Friday, July 31, 2009

Italians to produce biodiesel from seaweed







Italian biodiesel producers currently producing from food crops are working together to substitute seaweed for first-generation feedstocks.
The eight companies involved in the €10 million scheme currently produce diesel from crops like corn and rapeseed. They hope to be able to produce fuel from seaweed commercially within five years. ‘The initiative aims to substitute or integrate the raw material used today with another which does not compete with crop cultivation,’ said Pier Giuseppe Polla, vice-president of Italy's Union of Biodiesel Producers, which heads the project. The group is currently working with scientists at the University of Florence to select the most suitable species of seaweed. The crop will be contained in plastic tubes and fed with carbon captured from a local power station. The group hopes to have established the technology within two years. It will then build a plant, probably in southern Italy.

Italians to produce biodiesel from seaweed







Italian biodiesel producers currently producing from food crops are working together to substitute seaweed for first-generation feedstocks.
The eight companies involved in the €10 million scheme currently produce diesel from crops like corn and rapeseed. They hope to be able to produce fuel from seaweed commercially within five years. ‘The initiative aims to substitute or integrate the raw material used today with another which does not compete with crop cultivation,’ said Pier Giuseppe Polla, vice-president of Italy's Union of Biodiesel Producers, which heads the project. The group is currently working with scientists at the University of Florence to select the most suitable species of seaweed. The crop will be contained in plastic tubes and fed with carbon captured from a local power station. The group hopes to have established the technology within two years. It will then build a plant, probably in southern Italy.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Uganda to produce bioethanol from cellulose


Uganda may be producing bioethanol from non-food crops within a year, say scientists.

A research programme led by the National Crop Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) is using a wide range of cellulosic feedstocks such as elephant grass, cassava and wood.

The production of ethanol from cellulose is more difficult than from food crops, since it requires the complex carbohydrates in cellulose to be broken down into simpler sugars before conversion to ethanol can begin.

But since humans cannot digest cellulose, there is no danger of biofuel production competing with food crops. ‘We should not compete with food resources. That is why we are going for non-traditional food crops,’ explains lead researcher Yona Baguma.

Uganda has abundant reserves of fossil fuels, but it has yet to develop the infrastructure to exploit them.

The initial investment required for biofuel production is much lower and the time for development much shorter. NaCRRI is optimistic that the research phase will produce positive results early next year and commercial development can begin shortly afterwards.

The Ugandan Government proposes that, when fossil fuel exploitation does begin, Uganda should oblige oil companies to blend fossil oil with bioethanol, lengthening the wells’ lives as well as reducing carbon emissions.

Uganda to produce bioethanol from cellulose


Uganda may be producing bioethanol from non-food crops within a year, say scientists.

A research programme led by the National Crop Resources Research Institute (NaCRRI) is using a wide range of cellulosic feedstocks such as elephant grass, cassava and wood.

The production of ethanol from cellulose is more difficult than from food crops, since it requires the complex carbohydrates in cellulose to be broken down into simpler sugars before conversion to ethanol can begin.

But since humans cannot digest cellulose, there is no danger of biofuel production competing with food crops. ‘We should not compete with food resources. That is why we are going for non-traditional food crops,’ explains lead researcher Yona Baguma.

Uganda has abundant reserves of fossil fuels, but it has yet to develop the infrastructure to exploit them.

The initial investment required for biofuel production is much lower and the time for development much shorter. NaCRRI is optimistic that the research phase will produce positive results early next year and commercial development can begin shortly afterwards.

The Ugandan Government proposes that, when fossil fuel exploitation does begin, Uganda should oblige oil companies to blend fossil oil with bioethanol, lengthening the wells’ lives as well as reducing carbon emissions.

Governo tailandês aprova corte de tarifas sobre veículos flex


O governo da Tailândia aprovou um corte de 20% na tributação imposta a veículos flex comercializados no país. Com a medida, adotada na terceira semana de julho, o Ministério de Energia quer aumentar o consumo de etanol na Tailândia em 14%, passando dos atuais 1,27 milhão de litros consumidos por dia para 1,45 milhão até o final deste ano. O país lançou a mistura de 10% de etanol à gasolina (E10) em 2007, passando para o E20 em janeiro de 2008 devido ao sucesso do E10. Preocupações quanto aos altos preços do petróleo levaram o país a adotar o E85 no final de 2008.

Para o diretor executivo da União da Indústria de Cana de Açúcar (UNICA), Eduardo Leão de Sousa, a decisão do governo da Tailândia ao cortar a tarifa dos veículos flex em circulação indica uma melhor compreensão pelas autoridades do país quanto aos benefícios econômicos, sociais e ambientais ligados ao uso do etanol.

O incentivo à produção de etanol na Tailândia, que está entre os cinco maiores produtores mundiais de açúcar, mostra que os países que cultivam cana de açúcar também estão interessados na produção de etanol. Atualmente, 100 países em desenvolvimento que já fabricam cana poderiam fornecer biocombustíveis para o mundo, avalia Sousa: “Esta medida, além de reduzir a dependência de importação de combustíveis fósseis, também gera empregos e renda no meio rural, ao mesmo tempo em que reduz os efeitos causados pelos gases de efeito estufa. Trata-se, portanto, de uma ação que beneficia a economia local, mas com impactos positivos globais”, completou.

Em setembro do ano passado, o vice-secretário-geral da Tailândia, Kurujit Nakornthap, visitou a União da Indústria de Cana de Açúcar (UNICA), onde se reuniu com executivos da entidade para conhecer a fundo o setor sucroenergético brasileiro, visto pelos tailandeses como um dos mais bem-estruturados do mundo. Mais detalhes da visita aqui.

Segundo pesquisa de opinião pública realizada na terça-feira (21/07/09) pela Universidade Suan Dusit Rajabhat e pelo Ministério de Energia tailandês, a maioria dos participantes considera que o E85 (mistura de 85% de etanol e 15% de gasolina) é o combustível alternativo ideal para o país, já que ajuda a reduzir a poluição e a gerar mais empregos para os agricultores. No entanto, uma minoria ainda se preocupa se os automóveis podem rodar perfeitamente com o combustível e se os preços do E85 podem aumentar no futuro.

