and animal fats in Minnesota. The USDA says the payout to Ever Cat will create 20 full-time jobs. Sure, 20 may be next to nothing on a national level, but you don't get to tens of thousands of jobs without starting somewhere.Continue reading USDA: Advanced biofuel payouts will create jobs, jobs and even more jobs USDA: Advanced biofuel payouts will create jobs, jobs and even more jobs originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
World's largest renewable diesel refiner says cost of fuel is way more than anticipated
Filed under: Biodiesel, Diesel 
Exactly how much does it cost to produce a ton of renewable diesel fuel? Well, according to Neste Oil, the world's largest renewable diesel firm, the answer is: way more than anticipated.
In releasing its updated future outlook, Neste Oil revealed its estimated production cost, not including feedstock, of NExBTL renewable diesel is $220 a ton (approximately $0.70 per U.S. gallon). That's up significantly from the firm's 2009 estimate of $175 a ton (roughly $0.56 per gallon).
Although Neste has not released exact figures for conventional diesel production, Sari Lehmuskallio-Eronen, communications manager of sustainability, oil products and renewables at Neste Oil, stated:
The production costs of our conventional fossil diesel are significantly lower than those of renewable NExBTL diesel. Petro-diesel is a "bulk product" produced at large refineries. NExBTL, on the other hand, is a small-volume specialty product when compared to fossil diesel. This is naturally reflected in the higher cost per unit.
Neste Oil says the increased production cost of NExBTL is mainly due to elevated utility costs and the rising price of hydrogen. It's unlikely that either of those costs will drop, so NExBTL probably won't get cheap any time soon.Continue reading World's largest renewable diesel refiner says cost of fuel is way more than anticipated World's largest renewable diesel refiner says cost of fuel is way more than anticipated originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 17:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Neste Oil fires up Europe's largest renewable diesel facility
Filed under: Biodiesel, Diesel, Europe/EU 
Over in the Netherlands, Neste Oil has celebrated the opening of Europe's largest renewable diesel facility. Located in Rotterdam, Neste Oil's new site boasts an annual production capacity of 800,000 tons of the firm's NExBTL renewable diesel fuel. NExBTL technology allows Neste to use a wide variety of oils, greases and fats as feedstock to make the fuel.
The firing up of the Rotterdam facility (Neste Oil's fourth renewable diesel site) marks a significant milestone in Neste Oil's clean-fuel strategy by securing the firm's position as the world's number one (by volume) producer of renewable diesel. With the facility now online, Neste Oil has the ability to pump out more than two million tons of renewable biodiesel a year. NExBTL supposedly reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80 percent compared to fossil diesel and its clean-burning properties make it especially valuable in heavily polluted urban centers.Continue reading Neste Oil fires up Europe's largest renewable diesel facility Neste Oil fires up Europe's largest renewable diesel facility originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 24 Sep 2011 12:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Modified motorcycle burns vegetable oil in record-setting run
Filed under: Biodiesel, Green Culture, On Two Wheels, Racing 
At the Loring Timing Association in Maine, John Petsche drove a highly modified motorcycle into the record books.
Powered by a six-horsepower industrial diesel engine and fueled by store-bought vegetable oil, Petsche's two-wheeler hit a top speed of 56.535 miles per hour, sufficient to put Petsche in the record books in the the 350-cc Alternate Fuel class.
The donor bike uses a single-speed drive with a centrifugal clutch, which limits its performance, but Petsche says the drivetrain will be upgraded to improve acceleration and surpass his existing, record-setting top speed next year. Petsche says he built the two-wheeler to demonstrate the potential of off-the-shelf technology (and, literally, off-the-shelf fuel). By combining pre-existing components from generators, go-karts and junked vehicles, Petsche built a low-cost motorcycle that he says gets 100 miles to the vegetable oil gallon.Modified motorcycle burns vegetable oil in record-setting run originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sat, 17 Sep 2011 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
PetroChina to boost biofuel production by 1.1 million tons by 2015
Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol, China  PetroChina, the world's third most valuable company as of the second quarter of 2011, says it will add 1.1 million tons of biofuel production capacity by 2015, according to a company official who spoke with Reuters. Additionally, PetroChina says it will import 470,000 tons of biofuels by 2015, as China aims to make use of more alternative fuels.
