Fungus Makes Biodiesel Indian Researcher's Finding

Ravichandra Potumarthi, a researcher in India, has demonstrated and presented his findings at a conference (the International Conference on Bioengineering and Nanotechnology) that using the enzyme lipase as the catalyst he can convert vegetable oils into biodiesel. The trouble, of course, with that, conceptually, is that lipase is a complex protein, difficult and expensive to synthesize. Naturally it would not be a significant breakthrough if Ravichandra did not start thinking "outside the box", so to speak. He saw no reason to go to the trouble of refining the enzyme to a pure form, he simply found an organism that produces plenty of it, and tossed it into the mix. The main advantage here is that you don't have to heat the oil at all for the process to work as in (many, if not most) of the more conventional methods of using methanol (or ethanol) and sodium hydroxide. The mechanism Ravichandra chose was a simple fungus called Metarhizium anisopliae. Interestingly this particular fungus is not all that difficult to obtain at the moment, because it is being investigated as a means to control malaria carrying mosquitoes.(op.cit. Wikipedia.org) It is also already being used as a means to destroy thrips (nasty little things that curl the leaves of citrus trees -- we have an infestation of these in our own back yard), grasshoppers and termites.

Indian Oil Corporation plans to produce biodiesel

NEW DELHI: Flagship refiner-marketer IndianOil Corporation has initiated steps to begin commercial production of biodiesel. The state-owned company has sought about 30,000 hectares of land from the Madhya Pradesh government for jatropha plantation.

Jatropha seed has been identified as the main source of making biodiesel and the company is talking to other states such as Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan for land to start plantations. "We have expressed our interest in getting land for jatropha plantation. We are waiting for the state's response and also waiting for government policy on biodiesel," said B M Bansal, the man in charge of finding new businesses for IndianOil and spearheading the green fuel initiative. Biodiesel is made by blending oil extracted from seeds like jatropha with diesel refined from crude oil. An internal note prepared by IndianOil Corporation reckons an annual demand of two million tonnes of biodiesel, with a 5% blending ratio.

It says this can eventually go up to 10% without making any modification in the engine. This indicates an annual consumption potential of four million tonnes. The note says popularising the use of biodiesel will increase energy security, protect the environment, create jobs for rural folk and develop wastelands. IndianOil has completed field trials with the fuel. The trial with Haryana Roadways showed a 10-15% reduction in emission from the 40-odd buses that used biodiesel. Trials have also been completed successfully with Tata Motors and Indian Railways which ran locos hauling high-speed Shatabdi and Jan Shatabdi trains to check the biofuel's performance regarding power, consumption and pick-up etc. The biodiesel plan may, however, come unstuck due to the government's policy on procurement price. The government has set a procurement price of Rs 26.50 for each litre of biodiesel, whereas each litre made out of imported crude palm oil costs Rs 35-40. Besides, the nature of jatropha plants allow oil extraction from seeds only after three years. That's why despite efforts by several state governments and corporates other than IndianOil, biodiesel will have to wait for sometime before it can rule our roads.

IndianOil is trying to use this time to put in place an integrated plan for the entire value chain of biodiesel — from plantation to blending and marketing. Its R&D Centre has optimised the process of synthesising oil from jatropha seeds to conform to standard fuel specifications.

It has also set up a biodiesel quality lab at the centre.



Source:-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Business/India_Business/IOC_plans_to_produce_biodiesel/articleshow/2148642.cms

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Mobile networks to be Powered by Biodiesel in India

In a resent press release by Ericson, they have said that, the Indian mobile operator Idea Cellular, Ericsson and the GSM Association's Development Fund have teamed up to develop biodiesel as a source of power for wireless networks in rural India. In a pilot project in Pune, Maharashtra, the three organizations will begin using biodiesel to power mobile base stations located beyond the reach of the electricity grid. This revolutionary idea will help rural farmers and entrepreneurs. They are also providing help to these people so as to start production of the same.

They have released photos showing the equipment









This photo shows some workers transferring bio diesel.





One thing to note is that such initiative will be more beneficial in spreading the word about biodiesel than the actual impact it will have. India is a country with vast potentials for biodiesel because it has highest number of personal diesel vehicles. The popularity for bio diesel is low as of now in India and such Initiatives will be very beneficial for the same.

In another view such initiatives should be taken up by other providers world over. The communication networks of the day are consuming a very large amount of power mostly made from fossil fuel (due to remote locations etc). Operators shifting to bio diesel will be a very positive move. For the companies the amount of money involved in the shift is not very large because the amount of modifications required is very little. Thus it is just the question of wanting to change. The move by the Aditya Birla group's Idea cellular should be taken as an example by other providers world over.

Biodiesel at The Oscars

BioBling company is, a biodiesel company that specializes in grabbing headlines with its forward-looking automotive technology.

The Los Angeles company scours the market for rare Volkswagens, Cadillacs, and Mercedes-Benz cars and then reconfigures them for biodiesel fuel. These cars also get custom-outfitted. Previous orders have included razzle-dazzle paint jobs, fake fur interiors, and even flat-screen TVs.