Governo tailandês aprova corte de tarifas sobre veículos flex


O governo da Tailândia aprovou um corte de 20% na tributação imposta a veículos flex comercializados no país. Com a medida, adotada na terceira semana de julho, o Ministério de Energia quer aumentar o consumo de etanol na Tailândia em 14%, passando dos atuais 1,27 milhão de litros consumidos por dia para 1,45 milhão até o final deste ano. O país lançou a mistura de 10% de etanol à gasolina (E10) em 2007, passando para o E20 em janeiro de 2008 devido ao sucesso do E10. Preocupações quanto aos altos preços do petróleo levaram o país a adotar o E85 no final de 2008.

Para o diretor executivo da União da Indústria de Cana de Açúcar (UNICA), Eduardo Leão de Sousa, a decisão do governo da Tailândia ao cortar a tarifa dos veículos flex em circulação indica uma melhor compreensão pelas autoridades do país quanto aos benefícios econômicos, sociais e ambientais ligados ao uso do etanol.

O incentivo à produção de etanol na Tailândia, que está entre os cinco maiores produtores mundiais de açúcar, mostra que os países que cultivam cana de açúcar também estão interessados na produção de etanol. Atualmente, 100 países em desenvolvimento que já fabricam cana poderiam fornecer biocombustíveis para o mundo, avalia Sousa: “Esta medida, além de reduzir a dependência de importação de combustíveis fósseis, também gera empregos e renda no meio rural, ao mesmo tempo em que reduz os efeitos causados pelos gases de efeito estufa. Trata-se, portanto, de uma ação que beneficia a economia local, mas com impactos positivos globais”, completou.

Em setembro do ano passado, o vice-secretário-geral da Tailândia, Kurujit Nakornthap, visitou a União da Indústria de Cana de Açúcar (UNICA), onde se reuniu com executivos da entidade para conhecer a fundo o setor sucroenergético brasileiro, visto pelos tailandeses como um dos mais bem-estruturados do mundo. Mais detalhes da visita aqui.

Segundo pesquisa de opinião pública realizada na terça-feira (21/07/09) pela Universidade Suan Dusit Rajabhat e pelo Ministério de Energia tailandês, a maioria dos participantes considera que o E85 (mistura de 85% de etanol e 15% de gasolina) é o combustível alternativo ideal para o país, já que ajuda a reduzir a poluição e a gerar mais empregos para os agricultores. No entanto, uma minoria ainda se preocupa se os automóveis podem rodar perfeitamente com o combustível e se os preços do E85 podem aumentar no futuro.

CARB Recognizes Sugarcane Ethanol’s Significant Emission Reductions


Sao Paulo, July 28, 2009 – The state government of California has updated its calculations of sugarcane ethanol’s emission reductions, clearly recognizing the enormous contribution of the Brazilian biofuel on the fight against global warming. The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) welcomed the announcement, since it has been for months urging the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to improve their emission analysis.

“UNICA applauds CARB’s decision to revisit the data. The new proposal recognizes the science and gives reasonable credits to the mechanization of the sugarcane harvest, as well as the generation of bioelectricity with the burning of sugarcane bagasse”, declared Joel Velasco, UNICA’s chief representative for North America.

In March of this year, CARB approved its Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), the first in the world, which aims at reducing the “carbon intensity” of all fuels used in the state. Beginning in 2011, California’s LCFS will reduce the carbon intensity of fuels, reaching at least a 10% reduction by 2020.

In its calculations, CARB determined that the carbon intensity of gasoline is about 95 grams of carbon dioxide per mega joule (gCO2/MJ), which means that the fuel will need be reduced to a carbon intensity of 86 gCO2/MJ by 2020 to comply with the new regulations. California alone has about 30 million vehicles – approximately the total number of cars of the Brazilian fleet – and consumes more than 15 billion gallons (60 billion liters) of gasoline per year.

CARB’s original calculations stipulated that sugarcane ethanol had an intensity of 27 gCO2/MJ, plus other estimated indirect land use emissions of 46 gCO2/MJ, bringing the biofuel’s total intensity to 73 gCO2/MJ. The new analysis released by CARB allow Brazilian ethanol to receive a credit of more than 15 gCO2/MJ, due to the use of bioelectricity from sugarcane cogeneration (7 gCO2/MJ) and the mechanization of sugarcane harvest (8.2 gCO2/MJ).

CARB Recognizes Sugarcane Ethanol’s Significant Emission Reductions


Sao Paulo, July 28, 2009 – The state government of California has updated its calculations of sugarcane ethanol’s emission reductions, clearly recognizing the enormous contribution of the Brazilian biofuel on the fight against global warming. The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) welcomed the announcement, since it has been for months urging the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to improve their emission analysis.

“UNICA applauds CARB’s decision to revisit the data. The new proposal recognizes the science and gives reasonable credits to the mechanization of the sugarcane harvest, as well as the generation of bioelectricity with the burning of sugarcane bagasse”, declared Joel Velasco, UNICA’s chief representative for North America.

In March of this year, CARB approved its Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), the first in the world, which aims at reducing the “carbon intensity” of all fuels used in the state. Beginning in 2011, California’s LCFS will reduce the carbon intensity of fuels, reaching at least a 10% reduction by 2020.

In its calculations, CARB determined that the carbon intensity of gasoline is about 95 grams of carbon dioxide per mega joule (gCO2/MJ), which means that the fuel will need be reduced to a carbon intensity of 86 gCO2/MJ by 2020 to comply with the new regulations. California alone has about 30 million vehicles – approximately the total number of cars of the Brazilian fleet – and consumes more than 15 billion gallons (60 billion liters) of gasoline per year.