Of the 1.1 million tons of production capacity, PetroChina says ethanol will be its fuel of choice, with production of the grain-based fuel set at 933,000 tons a year. Meanwhile, annual biodiesel production will rise to 165,000 tons, says Fu Xingguo, deputy chief engineer of PetroChina's Petrochemical Research Institute.
The biofuel imports, likely from countries such as Brazil and the U.S., will be blended with gasoline and sold in southern Chinese provinces. PetroChina currently has limited biofuel production capacity.PetroChina to boost biofuel production by 1.1 million tons by 2015 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 13 Sep 2011 09:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
USDA, DOE and U.S. Navy seek input to commercialize advanced drop-in biofuels
Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol, Legislation and Policy, USA 
Advanced, drop-in biofuels seem to be all the rage. Perhaps that's why the United States Departments of Agriculture and Energy, along with the U.S. Navy, have announced the next step in creating a public-private partnership to develop and commercialize them.
On August 30, the Secretaries of the three Departments, in an effort to gather intel to accelerate the development of drop-in biofuels, issued a joint Request for Information (RFI). The Departments say the use of advanced biofuels will reduce U.S. demand for foreign oil and "strengthen rural America." According to the Departments, the main objective of the RFI is:
The construction or retrofit of several domestic commercial or pre-commercial scale advanced drop-in biofuel refineries. These facilities will produce drop-in advanced biofuels meeting military specifications, will be located in geographically diverse locations for ready market access, and will have no significant impact on the supply of agricultural commodities for the production of food.
This RFI builds on the recent joint announcement by the USDA, DOE and U.S. Navy to invest up to $510 million over the next three years in "advanced drop-in aviation and marine biofuels to power military and commercial transportation."Continue reading USDA, DOE and U.S. Navy seek input to commercialize advanced drop-in biofuels USDA, DOE and U.S. Navy seek input to commercialize advanced drop-in biofuels originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 07 Sep 2011 09:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Worldwide production of biofuels up 17% in 2010
Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol 
Global production of biofuels soared to an all-time high of 105 billion liters (28 billion gallons U.S.) in 2010, according to research conducted by Worldwatch Institute for the website Vital Signs Online. That output represents a 17-percent increase in compared to the estimated 90 billion liters (24 billion gallons) that were cranked out globally back in 2009. Worldwatch Institute says lofty oil prices, a global economic rebound and mandates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China and the United States, are all factors behind the biofuel surge.
An estimated 86 billion liters (23 billion gallons) of ethanol and 19 billion liters (5 billion gallons) of biodiesel were produced around the world in 2010. Worldwatch Institute says the U.S. and Brazil remain the world's leading producers of ethanol and that the European Union is the global leader, by volume, in biodiesel production. And for those geeked over the rise of ethanol, Alexander Ochs, director of Worldwatch's climate and energy program, states:
In the United States, the record production of biofuels is attributed in part to high oil prices, which encouraged several large fuel companies, including Sunoco, Valero, Flint Hills, and Murphy Oil, to enter the ethanol industry.
But, rather than use all of our homegrown ethanol to fuel vehicles that operate here in the States, the U.S. shipped 1.3 billion liters (343 million gallons U.S.) of its total production volume of 49 billion liters (13 billion gallons U.S.) abroad, a trend that helped the U.S. become the world's largest ethanol exporter this year.Continue reading Worldwide production of biofuels up 17% in 2010 Worldwide production of biofuels up 17% in 2010 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Virent biofuel works like gasoline, causes "no harm" to vehicles
Filed under: Biodiesel, Emerging Technologies 
Virent Energy Systems has taken a major step in the certification process of its biofuel. Virent's much-like-gas biofuel successfully completed road tests organized and executed by Virent's collaborator, Shell. The tests found Virent's biofuel caused "no harm" to vehicles when compared to Shell's pump gas.
For testing purposes, Shell used five identical pairs of late-model European vehicles. Five of the vehicles were fueled with Shell gas, and the other five burned an undisclosed blend of gas and Virent's biofuel. Each vehicle was then driven 6,000 miles, after which the engines were dismantled and inspected. All ten automobiles, regardless of fuel used, were found to be in the same condition.
