Archive for January, 2008
« Previous EntriesToday in Biofuels: Activists hurl insults at Vinod Khosla over new articles on biomass; new algae extraction process; gasoline prices to reach $4 per gallon by summer
Submitted by Biofuels Digest Blog
Top Story:
“Vinod you are still totally clueless” and “there will be pie in the sky by-and-by” were among comments hurled at billionaire investor Vinod Khosla in response to a second three-part series of articles posted at Grist. The second series focused on Biomass, including regulatory standards, “better agronomy for energy crops”, [...]
RFA Pushes to Keep Import Tariff
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
By Todd Neeley
DTN Staff Reporter
OMAHA (DTN) — While U.S. Energy Secretary Sam Bodman said Tuesday that the U.S. ethanol industry was close to standing on its own and may no longer need import tariffs, one industry spokesman said the tariffs are still needed to keep the industry competitive with the [...]
Today in Biofuels: US Budget to “deal with” Brazilian ethanol tariff; $114 million awarded to four US cellulosic ethanol projects; France may reverse biofuels policy
Submitted by Biofuels Digest Blog
Top Story:
In Washington, U.S. Energy Secretary Sam Bodman, commenting on the future of the ethanol tariff, said that the Bush Administration “will start to deal with that question” in the 2009 US Budget due in Congress on Monday. The 54-cent tariff, which primarily applies to Brazilian ethanol, tariff is due to [...]
Today in Biofuels: GM says consumers don’t want diesel despite fuel economy; India biodiesel policy imminent; China to invest $5 billion in Indonesian crops, biodiesel
Submitted by Biofuels Digest Blog
Top Story:
In Detroit, the vice chairman of General Motors said that only 1 in 12 consumers want modern diesel engines because they cost $3,000 to $4,000 per vehicle, and that the popularity of diesel engines in Germany is the result of punitive tax policies that skew the market, result in gasoline [...]
Minnesota government to investigate ethanol water usage after Granite Falls plant begins drawing water from Minnesota River
Submitted by Biofuels Digest Blog
In Minnesota, the state Environmental Quality Board will examine water usage by ethanol plants after a plant in Granite falls, which had been allocated sufficient groundwater for its proposed needs, began pumping water from the Minnesota River. With 16 new ethanol plants in the proposal or [...]
Corporate Express Fuels Colo., Kan. Fleet with Biodiesel
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
WARWICK, N.Y. (DTN) — Corporate Express US Inc. said in a news release that it is now fueling the majority of its 45 delivery truck fleets in Colorado and Kansas, with Blue Sun’s Fusion B20 biodiesel — a blend of 20-percent virgin oilseed-based biodiesel and 80-percent petroleum diesel.
Blue Sun’s Fusion [...]
Arisdyne Installs Reactor at Pennsylvania Biodiesel Plant
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
WARWICK, N.Y. (DTN) — Biofuels technology and equipment company Arisdyne Systems said in a news release that it recently installed a new biodiesel reactor at Middletown Biofuels, a biodiesel production facility located in Middletown, Pa.
The company said that the biodiesel reactor offers the production plant enhanced output predictability, both in [...]
Dole Converts Farm Equipment in Calif., Ariz. to Biodiesel
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
CRANBURY, N.J. (DTN) — Dole Fresh Vegetables Company, a division of Dole Food Company, Inc., said in a news release that it has converted all of its harvesting equipment in Salinas, Calif., and in Yuma, Ariz., to B20 — a 20-percent biodiesel to 80-percent diesel fuel blend.
Biodiesel is a domestic [...]
Focus on Fuels 1-28-08
Submitted by DTN Ethanol Blog
Energy Profits Gyrate
By Gary Wilhelmi
DTN’s Man on the Floor of the CBOT, CME
The energy profitability formula is getting more and more dramatic in its gyrations. Crude has dropped into the high $80s per barrel range from a test two weeks ago of the $100 area. The alternative fuels feedstocks corn [...]
Today in Biofuels: Vinod Khosla slams environmentists; Brazil cracks down on deforestation; Dole converts to B20
Submitted by Biofuels Digest Blog
Top Story:
Vinod Khosla published three articles on Gristmill under the title “Pragmatists vs. Environmentalists”, in which the noted investor stated his objections to plug-in hybrids and the rational for his continued support of cellulosic ethanol. Khosla said that the barriers to improved battery performance and electric grid infrastructure improvements necessary for [...]
Today in Biofuels: Earth Policy Institute calls ethanol “misguided effort”; Abu Dhabi unveils $15 billion renewables initiative; 1700 gallon per acre yield projected for sago palm ethanol project
Submitted by Biofuels Digest Blog
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In Washington, the Earth Policy Institute released a report calling the US’s focus on ethanol “misguided effort to reduce its oil insecurity,” and said that the consequences will be hunger and malnutrition in the Third World as well as price increases for grains hitting US consumers. The Institute said that [...]
Today in Biofuels: FAO says biofuels good for climate, warns on land, water use; GAO says global biofuel standards a must; Euro policy group to develop R&D agenda
Submitted by Biofuels Digest Blog
Top Story:
Regan Suzuki of the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization said that while biofuels are better for the environment and promote energy security, the effect of competition for land, and the potential for water shortages were areas for concern. She said that “Biofuels have become a flash point through which a [...]
Today in Biofuels: Florida awards $25 million to next-gen biofuels projects; EU to issue palm oil biodiesel ban, tariff on US; algae car demo’d at Sundance Festival; exposé on Brazilian sugarcane industry to air on Bloomberg
Submitted by Biofuels Digest Blog
Top Story:
The Florida state government awarded grants totaling $25 million to 12 next-gen biofuel projects as the state moves forward with its Farm-to-Fuel goal of producing 25 percent of Florida’s energy needs by 2025 using Florida agricultural resources. Among the projects, US EnviroFuels received a $7 million grant towards its 20 [...]