CARB’s original calculations stipulated that sugarcane ethanol had an intensity of 27 gCO2/MJ, plus other estimated indirect land use emissions of 46 gCO2/MJ, bringing the biofuel’s total intensity to 73 gCO2/MJ. The new analysis released by CARB allow Brazilian ethanol to receive a credit of more than 15 gCO2/MJ, due to the use of bioelectricity from sugarcane cogeneration (7 gCO2/MJ) and the mechanization of sugarcane harvest (8.2 gCO2/MJ).

Sen Grassley Delays Brazil Envoy Nominee over Ethanol



The godfather of the corn ethanol lobby, Iowa Republican Senator Charles Grassley, threatened to hold up Senate approval of President Barack Obama’s choice to be U.S. ambassador to Brazil, career State Department official Thomas Shannon, because of Shannon’s comments suggesting he personally favored ending a U.S. tariff on ethanol imports.

“As a senator and as a presidential candidate, President Obama supported keeping the U.S. tariff on imported ethanol,” Senator Charles Grassley said in a statement. (Sort of, Obama did say in Indiana that sugarcane ethanol was far better than corn ethanol.) “Now, the president’s nominee for ambassador to Brazil says the removal of the tariff would be ‘beneficial.’ It’s important to know whether the administration’s position has changed before this nomination goes forward,” Grassley said. In what appears not to have been a mere coincidence, the RFA, one of the corn ethanol lobby groups, released a statement at the exact same moment.

Late on Tuesday evening, according to the Des Moines Register, the White House release a statement saying, “The Obama Administration is committed to developing our domestic biofuels industry, and to help the international market for biofuels grow. Biofuels are an important renewable energy resource, which will help diversify our energy matrix and reduce our dependence on imported oil.” The statement also said, “Regarding the U.S. tariff on Brazilian ethanol, the administration has no plans to change it.”

The tariff is also facing challenges in the Senate and in the House (see H.R.3187, H.R.2359, H.R.2956, and S.622). Also, other Obama nominees have called the tariff into question. David Sandalow, now Assistant Secretary of Energy for International Policy, has written on the need to phase out the ethanol import tariff. And just last week, the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum, which brings together top U.S. business and top government officials from each country, recommended the United States eliminate its tariff on ethanol imports.

Grassley, who comes from the major corn-producing state of Iowa, is one of Congress’ staunchest defenders of the U.S. tariff on ethanol, which Brazil, a major ethanol producer, would like to see removed. Obama has nominated Thomas Shannon, a career State Department official who is now assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere, to be U.S. ambassador to Brazil.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted on Tuesday afternoon on Shannon’s nomination, which would normally set the stage for full Senate vote. But Senate rules allow an individual senator to delay Senate floor action on presidential nominations until their concerns are addressed — or until 60 votes are found in the 100-vote chamber to break the deadlock.

In a letter on Tuesday to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, Grassley said comments Shannon made at his July 8 confirmation hearing “calls into question the current position of President Obama on the ethanol tariff.” “Please note that I expect a response to this letter before a confirmation vote on Mr. Shannon’s nomination takes place,” Grassley said.

Sen Grassley Delays Brazil Envoy Nominee over Ethanol



The godfather of the corn ethanol lobby, Iowa Republican Senator Charles Grassley, threatened to hold up Senate approval of President Barack Obama’s choice to be U.S. ambassador to Brazil, career State Department official Thomas Shannon, because of Shannon’s comments suggesting he personally favored ending a U.S. tariff on ethanol imports.

“As a senator and as a presidential candidate, President Obama supported keeping the U.S. tariff on imported ethanol,” Senator Charles Grassley said in a statement. (Sort of, Obama did say in Indiana that sugarcane ethanol was far better than corn ethanol.) “Now, the president’s nominee for ambassador to Brazil says the removal of the tariff would be ‘beneficial.’ It’s important to know whether the administration’s position has changed before this nomination goes forward,” Grassley said. In what appears not to have been a mere coincidence, the RFA, one of the corn ethanol lobby groups, released a statement at the exact same moment.

Late on Tuesday evening, according to the Des Moines Register, the White House release a statement saying, “The Obama Administration is committed to developing our domestic biofuels industry, and to help the international market for biofuels grow. Biofuels are an important renewable energy resource, which will help diversify our energy matrix and reduce our dependence on imported oil.” The statement also said, “Regarding the U.S. tariff on Brazilian ethanol, the administration has no plans to change it.”

The tariff is also facing challenges in the Senate and in the House (see H.R.3187, H.R.2359, H.R.2956, and S.622). Also, other Obama nominees have called the tariff into question. David Sandalow, now Assistant Secretary of Energy for International Policy, has written on the need to phase out the ethanol import tariff. And just last week, the U.S.-Brazil CEO Forum, which brings together top U.S. business and top government officials from each country, recommended the United States eliminate its tariff on ethanol imports.

Grassley, who comes from the major corn-producing state of Iowa, is one of Congress’ staunchest defenders of the U.S. tariff on ethanol, which Brazil, a major ethanol producer, would like to see removed. Obama has nominated Thomas Shannon, a career State Department official who is now assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere, to be U.S. ambassador to Brazil.

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted on Tuesday afternoon on Shannon’s nomination, which would normally set the stage for full Senate vote. But Senate rules allow an individual senator to delay Senate floor action on presidential nominations until their concerns are addressed — or until 60 votes are found in the 100-vote chamber to break the deadlock.

In a letter on Tuesday to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, Grassley said comments Shannon made at his July 8 confirmation hearing “calls into question the current position of President Obama on the ethanol tariff.” “Please note that I expect a response to this letter before a confirmation vote on Mr. Shannon’s nomination takes place,” Grassley said.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

A Recipe for Biodiesel, Plucked From Poultry










Those researchers in the department of chemical and materials engineering at the University of Nevada in Reno are at it again. Last year they showed the world that it was possible to make biodiesel fuel from coffee grounds. This time, it’s chicken feathers.