But it's the red carpet at next year's Academy Awards that has BioBling on the industry radar. The company will supply biodiesel limousines to transport stars to next year's Oscars. You might not be able to tell that's happening just by looking at cars?if you're looking at the cars and not focusing on the dresses and tuxes worn by Hollywood's finest. And you can probably rest assured that those ritzy limos won't be running on vegetable oil. We can't have our silver screen legends showing up to get their statuettes while smelling like fast food, now can we?


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Biodiesel producers support bill to define renewable diesel

Stakeholders in the biodiesel industry are rejoicing now that a bill has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives to protect biodiesel producers from losing out to big oil. But the battle over federal tax credits is not over yet.
Federal lawmakers – primarily on the Democrat side of the aisle – want to close loopholes in the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that allow large oil companies to qualify for tax credits intended for small businesses in the biodiesel industry.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-TX, introduced the Responsible Renewable Energy Tax Credit Act of 2007 on May 17, to protect the original intent of the tax credits, which was to promote growth in the production of renewable fuels.
Big oil companies wedged themselves into the program by blending biofuel into their petroleum supplies. That qualified them for tax credits intended for biodiesel producers.
“Unless the abuse of this tax credit is prohibited, it will have the exact opposite effect of what Congress intended – it will discourage the creation of real renewable diesel fuel – and all on the taxpayer’s dime,” Doggett, senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee said in a statement released by the National Biodiesel Board. “Green energy initiatives must not be converted into public boondoggles.”
With 58 co-sponsors consisting of 56 Democrats and two Republicans, the bill aims to disallow the tax credit for companies that practice “co-processing,” literally mixing bio material – not refined biodiesel – into petroleum diesel. Although the result of co-processing includes renewable fuel sources, the tax credit is intended for biodiesel producers to bring their products to market.
An example of what the bill aims to stop is a recent deal struck between ConocoPhillips and Tyson Foods to co-process chicken fat into petroleum diesel and call it biodiesel.
National Biodiesel Board CEO Joe Jobe said fixing the problem is sound energy policy.
The tax incentive for producers has already helped grow the industry, doubling production each year since 2004 from the starting point of 25 million gallons per year, according to the biodiesel board.
Biodiesel plants around the country grew from a handful to more than 80, with another 25 under construction. U.S. production of biodiesel will soon top 864 million gallons of fuel per year, Jobe said.
Doggett’s bill – HR2361 – has been referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.


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Could Glycerin -- A Biodiesel Byproduct -- Be Used As Cattle Feed?

Could Glycerin -- A Biodiesel Byproduct -- Be Used As Cattle Feed?

Biodiesel is in high demand. The byproduct of this alternative source of energy, glycerin, is next, according to an agriculture scientist at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

In a study that began this month, Monty Kerley, professor of ruminant nutrition in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, is examining the effectiveness of glycerin as cattle feed. Through November, the MU researcher will monitor the growth habits of 60 calves from various breeds to determine if bio-leftovers provide a healthy main course to cattle. The study has two main priorities: first, to determine if glycerin has a positive or negative effect on calves' growth performance, and second, to assess its impact, if any, on meat quality.
The cows have been separated into groups of three, each consuming differing amounts of glycerin during their daily diet. The amounts are 0, 5, 10 and 20 percent. In addition to monitoring feeding limits and growth patterns, Kerley also is analyzing how cattle metabolize the varying amounts of glycerin. Unlike the dry feeds they are accustomed to eating, Kerley said the glycerin is liquid based and comes mostly from the processing of soybean oil. He also said it meets stringent FDA regulations.
"We're really looking at the energy value and how it compares to corn," Kerley said. "When the animal consumes glycerin, it's absorbed, and the glycerin is used to make glucose. Actually, it's like feeding sugar to a cow. Because it's liquid, there are two things we worry about - one, how much can be used in the diet before it changes the form of the diet; and two, is there a limit to how much glycerin can be processed by the animal? We'll feed it to them for a period of 160 to 180 days."
Kerley said developing usages for glycerin necessitates this type of research. In recent years, academic scientists and private-sector companies have been racing to find solutions and applications for the byproduct. An alternative food source for cattle is but one possibility. However, it's likely only a short-term option for the cattle industry.
"We probably have a three- to five-year window to use this for animal feed at a reduced cost," Kerley said. "This glycerin is a wonderful starting compound for building other compounds that can be applied to numerous industrial purposes. After three to five years, you'll see industrial applications utilizing this glycerin, and that may price it out of the animal feed industry."
He said economics are another factor because glycerin is currently less expensive than corn, which is most commonly used as cattle feed. Glycerin is about 4 cents per pound; corn costs around 8 cents a pound.
"Originally, the biodiesel plants were concerned with just getting rid of this material, but data shows that glycerin has energy feed value equal to corn," Kerley said. "If you can get glycerin for less than corn, that's obviously a sizeable savings."


Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by University of Missouri-Columbia.

Video of a Algae Bioreactor

Algae Bio reactors could be one of the best sources of algae for making bio diesel. They provide a supper accelerated growth region and in large plants, factories etc they could be deployed with ease.