This road trial is one of several necessary steps in Virent's journey towards fuel certification. At the end of its three-year-long project, Virent, using its proprietary near-zero-outside energy BioForming process, expects to deliver a fuel that can replace gasoline.Continue reading Virent biofuel works like gasoline, causes "no harm" to vehicles Virent biofuel works like gasoline, causes "no harm" to vehicles originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 26 Aug 2011 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
IISD calls for countries to phase out all fossil fuel subsidies
Filed under: Biodiesel, Etc., Ethanol, Legislation and Policy 
Reforming eliminating fossil fuel subsidies would save governments billions of dollars while significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and freeing up monies for incentives on cleaner forms of energy, according to the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), a Canada-based research institute.
Though long overdue, the IISD says this potentially transformative issue will reach the international level in June of 2012 at Rio+20 - the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.
The challenge, according to the IISD, lies in the implementation of an international framework that phases out all fossil fuel subsidies. At Rio+20, the IISD will push for countries to pledge to support the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies that, "undermine sustainable development." The IISD claims subsidies are costly, lead to increased global and local pollution and are socially regressive.
Though the IISD will use Rio+20 to pitch its pledge to end fossil fuel subsidies, the research institute suggests that subsidizing even biofuels and renewables may not be in Mother Nature's best interest:
Subsidies to renewables-based electricity often come in the form of mandates or portfolio standards, green certificate trading systems, feed-in tariffs and premiums, or investment and production tax credits. ... Like all subsidies, these policies can lead to perverse outcomes (e.g., favouring some renewable energy technologies at the cost of driving away investment from others that are equally as promising) or can be captured by powerful industry groups. Reform should focus on ensuring that the subsidies are achieving their policy objectives cost-effectively.
Sounds like IISD will have its work cut out for itself at Rio+20.IISD calls for countries to phase out all fossil fuel subsidies originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 24 Aug 2011 07:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Petrobras to invest $2.5 billion to increase production of biodiesel, ethanol
Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol, South/Latin America 
Brazilian energy giant Petrobras, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Petrobras Biocombustível, will invest a massive $2.5 billion between 2011 and 2015 to increase production of biodiesel and ethanol. This hefty chunk of change is part of $4.1 billion Petrobras earmarked for its biofuels operations, which includes $1.3 billion for ethanol logistics and $300 million for biofuel research.
Increasing ethanol production will be Petrobras' priority, with $1.9 billion set aside for the sugar cane-based biofuel. Petrobras says that by 2015, its production of ethanol will hit an annual volume of 5.6 billion liters (1.5 billion gallons U.S.). Though that sounds substantial, it's predicted that 1.5 billion gallons will make up just 12 percent of Brazil's total ethanol production in 2015.Petrobras to invest $2.5 billion to increase production of biodiesel, ethanol originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Mon, 22 Aug 2011 10:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
-
Alternative fuel consumption steady in 2009
Filed under: Biodiesel, Ethanol, EV/Plug-in, Hydrogen, Natural Gas, USA
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that consumption of alternative fuels in the transportation sector stayed put in 2009, with use coming in at 431,107 thousand gasoline-equivalent gallons (yes, that's the metric used), compared to 430,329 thousand gasoline-equivalent gallons in 2008.
Natural gas accounted for approximately 52 percent of alternative fuel consumption, with propane and E85 coming in at 30 and 16 percent, respectively. Combined, electricity, hydrogen and other fuels accounted for a mere two percent. For comparison, the EIA lists consumption of other fuels in 2009:
Gasoline: 134,385,175 thousand gallons
Diesel: 37,701,896 thousand gasoline equivalent gallons
Biodiesel: 325,102 thousand gasoline equivalent gallons
While the consumption of natural gas over the past five years has increased due to its extensive use in the transit bus industry, consumption of propane has decreased. The EIA says propane use decreased due to fleets replacing some light-duty vehicles with flex-fuel or hybrid models. It seems that hydrogen fueled close to zero vehicles in 2009.Continue reading Alternative fuel consumption steady in 2009 Alternative fuel consumption steady in 2009 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 18 Aug 2011 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
Newsfeeds
Join now 10% discount
