Swire Beverages runs Chinese Operations on Green Fuel

The purchase of DiesoLIFT 10 is part of the company’s green initiatives, which include effective tire maintenance, lightweight truck bodies and ecodriving techniques.

Distribution trucks of Swire Beverages are going green with International Fuel Technology’s DiesoLIFT 10, a proprietary fuel additive formulation for diesel and biodiesel fuel blends.
Swire Beverages, a major Coca-Cola full service franchisee, will use its initial purchase of the renewable fuel additive to improve the fuel efficiency and reduce the overall carbon footprint of its three subsidiaries in China, namely Swire Coca-Cola Beverages Zhengzhou Limited, Xian BC Coca-Cola Limited and Nanjing BC Foods Company.
The company conducted an extensive field trial evaluation of DiesoLIFT 10 over the last two years and found that the fuel additive improves operating performance and increases fuel economy while reducing black smoke emissions.
“As environmental awareness grows within our group, we anticipate the gradual usage of DiesoLIFT 10 in our fleet and logistic partners, totalling approximately 2,500 vehicles daily,” said Jeff Wen, warehouse and distribution manager at Swire Beverages.
The purchase of DiesoLIFT 10 is part of the company’s green initiatives, which include effective tire maintenance, lightweight truck bodies and ecodriving techniques.
“These green initiatives enhance our fleet safety and fuel efficiency and our contribution to our community and climate change abatement,’ said Raymond Cheng, general manager of Swire Beverages’ supply chain related to the environment.
Swire Beverages owns the right to manufacture, market and distribute Coca-Cola products in Hong Kong and Taiwan, as well as in seven Chinese provinces and 11 states in the United States. The company’s franchise is equivalent to a total franchise population of more than 420 million.
Swire Beverages, a subsidiary of Swire Pacific Limited (HKG:

0019

), is part of The Coca-Cola Company’s select group of business partners known as the Anchor Bottlers.

Meanwhile, Missouri-based International Fuel Technology (OTCBB:

IFUE

) focuses on selling large quantities of its DiesoLIFT 10 fuel additive formulation to large, industrial diesel and biodiesel consumers, particularly in the rail, stationary power generation and road transport industries. “The growing concern to reduce harmful emissions is a worldwide imperative,” said Sergio Trinidade, the company’s director of science and technology. Dr. Trinidade won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize as a member of the International Panel on Climate Change.

Clean Tech Overtakes Biotech and IT as top VC Sector

The global clean-tech sector has outstripped biotech and IT as the leading venture capital (VC) investment category, according to new research showing investment across the world's largest clean-tech markets rose 10 per cent during the third quarter of the year to $1.59bn (£993m).
The preliminary figures from analyst firm the Cleantech Group and consultancy Deloitte cover investments in North America, Europe, China and India. They represent the second indication this week that the market is recovering strongly, after a report from Greentech Media showed third-quarter VC investment in low-carbon technologies soared 58 per cent globally to $1.9bn.
According to the latest figures, investment was still down 42 per cent on the record levels recorded during the third quarter of 2008, but experts are convinced that the performance is evidence of a solid recovery for the sector after it was hit hard by the global financial crisis late last year.
"The billions in government funding being allocated globally in clean technology have begun emboldening private capital, which has in turn helped propel clean technology to the leading venture investment sector, now eclipsing biotech and IT," said Dallas Kachan, managing director of the Cleantech Group.
"The two largest venture deals (Solyndra and Tesla Motors) and the largest IPO (A123Systems) this quarter were all recipients of US government funding."
He added there was also evidence that the momentum in the market was likely to continue, noting that there had been hundreds of millions of dollars in new venture funds created in the past three months, "including $1.1bn in two new funds by Khosla Ventures alone".
Scott Smith, US leader of Deloitte's clean-tech practice, agreed that government intervention had played a major part in restoring confidence in the sector after investment levels plummeted during the first quarter of the year.
"The extension of tax credits for renewable-based power generation along with government stimulus and regulatory requirements to meet renewable portfolio standards are helping to drive continued investment" he said, adding that large utilities were increasingly joining VCs as major investors.
"Utilities are increasingly bringing their access to capital to the sector through direct investment and power-purchase agreements, driving new projects and increased capacity. We continue to see utilities investing in wind and solar and expect this trend to continue as clean-tech projects become more economically viable and desirable for utilities."
Solar technologies continued to dominate the market with $451m worth of investment representing 28 per cent of all VC clean-tech spend during the third quarter. Transportation-related technologies attracted $383m, while green building firms rounded out the top three with $110m.
The US further cemented its dominance of the clean-tech market with North America accounting for over two-thirds of all VC clean-tech spend during the quarter. However, Europe also posted a strong performance, with investment rising 61 per cent to $457m.

Codexis Reveals Plans for $100m Biofuel IPO

A US bio-science firm specialising in the development of catalysts that could play a major role in the commercialisation of next-generation biofuels has further stoked optimism that the clean tech IPO market is recovering fast after announcing plans last week for a $100m (£62m) flotation.
Codexis disclosed its plans to raise up to $100m in an IPO in a filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, revealing that it planned to use the resulting cash as working capital and to potentially fund both acquisitions and increases in production capacity.
The offering will be underwritten by Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, RBC Capital Markets and Pacific Crest Securities, and shares will be traded on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol CDXS.
However, the California-based company did not set a date for the IPO, nor reveal how many shares it intends to sell.
Codexis' technology is based on enzymes that start or speed up chemical reactions in a range of areas, including reactions that help to turn biomass into biofuel. Other key target markets include the pharmaceutical and chemical sectors.
Codexis generated sales of $58.7m in the first nine months of 2009, while posting losses of $15.1m. However, the company is widely regarded as a major player in the emergence of sustainable second generation biofuels and has secured a number of big-name partnerships over the past year.
Most notably, the firm is currently involved in a major collaboration project with oil giant Royal Dutch Shell, which is scheduled to end in November 2012. The oil and gas producer is believed to have a 20 per cent stake in Codexis, and is working with the company to try and develop new enzymes that enable the development of commercially viable second-generation biofuels made from non-food based energy crops.
Codexis has also worked with Iogen, a biofuel developer in which Shell also has a stake. Its enzymes have been tested at Iogen's plant in Canada to break down the cellulose in waste agricultural matter such as wheat straw and create sugars that are subsequently distilled to make ethanol.
The development of this so-called cellulosic ethanol from waste organic matter is seen as a potentially lucrative new avenue for the burgeoning global biofuel industry, as it allows low-carbon fuels to be developed without impacting food supplies.
The proposed IPO makes Codexis the latest in small flurry of high-profile clean tech firms to consider going public, providing a further boost to predictions that the IPO market will strengthen throughout 2010.
Battery firm A123Systems kicked off the trend back in September last year, with the move followed by a series of reports that a number of high-profile clean tech firms are looking to IPO during 2010. For example, electric car firm Tesla Motors has been rumoured to be considering an IPO, while last month solar specialist Solyndra announced plans for a $300m IPO.