An algae photobioreactor on the roof of MIT university.The clear polycarbonate tubes are approx 3 meters high, and 10-20 centimeters in diameter.It removes up to 86% of the NOx and 40% of the CO2 of the smokestack emissions that are bubbled through it. The algae are feeding on exhaust with 13% CO2 content. This size algae photobioreactor can't handle the entire exhaust emissions, it would need to be much larger for that.This photobioreactor you see here on the roof of MIT, has since been dismantled and reassembled in Naboomspruit (now called Mookgopong) South Africa at a biodiesel plant.

Another news:-(http://www.csrwire.com/News/8500.html)

GSPI demonstration facility is located in Montana and is one of the largest demonstration facilities in the world.Phase I objective in this project is to determine the ability of the GSPI Algae Process System to solve the daunting operational problems for microalgae production, which have plagued the algae production industry for years.Phase I now is complete and has been successful in controlling the most important variables in algae production, i.e. temperature of water in large systems, salinity

So at last algae is making moves in the bio diesel front

Spectacular Growth of the Green Energy Market

LONDON, May 23

The Green Energy sector is growing at breathtaking speed, driven by the challenges of climate change, surely unprecedented in our time.Globally, it has already become a multi-billion dollar industry, with very high growth potential which is attracting record investment. Over the last few years, eco-industries in the European Union have grown to such an extent that they have now become a prominent force across the entire European economy. Today they represent about 2.1% of its Gross Domestic Product and account for 3.5 million jobs.Frost & Sullivan Green Energy experts are analysing all the key segments of this market, both in Europe and globally. There is no doubt that this area is expanding at an extraordinary rate and - based on their research - Frost & Sullivan analysts forecast that revenues are set to double, triple or increase even more over the next few years.Biodiesel.Biodiesel is surely one of the fastest-growing areas in the chemical industry and in the Green Energy sector.

year in Europe we consumed 3.89 million tonnes of biodiesel, generating revenues of EUR2.93 billion. By 2013 the total EU biodiesel market is forecast to be 9.75 million tonnes in terms of unit shipments while revenues are forecast to be EUR7.46 billion, based on current biodiesel market prices. The average growth over the forecast period will be 14 percent.Renewable Energy.New analysis from Frost & Sullivan European Renewable Energy Market - Investment Analysis and Growth Opportunities reveals that this market earned EUR8.89 billion in 2005 and estimates this to reach EUR14.54 billion in 2010. Even in China, the Government feels there is an urgent need to take action and is stepping up efforts to accelerate the development of clean energy. Frost & Sullivan research analysts reveal that the Chinese Renewable Energy Markets earned revenues of $6.9 billion in 2006, and that these are likely to reach $17.9 billion by 2013. Amongst the market segments, solar PV will be one of the fastest growing renewable energy sources in China until 2013, with its growth exceeding even that of wind power.

The Biomass power industry has great revenue potential, not only because of sufficient Government funding but also due to the adequate availability of feedstock fuels.Green Buildings.Buildings are responsible for 40% of Europe's total carbon-dioxide emissions. Climate Change is the EU's top priority according to the European Commission and Member States are committed to cutting down on CO2 emissions to meet the Kyoto Protocol targets. Despite all their efforts, Member States keep on wasting a significant proportion of their energy due to inefficiency. Therefore, if the EU is to achieve its targets, reducing energy use in all buildings is essential. According to Frost & Sullivan, if more stringent standards are applied to new buildings and renovations, the EU will achieve a significant cut in greenhouse gas emissions. Unfortunately, any efforts will be in vain if they are not accompanied by a change in consumer behaviour.Hybrid vehicles.Reducing emissions below 140 g/km of CO2 will be possible mainly with the help of alternative fuels and hybrids (micro, mild and full). While original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are aware of this fact, further development or market acceptance of these alternative fuels and hybrids is restrained by the distribution network, availability and high implementation costs. According to Frost & Sullivan analysis of the Alternative Fuels and Hybrid Technologies, while advancements in engine technology have helped reduce emissions to an average of 160 g/km, hybrids, ethanol, biofuels, compressed natural gas (CNG), hydrogen and fuel cells are necessary to reduce them further. The main priority of OEMs today is to reduce emissions, which will require the help of local governments and fuel suppliers to promote alternative fuels and hybrids in a cost-effective manner.Waste Management and Recycling.An estimated 1.3 billion tonnes of waste is generated annually in the EU and this still continues to rise. The overall volume of waste is growing at rates proportional to the economic growth rate of the EU25. Amongst the various streams of waste generated, management of hazardous and municipal waste alone costs the EU an estimated EUR75 billion annually. This translates to the waste management and recycling industry earning huge revenues that are expected to increase enormously over the next few years. Frost & Sullivan finds that the European Waste Management and Recycling market earns total annual revenues of EUR100 billion.As we have seen, the market is growing and investments are accelerating dramatically. To face this new challenge Frost & Sullivan is combining its expertise across four Business Units - Energy, Environment, Chemicals and Automotive - to offer the broadest and fullest coverage of the Green Energy Sector."It is clear that this is a period of truly booming growth in the Green Energy sector and this is an issue that is here to stay," says John Raspin, Frost & Sullivan Energy & Environment Practice Director. "We are seeing double-digit growth in many segments of the market and companies of all shapes and sizes are positioning themselves to exploit the growth opportunities. Frost & Sullivan is uniquely positioned to have analyst teams working across the entire breadth of the Green Energy sector and we are extremely excited to be launching this new offering that pulls all of that expertise together into a single strategic platform."Frost & Sullivan