In a paper in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Mano Misra, Susanta K. Mohapatra and colleagues describe how they extracted fat from chicken feather meal and converted it into good-quality biodiesel.
Feather meal, which is commonly used as fertilizer or animal feed, is a byproduct of large-scale poultry production and often includes blood and offal. It can contain up to 11 percent fat.
The researchers extracted the fat by boiling the meal in water and converting it to biodiesel by a process called transesterification.
They say that there is enough feather meal produced in the United States alone to create about 150 million gallons of biodiesel a year. That’s just a drop in the bucket, really, but the researchers note that most current production of biodiesel uses vegetable oil, and as demand for the fuel grows there is likely to be competition for the oil between food uses and fuel uses.
Thus it’s important, the researchers say, to seek alternative sources for biodiesel production — with the goal, as they put it, of “food for hunger, waste for fuel.”

A Recipe for Biodiesel, Plucked From Poultry










Those researchers in the department of chemical and materials engineering at the University of Nevada in Reno are at it again. Last year they showed the world that it was possible to make biodiesel fuel from coffee grounds. This time, it’s chicken feathers.



In a paper in The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Mano Misra, Susanta K. Mohapatra and colleagues describe how they extracted fat from chicken feather meal and converted it into good-quality biodiesel.
Feather meal, which is commonly used as fertilizer or animal feed, is a byproduct of large-scale poultry production and often includes blood and offal. It can contain up to 11 percent fat.
The researchers extracted the fat by boiling the meal in water and converting it to biodiesel by a process called transesterification.
They say that there is enough feather meal produced in the United States alone to create about 150 million gallons of biodiesel a year. That’s just a drop in the bucket, really, but the researchers note that most current production of biodiesel uses vegetable oil, and as demand for the fuel grows there is likely to be competition for the oil between food uses and fuel uses.
Thus it’s important, the researchers say, to seek alternative sources for biodiesel production — with the goal, as they put it, of “food for hunger, waste for fuel.”

Nippon Paper and Cosmo Oil to develop bioethanol production technology




Moscow. Jul 24, 2009. /Lesprom Network/. Nippon Paper Chemicals Co., Ltd. and Cosmo Oil Co., Ltd. have conducted a feasibility study on biomass ethanol production since April last year, which revealed several technological challenges regarding the second-generation biomass ethanol production using woody materials, as reported by Nippon Paper.
Aiming to resolve these issues, the two companies teamed up with to respond to a call for parties interested in undertaking the 2009 Leading-Edge Biomass Energy Technology Research and Development, one of the areas covered by the new energy technology research and development projects by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). On July 7, it was announced that the team had been selected to undertake the research.
Nippon Paper Chemicals and Cosmo Oil will conduct research for two years together with the University of Tokyo and Kyushu University, studying the efficient production of ethanol from woody biomass using the sulfite delignification process.
The estimated project cost is about 20 million yen per year (funded by subsidies).

Nippon Paper and Cosmo Oil to develop bioethanol production technology




Moscow. Jul 24, 2009. /Lesprom Network/. Nippon Paper Chemicals Co., Ltd. and Cosmo Oil Co., Ltd. have conducted a feasibility study on biomass ethanol production since April last year, which revealed several technological challenges regarding the second-generation biomass ethanol production using woody materials, as reported by Nippon Paper.
Aiming to resolve these issues, the two companies teamed up with to respond to a call for parties interested in undertaking the 2009 Leading-Edge Biomass Energy Technology Research and Development, one of the areas covered by the new energy technology research and development projects by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). On July 7, it was announced that the team had been selected to undertake the research.
Nippon Paper Chemicals and Cosmo Oil will conduct research for two years together with the University of Tokyo and Kyushu University, studying the efficient production of ethanol from woody biomass using the sulfite delignification process.
The estimated project cost is about 20 million yen per year (funded by subsidies).

Sugar mills quote ethanol at Rs 25/l " India"


In response to oil marketing companies’ recent tenders, sugar mills have quoted an average price of Rs 25 a litre for ethanol as against the previous negotiated price of Rs 21.50 about three years ago.
Considering a spurt in molasses prices from Rs 3,000 a tonne to Rs 5,500 a tonne now, the production cost of ethanol comes to around Rs 26-27 a litre. Thus, ethanol supply at Rs 21.50 will be unviable.
The tenders for Madhya Pradesh and Goa, expiring on Thursday, have attracted fewer participants this time as compared to the previous tender in February 2007 because of the unavailability of ethanol with small and mid-size mills. Additionally, the tender this time is confined to suppliers manufacturing ethanol, from molasses or sugarcane.
This means, ethanol producers using sweet sorghum, foodgrains, maize and other means of raw materials are debarred from participating in these tenders. According to industry sources, there are about 30 such manufacturers in Maharashtra alone with a combined ethanol production capacity 30,000-35,000 litres a day, who would not be able to participate in this tender. Although the combined capacity of these units was not huge, their participation used to make a difference, said Deepak Desai, chief consultant of ethanolindia.net, a popular website for information on ethanol. An official with one of the leading ethanol producers, however, said, “After all, it’s a volume game. Since, ethanol is a by-product of sugar, mills will continue to lead in supply of the products.” Producers from other raw materials could switch to extra neutral alcohol (ENA) production which is preferred by consumers for direct consumption, he said and added that ethanol price below Rs 25 a litre was not affordable.
Since a potable liquor, equivalent to 94.68 per cent of ethanol, is currently sold at Rs 37-38 a litre as compared to the ethanol price of Rs 21.50 a litre, it makes economic sense to manufacture former and not the latter which requires 5 per cent investment for purification.
The new bio-fuel policy 2017 mandates oil marketing companies to blend 10 per cent of ethanol with fuel as on today which by 2017 is proposed to increase upto 20 per cent thereby, reducing dependence on crude oil imports and therefore, annual oil bills. But, looking at last year’s poor performance by sugarcane farmers the country’s sugarcane production declined significantly to 289.23 million tonnes as against 348.19 million tonnes in 2007-08. India’s sugar production declined to 14.71 million tonnes in 2008-09 from 26.3 million tonnes in the previous year.
According to industry sources, Maharasthra alone has 70 crore litre of distillation capacity. But, if sugarcane production remains at this level, only 60 per cent of capacity would be utilised which means the availability of ethanol will be lower from major sugar mills. Approximately 72-73 litre of ethanol is obtained from 1 tonne of cane crushed. Importantly, average recovery rate in Uttar Pradesh worked out at 10 per cent as against 11.5 per cent in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. This means the industry paid between Rs 150-155 a tonne of cane procured from farmers in Uttar Pradesh which raised cost of alcohol production in the state. In response to last tender, however, major industry players had negotiated at Rs 23.50 a litre, confirmed another official actively engaged in price negotiation. Efforts to reach oil marketing companies went futile.