Bioplastic Plant Bottle

The Coca-Cola Company formally launched its new PlantBottle made from plant matter yesterday, announcing that the innovative new bottle is now on the shelves in a number of selected markets.
The company said that the PlantBottle was made from a blend of petroleum-based materials and up to 30 per cent plant-based materials sourced from sugar cane and molasses, meaning that unlike many other plant-based plastics it can be processed through existing recycling facilities without contaminating traditional PET plastics.
It added that preliminary research had shown that the growing of the plant materials and resin production techniques mean that the carbon footprint for the PlantBottle packaging is up to 25 per cent lower than for bottles made with traditional PET.
The first wave of PlantBottles will be distributed in Denmark, Western Canada, and select markets in the Western United States, including Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The company added that future launches are already being planned in other markets, including Brazil, Japan and Mexico and for China’s Shanghai Expo in 2010.
Scott Vitters, director of sustainable packaging at The Coca-Cola Company said that the launch of the new bottle was the first phase in a wide-ranging project to reduce the environmental impact of the company’s packaging, adding that the long term aim was "to achieve a bottle that is made with 100 per cent plant-waste material while remaining completely recyclable".
The company also revealed that it was aiming to produce two billion PlantBottles by the end of 2010 and identify techniques for turning non-food, plant-based waste, such as wood chips or wheat stalks, into recyclable PET plastic bottles.
Some environmental groups have raised questions about the environmental benefits of bioplastics, warning that as happened with biofuels, increased demand for crops could lead to food shortages and contribute to deforestation.
However, Dr. Jason Clay, senior vice president of market transformation for the WWF, said that Coca-Cola had taken precautionary measures to ensure its bio-plastic does not inadvertently lead to deforestation and increased emissions.
"Coca-Cola is currently sourcing raw materials for its PlantBottle from suppliers in Brazil, where third parties have verified that best-in-class agricultural practices are the norm," he said. "Preserving natural resources through sustainable agriculture is essential for businesses like Coca-Cola as they search for ways to alleviate environmental challenges."

Cow-Powered Train

US rail operator Amtrak may have given the term "cattle car" a whole new meaning with the first test of a biodiesel train that runs on beef byproducts.
Operating on a $274,000 (£178,000) grant from the Federal Railroad Administration, the state-owned rail company has begun operating its daily Heartland Flyer train, travelling between Oklahoma City and Forth Worth, using B20 biodiesel fuel.
The fuel, which mixes 80 per cent diesel with 20 per cent biofuel, cuts both hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions by 10 per cent, according to the company, which said that the fuel also reduces particulates by 15 per cent and sulphates by 20 per cent compared to standard diesel fuels.
The biodiesel, which was refined from beef byproducts provided by a Texas supplier, will run as a 12-month experiment, during which Amtrak will collect data on emissions, and on the impact of the fuel on mechanical parts.
Although technically the fuel mix can run in unmodified trains, the locomotive was fitted with new engine assemblies so that detailed measurements could be taken to establish the effect of the fuel on the engine.
The impact of biofuel blends on engines can vary dramatically, with some biofuels leading to increased wear and tear, while others tend to burn cleaner and lead to improved engine performance and durability.
Amtrak is now promoting the biodiesel train to passengers with a 50 per cent discount on a companion fare until 28 May.
The biodiesel trial is the latest in a series of environmental initiatives from Amtrak designed to highlight the operator's position as a green alternative to domestic US flights.
The company has switched from low-sulphur fuel to ultra-low sulphur fuel across the railroad to tackle air pollution, and has installed recycling receptacles in its trains and stations. It has also stepped up efforts to reduc e idling times for its diesel trains, and has introduced regenerative braking systems similar to those in hybrid cars such as the Toyota Prius for its electric trains.
In addition, the company is a member of the Chicago Climate Exchange and has a public commitment to reduce emissions by seven per cent in 2011 and 2012.

Qatar Airways Gas-Powered Flight

 

 

Qatar Airways yesterday undertook the world's first commercial flight using a fuel made partly from natural gas that promises to improve air quality and could curb carbon emissions.
The Airbus flight from London Gatwick to Doha used a 50:50 blend of synthetic gas-to-liquid (GTL) kerosene and conventional oil-based kerosene, which has been developed by Shell.
The company said that the GTL fuel burns with close to zero sulphur dioxide emissions and far lower particulate emissions, and as such could be used to help improve air quality around airports.
The fuel is also believed to have a slightly higher fuel density than conventional kerosene and as a result could deliver cuts in carbon emissions when the fuel is burned.
Overall, the full lifecycle of the GTL blend has a carbon footprint that is "comparable" to conventional aviation fuels, but it is thought that there is potential to reduce emissions through the production process for the fuel and as a result it could ultimately result in net carbon savings.
Qatar is currently working on a major new project to develop GTL jet fuel in commercial quantities. The Pearl GTL plant, which is currently under construction by Qatar Petroleum and Shell, is expected to produce around one million tonnes per annum of GTL kerosene from 2012, enough to power a typical commercial airliner for half a billion kilometres when used in a 50 per cent blend with conventional fuel.
Rainer Ohler, senior vice president for public affairs and communications at Airbus, said that as well as demonstrating that cleaner-burning GTL fuels are viable, the flight will also provide a boost to other projects working to develop aviation biofuels that could deliver deep cuts in carbon emissions.
"The journey from the A380's historic first GTL flight by a civil aircraft to today's historic first passenger flight using GTL, shows that drop in fuels are real and viable," he said. "This is a major breakthrough that brings us closer to a world where fuels made from feedstocks such as wood-chip waste and other biomass are available for commercial aviation. Airbus predicts that in 2030, up to 30 per cent of jet fuel will be alternative."

 

 

1.5 Million Gallon Biofuel Deal

 

 

 

The use of biofuels in aircraft may still be years away, but airlines at one of the world's largest airports could soon be using biofuels in their ground vehicles after Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) signed a deal to buy up to 1.5 million gallons a year of renewable synthetic diesel.
Aircraft Service International Group (ASIG), the company that provides fueling services at LAX, announced yesterday that it has signed a multi-year deal with biofuels specialist Rentech that will see Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, UPS Airlines and US Airways provided with biodiesel.
Other airlines will also be invited to come in on the deal, which comes into effect in 2012 to coincide with the opening of Rentech's new Rialto renewable energy plant.
Rentech said that its biodiesel will boast a carbon footprint of almost zero, will be virtually free of particulates and sulphur, and will meet all existing fuel standards.
The company's technology – which is to be deployed at a plant in Rialto, California and used to generate 600 barrels a day of renewable synthetic fuel and 35MW of renewable electricity – differs from many biofuel firms in that it can be produced from sewage and organic waste, such as grass clippings, that will otherwise be sent to landfill.
It uses a gasifier to create a synthetic gas or syngas from the feedstock, which is then either burned to produce electricity or converted into liquid fuel using a catalyzed chemical reaction known as the Fischer-Tropsch process.
D Hunt Ramsbottom, president and chief executive of the company, said that the process resulted in a "low-emissions profile and near-zero carbon footprint… [that] will guarantee that the LAX ground service vehicles using this fuel will be among the cleanest and greenest of their kind".
He added that the deal should also give the company a foot in the door as it seeks to commercialise its biodiesel for use in jet engines.
The company currently has a significant headstart on rivals seeking to break into the potentially lucrative market for bio-jet fuels after the full governance committee of the ASTM International standards body approved fuels that contain a 50/50 blend of synthetic Fischer-Tropsch jet fuel for commercial use.
Ramsbottom said that the company's jet fuel qualified under this standard and as such has been approved for commercial use.
Rival developers of bio-jet fuels are still working on gaining safety approval and full certification is not expected for several years.