Source:-http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/news_press_release,110395.shtml

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Bulgaria expat to invest in local biodiesel plant

A biodiesel plant will be built near Polski Trambesh, a city located in a major sunseed-producing region in Northern Bulgaria, the local press reported on Tuesday.The 15 mln euro project will be implemented by Zerol, a joint venture between the Polski Trambesh municipality and Sofia-registered company HR Management. The bulk of the investment financing will be provided by Koicho Belev, a Bulgaria-born emigrant living in Switzerland.The municipality will provide a 8.0 ha land plot for the construction of the plant in the village of Petko Karavelovo. The biofuel plant should be completed in 2 years and will employ 50.Investment in local biofuel installations is expected to triple from 2008, association of biofuel producers chairman Dimitar Zamfirov said recently.The existing 25 or so biodiesel and bioethanol plants operated at only a third of their capacity due to weak demand



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High school students produce biodiesel fuel

May 23, 2007 1:44 AM ET
PONTIAC, Ill. (AP) - Students at Pontiac High School in Pontiac are taking high gas prices into their own hands.
The teens in Paul Ritter's ecology class are converting vegetable oil in a biodiesel generator to create biodiesel fuel.
Ritter says they've already produced about forty gallons of fuel that's been used successfully in both a tractor and a pick-up truck.
He says the project is an important step towards relief at the pump. Gas prices across the state have reached new highs recently, with prices in the Pontiac area reaching about $$3-50-cents a gallon.
Ritter says he's hoping to continue the project next year.



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Biodiesel Production from Algae Oil

Biodiesel Production from Algae Oil
The major problem associated with the use of pure vegetable oils as well as oil from algea as fuels for diesel engines is caused by high fuel viscosity (Viscosity – from Physics Hypertextbook) in compression ignition. Algal oil, as well as vegetable oils, are all highly viscous, with viscosities ranging 10–20 times those of no. 2 Diesel fuel. Amongst vegetable oils in the context of viscosity, castor oil is in a class by itself, with a viscosity more than 100 times that of no. 2 Diesel fuel (MSDS of No.2 Diesel Fuel – PetroCard). Due to their high viscosity and low volatility, they do not burn completely and form deposits in the fuel injector of diesel engines. Furthermore, acrolein (a highly toxic substance) ( Acrolein – from EPA) is formed through thermal decomposition of glycerol (Glycerol – from Info Please).

Dilution, micro-emulsification (Emulsions & Emulsification – from Wikipedia), pyrolysis ( Pyrolysis Definition from AFR) and transesterification are the four techniques applied to solve the problems encountered with the high fuel viscosity. Amongst the four techniques, chemical conversion of the oil to its corresponding fatty ester is the most promising solution to the high viscosity problem. This process - chemical conversion of the oil to its corresponding fatty ester, and thus biodiesel - is called transesterification.

Transesterification of Algal Oil into Biodiesel

Transesterification of algal oil is normally done with ethanol and sodium ethanolate serving as the catalyst. Sodium ethanolate can be produced by reacting ethanol with sodium. Thus, with sodium ethanolate as the catalyst, ethanol is reacted with the algal oil ( the triglyceride) to produce bio-diesel & glycerol. The end products of this reaction are hence biodiesel, sodium ethanolate and glycerol. This end-mixture is separated as follows: Ether and salt water are added to the mixture and mixed well. After sometime, the entire mixture would have separated into two layers, with the bottom layer containing a mixture of ether and biodiesel. This layer is separated.

Biodiesel is in turn separated from ether by a vaporizer under a high vacuum. As the ether vaporizes first, the biodiesel will remain. The biodiesel from algae is now ready for use!

Centrifuges

A centrifuge is a useful device for both biolipid extraction from algae and chemical separation in biodiesel.

Centrifuge Applications

There are several steps in the biodiesel production process where centrifugation is useful.

· Feedstock preparation - In this case, algae must first be separated from its medium, then the oil extracted from the algae.

· Separation of transesterification products – Biodiesel and glycerine must be separated, and any leftover reactants removed.

· Water wash – Biodiesel can be washed of soap and glycerine using a centrifuge.

· Magnasol solids removal - As an alternative to water washing, it may be possible to wash the biodiesel in Magnasol.