Sugar mills quote ethanol at Rs 25/l " India"


In response to oil marketing companies’ recent tenders, sugar mills have quoted an average price of Rs 25 a litre for ethanol as against the previous negotiated price of Rs 21.50 about three years ago.
Considering a spurt in molasses prices from Rs 3,000 a tonne to Rs 5,500 a tonne now, the production cost of ethanol comes to around Rs 26-27 a litre. Thus, ethanol supply at Rs 21.50 will be unviable.
The tenders for Madhya Pradesh and Goa, expiring on Thursday, have attracted fewer participants this time as compared to the previous tender in February 2007 because of the unavailability of ethanol with small and mid-size mills. Additionally, the tender this time is confined to suppliers manufacturing ethanol, from molasses or sugarcane.
This means, ethanol producers using sweet sorghum, foodgrains, maize and other means of raw materials are debarred from participating in these tenders. According to industry sources, there are about 30 such manufacturers in Maharashtra alone with a combined ethanol production capacity 30,000-35,000 litres a day, who would not be able to participate in this tender. Although the combined capacity of these units was not huge, their participation used to make a difference, said Deepak Desai, chief consultant of ethanolindia.net, a popular website for information on ethanol. An official with one of the leading ethanol producers, however, said, “After all, it’s a volume game. Since, ethanol is a by-product of sugar, mills will continue to lead in supply of the products.” Producers from other raw materials could switch to extra neutral alcohol (ENA) production which is preferred by consumers for direct consumption, he said and added that ethanol price below Rs 25 a litre was not affordable.
Since a potable liquor, equivalent to 94.68 per cent of ethanol, is currently sold at Rs 37-38 a litre as compared to the ethanol price of Rs 21.50 a litre, it makes economic sense to manufacture former and not the latter which requires 5 per cent investment for purification.
The new bio-fuel policy 2017 mandates oil marketing companies to blend 10 per cent of ethanol with fuel as on today which by 2017 is proposed to increase upto 20 per cent thereby, reducing dependence on crude oil imports and therefore, annual oil bills. But, looking at last year’s poor performance by sugarcane farmers the country’s sugarcane production declined significantly to 289.23 million tonnes as against 348.19 million tonnes in 2007-08. India’s sugar production declined to 14.71 million tonnes in 2008-09 from 26.3 million tonnes in the previous year.
According to industry sources, Maharasthra alone has 70 crore litre of distillation capacity. But, if sugarcane production remains at this level, only 60 per cent of capacity would be utilised which means the availability of ethanol will be lower from major sugar mills. Approximately 72-73 litre of ethanol is obtained from 1 tonne of cane crushed. Importantly, average recovery rate in Uttar Pradesh worked out at 10 per cent as against 11.5 per cent in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. This means the industry paid between Rs 150-155 a tonne of cane procured from farmers in Uttar Pradesh which raised cost of alcohol production in the state. In response to last tender, however, major industry players had negotiated at Rs 23.50 a litre, confirmed another official actively engaged in price negotiation. Efforts to reach oil marketing companies went futile.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Could biodiesel be the key fuel going forward for construction vehicles? Certainly a strong case has been made by researchers at North Caroline State


They found that using biodiesel in construction vehicles delivers promising environmental benefits both in terms of reduced exhaust emissions and in terms of the reductions in fuel cycle emissions.
By developing an updated and modified life cycle inventory to estimate fuel cycle energy consumption and emissions, they found key improvements including an update of combustion emission factors based on 2006 US national average emission rates. It found that life cycle fossil energy reductions are estimated at nine per cent for B20 and 42 per cent for B100 against petroleum diesel based on the current national energy mix.
There were significant reductions in exhaust emissions by using B20. Local urban exhaust emissions are estimated to be 24 per cent lower for HC; 20 per cent lower for CO; 17 per cent lower for PM and 0.9 per cent lower for NOx.
When summarising the study, researchers commented that the air quality benefits of using biodiesel are dependent on geographic locations of the fuel production and on the vehicles consuming the fuel. However, it is likely that the reduction in exhaust emissions from the use of B20 will occur in air sheds where air quality is a significant problem as opposed to emissions associated with the fuel cycle that occur in rural areas where air quality is less of a problem.
They believe that biodiesel presents a promising alternative, although there are environmental trade-offs.

Could biodiesel be the key fuel going forward for construction vehicles? Certainly a strong case has been made by researchers at North Caroline State


They found that using biodiesel in construction vehicles delivers promising environmental benefits both in terms of reduced exhaust emissions and in terms of the reductions in fuel cycle emissions.
By developing an updated and modified life cycle inventory to estimate fuel cycle energy consumption and emissions, they found key improvements including an update of combustion emission factors based on 2006 US national average emission rates. It found that life cycle fossil energy reductions are estimated at nine per cent for B20 and 42 per cent for B100 against petroleum diesel based on the current national energy mix.
There were significant reductions in exhaust emissions by using B20. Local urban exhaust emissions are estimated to be 24 per cent lower for HC; 20 per cent lower for CO; 17 per cent lower for PM and 0.9 per cent lower for NOx.
When summarising the study, researchers commented that the air quality benefits of using biodiesel are dependent on geographic locations of the fuel production and on the vehicles consuming the fuel. However, it is likely that the reduction in exhaust emissions from the use of B20 will occur in air sheds where air quality is a significant problem as opposed to emissions associated with the fuel cycle that occur in rural areas where air quality is less of a problem.
They believe that biodiesel presents a promising alternative, although there are environmental trade-offs.