East London Waste-to-Biofuel Plant

 

 

The race to operate "carbon lite" flights heated up today when British Airways (BA) announced plans to begin using biofuels made from waste materials within the next four years.
The airline revealed that it has teamed up with US-based Solena Group to produce Europe's first plant for developing bio jet fuels, and is currently assessing four potential sites in east London for the new facility.
The company has also signed a letter of intent with Solena that commits it to purchasing all the fuel produced by the new plant.
Solena's technology uses a gasification system to turn a mixture of domestic, agricultural, forestry and industrial waste into a biogas that can be converted into synthentic kerosene using the Fischer Tropsch process.
BA said that the proposed plant would convert 500,000 tonnes of waste a year into 16 million gallons of bio jet fuel that will result in life cycle greenhouse gas savings of up to 95 per cent compared to fossil fuel-derived jet kerosene.
It added that it would produce more than double the fuel required each year by its fleet at London City airport, raising the prospect of an entirely low-carbon fleet operating from the airport when the plant comes online in 2014.
"This unique partnership with Solena will pave the way for realising our ambitious goal of reducing net carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2050," said Willie Walsh, chief executive at BA. "We believe it will lead to the production of a real sustainable alternative to jet kerosene."
The facility will also deliver many associated environmental benefits by cutting methane emissions from waste that would have otherwise been sent to landfill, generating up to 20MW of renewable electricity a year using the steam created during the gasification process, and producing naphtha for use in the petrochemicals and inert vitrified slag material for use as building aggregates as side products.
Speaking to BusinessGreen.com, a spokesman for BA said the plant would draw on a wide range of waste streams, including significant quantities of waste that cannot be recycled and as a result would have been sent to landfill.
Solena said that in total the facility would serve to curb greenhouse gas emissions by 550,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent each year, including 250,000 tonnes from diverting mixed waste from landfill and 145,000 tonne life cycle saving from the resulting biofuel.
In addition, BA said the facility would create 1,200 jobs in east London and save local councils up to £36m in landfill costs by allowing them to avoid rising landfill taxes.
The project was welcomed by London mayor Boris Johnson, who said that City Hall would work with the two companies on the project and was looking to attract more firms to invest in waste-to-energy technologies.
The move establishes BA as one of the frontrunners to begin operating flights using fuels made from organic material. A number of aviation companies have invested heavily in developing jet biofuels in recent years, and while a series of successful trials have been undertaken, the industry is yet to gain approval to use biofuels on commercial flights.
Industry insiders expect official certification to be granted within the next few years and a host of suppliers are currently working on biofuels that could potentially be used by jet engines, including fuels made from algae and other energy crops.
However, Friends of the Earth’s biofuels campaigner Kenneth Richter expressed scepticism that jet biofuels could be produced from sustainable sources on a sufficient scale to support current levels of aviation.
"Biofuels for cars were meant to be a way of using waste cooking oil, but we ended up trashing rainforests to grow the crops, leading to more – not less – carbon dioxide," he said. "Fuelling planes with biofuels could cause more of the same problems. BA is already backtracking on its claim that it would only use food waste to fuel these planes."

 

Shell to do Deal with Brazilian Biofuel

Royal Duthc Shell, Europe's second biggest energy company, is poised to become the biggest oil major in biofuels as it battles to reassure investors about profitability.

The Anglo-Dutch company has signed a memorandum of understanding with the most powerful Brazil bioethanol producer, Cosan, in a joint venture said to be worth $12bn (£8.19bn).

The move, if finalised, will cement Brazil's position as the world's alternative energy superpower with the potential to ship huge quantities of fuel to the United States and Europe. Shell will now lobby the US administration to reduce its tariffs on biofuel imports in a move that could transform profitability.

The company hopes the aggressive moves into biofuels it has plotted for two years will signal to investors that it has growth potential as it readies itself to announce what is expected to be a 40 per cent drop in quarterly profits on Thursday.

Analysts expect the group to report a quarterly profit of $2.9bn. This would take its annual profit to $13.4bn, down on the $31.4bn it made in 2008. There are suggestions the company will make further job losses on top of the 5,000 already announced.

The joint venture is intended to more than double Cosan's existing bioethanol production, which currently stands at 2bn litres. Cosan is Brazil's leading bioethanol producer in a country where virtually all new cars run on sugar cane.

But there are serious reservations among environmentalists that the growing attraction of biofuels in Brazil could see agricultural land earmarked for food shifted to fuel crops, creating pressure to chop down more rainforests.

Kenneth Richter, who campaigns against biofuels, said: "Massively expanding sugar cane plantations to produce biofuels will significantly threaten Brazil's rainforest. The biofuels industry is pushing agricultural activity on to forested land where trees are cut down to make space for farming. To be truly green energy companies should invest in clean, renewable and safe forms of energy like wind and solar power."

Shell says sugar cane for ethanol uses about one per cent of Brazil's arable land (354m hectares). It adds that none of Cosan's farms are anywhere near rainforests. And it cites European Union statistics that suggest that bioethanol from sugar cane produces 71 per cent less carbon dioxide ­emissions than conventional fuel. ­Biofuel, the company believes, will become an increasingly important energy source as the number of cars in the world is ­projected to hit two billion by 2050. At present, cars and trucks account for 17 per cent of energy-related CO2 emissions.

Mark Williams, Royal Dutch Shell's downstream director, said: "We see joining Cosan as a way to grow the role of low-carbon sustainable biofuels in the global transportation fuel mix."

A City oil analyst said: "Shell has hitherto focused on the laboratory bench looking at second-generation biofuels. This is the first major big move into biofuels by some way by an oil major."

Rubens Ometto Silveira Mello, Cosan's chairman, said: "This new company will be a great force and it will help ethanol to become a real world commodity."

The joint venture will see Cosan pool its 23 sugar mills and fuel stations with Shell's Brazilian interests as well as shares in its other major biofuel investments, which are working on next generation technology. Shell is to pay $1.625bn in cash to Cosan.

Shell has significantly scaled down its wind and solar investments, sparking fierce criticism from environmentalists. It is now concentrating on biofuels and carbon capture and sequestration. Shell has also indicated it will slow its controversial Canadian oil tar sands investments, which are hugely energy intensive amid concerns over its future in Nigeria where violence is hampering its operations.

Brazil is the world's alternative fuel pioneer. It is now forming alliances with Iran to export its technological expertise to help the Middle Eastern country's huge sugar cane industry.

Biofuel in the UK powers 2.7 per cent of the country's transport according to the Renewable Fuels Agency. Britain is on target to meet its five per cent target by 2014.

