This blog is produced by the Center for Advanced BioEnergy Research CABER) at the University of Illinois. CABER is under the direction of Hans P. Blaschek, professor and Assistant Dean of the U of I College of Agricultural,Consumer and Environmental Sciences Office of Research. This blog is a roundup of research news and related topics dealing with biofuels. It does not cover biofuel production and prices at this time.
The Republican (masslive.com)
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
By STAN FREEMAN
AMHERST - A potential breakthrough in converting plants to biofuels has been made by researchers at University of Massachusetts in Amherst and University of Minnesota.
The technique could double the amount of fuel produced from an acre of feedstock while dramatically reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, the researchers say.
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Posted by Natalie at 5:25 AM 0 comments
Labels: biofuel, biomass, gasification
CO2Science.org
What it means
The six scientists say "these data suggest that root biomass in grasslands may have changed markedly as atmospheric CO2 increased since the last glacial period, but that more substantial changes are ahead if the air's CO2 content doubles by the end of this century as predicted." And, of course, these anticipated "changes" should all be positive, implying ever greater grassland root biomass -- and all that that phenomenon implies -- as the air's CO2 content continues to climb ever higher.
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Posted by Natalie at 5:21 AM 0 comments
Hoosier Ag Today
05/04/2010
POET will outline its progress in establishing biomass supply and logistics for projects such as commercial cellulosic ethanol production this week at the 2010 International BIOMASS Conference & Expo in Minneapolis, Minn.
POET Director of Biomass Mike Roth will speak on the topic Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. in the main auditorium at the Minneapolis Convention Center. His speech is the first of the session under the topic "Feedstocks: Determining Economic and Logistical Availability."
Establishing the feedstock supply chain is one of the biggest challenges in commercializing cellulosic ethanol. POET is currently securing contracts from local farmers in the Emmetsburg, Iowa-area for the first commercial harvest for Project LIBERTY.
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Posted by Natalie at 5:17 AM 0 comments
Labels: biomass, cellulosic, Ethanol, farmers, Poet
The New York Times
By MATTHEW L. WALD
Published: May 4, 2010
WASHINGTON — Citing new test data, the auto industry says the federal government’s plan to raise the amount of ethanol mixed into gasoline will damage cars and increase the amount of pollution they emit.
The Environmental Protection Agency is expected to issue a rule in the next few weeks that would permit oil companies to increase the percentage of ethanol in automotive fuel to 15 percent, up from the current level of 10 percent, so they can meet E.P.A. quotas for renewable fuels.
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Posted by Natalie at 5:01 AM 0 comments
Labels: automobiles, blending, EPA, Ethanol
By Meredith Cohn, The Baltimore Sun
May 3, 2010
In response to a national call for homegrown, Earth-friendly fuels to fill Americans' gas tanks, a couple of University of Maryland researchers are planting trees.
Fuel derived from the hardy, fast-growing common poplar could eventually replace some of the billions of gallons of petroleum-based fuel now pumped a year, say biologist Gary Coleman and engineer Ganesh Sriram, who have partnered to help turn the woody plant into a widely used biofuel.
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Posted by Natalie at 5:41 AM 0 comments
Labels: biofuel, Maryland, poplar trees, research
Examiner.com (Chicago)
May 4, 12:56 PM
Autoblog is reporting that when the next wave of 2011 Buick Regals arrive in the US, all of the new Regal models will run on either gasoline of E85 Ethanol. The first production run of 2011 Regals will run only on gasoline with the 2.4L 4-cylinder but when the turbocharged models from the German plant get here in August, it will offer E85 compatibility. Once the turbocharged model is available here, the naturally aspirated engines will then also run on E85 ethanol.
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Posted by Natalie at 5:30 AM 0 comments
favstocks.com
By Green Car Congress on 05/04/2010 – 2:10 am PDT
A team at the University of Pennsylvania has developed a one-step process for converting hexose from a wide range of biomass-derived carbohydrates, cellulose and even raw lignocellulose (e.g., corn stover) into 2,5-dimethyltetrahydrofuran (DMTHF) in good yields and under mild conditions in water. A paper on the work by Weiran Yang and Ayusman Sen was published online 30 April in the journal ChemSusChem.
DMTHF is similar to DMF (2,5-dimethylfuran, earlier post) in terms of energy density (31.8 MJ L-1), volatility (bp 90–92 °C), and solubility (immiscible in water). However, because DMTHF is a saturated molecule it has good storage and transportation stability and is a better candidate for liquid fuel, Yang and Sen note.
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Posted by Natalie at 5:27 AM 0 comments
Labels: biofuel, biomass, DMTHF, Pennsylvania, research
Biomass Magazine
May 2010
By Lisa Gibson
New York-based Summerhill Biomass Systems publicly unveiled its technology for converting plant waste into biomass powder in March.
Summerhill has patents pending on its system, which produces a burnable fine powder fuel, similar in texture to baking powder. The fuel can be used to produce heat and burns as intensely as gas, according to the company.
The powder would cost less than heating oil, including delivery, and is more efficient than ethanol and other types of biofuels produced around the world, according to James McKnight, president and co-founder of Summerhill. The system can consume timber, brush, corn stalks and other plant waste, emitting no smoke or odor. “With our system, everything can be used,” he said. “Nothing is wasted.” The system is controlled by a thermostat and can be used in grain-drying operations as well as commercial and small industrial applications.
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Biomass Magazine
May 2010
By Rob Goldberg
Biomass project developers can benefit by taking a closer look at the opportunities offered by the federal government in the cash grant program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and USDA’s Biomass Crop Assistance Program.
This year is shaping up to be interesting for developing and financing power projects that use biomass as feedstock. On the one hand, raising private capital for biomass projects continues to be challenging, creating further pressure on biomass developers to structure “clean” projects with strong fuel supply and other contracts that favorably allocate risk to experienced and creditworthy project counterparties. On the other hand, a number of government incentives hold great promise for financing all kinds of bioenergy projects. Current developments relating to two of these government programs, the cash grant program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 or the stimulus bill, and the Biomass Crop Assistance Program, are worth a further look.
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Posted by Natalie at 5:18 AM 0 comments
Labels: BCAP, biomass, policy, tax credit
Biofuels Digest
May 04, 2010 Jim Lane
A partnership between NDSU, Green Vision Group and Heartland Renewable has received $330,000 of grant funding from North Dakota’s Renewable Energy Council and several private supporters to develop an energy beet to biofuel industry in the state. Cole Gustafson was lead author of the proposal. Tasks envisioned by the funding include a commercial test of HRE’s patented process of drying the plant’s fermentation stillage and utilizing the material to heat 70 percent of the plant, and energy beet yield trials at five regional locations across North Dakota.
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Posted by Natalie at 5:14 AM 0 comments
Labels: biofuel, energy beet, North Dakota