The parameters to be considered while evaluating the ideal algae processor are:

· Capacity/throughput of the system
· Speed/density



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Renewable fuel producers urge Congress to close loophole that favors oil companies

Renewable fuel producers and oleochemical manufacturers urge Congress to close loophole that favors oil companies
Glenn Hess
Federal tax incentives meant to encourage the production of renewable biofuels are having the unintended consequence of threatening the continued existence of the U.S. oleochemical industry, according to an industry official.
Joined by small biodiesel refiners, oleochemical makers say they are under threat by large integrated oil companies that have gained access to a federal tax incentive designed to stimulate renewable diesel production. The two groups have teamed up to support legislation to stop oil companies from partaking in the tax incentives.
In early April, the Internal Revenue Service approved a request to expand the definition of "renewable diesel" in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to include the addition of small amounts of biomass to conventional refinery processes. As a result, oil companies that add raw vegetable oils and fats at their existing refineries now qualify for a $1.00-per-gal tax credit.
"This is bad energy policy, bad agricultural policy, and bad fiscal policy," says Joe Jobe, chief executive officer of the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). "If Congress lets this stand, our government will be handing over U.S. taxpayer money to some of the richest companies in the world."
"Ironically, a historically 'green' industry is facing elimination by the subsidization of a new one," says Dennis Griesing, vice president of governmental affairs for the Soap & Detergent Association (SDA), referring to the oleochemicals industry.
SDA and NBB are backing legislation introduced on May 17 by Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) that would overturn the IRS ruling and prevent big oil from cashing in on the federal subsidy.
Doggett says the credit was originally designed to encourage the production of "clean-burning, biodegradable diesel fuel that is fully independent of petroleum products." Under his bill, producers making biodiesel solely from renewable agricultural resources would continue to be eligible for the credit.
"Unless the abuse of this tax credit is prohibited, it will have the exact opposite effect of what Congress intended. It will discourage the creation of real renewable diesel fuel—and all on the taxpayer's dime," Doggett says. "Green energy initiatives must not be converted into public boondoggles."
NBB says the ruling was made to benefit ConocoPhillips and Tyson Foods. On April 16, the two companies announced an agreement to make a "renewable" diesel fuel by adding beef, pork, and poultry by-products and animal fat to the oil refining process (C&EN, April 23, page 25). ConocoPhillips said the fuel would not be commercially viable without the tax break.
Jobe says the bill already has 50 cosponsors, including many members of the tax-writing House Ways & Means Committee. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), who is drafting a companion measure, asserted at an April 19 Senate Finance Committee hearing that ConocoPhillips and Tyson tried to "go around" Congress and that the tax credit needs to be "reexamined."
SDA is backing the legislation because it is concerned about the future availability of animal fats for oleochemicals production. Griesing says the legislation is a step toward "restoring a balance between biofuel production and other green industries, such as the domestic oleochemical industry, which have historically relied on some of the same raw materials."
Griesing says government subsidies for biodiesel and ethanol production have driven up the cost of tallow more than 80% since late 2006 by diverting the key raw material away from its traditional uses. In the U.S., oleochemicals such as fatty acids are primarily based on tallow, an animal fat. Unlike the production of corn and soybeans, the main raw materials for ethanol and biodiesel, tallow production is relatively fixed, usually fluctuating less than 2% from year to year, according to SDA.
"From what we can determine, subsidized ‘coproduction renewable diesel' on the part of large oil companies poses the greatest issue because it directly threatens the availability of tallow, not just its price," Griesing says.
"While there has been a great deal of attention on the impact of biofuel subsidies on food prices, the oleochemical industry is also being hurt," he adds. "If tallow becomes unavailable, the oleochemical industry will be lost to overseas producers, and the U.S. will lose yet another traditional industry."

Biofuel Producers: Ethanol and Biodiesel Not Enough to Meet Bush's Targets

May 21, 2007


Leading producers of ethanol and biodiesel Friday says their industries face serious barriers to meeting the 2017 growth targets outlined this week by President George W. Bush to reduce dependency on gasoline. "The current solutions won't get you there," Jeff Trucksess, executive vice president of Green Earth Fuels LLC, a biodiesel developer, told an industry gathering here Friday morning. Following up on prior pledges on energy policy, Bush Monday outlined additional measures to boost alternative energy development, limit gasoline consumption and comply with a recent Supreme Court ruling on global warming.

plan included a goal to produce 35 billion gallons of renewable and alternative fuel by 2017, many times above current levels. A Bush administration official Friday defended the viability of the president's goals, but the discussion at the Houston event underscores the magnitude of the challenge facing the U.S. as it struggles to feed its growing energy needs in an increasingly carbon-limited world.

I've yet to meet anyone who thinks more than half could be from ethanol and biodiesel," Pearce Hammond, an analyst at Simmons & Co. International, says of the targets. He says total production of ethanol and biodiesel could reach 17.5 million gallons by 2017. Hammond says there could be other solutions to the conundrum, such as coal-to-liquids technology or the use of natural gas as a transportation fuel. But Hammond, who emceed some of the sessions Friday, also warned that U.S. gasoline demand is forecast to grow by some 35 million gallons a day over the next decade. "It just touches on how big the challenge is to penetrate and change the fueling habits," he says. Friday's event was heavily attended by finance and energy professionals, underscoring the growing interest in alternative energy in Houston.