"Wild algae" Biofuel Firm Seeks Funding Injection

 

 

New Zealand-based biofuel start-up Aquaflow Bionomics has embarked on a fund-raising programme in Australia as it seeks to attract financing for the first of up to 16 pilot plants to demonstrate what it describes as its unique algae fuel technology.
Large numbers of energy companies worldwide, including oil giants Exxon Mobil and BP, are investing heavily in developing algae-based fuels, with almost all focusing on extracting lipids from algae grown in controlled environments.
Aquaflow, however, has developed technology to harvest "wild algae" found in municipal sewage ponds, farm outflows and polluted water courses, and either convert it into green crude or refine it into other biofuels and chemicals.
Director Nick Gerritson said the attraction of Aquaflow's approach is that it avoids the large, upfront capital costs of other algae-based fuel technologies which require the development of monocultures and bioreactors.
Aquaflow's units come in 40-feet containers, are deployed in remote locations without difficulty, and can be easily scaled, Gerritson said. "It's plug and play, we just plug into the existing infrastructure," he added.
The company has been running a pilot plant of its algae harvester at the Blenheim District Sewage ponds in New Zealand, where it has stockpiled 40 tonnes of algae, some of which has already been used to produce jet fuel.
Aquaflow is in discussions with more than 16 possible projects over three continents, Gerritson said, including talks with municipal authorities and corporates seeking to develop low-carbon fuels.
The firm said that its proposed plants could draw on a range of potential revenue streams, noting that while its principal market is water remediation and the sale of recycled water, it would also be able to charge for technology transfer fees, royalties, and the algae feedstock, green crude and other produ cts that result from the process.
Aquaflow's investor presentation includes forecast revenue of A$5.3m ($4.4m, £2.7m) in 2010/11, rising to A$94.4m in 2014/15, with pre-tax profits forecast to jump from A$110,000 to A$33.2m over the same period.
These forecasts include only the sale of its equipment and remediated water sales. It does not include revenue from the sale of green crude or from the generation of carbon credits.
The efforts to raise A$2.5m in funding are expected to be the last before a possible IPO in the next 12 months. The company's largest shareholder is the Singapore renewable energy investor Pure Power with 19.9 per cent, while UOP, the biofuel subsidiary of engineering giant Honeywell, has also signed an MOU with the firm to help market the technology and integrate it into its projects.
In related news, the Australian government last week announced it has granted A$15m in funding to seven projects developing so-called "second-generation" biofuels. These include two algae fuel projects, and others looking to develop fuel sources from sugar cane, crop waste and vegetation such as mallee.
Second-generation biofuels are widely regarded as more environmentally sustainable than more established biofuels such as corn-based ethanol, as they can be developed using non-food crops that do not eat into existing agricultural land, and as such are less likely to contribute to higher food prices and deforestation.

 

 

 

Carbon Trust launches Green Fuel Consortium

 

 

The Carbon Trust has today launched a new consortium of UK businesses committed to developing a commercially viable process for converting municipal and wood waste into a biofuel boasting higher levels of environmental sustainability than those currently on the market.
The consortium, which will be funded to the tune of £7m over the next three to four years, will attempt to refine a process known as pyrolysis, which can be used to produce biofuels from existing organic waste material rather than controversial energy crops.
Pyrolysis works by heating organic material to extreme temperatures in the absence of oxygen. The process breaks down the material to create either a gas or oil that can then be used to create biofuel.
The Carbon Trust calculates that pyrolysis-based biofuels will have a carbon footprint that is 95 per cent lower than fossil fuels and significantly lower than conventional biofuels, such as corn-based ethanol or biodiesel.
The E4Tech report, which was commissioned by the Trust last year, indicated that wheat bioethanol has a carbon footprint between 30 and 70 per cent lower than fossil fuels, while Brazilian sugar cane ethanol produces around 70 per cent fewer emissions.
Tom Delay, the Carbon Trust's chief executive, said that developing a technique to overcome the issues associated with some traditional biofuels would be critical in helping the UK to cut its carbon dioxide emissions from transport. "In just a few years, pyrolysis could change the way in which we produce biofuels and, by 2020, be a commercially viable option," he said. " Within a decade, we could see a network of mini biofuel refineries sited near landfill sites and other waste sources across Britain."
The Trust will use funding from the Department of Transport and the Department of Energy and Climate Change to finance the initiative. The consortium is being led by Axion Energy, but also includes Catal International, CARE and Aquafuels Research.
Transport Minister Sadiq Khan welcomed the launch of the project. "Many biofuels such as those from waste have the potential to provide significant carbon reductions," he said. "The challenge is identifying and developing those biofuels which deliver the most environmental benefits."
He added that the Department for Transport would provide £3.8m over two years to support the research programme.
The launch of the consortium came on the same day as the Carbon Trust revealed it was offering a £500,000 research grant to the University of York to undertake early-stage research and development into a process that uses microwaves to pyrolyse waste materials. It is hoped the microwave-based technique could lead to higher levels of energy efficiency and produce better quality oil, thus enabling it to be used in cars.

 

New Green Fuel product

Malaysia has plans to promote its new Green Fuel product to the World within 2 yrs, a Malaysian official said.

The product, namely Torrefied Acacia Wood Pellets (TRAW), is expected to become an alternative Green Fuel in the world, Abdul Rahim Nik, deputy director general of Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), told reporters Wednesday near here.

TRAW is a highly efficient bio-fuel derived from acacia trees.

According to Abdul Rahim, FRIM had been able to turn acacia wood chips into TRAW by adopting some of the processes in the ceramic industry.

The trees commonly seen in Malaysia were fast growing in terms of capability, making it a perfect source of green energy, said Abdul Rahim.

The deputy director general also said that a local engineering and contracting company involved in the renewable energy sector would be in charge of the promotion and commercialization of TRAW.

The company planned to set up a manufacturing plant to produce about 100,000 tonnes of TRAW a year.

German Solar Incentive Cuts Face

As anticipated, Germany's upper house, the Bundesrat, today voted down proposals for cuts to the country's pioneering solar incentive scheme, ensuring that the issue will now be settled by a parliamentary mediation committee.
The proposed cuts were approved by the Bundestag lower house, but they have continued to face opposition from Germany's influential solar energy industry, which has warned that the plan to reduce feed-in tariff for solar panels by up to 16 per cent will lead to a collapse in sales.
The failure of the Bundesrat to approve the cuts means that they are unlikely to come into force as planned on 1 July. However, if the mediation committee sides with the government and rubber-stamps the proposals, the cuts could be applied retroactively.
The move raises the slim prospect that the cuts, which include a 16 per cent cut to feed-in tariffs for rooftop solar panels and an 11 per cent cut in incentives for solar installations on so-called conversion sites, could be scaled back.
However, the government is set to maintain that the recent fall in the price of solar panels means that the sector has now become over-subsidised.