Friday, July 24, 2009

Ethanol Producers Support E-15 Allowance Request



(MERRILL, IA) At midnight the EPA will stop taking public comment on a request to increase ethanol blend levels in gasoline up to 15%. Two Siouxland ethanol producers say the E-15 allowance is the next step in producing the fuel of the future. Growth energy is a coalition of 54 ethanol manufacturers across the country. They hope the EPA will approve the E-15 allowance, which is not a mandate. Rather, it would make it available for those who want to use it. Plymouth Energy in Merrill, Iowa turns food from Midwest farmers into fuel."5% of the US corn crop is raised within a 50-mile radius of Merrill, Iowa here," says David Hoffman, Plymouth Energy President and CEO.Hoffman says E-15 is a stepping stone to E-20 and E-30."Sometimes that 25-30% actually gives the best fuel mileage," says Hoffman.Plus it would cut exhaust emissions even more than E-10, which already reduces them by 30%."The biggest thing it's going to do, I think for us, and as Americans is really reduce greenhouse gasses. And if we get from E-10 to E-15, you're looking at a reduction of about 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions," says Joel P. Jarman, Poet Biorefining General Manager.But those in the oil business are afraid E-15 will cut into profit margins. "Ethanol - we've taken away 10-11 billion gallons. We could possibly take more," says Jarman. But Jarman believes the government mandate is on gas, not ethanol."If you really look at it, it's more about a 90% gasoline mandate right now. So, more than people thinking it's an ethanol mandate," says Jarman.Hoffman says farmers have doubled corn yields in the past 30 years."The US has a very efficient model to make this energy. And we think in the future that corn yields could double again," says Hoffman.Increasing ethanol producers' profits and blenders' benefits."The government has a 45 cent per gallon blender's credit," says Hoffman.Both Hoffman and Jarman believe E-15 is the key to keeping the future of fuel in America. The EPA has until December 1st to make a decision about the E-15 allowance. You can learn more about the ethanol blend at www.goE15.com.

Ethanol Producers Support E-15 Allowance Request



(MERRILL, IA) At midnight the EPA will stop taking public comment on a request to increase ethanol blend levels in gasoline up to 15%. Two Siouxland ethanol producers say the E-15 allowance is the next step in producing the fuel of the future. Growth energy is a coalition of 54 ethanol manufacturers across the country. They hope the EPA will approve the E-15 allowance, which is not a mandate. Rather, it would make it available for those who want to use it. Plymouth Energy in Merrill, Iowa turns food from Midwest farmers into fuel."5% of the US corn crop is raised within a 50-mile radius of Merrill, Iowa here," says David Hoffman, Plymouth Energy President and CEO.Hoffman says E-15 is a stepping stone to E-20 and E-30."Sometimes that 25-30% actually gives the best fuel mileage," says Hoffman.Plus it would cut exhaust emissions even more than E-10, which already reduces them by 30%."The biggest thing it's going to do, I think for us, and as Americans is really reduce greenhouse gasses. And if we get from E-10 to E-15, you're looking at a reduction of about 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions," says Joel P. Jarman, Poet Biorefining General Manager.But those in the oil business are afraid E-15 will cut into profit margins. "Ethanol - we've taken away 10-11 billion gallons. We could possibly take more," says Jarman. But Jarman believes the government mandate is on gas, not ethanol."If you really look at it, it's more about a 90% gasoline mandate right now. So, more than people thinking it's an ethanol mandate," says Jarman.Hoffman says farmers have doubled corn yields in the past 30 years."The US has a very efficient model to make this energy. And we think in the future that corn yields could double again," says Hoffman.Increasing ethanol producers' profits and blenders' benefits."The government has a 45 cent per gallon blender's credit," says Hoffman.Both Hoffman and Jarman believe E-15 is the key to keeping the future of fuel in America. The EPA has until December 1st to make a decision about the E-15 allowance. You can learn more about the ethanol blend at www.goE15.com.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

China to promote the use of biodiesel


CHINA is to promote the use of biodiesel, and as early as next year some cities will be picked up for experimental promotion, said a senior academic recently.

Min Enze, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said at a lecture in Huazhong University of Science and Technology that the State Energy Administration is making concrete plans for the promotion.

“As early as next year some large cities, like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, can fill their vehicles with B5 biodiesel,” said Min.

In B5 biodiesel, the ratio of biodiesel and fossil diesel is 5:95.

“The national standard of B5 bio-diesel is under discussion and will be issued next year. The standard will be a market criterion for biodiesel for quite some time,” said Zhang Yongguang, director of the fuel products & additives office, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is also one of the drafters of the B5 standard file.

Zhang said the country has selected four state-owned enterprises, namely CNPC, Sinopec, CNOOC and COFCO, for the production of biodiesel.

At the beginning of this year, CNPC and COFCO signed agreements with the State Forestry Administration for plantation of five biodiesel forest bases in Yunnan, Sichuan, Hunan, Anhui and Hebei. Under the agreement, in the next 15 years, 13.3m hectares of forests will be planted for biodiesel production.

Sinopec built up a 100,000 t capacity bio-diesel refinery in Panzhihua as early as 2006. To match its capacity a forest covering of 34,000 hectares was allocated for its use.

Meanwhile, CNOOC has invested 2.4b Yuan in building a biodiesel refinery and planting 34,000 hectares of physic nut (Jatropha curcas) in Panzhihua, and also another biodiesel refinery is under construction in Hainan Island with a capacity of 60,000 t.

According to China’s 11th five-year plan (2006-2010), by 2010 the production of bio-diesel will reach 200,000 t, and by 2020, the number will be 2m t.