gathering was sponsored by the law firm Haynes & Boone. Speaking with reporters after a luncheon address, Paul Dickerson, an Energy Department official, says the administration's goal is realistic. He pointed to other fuels under development, as well as to leading-edge technologies being funded chiefly by private-venture capital. "We're more bullish on the output than some of the folks here," says Dickerson, the chief operating officer for the department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. "Looking at our new reality, what's really needed is to get our new technology off the shelf and to the businesses," he says. "The market can handle a lot of what we're trying to do." Bill Spence, president of Standard Renewable Energy, which owns a stake in a Galveston biodiesel facility, predicted U.S. biodiesel production would climb from today's level of under 1 billion gallons a year to 2-4 billion. "Our basic problem is there isn't enough feedstock," says Spence, whose plant runs on soybean oil. Scientists are looking at genetically modified crops as a possible feedstock, but it will take a "game-changing" technological breakthrough to significantly boost output, he added. Pamela Beall, a vice president at Marathon Petroleum Corp., pointed to industry statistics that show ethanol production rising from 5 billion gallons a day in 2006 to 8 billion in 2008 and potentially up to 15 billion by 2017.

says that the industry's ability to grow beyond 15 billion gallons would be constrained by feedstock limitations and infrastructure concerns. Producing 15 billion gallons a year can be reached "easily" - even before the deadline, she says. But going beyond that requires identifying feed stocks other than corn, testing conventional automobile engines to identify the maximum amount of ethanol that can be successfully blended with gasoline and building infrastructure so that the southeastern U.S. can access the fuel.



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Biodiesel From Pig Excreta.

Researchers at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, led by Dr. Yuanhui Zhang, have developed a system that converts pig manure into crude oil on an industrial scale. This development is the culmination of a ten year research and development project that, in effect, makes a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.

The technology works by a thermochemical process that uses heat and pressure to break down the pig manure hydrocarbon chains. The end product consists of methane, water, carbon dioxide, water, and oil. The new pilot plant allows the conversion of pig manure in a continuous process, rather than a batch at a time, making the production of “pig oil” more feasible.

Pig manure has advantages over raw materials, like wood sludge, because the pig has already done most of the work. The pig has already biologically done most of the necessary processing.

A typical hog on a modern American farm produces about six gallons of body waste per day. While some of this product is used for fertilizer, the storing and processing of the stuff has been a major environmental problem on modern hog farms. When manure leeches into a water supply due to runoff it harms aquatic life by decreasing the oxygen available to fish, water plants, and other organisms. And, of course, the smell can be just overpowering.

If Dr. Yuanhui Zhang is correct, a typical hog would be able to produce 3.6 gallons of crude oil per day using his process. With a hundred million hogs on American farms, it takes very little math to determine that “pig oil” could make a significant dent in the energy needs of the United States. And a farmer could add up to ten dollars of profit per pig.

Dr. Yuanhui Zhang and his team now propose to build a pilot plant to test the conversion system, to make sure that his numbers in the lab can be replicated on the farm. Research is also ongoing to find out if other farm animal manure, cow and chicken for instance, could be used in the process. Human waste is already chemically similar to pig manure and could be used in the process without too much trouble.

While a process has been tested to refine the “pig oil” into something resembling diesel oil, more research is also necessary to see if the “pig oil” can be refined into other petrochemical products. The “pig oil” is similar, but not identical to the kind of oil that is pumped out of the ground.

Growing algae in huge tube for Biodiesel

PHOENIX - Algae may seem like one of life's little annoyances, but researchers hope the green, slimy stuff will one day replace one-third of the natural gas used to power an electric plant run by Arizona Public Service.
For a year, researchers watched algae multiply in huge, bubbling test tubes beneath the hot Arizona sun so they could find just the right strand of the microscopic single-celled plant.
The experiment has been so successful that it's about to expand into greenhouses on the plant grounds, and in time, be grown in such large quantities that it could be converted into fuel, cutting down on harmful greenhouse gases

It works like this: Algae ingests carbon dioxide and releases oxygen in the photosynthesis process. Algae is laden with oils that can be used to produce biodiesel, starches that can be transformed into ethanol and protein that could have a market niche in cattle and fish feed.
Rocket scientist's ideaThe idea was born three years ago, when Isaac Berzin, a rocket scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was experimenting with growing algae on the International Space Station.
GreenFuel Technologies of Cambridge, Mass., which Berzin founded, then struck a deal with Arizona Public Service to conduct a demonstration project beginning last year.
"There is lots of sunshine, plenty of land, and since algae doesn't need potable water to proliferate, we were in business," said GreenFuel CEO Cary Bullock.
Construction is about to begin on a series of greenhouse-like buildings about 30 feet wide by 500 feet long that will house the algae.
"Our scientists think that we can get maybe even 200 tons of algae per acre annually during mass production," Bullock said, adding that commercial production is expected to begin in 2008 in Arizona and other sites in Australia and South Africa that the company has targeted.
Obstacles on algae roadBut before the unique fuel can be produced on a mass scale, there are a few problems, including figuring out how to provide enough light to maximize algae growth and how to get the carbon dioxide in the water, where algae grows, fast enough to allow for maximum growth.
Qiang Hu, an assistant professor of applied biological sciences at Arizona State University, worked for two years on what Japanese scientists had hoped would be an algae-to-energy project in the late 1990s.
"I wish GreenFuel all the best," Qiang said. "But there were many technical problems in Japan, the most serious of which being that the algae would attach to the microfibers that were necessary to produce more light for growth inside the growth containers ... Much more energy was wasted and it turned out that the costs were just too great."
Bullock said he thinks those problems have been worked out during the past year of experiments but declined to discuss what he called "trade secrets."