Green City Vision

 

 

Plans to enhance the environmental sustainability of British cities received a dual boost today as London unveiled proposals to create a hydrogen refuelling network across the capital and the government awarded £7.6m to eight smart grid research projects.
The London Hydrogen Partnership (LHP) today unveiled plans to deliver at least six refuelling sites for hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2012 as part of an initiative designed to ensure there are more than 150 hydrogen-powered buses, taxis, cars, delivery vehicles and motorbikes on the city's roads within two years.
The agency said it was continuing with work to build its first refuelling station in east London and expected hydrogen fuel cell-powered buses to begin running along the RV1 route before the end of the year.
It also confirmed that Greater London Authority bodies such as Transport for London (TfL) and the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) are to order at least 50 hydrogen vehicles, while airport operator BAA is undertaking a feasibility study to explore how fuel cell technologies could be used at Heathrow and other airports.
Alongside plans to build a vehicle refuelling network, the LHP is also looking to roll out a number of static hydrogen fuel cells designed to power buildings after TfL successfully opened the UK's largest fuel cell at its offices in Southwark. The LHP said that by 2012 it wanted to install five large-scale fuel cells in London similar to the one used by TfL, as well as 10 fuel cell backup systems, which can be used to keep powering essential systems such as computer datacentres and lighting in the event of a power cut.
"Hydrogen is the fuel that will set us free from the ravages of the carbon economy and nowhere do we yearn for that freedom more than in London," said Kit Malthouse, London's deputy mayor for policing and chairman of the LHP. "By 2012, we want to have hydrogen on the ground, in the capital, propelling vehicles and powering buildings. Once the public can kick the tyres and breathe the fresh air again, we will have successfully kick-started a new era in London's energy future."
London mayor Boris Johnson has made hydrogen technologies a key part of his low-carbon strategy, arguing the technology will not only serve to cut carbon emissions but also tackle the capital's poor air quality.
The new hydrogen action plan will now seek to access funding from the European Union, UK government and the private sector to begin rolling out the new technologies.
The plan came on the same day as the Department of Energy and Climate Change announced that eight firms had secured a total of £7.6m in government grants to accelerate their smart grid research projects.
The projects cover a wide range of smart grid technologies, including energy storage, load management and demand response systems. The funding will also support a number of pilot projects, including plans for a £1.1m heat and power facility in Slough and a new smart grid site in Glasgow.
"Globally the business of developing smart grids has been estimated at £27bn over the next five years and the UK has the know-how to be part of that," said energy minister Lord Hunt. "We want to give companies the opportunities and the support to make sure we develop the technologies we need."

 

 

 

Curtain on Festival-Ready Fuel Cell

 

 

 

They may be a great forum for freewheeling and idealistic environmental thinking, but it turns out most festivals are anything but green. Leaving aside the litter and the carbon footprint associated with thousands of revellers traveling to one site, each of the summer's festivals will rely on hundreds of diesel generators to power the stages, tents and food stands.
But now London theatre company Arcola is looking to tackle the problem with the development of a zero-emission fuel cell-powered lighting rig that promises to provide the UK's first low-carbon theatre and concert experience.
The Dalston-based theatre has launched a spin-off firm, Arcola Energy, that has just completed its first fuel cell system with the aid of a £27,000 grant from the UK's Technology Strategy Board and it is now expected to be used at this summer's Latitude Festival in Suffolk.
Speaking to BusinessGreen.com, Arcola Energy executive director Dr Ben Todd said the company had integrated technology from fuel cell developer and hydrogen supplier BOC and theatrical lighting specialist White Light to deliver a portable system for lighting technicians working in theatres, concert venues and festivals.
"We've taken off-the-shelf fuel cell technology and low-energy LED lights, added industry-standard connectors, control panels and battery backup power, and packed it all up in a standard flight case," he explained, adding that the use of LED lights meant that a full lighting rig could be powered using one 150 watt fuel cell.
The company believes that even using hydrogen produced from natural gas the system will cut carbon emissions by between 60 and 80 per cent compared to diesel generators, while also cutting noise levels and onsite pollution.
"The smallest diesel generator you can get is usually much larger than what you need in a theatre or concert, so they end up proving very inefficient," Todd added. "It's almost like pouring diesel on the ground."
The company is now looking to commercialise the technology and expects to price the system at about £5,000-£6,000 per unit, although White Light will also offer its customers the chance to hire the system for events.
It is also working on new theatre and concert applications for the fuel cell and is looking at developing a larger lighting rig based BOC's larger 500 watt fuel cell. "The system can be easily adapted to run kiosks or other parts of the festival site and there is also potential for architectural lighting," said Todd. "It is a niche market, but it's a pretty big niche."
The Technology Strategy Board's David Bott praised the new system as a prime example of a company taking direct action to cut its own carbon emission and finding a way to commercialise its innovations. "This is a great story of a company taking ownership of its carbon emissions and applying its expertise to tackle the problem," he said.

 

Green Fuel Options

It is important that we use alternative fuel sources so that we can reduce greenhouse emissions. There are many alternatives to the standard old fossil fuels but people need to be proactive in using them. There are many issues involved with fuels and alternatives but we can solve any of these issues so we have multiple fuel sources. We must realize that the oil that we are currently using will run out someday. Using other alternative sources such as natural gas can help to reduce pollution in the air.
We have made some changes to vehicles so that they can run on alternative fuel sources but we need to continue these changes. There are a fraction of vehicles that will run on natural gas and Hydro but there is not nearly enough to make a huge impact on the environment.
Hopefully with the current gas crisis there will be some mandatory changes so that people have a choice of which type of fuel they want to put in their vehicle. Once you give people a choice and there is a source where they can purchase the new alternative they will use it.
You also should be aware that fuel costs in your home can be expensive and also can pollute the environment. You are considered some of the alternative fuels that are available to you. I think when we combine saving money along with saving the environment we will create many options that will be available to everybody.
Remember that using alternative fuel can help save you money along with the environment. It is always a good idea to get educated and know what fuel alternatives are available for you. You can also be proactive with government and getting more laws passed so that it is mandatory that we have more options available to us.

Green Fules

As the world leading biodiesel equipment supplier, Green Fuels Ltd. design and manufacture a range of affordable biodiesel processing equipment that produces fuel for small-scale, domestic usage - right up to commercial production levels. There are currently more than 6,500 Green Fuels and Green Fuels America processors world wide. Between them they produce more than 350 million litres of biodiesel every year. >   As seen on BBC News >  Domestic Biodiesel Production >  Commercial Biodiesel      Production >  Dealers >  Biodiesel Safety at Home >  fuelpod® 2 on The One Show >   USA domestic website >  www.greenfuelsamerica.com - USA commercial website > Hire purchase options available on our equipment. Call for more information if you have been trading 3 years plus or you are a homeowner.

The advanced technology enables our customers to produce the highest quality biodiesel cheaply and safely for use as a sustainable road transport fuel.

Green Fuel and Government Policies

Biofuels Market – Sweden report covering one of the most promising industries in the region. Government initiatives and the large demand for green fuel have attracted investments in the sector. The inability of domestic supply to meet demand coupled with the targets set for efficiency in the transportation sector is expected to boost the market.