China to promote the use of biodiesel


CHINA is to promote the use of biodiesel, and as early as next year some cities will be picked up for experimental promotion, said a senior academic recently.

Min Enze, of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said at a lecture in Huazhong University of Science and Technology that the State Energy Administration is making concrete plans for the promotion.

“As early as next year some large cities, like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, can fill their vehicles with B5 biodiesel,” said Min.

In B5 biodiesel, the ratio of biodiesel and fossil diesel is 5:95.

“The national standard of B5 bio-diesel is under discussion and will be issued next year. The standard will be a market criterion for biodiesel for quite some time,” said Zhang Yongguang, director of the fuel products & additives office, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is also one of the drafters of the B5 standard file.

Zhang said the country has selected four state-owned enterprises, namely CNPC, Sinopec, CNOOC and COFCO, for the production of biodiesel.

At the beginning of this year, CNPC and COFCO signed agreements with the State Forestry Administration for plantation of five biodiesel forest bases in Yunnan, Sichuan, Hunan, Anhui and Hebei. Under the agreement, in the next 15 years, 13.3m hectares of forests will be planted for biodiesel production.

Sinopec built up a 100,000 t capacity bio-diesel refinery in Panzhihua as early as 2006. To match its capacity a forest covering of 34,000 hectares was allocated for its use.

Meanwhile, CNOOC has invested 2.4b Yuan in building a biodiesel refinery and planting 34,000 hectares of physic nut (Jatropha curcas) in Panzhihua, and also another biodiesel refinery is under construction in Hainan Island with a capacity of 60,000 t.

According to China’s 11th five-year plan (2006-2010), by 2010 the production of bio-diesel will reach 200,000 t, and by 2020, the number will be 2m t.

Bentley produz seu primeiro superesportivo com motor flex







A renomada montadora britânica de carros luxuosos Bentley Motors acaba de lançar seu primeiro modelo equipado com um motor flex, capaz de rodar com E-85 (mistura de 85% etanol e 15% de gasolina) ou gasolina pura, em qualquer proporção, conforme projeto anunciado pela empresa no início do ano ("Etanol integra estratégia ambiental da Bentley"). Com o novo Continental GT Supersports, a montadora britânica confirma sua estratégia ambiental anunciada no início do ano, que prevê que até 2012 todos os seus veículos estarão usando etanol em alguma proporção.
Na opinião do consultor de tecnologia e emissões da União da Indústria de Cana-de-Açúcar (UNICA), Alfred Szwarc, ao incorporar a tecnologia flex em seus sofisticados veículos, a marca demonstra que também aderiu aos preceitos de sustentabilidade que envolvem o uso do etanol. “Estimular o consumo de combustíveis renováveis e reduzir substancialmente as emissões de carbono são conceitos que devem constar da missão corporativa de qualquer montadora de veículos hoje em dia”, avalia o especialista.
Sofisticação e qualidade
Com 90 anos de tradição na fabricação de automóveis, a Bentley sempre foi sinônimo de luxo e exclusividade. Na década de 1990 a marca foi incorporada pelo grupo Volkswagen, cuja produção de carros flex já é realizada em outros países, inclusive no Brasil.
Além de luxuoso, o Continental GT Supersports também é o esportivo mais rápido já lançado pela fabricante. O carro vai de 0 a 100 km/h em 3,9 segundos, atingindo velocidade final de 329 km/h. O câmbio automático “QuickShift”, de seis velocidades, permite que o motorista reduza duas marchas de uma só vez. O veículo tem tração nas quatro rodas, com 60% de sua força voltada às rodas traseiras. Segundo a marca britânica, o modelo deverá ser apresentado oficialmente no salão do automóvel de Frankfurt, na Alemanha, em setembro deste ano. Mercado brasileiroNo Brasil, onde a introdução dos carros flex ocorreu em 2003, atualmente 35% do total da frota veicular leve do País já é bicombustível. Em junho, os veículos flex responderam por mais de 90% dos veículos leves vendidos no Brasil, ajudando a estabelecer um recorde em vendas de modelos flex no primeiro semestre deste ano. Segundo projeções da União da Indústria de Cana-de-Açúcar (UNICA), mantidas as atuais tendências, metade dos carros em circulação no Brasil será flex até 2012. A renomada montadora britânica de carros luxuosos Bentley Motors acaba de lançar seu primeiro modelo equipado com um motor flex, capaz de rodar com E-85 (mistura de 85% etanol e 15% de gasolina) ou gasolina pura, em qualquer proporção, conforme projeto anunciado pela empresa no início do ano ("
Etanol integra estratégia ambiental da Bentley"). Com o novo Continental GT Supersports, a montadora britânica confirma sua estratégia ambiental anunciada no início do ano, que prevê que até 2012 todos os seus veículos estarão usando etanol em alguma proporção.
Na opinião do consultor de tecnologia e emissões da União da Indústria de Cana-de-Açúcar (UNICA), Alfred Szwarc, ao incorporar a tecnologia flex em seus sofisticados veículos, a marca demonstra que também aderiu aos preceitos de sustentabilidade que envolvem o uso do etanol. “Estimular o consumo de combustíveis renováveis e reduzir substancialmente as emissões de carbono são conceitos que devem constar da missão corporativa de qualquer montadora de veículos hoje em dia”, avalia o especialista.
Sofisticação e qualidade
Com 90 anos de tradição na fabricação de automóveis, a Bentley sempre foi sinônimo de luxo e exclusividade. Na década de 1990 a marca foi incorporada pelo grupo Volkswagen, cuja produção de carros flex já é realizada em outros países, inclusive no Brasil.
Além de luxuoso, o Continental GT Supersports também é o esportivo mais rápido já lançado pela fabricante. O carro vai de 0 a 100 km/h em 3,9 segundos, atingindo velocidade final de 329 km/h. O câmbio automático “QuickShift”, de seis velocidades, permite que o motorista reduza duas marchas de uma só vez. O veículo tem tração nas quatro rodas, com 60% de sua força voltada às rodas traseiras. Segundo a marca britânica, o modelo deverá ser apresentado oficialmente no salão do automóvel de Frankfurt, na Alemanha, em setembro deste ano. Mercado brasileiroNo Brasil, onde a introdução dos carros flex ocorreu em 2003, atualmente 35% do total da frota veicular leve do País já é bicombustível. Em junho, os veículos flex responderam por mais de 90% dos veículos leves vendidos no Brasil, ajudando a estabelecer um recorde em vendas de modelos flex no primeiro semestre deste ano. Segundo projeções da União da Indústria de Cana-de-Açúcar (UNICA), mantidas as atuais tendências, metade dos carros em circulação no Brasil será flex até 2012.