Biocrude? Algae-to-oil project.

Sandia National Laboratories researcher Todd Lane withdraws a sample for analysis from a
A California company and a Department of Energy research lab have announced that they're teaming up to make oil out of algae — a potential fuel source that would be low on greenhouse gas emissions tied to warming.
LiveFuels Inc. says it will fund dozens of projects at Sandia National Laboratories with the aim of producing economically feasible "biocrude," aka biodiesel, by 2010.
Sandia's investment in related research goes back five years, says Grant Heffelfinger, a senior manager at the lab, providing time to build up expertise in "the challenge of understanding how and under what conditions" the process will work.


Algal oil is similar to soybean oil, which can also be used to produce biodiesel, but can be grown on marginal lands unsuitable for food crops and even in brackish water, LiveFuels said.
The company estimates that all U.S. oil imports could be replaced by biocrude grown on 20 to 40 million acres of marginal lands that exist across the country.
Sandia spokesman Mike Janes echoed that view. "Recent studies using a species of algae show that only 0.3 percent of the land area of the U.S. could be utilized to produce enough biodiesel to replace all transportation fuel the country currently utilizes," he said.
"In addition, barren desert land, which receives high solar radiation, could effectively grow the algae, and the algae could utilize farm waste and excess carbon dioxide from factories to help speed the growth of the algae."
Prices still prohibitiveBut not any algae will work. The cost-effective kind — as in making biocrude for less than $60 a barrel — is high in fats.
Commercially grown algae like Spirulina are high in protein and starch but low in fat. A few high-fat species of algae are promising, LiveFuels said, but the fats — at prices around $1,200 a pound — are cost prohibitive.
"'Fat algae' doesn't sound like a biocrude oil feedstock, but the petroleum we use today is derived from prehistoric biomass (including algae)," LiveFuels said in a statement announcing the joint venture. "Nature's biomass decomposition process occurred over millions of years under conditions of enormous heat and pressure. Much of the petroleum we use today began some 200 million years ago in the Carboniferous Period. The deposits of oil pumped from the North Sea, for example, consist partly of decomposed haptophyte algae called coccolithophorids."
"The challenge," LiveFuels said, "will be growing and transforming algae cheaply into biocrude within days rather than millennia."
LiveFuels Chief Executive Officer Lissa Morgenthaler-Jones says her company hopes to "grind down costs" across the process — from finding the right strains, to harvesting and final production.
"Other countries are ahead of the U.S. in biocrude research, but other countries were once ahead of us in the space race too," she said in announcing the venture. "America put a man on the moon in eight years, and America can make its own biocrude in four."
Greenhouse, biodiesel benefitsJanes said that algae offers environmental benefits in terms of greenhouse gases and as a more efficient fuelstock than biodiesel from crops like soybeans.
“The amount of greenhouse gasses generated are relatively small since most of the carbon dioxide emitted during the burning process is simply recycling that which was absorbed during plant growth," he said.
As for other biodiesel sources, Janes said that "a complete transition to biofuels could require boundless amounts of land if traditional crops are used."
But algae breaks that barrier. "With an oil-per-acre production rate 250 times the amount of soybeans," he said, "algae offers the highest yield feedstock for biodiesel."
Source:-http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15250836/

Algea: Utah State University

Utah State University researchers are using an innovative approach that takes oil from algae and converts it to biodiesel fuel.

USU is currently conducting research on algae and plans to produce an algae-biodiesel that is cost-competitive by 2009. Algae, plainly referred to as pond scum, can produce up to 10,000 gallons of oil per acre and can be grown virtually anywhere.

“This is perhaps the most important scientific challenge facing humanity in the 21st century,” said Lance Seefeldt, USU professor of chemistry and biochemistry.

“There are several options for solving the world’s energy problem, but at this point, none of them are realistically viable for long-term use.”

Biodiesel is a clean and carbon-dioxide-neutral fuel that is becoming more popular, but most of the current product comes from soybean and corn oil. As supply and demand grows, so does the price of soybeans and corn. People and animals rely on soybean and corn as a food commodity, eventually causing competition between commodities and growing enough product. Meeting this demand would require the world to use virtually all of its arable land, said Seefeldt.

The world today relies on fossil fuels to supply much of its energy, and there are currently 13 terawatts of energy used per year. A terawatt is 1,000 billion watts, and Seefeldt said usage is predicted to double to 26 terawatts by the year 2050. Fossil fuels are expensive, finite and generate greenhouse gasses that many believe are harming the environment, said Seefeldt.

“This has moved from a purely environmental issue to a global economics issue,” said Seefeldt.

Sir Nicholas Stern, chief economist for the World Bank, said that climate change presents a unique challenge for economics and that it has the potential to be the world’s greatest and widest ranging market failure ever seen.

“Business as usual will result in a five-to six-degree warming of the Earth by 2100,” said Stern. “This will result in a five to 10 percent loss in global gross domestic product, having a direct impact on human health and environment.”