The report begins with an introduction of the biofuels market in the European Union indicating the current consumption and import-export levels, biofuel usage in transportation and major developments in this industry through various policies. An overview of the bioenergy market in Sweden has been provided followed by the biofuels market. Details regarding the major biofuels used namely, ethanol, biodiesel and biogas have been proffered including data regarding total production levels and the availability of raw materials.

An analysis of drivers explains factors contributing to the huge potential based on various cost incentives, fluctuations in crude oil prices, support for green car owners, high growth in ethanol vehicles and dependence on imports. The key challenges identified include resistance from the Swedish forestry industry, food vs. fuel issue and hurdles with biogas supply. The major government programmes and investments towards the development of the industry have been discussed including the climate and energy policy, Biogas Vast project, research and development projects as well as other policies towards developing the industry. Competition section profiles the major players in the market. The section contains a snapshot of the corporations’ financial performance and business highlights, providing an insight into the existing competitive scenario.

Algae Front-Runner Green Fuel Slashes Staff

Algae biofuel outfit GreenFuel Technologies has laid off 19 people, or about half of its staff, another sign of the difficulty that fledgling alternative fuels face.
A company representative confirmed the staff reduction on Monday and said one of GreenFuel's two major customers--the Aurantia cement factory in Spain--remains a customer.

An algae bioreactor from another algae fuel firm, PetroAlgae.

(Credit: PetroAlgae)

GreenFuel has developed a method for growing and harvesting algae in a greenhouse. The idea is to locate the greenhouses near a large carbon dioxide emitter, like a cement factory or power plant, to "feed" the algae. The algae is then harvested, dried, and turned into biodiesel or feed food.
Company CEO Simon Upfill-Brown, who was recruited last year from Dow Chemical to head the 8-year-old firm, told Xconomy that the engineering for its Spanish deal, previously estimated at $92 million, will be outsourced.
"We've got to weather this economic storm as best we can," Upfill-Brown said. "This is the right thing to do."
A person claiming to be a former contract worker at the company said GreenFuel's Aurantia customer was dissatisfied because of several months of delays.
GreenFuel was one of the first companies to get funded to commercialize algae farming, and there are now several companies and researchers studying methods for turning algae into fuel.
But the company has had its missteps. Its first test facility at an Arizona utility produced too much algae, making the harvesting very manual and driving up the cost of operation. It replaced its CEO, putting investor Bob Metcalfe in charge for several months.
GreenFuel isn't alone in running into stumbling blocks, though. Many clean-tech companies are hunkering down, seeking to preserve cash so they can finish developing products.
Biofuel firms seeking to commercialize their technology are particularly vulnerable to the financial industry meltdown. Demonstration plants require large amounts of money to build. But investors have become more risk-averse, making it tougher for relatively unproven firms to demonstrate and fine-tune their technologies.

Airlines Commit to Purchase Green Fuel

Fifteen US and non-US airlines, under the umbrella of the Air Transport Assn., entered into MOUs with AltAir Fuels LLC and Rentech Inc. for the purchase of up to 325 million gal. of alternative fuel. The new fuel, which includes second-generation biojet and biodiesel, could begin flowing as early as the fourth quarter of 2012.

The deal is the single largest agreement of its type and will account for 10%-15% of the fuel used at Seattle-Tacoma International, according to Tom Todaro, CEO of AltAir. "We commend ATA and its member airlines' commitment to reducing carbon emissions and the leadership role they have taken in the airline industry," Todaro said. "Our camelina-based fuels will reduce emissions while providing farmers across the United States with additional revenue sources, creating green jobs."

Air Canada, American Airlines, Atlas Air, Delta Air Lines, FedEx Express, JetBlue Airways, Deutsche Lufthansa, Mexicana Airlines, Polar Air Cargo, United Airlines, UPS Airlines and US Airways signed MOUs with both producers. In addition, Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines signed the MOU with AltAir Fuels and AirTran Airways the one with Rentech.

According to ATA, the AltAir project contemplates the production of approximately 75 million gal. per year of jet and diesel fuel derived from camelina oils or comparable feedstock. The camelina oil will be converted into both renewable jet fuel and diesel and blended with petroleum-based jet fuel and diesel at a new facility to be located alongside the existing Tesoro oil refinery in Anacortes, Wash. It then will be delivered to Sea-Tac, where it will be used by airlines in the consortium as well as to power heavy machinery, trucks and buses owned and operated by the Port of Seattle.

AltAir has chosen processing and refining technology developed by UOP, a Honeywell company, which has produced biojet fuel for various test flights and military contracts during 2009. The facility will be capable of producing 100 million gal. per year and is expected to begin operations in 2012. The camelina oil will be sourced from Montana-based Sustainable Oils, which has the largest camelina research program in the US and production contracts with farmers and grower cooperatives across the country.

Tesoro Chairman, President and CEO Bruce Smith said, "As an independent manufacturer of fuels, Tesoro is committed to finding new and competitive sources of oil to meet the changing fuel needs of our customers. We at Tesoro are excited to be involved with this innovative technology using domestic, sustainable camelina oil to produce next-generation jet and diesel fuels using the existing assets and expertise that make our company successful."

The Rentech project in Adams County, Miss., will produce approximately 250 million gal. per year of synthetic jet fuel derived principally from coal or petroleum coke, "with the resultant carbon dioxide sequestered and the carbon footprint potentially further reduced by integrating biomass as feedstock." The first shipments from Rentech are expected in late 2014.

According to Todaro, the camelina-sourced biojet and green diesel will help airlines and Sea-Tac reduce carbon emissions "by about 15%, resulting in a decrease of more than 12 billion pounds of carbon over 10 years. . .We look forward to replicating this model in other parts of the country and the world in the coming years."

Camelina-based jet fuel is the most heavily tested and proven renewable fuel feedstock, having powered two commercial aviation test flights, at JAL and KLM, in 2009. In addition, the US military has performed ground engine tests on camelina-based jet fuel in preparation for test flights planned for spring 2010.

Complex Alternative

Another proposed system could provide a way to use CO₂ without the need for hydrogen. Raja Angamuthu and Elisabeth Bouwman at Leiden University in the Netherlands and their team have just shown how a copper-based chemical called a copper complex can help turn CO₂ into something new.

The team's yellow-coloured copper complex turns greenish-blue as it snatches CO₂ molecules from air at room temperature and normal pressure. Angamuthu and Bouwman used CO₂₂ rather than oxygen in the air, which demonstrates the process is "quite selective for CO₂", says Bouwman. labelled with a heavy carbon isotope to confirm that the copper complex reacts with CO

The team then added a lithium salt to the copper complex solution, causing insoluble lithium oxalate to precipitate. Using electrolysis they can reduce the copper to recreate the copper complex to react with more CO₂.

O'Hare finds Angamuthu and Bouwman's work interesting. "What caught my eye is the reactivity to CO₂ in the presence of oxygen," he says, which means the reaction could work in the Earth's atmosphere. But while recycling the copper is "neat", he says the end product – an insoluble salt – is not as useful as making a liquid fuel like methanol.

But the lithium oxalate is far from useless, says Bouwmann. "It can be reduced to ethylene glycol, used, for example, as coolant in freezers," she says. The oxalate can also be oxidised into oxalic acid for use in household cleaning products.