Bentley produz seu primeiro superesportivo com motor flex







A renomada montadora britânica de carros luxuosos Bentley Motors acaba de lançar seu primeiro modelo equipado com um motor flex, capaz de rodar com E-85 (mistura de 85% etanol e 15% de gasolina) ou gasolina pura, em qualquer proporção, conforme projeto anunciado pela empresa no início do ano ("Etanol integra estratégia ambiental da Bentley"). Com o novo Continental GT Supersports, a montadora britânica confirma sua estratégia ambiental anunciada no início do ano, que prevê que até 2012 todos os seus veículos estarão usando etanol em alguma proporção.
Na opinião do consultor de tecnologia e emissões da União da Indústria de Cana-de-Açúcar (UNICA), Alfred Szwarc, ao incorporar a tecnologia flex em seus sofisticados veículos, a marca demonstra que também aderiu aos preceitos de sustentabilidade que envolvem o uso do etanol. “Estimular o consumo de combustíveis renováveis e reduzir substancialmente as emissões de carbono são conceitos que devem constar da missão corporativa de qualquer montadora de veículos hoje em dia”, avalia o especialista.
Sofisticação e qualidade
Com 90 anos de tradição na fabricação de automóveis, a Bentley sempre foi sinônimo de luxo e exclusividade. Na década de 1990 a marca foi incorporada pelo grupo Volkswagen, cuja produção de carros flex já é realizada em outros países, inclusive no Brasil.
Além de luxuoso, o Continental GT Supersports também é o esportivo mais rápido já lançado pela fabricante. O carro vai de 0 a 100 km/h em 3,9 segundos, atingindo velocidade final de 329 km/h. O câmbio automático “QuickShift”, de seis velocidades, permite que o motorista reduza duas marchas de uma só vez. O veículo tem tração nas quatro rodas, com 60% de sua força voltada às rodas traseiras. Segundo a marca britânica, o modelo deverá ser apresentado oficialmente no salão do automóvel de Frankfurt, na Alemanha, em setembro deste ano. Mercado brasileiroNo Brasil, onde a introdução dos carros flex ocorreu em 2003, atualmente 35% do total da frota veicular leve do País já é bicombustível. Em junho, os veículos flex responderam por mais de 90% dos veículos leves vendidos no Brasil, ajudando a estabelecer um recorde em vendas de modelos flex no primeiro semestre deste ano. Segundo projeções da União da Indústria de Cana-de-Açúcar (UNICA), mantidas as atuais tendências, metade dos carros em circulação no Brasil será flex até 2012. A renomada montadora britânica de carros luxuosos Bentley Motors acaba de lançar seu primeiro modelo equipado com um motor flex, capaz de rodar com E-85 (mistura de 85% etanol e 15% de gasolina) ou gasolina pura, em qualquer proporção, conforme projeto anunciado pela empresa no início do ano ("
Etanol integra estratégia ambiental da Bentley"). Com o novo Continental GT Supersports, a montadora britânica confirma sua estratégia ambiental anunciada no início do ano, que prevê que até 2012 todos os seus veículos estarão usando etanol em alguma proporção.
Na opinião do consultor de tecnologia e emissões da União da Indústria de Cana-de-Açúcar (UNICA), Alfred Szwarc, ao incorporar a tecnologia flex em seus sofisticados veículos, a marca demonstra que também aderiu aos preceitos de sustentabilidade que envolvem o uso do etanol. “Estimular o consumo de combustíveis renováveis e reduzir substancialmente as emissões de carbono são conceitos que devem constar da missão corporativa de qualquer montadora de veículos hoje em dia”, avalia o especialista.
Sofisticação e qualidade
Com 90 anos de tradição na fabricação de automóveis, a Bentley sempre foi sinônimo de luxo e exclusividade. Na década de 1990 a marca foi incorporada pelo grupo Volkswagen, cuja produção de carros flex já é realizada em outros países, inclusive no Brasil.
Além de luxuoso, o Continental GT Supersports também é o esportivo mais rápido já lançado pela fabricante. O carro vai de 0 a 100 km/h em 3,9 segundos, atingindo velocidade final de 329 km/h. O câmbio automático “QuickShift”, de seis velocidades, permite que o motorista reduza duas marchas de uma só vez. O veículo tem tração nas quatro rodas, com 60% de sua força voltada às rodas traseiras. Segundo a marca britânica, o modelo deverá ser apresentado oficialmente no salão do automóvel de Frankfurt, na Alemanha, em setembro deste ano. Mercado brasileiroNo Brasil, onde a introdução dos carros flex ocorreu em 2003, atualmente 35% do total da frota veicular leve do País já é bicombustível. Em junho, os veículos flex responderam por mais de 90% dos veículos leves vendidos no Brasil, ajudando a estabelecer um recorde em vendas de modelos flex no primeiro semestre deste ano. Segundo projeções da União da Indústria de Cana-de-Açúcar (UNICA), mantidas as atuais tendências, metade dos carros em circulação no Brasil será flex até 2012.

Massachusetts town grapples with sea rise after sand barrier fails - TheGardian

A sand dune erected to protect homes in Salisbury, Massachusetts, washed away in three days.  Photograph: WCVB Channel 5 Boston   A $500,000...