Today in Biofuels: World Bank climate change survey seeks respondents; palm oil prices subside; Indian sugar growers blockade rail, roads
Submitted by Biofuels Digest Blog
Top Story:
An online survey on climate change supported by the World Bank, the World Conservation Union, the International Development Research Centre, and GlobeScan is available, and seeking response from climate change professionals. The survey is the second in a pre-Bali / post-Bali survey of professional opinion. The pre-Bali survey rated biofuels [...]
Biomass Supply Chain and Logistics Update conference to be staged Feb 18-19 in Nashville
Submitted by Biofuels Digest Blog
Studium Conferences has announced the Biomass Supply Chain and Logistics Update conference, which will be held February 18-19 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville.
The conference will feature experts from Professional Logistics Group, Price BIOstock Services, Marathon Petroleum, Siemens, U.S. Energy. Idaho National Lab, among others, discussing issues, trends, innovations, and [...]
National Algae Association formed in US
Submitted by Biofuels Digest Blog
The National Algae Association announced the opening of its new headquarters serving all areas of the algae industry.
The association provides an open exchange forum for the publishing of technical papers and the announcement of the results of research into the latest algae related technologies. The association also supports discussion and [...]
Today in Biofuels: Researchers pioneer algae-from-wastewater process; China ethanol feedstock shortage; E85 sales up; UK parliamentary committee calls for biofuels moratorium
Submitted by Biofuels Digest Blog
Top Story:
In Virginia, researchers at Old Dominion University have successfully piloted a project to produce biodiesel feedstock by growing algae atop municipal sewage treatment plants. The researchers hope that these algae production techniques could lead to reduced emissions of nitrogen, phosphorus and carbon dioxide into the air and surrounding bodies of [...]
Biofuels Digest Editor to appear on National Public Radio’s Living on Earth program
Submitted by Biofuels Digest Blog
This weekend, Biofuels Digest editor Jim Lane will appear on NPR’s “Living on Earth” program, commenting on Virgin Atlantic, General Motors, Coskata and new biofuels targets in the European Community.
Living on Earth with Steve Curwood is the weekly environmental news and information program distributed by Public Radio International. Every week approximately [...]
Today in Biofuels: US intelligence chief says access to energy outranks terrorism as security threat; European Commission report says cost of biofuels outweighs the benefits; GM introduces flex-fuel Hummer
Submitted by Biofuels Digest Blog
Top Story:
The US National Intelligence Director said that access to energy outranked Al-Queda as a US national security threat. Mike McConnell, interviewed in The New Yorker, when asked if Al-Queda was the greatest threat to American security said “No, no, no, not at all. Terrorism can kill a lot of people, [...]
Today in Biofuels: Virgin to fly 747 London-Amsterdam on B20 biodiesel; Amazon deforestation pace picks up; Chinese commence massive biofuel forest plantation with four tree varieties
Submitted by Biofuels Digest Blog
Top Story:
In England, Virgin Atlantic announced that it will make an 80 minute test flight next month using a B20 biodiesel blend. The biodiesel feedstock was not revealed, but the company said that it would not be palm oil or any other unsustainable feedstock. The flight will involve a crew only [...]
Today in Biofuels: US House Ag Chairman says cellulosic may never get off the ground; food riots in Indonesia over soy prices; DuPont says new biofuels will proliferate
Submitted by Biofuels Digest Blog
Top Story:
In Washington, the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee said that the US is 10 years away from producing commercially viable cellulosic ethanol. Collin Peterson (D-Minn), told Reuters, said “I’m not sure cellulosic ethanol will ever get off the ground,” adding that his chief concern is suitable feedstocks in sufficient [...]
Ethanol production - the potential future of renewable energy, the law, and the markets
Written by Michael Vass
Oil at $100+ per barrel. Corn at $5 per bushel. Neither is a positive depending on who you ask and what their primary concern is. Neither of them is going to go down in the near-term either.
Why is that important? Because the high cost of oil, and the fact that it [...]
Today in Biofuels: EU to ban non-sustainable biofuels, impose tariff on US biodiesel; OECD calls links between biofuels and rising prices “simplistic”; POET to increase capacity by 300 Mgy in 2008
Submitted by Biofuels Digest Blog
Top Story:
The European Union is expected to publish a draft law next week banning the importation of biofuels grown in forests, grassland or wetlands, and deliver a minimum of greenhouse gas emission reductions. The ban is expected to affect palm oil based imports due to deforestation, South American ethanol and biodiesel [...]
Today in Biofuels: General Motors invests in Khosla cellulosic ethanol venture; Schumer introduces bill to repeal ethanol tariff; Phillipine Biofuels Act author backpedals over food concerns
Submitted by Biofuels Digest Blog
Top Story:
General Motors announced that it will invest in Coskata, a cellulosic ethanol venture backed by Vinod Khosla. GM is reported to have made the move in part to convince its customers that the company aims to be the leader among car makers in developing environmentally friendly vehicles. Coskata aims to [...]
Today in Biofuels: 17 NGOs demand EU drop biofuels mandate or require sustainability; hundreds of German biodiesel companies on “brink of bankruptcy”; Beer vs Fuel debated in Kansas
Submitted by Biofuels Digest Blog
Top Story:
A consortium of 17 non-governmental organizations called on EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs to require sustainability standards for biofuel production or eliminate biofuels mandates. The NGOs were responding to a draft biofuels mandate for the EU which will be finalized later this month and raises the use of biofuels to [...]