Journal references: O'Hare and Ashley's paper is published in Angewandte Chemie, DOI: 10.1002/anie.200905466; Angamuthu and Bouwman's study is in Science, DOI: 10.1126/science.1177981

A Very Reactive Situation

The technique is based on molecules called Lewis bases, which carry a lone pair of electrons and can bond with so-called Lewis acids to form a molecule called an adduct. In 2008 Doug Stephan at the University of Toronto, Canada, modified Lewis bases and Lewis acids to make them too big to get close enough to form the adduct. "The molecules can't react – they're frustrated," says O'Hare. "And that creates a very reactive situation."

The frustrated Lewis pair are so reactive that when hydrogen gas is added to the mix, the molecules tear apart the hydrogen molecules and bond with the hydrogen ions. The reaction eases the frustration but still leaves two highly reactive molecules. O'Hare and Ashley reasoned that they would be reactive enough to bond with CO₂.

They have now achieved this goal. Their frustrated pair consisted of the Lewis base tetramethylpiperidine or TMP and the Lewis acid tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane. When they added hydrogen gas, the acid and hydrogen ion formed a boron-hydrogen bond which can then be used to shatter a stable CO₂ molecule, which further reacts with hydrogen to form methanol and water.

Scoop

Several other research groups are working on similar schemes, "but we've scooped a few of [them] on this", says O'Hare. He thinks that's because their frustrated Lewis pair doesn't react with carbon monoxide, even though carbon monoxide is much more reactive than carbon dioxide. "You wouldn't have predicted that," he says.

The fact that the reaction is CO₂-specific will work in its favour in practical applications, because the reaction cannot be compromised by carbon monoxide also released from industrial processes.

Stephan, who was not involved with the study, calls it "important and exciting" work. He says it could ultimately lead to systems to reduce greenhouse gases and build alternative energy sources. "Of course, to be viable this process would have to be coupled with a process that generates hydrogen," he cautions.

CO2 Could be Green Fuel

Carbon dioxide could soon be ready for a PR makeover. With a bit of clever chemistry, the gas could become a feedstock for alternative fuels or find a role in cooling freezers rather than warming the atmosphere.

Carbon capture and storage schemes propose to snatch CO₂ from industrial chimneys and bury it in ocean basins or geological formations. But having gone to the trouble of capturing the gas, squirrelling it away underground is a wasted opportunity, says Dermot O'Hare at the University of Oxford. He thinks converting CO₂ into methanol for use as fuel is a smarter move.

But that's easier said than done. "One of the difficulties chemists have is doing anything with CO₂," O'Hare says. The trouble is that the molecule is so stable, it's hard to find chemicals reactive enough to target CO₂ but specific enough to ignore other components of the atmosphere such as carbon monoxide and oxygen.

Now O'Hare and Andrew Ashley, also at Oxford, have demonstrated how to do it at the relatively low temperature of 160 °C and at standard pressure. All it takes is a bit of frustration.

Hawaii Marines and green fuel

KANEOHE (HawaiiNewsNow) - The military wants to move away from oil, turning to a "green" alternative to fuel its vehicles. Bio-diesel will help power two tactical vehicles at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay.

The bio-diesel is a 20% blend of petroleum diesel and used cooking oil from around the base.

"Here in the island, it's hard to get diesel.  Everything is powered by diesel, you have to ship it all in, here you can grow it yourself," said David Chavez, an environmental engineer with Naval Facilities Engineering Command.

"The key to this is that we're creating bio-fuel for the battlefield," said Col. Robert Rice, Commander at Marine Corps Base Hawaii.

Green Fuel and Vehicles

Green Fuel and Vehicles is the most prominent show that will showcase all aspects of national and global green conventional auto and alternative fuels. The summit will highlight technical innovations, operational & management experiences of hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, updated policy and market outlook. The event provides a complete mental picture of trends and current status of alternative vehicles industry, thus, providing a chance to explore into alternative vehicle commercialization & industrialization. It will provide a wonderful platform for the industry participants to share and exchange innovative ideas, to promote your expertise and company image in front of worldwide industry professionals and leaders.

airlines to use “Green Fuel”

Eight airlines have agreed to buy synthetic diesel fuel made from green waste to operate ground service equipment at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), local media reported Tuesday.

The airlines will buy up to 1.5M gallons of the “Green Fuel” starting in Y 2012, according to the Denver-based Rentech Inc., which will provide the fuel to the airlines.

The company says RenDiesel is made from Green waste, such as yard clippings and processed sewage sludge, and its so-called carbon footprint is near Zero.

The fuel will be biodegradable and virtually free of particulate, sulfur, aromatics and other emissions.

D. Hunt Ramsbottom, Rentech’s president and chief executive, said the fuel would make LAX ground service vehicles “among the cleanest and greenest of their kind.”

Rentech Inc. said it planned to produce the fuel from Y 2012 at anew plant to be built in Rialto in Colorado. The plant will produce about 600 bbls of fuel per day and about 35 megawatts of renewable electricity.

The airlines which have agreed to buy the fuel are Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, UPS Airlines and U.S. Airways.

Glen Tilton, board chairman of the Air Transport Association of America, which represents airlines, said “this transaction promises to be the first of many such green fuel purchase agreements by the commercial aviation industry.”

Gina Marie Lindsey, executive director of Los Angeles World Airports, hailed the agreement as “yet another environmentally friendly initiative that we and the airlines are pursuing at Los Angeles-area airports.”

Synthetic Jet Fuel on Commercial Flight

United Airlines (UA) has conducted the first flight by a U.S. commercial airline using natural gas synthetic jet fuel. The fuel is claimed as the only alternative fuel type certified for commercial aviation.

The engineering validation flight was conducted using certified synthetic jet fuel, called RenJet, produced by Rentech. It is a drop-in fuel, which means that it can be used in existing engines with no modifications required, said UA.

RenJet is produced from renewable or fossil feedstock and is readily scalable for commercial production, according to Rentech. The fuel is approved by ASTM International, and is safe for use on passenger flights.

For the test flight, a 40/60 mix with conventional Jet A fuel was used in one of two engines on an Airbus 319 aircraft that departed from the Denver International Airport.

The onboard team including 19 engineers collected data on the performance of the fuel during several maneuvers, including taxi, takeoff, climb, cruise, auxiliary power unit start, descent and approach.

Results and analysis of the performance and environmental benefits of the synthetic jet fuel and the aircraft are expected within the next 10 days.

Several airlines including Japan Airlines, Continental Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Airbus, and Air New Zealand have tested biofuels over the past few years.

Last year, Rentech signed a memorandum of understanding with 13 airlines, including UA, to provide synthetic jet fuel from its proposed facility in Mississippi. In addition, a group of 14 airlines including UA that service the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport agreed to purchase up to 750 million gallons of renewable jet fuel and biodiesel. The fuel, derived from camelina, is to be produced by AltAir Fuels.

In August last year, eight airlines at Los Angeles International Airport agreed to a multi-year deal with Rentech to use up to 1.5 million gallons of renewable synthetic diesel for ground service equipment operations, starting in late 2012.