Seefeldt, along with several fellow USU professors, formed the Biofuels Program to develop new and emerging technologies that will produce methane, biodiesel, hydrogen and alcohols from renewable, carbon-dioxide-neutral energy sources, such as consumer and agricultural waste and sunlight.

The state of Utah sees so much promise in the research that it has given the USU Biofuels Program $6 million for five years through the Utah Science and Technology Research Initiative. USTAR makes highly-selective, strategic investments in research with the potential to benefit Utah’s economy.

The research has already set in motion several spin-off and industry relationships, and one patent has already been issued, with four others pending.

“We are looking toward the world’s future energy solutions and USU is part of it,” said Seefeldt.

The research takes a tremendous amount of investment and energy, but the payoffs will be worth it, he said

Algae can produce 50 to 100 times more oil per acre than oil crops

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Green Star Products, Inc. (OTC:GSPI) (OTC:GSPI.PK), announced that biodiesel from agricultural crops can only replace a small percentage of the World’s increasing need for diesel.
Algae can produce 50 to 100 times more oil per acre than oil crops (i.e. oil from soybean, corn, cotton, hemp, euphorbia, mustard seed, sesame, safflower, rice, tung oil tree, sunflower, peanuts, rapeseed, olives, jojoba, jatropha, coconut, palm oil, Chinese tallow, etc.). You can hear the interview by using the following link http://www.wallst.net/audio/audio.asp?ticker=GSPI&id=3382.

A documentary on the same.

China-India to exchange technology in Jatropha cultivation

Chennai, May 18: To enhance renewable energy business ties with India, the Chinese government has chalked out a new plan to exchange technology and ideas on Jatropha cultivation in both the countries.In this connection, a 13-member business delegation from China, headed by Dachang Lu, deputy director general of Guizhou development and reform commssion, was here today to explore the possibility of cultivating Jatropha in both the countries in order to produce bio-diesel.During an interactive session with the South India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) Mr Dachang Lu said that this was a follow up of the recent visit of Deputy Chairman Planning Commission Dr Montek Singh Aluwalia to China. Mr Ahluwalia had signed an agreement on renewable energy with the Director General of land reforms commision of China.He pointed out that Jatropha and Pongamia trees were excellent to produce non- edible oils and capable of producing high caliber lubricant oils.''We already cultivated Jatropha in China in an area of two lakh acres, which could produce between 10,000 tonnes and 20,000 tonnes biodiesel annually'', he said, adding ''our visit is mainly to enhance the Jatropha project both in China and India to produce high quality bio-diesel''.''Bio-diesel fuel is bio-degradable and hence does not produce any ecological waste, which will also help to earn carbon credit'', he said.


Source:-http://www.newkerala.com/news5.php?action=fullnews&id=30980
You will find interesting links and news items on Bio Diesel on the right side

Zimbabwe to have Biodiesel

THE Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has so far disbursed $2,9 billion for the national biodiesel project from the $3 billion availed by Government last year.
Responding to questions from parliamentarians in Harare yesterday, RBZ governor Dr Gideon Gono said a total of $2,937 billion has so far been disbursed for the biodiesel project leaving a balance of $62 million.
The Government allocated $3 billion for the national biodiesel project in March last year.
Finealt Engineering, a registered company wholly owned by the Government, is running the project, said Dr Gono.
Said the central bank governor: "Disbursements have been allocated to plant design equipment, vehicle expenditure, recurrent expenditures, salaries, office furniture and stationery and consultancy fees."
He further noted that site preparation, which included soil tests, site clearing, environmental impact assessment, topographical survey and erection of the site offices had been completed.
"Civil works at the site are in progress. However, there is a challenge of financial resources to pay the contractor.
"Procurement of equipment, which includes steel vessels, oil expellers, lab and workshop equipment, earthing and pumping material have been delayed largely due to shortages of foreign currency," added Dr Gono.
A total site area of 102 hectares, which includes 50 hectares targeted for the production of seedlings and the Jatropha plant has been set aside.
Finealt Engineering has also applied for clearance to plant Jatropha cuttings along the major roads of the nine districts in Mashonaland East from the Department of Works in the Ministry of Local Government, Public Works and Urban Development in an effort to increase national production of the high oil-yielding plant.
Currently, Finealt is in the process of purchasing Jatropha seed for processing once the plant is set up.
Relevant Links Southern Africa Zimbabwe Energy Sustainable Development Economy, Business and Finance Since 2005, the Government through the Ministry of Energy and Power Development and the National Oil Company of Zimbabwe has been stepping up efforts to promote the production of the Jatropha curcas plant as an alternative source of biodiesel to avert fuel shortages in the country.
Apart from extracting biodiesel fuel from Jatropha, the Government is also collaborating with Triangle Limited to reopen the ethanol blending plant which is expected to reduce the country's fuel imports by 10 percent when it becomes operational later this year.
Currently, farmers are selling a tonne of Jatropha seeds for $60 000 but they would earn more when the price of a litre of the processed biodiesel is equated with that of crude oil.

Source:-http://allafrica.com/stories/200705180176.html