Earlier this year, Rentech and ClearFuels Technology jointly received a $22.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to construct a biomass gasifier at Rentech’s Energy Technology Center in Denver, which will be used for the production of renewable synthetic fuels from biomass in late 2011.

In February, British Airways announced plans to build a plant that will produce biojet fuel from plasma gasification of biomass.

2010: Jets Could Fly on Green Fuel

Bio-fuels made from a range of non-food plants could be powering commercial airliners as soon as next year, a Boeing executive says.

Camelina growing in a Montana field.

“We’ve proven the technical capability of biofuel as a drop-in replacement,” says Bill Glover, managing director of environmental strategy for Boeing’s Seattle-based Commercial Airplanes business unit. “It meets all jet fuel requirements and then some.”
Boeing says it’ll release a report next month experiments that it and four airlines have been running using oils derived from different plants, includling algae. After that, it’ll seek certification for using the plants as fuel stocks. From that point, it’s just a matter of growing and processing enough of them to make it viable
The results are promising. Air New Zeland last month said that its experiments with oils derived from seeds of the jatropha plant showed a slight improvement in fuel efficiency and a 65 percent drop in greenhouse gase emissions when the fuel was mixed 50-50 with standard kerosene-based jet fuel. The 1.2 percent fuel savings equals more than a ton of fuel for a 747 on a trans-Pacific flight.
Algae is the best-known of the experimental fuel stocks, but it’s probably a decade away from being a reliable source, The New York Times reports. However, fuels derived from camelina are ready now. Camelina is a relative of canola and mustard, and according to Purdue University, it was grown as a crop in Eastern Europe during the Roman era. It fell out of favor during the Middle Ages, and has since been considered mostly a weed; however, some has been grown for use producing industrial oils, and the seeds are sometimes fed to birds.

ORGANIC & GREEN TECHNOLOGY

ORGANIC & GREEN TECHNOLOGY EXPO 2010 is a major exhibition for Indonesian organic and green technology industry. The expo aims to bring together all leading organic and green industry players including governmental authorities, business groups, purchasing agencies, managers, and decision-makers under one roof. It will showcase a vast collection of organic and green equipment and technology, goods and services as well as knowledge of domestic and international market. The exhibition will display the latest farming machinery and technology, energy generators, ozone machine, organic furniture, and natural personal care and health wellness products. ORGANIC & GREEN TECHNOLOGY EXPO 2010 will be an essential forum for all those involved in organic and green business to develop their business associations.

MEU Prepares for Urban Warfare

Jun 04, 2010 (DEFENSE DEPARTMENT DOCUMENTS AND PUBLICATIONS/ContentWorks via COMTEX) -- FORT A.P. HILL, Va. -- Marines and sailors with 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit initiated their last major land-based pre-deployment exercise, Realistic Urban Training, aboard Fort AP Hill, Va., June 2.
During the 18-day training evolution, the three elements of the MEU will conduct several urban training exercises in a realistic environment. Some of the exercises include vehicle control point procedures, tactical site exploitation, key leader engagement, language training, interaction with host-nation forces, Improvised Explosive Device recognition, riot control, detentions, and platoon-sized urban assault. Units will also conduct combined arms integration and live fire, convoy live fire and other exercises.

The MEU will follow RUT with a Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) in early July and a Certification Exercise (CERTEX) in August, which will conclude its pre-deployment training.

Center for Technology and Aging Expert Panel Identifies

OAKLAND, Calif., Jun 04, 2010 (ASCRIBE NEWS via COMTEX) -- As Americans face continuing economic, social and health-related challenges, some observers believe the voices of older Americans may be drowned out unless they strengthen their organizing efforts through adoption of social networking and communication technologies.

The relationship between social action, technology and older Americans was the subject of a recent expert panel convened by the Center for Technology and Aging (http://www.techandaging.org) on behalf of The SCAN Foundation.

"Older adults have not used today's information, communication or social networking technologies to the extent of Gen Xers and Millennials," said David Lindeman, PhD, executive director of The Center for Technology and Aging. "We asked the panelists to identify what kinds of tools and techniques are now available, but not necessarily used for advocacy, and how can these be used to disrupt the status quo on behalf of the issues facing older adults." According to the expert panel, older adults will adopt new technologies in more significant numbers if the technology is: - Easy to use - Provides an enjoyable and personalized experience - Connected to the "cloud" (e.g., the Internet) and its wealth of resources - Appropriate for individuals with physical or cognitive considerations - Endorsed and encouraged by respected local community organizers "Older adults have been politically active but have not realized the potential of using social networking tools and other technology to advocate for their issues," said Bruce Chernof, MD, president and CEO of The SCAN Foundation.

"Information and communication technologies have become essential tools for social action, so unless older adults have access to and embrace these tools, their voices will be muted." The report includes a discussion of specific technology trends, as well as user and public policy considerations that shape how technology might be adopted by older adults to enhance their capacity to more effectively give a voice and face to critical social issues affecting them.

Some technology factors affecting adoption for social action include: - Current technology facilitates recruitment, mobilization and increased efforts in engagement - Data analytics and assistance with filtering of content as a means of prioritization for seniors - Platform advances (e.g., iPad, video, SMS, social networking, etc.) stimulate technology use - Increased connectivity, data integration and user interface trends strongly influence adoption Additional "user considerations" influencing older adults' use of technology for political advocacy include adapting both physical devices and software applications (usually designed for younger users) to the needs of older adults, taking into account older adults' needs and wants in using technology for social action, and assuring the privacy of information.

Policy considerations shaping the environment affecting technology adoption for social action noted in the report include expanding broadband and mobile access, encouraging innovation through standards and market regulations, assuring privacy protection and accountability for data safety, and facilitating coalition building among competing technology and software providers.
The expert panelists were: - Richard Adler, Research Affiliate, Institute for the Future - Molly J. Coye, MD, MPH, (Moderator), Senior Advisor, Public Health Institute - Tyrone Grandison, Program Manager for Core Healthcare Services, Healthcare Transformation Group, IBM Services Research - Evonne Heyning, Interactive Producer, TechSoup Global - Rey Muradaz, Founder, Interactive Aging Network - Paola Tonelli, Executive in Residence, UC Berkeley's Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology - Cecili Thompson Williams, Outreach Director, Campaign for Better Care at the National Partnership for Women & Families The Center for Technology and Aging (http://www.techandaging.org) supports more rapid adoption and diffusion of technologies that enhance independence and improve home and community-based care for older adults. Through grants, research, public policy involvement and development of practical tools and best practice guidelines, the Center serves as an independent, non-profit resource for improving the quality and cost-effectiveness of long-term care services. The Center was established with funding from The SCAN Foundation.

The SCAN Foundation is an independent nonprofit foundation dedicated to advancing the development of a sustainable continuum of quality care for seniors that integrates medical treatment and human services in the settings most appropriate to their needs and with the greatest likelihood of a healthy, independent life. The SCAN Foundation supports programs that stimulate public engagement, develop realistic public policy and financing options, and disseminate promising care models and technologies.