Today biofuel world over. Major developments

Australia's first Bio-friendly fuel
Australia, the Largest landmass in the pacific with population of 21,714,553 and with almost every houshold with car is going Biofuel.

In Australia
Researchers at the national science organization, CSIRO, have concluded that the cost of saltwater algae production is now, based on current science, lower than the cost of diesel from fossil crude oil.

In the study, the researchers focused on maximizing the value of biodiesel in economic and carbon terms by co-locating algae production with a power source - for power generation purposes more than CO2 capture.


Our highlight:

Researchers at United Environment and Energy LLC in Horseheads, New York have announced that they have developed "the first economical, eco-friendly process to convert algae oil into biodiesel." Which may be a bit of overstated, particularly the eco-friendly part, but considering that the process they've developed is claimed to be 40% less expensive than other procedures out there it's worthwhile paying attention:

Ben Wen, vice-president of United Environment and Energy, says that the cost reductions are realized because their procedure can be done in much smaller facilities, has no water dispersal costs and is "considerably faster."

A key advantage of this new process, he says, is that it uses a proprietary solid catalyst developed at his company instead of liquid catalysts used by other scientists today. First, the solid catalyst can be used over and over. Second, it allows the continuously flowing production of biodiesel, compared to the method using a liquid catalyst. That process is slower because workers need to take at least a half hour after producing each batch to create more biodiesel. They need to purify the biodiesel by neutralizing the base catalyst by adding acid. No such action is needed to treat the solid catalyst, Wen explains.

He estimates algae has an "oil-per-acre production rate 100-300 times the amount of soybeans, and offers the highest yield feedstock for biodiesel and the most promising source for mass biodiesel production to replace transportation fuel in the United States." He says that his firm is now conducting a pilot program for the process with a production capacity of nearly 1 million gallons of algae biodiesel per year. Depending on the size of the machinery and the plant, he said it is possible that a company could produce up to 50 million gallons of algae biodiesel annually



In China
Biodiesel and fossil fuel refiner and distributor China Bio Energy announced that sales rose in the 4th quarter of 2008 by 165 percent to $59,1 million. The company said that adjusted net income rose 209.5 percent to $6.5 million based on a "rise in market demand for finished oil products and bio-diesel", according to the firm.

In the Philippines
San Carlos Bioenergy announced that it has commenced ethanol production and made its first 420,000 gallon delivery to Petron last week. The company said that, overall, the project will reduce Philippine oil imports by 15 percent. The sugarcane project will produce 8 Mgy of ethanol, 8 MW of power from sugarcane bagasse as part of an overall harvest of 1500 tons of sugar per day.


A company in Virgina Xcel Plus is reproted to have 36 Mgy contract where Glycene will be supplied to another company called Oldcastle Materailswhich produces asphalt and concrete company. Glycene is a by product from glycine which is a product of transesterification process of makiong biodiesel from crude oil.

In Arizona
Algae topic is going tense and more interst is in this organism fro renewable energy development.
A diversified group including the University of Arizona, PetroSun, Purdue University School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Renascent Energy, Carbon2Algae, Innovative Trade Development Center, USDA Laboratory (Peoria, IL) and Pukyong University (South Korea) have submitted an application for a USDA/DOE project on the production of advanced biofuels from algae.

In Georgia
The state Public Service Commission (PSC) approved Georgia Power Company's request to convert the Plant Mitchell Unit 3 to a 96 MW biomass power plant, from coal. The unit will utilize wood biomass drawn from a 100 mile radius around the plant, and is scheduled to complete conversion by 2012.

Biogas
"Bathroom time may not be wasted time after all: A year's worth of your poop can be turned into 2.1 gallons of useable diesel. And the Norwegian capital of Oslo plans to put all that waste to work powering 80 of its buses with fuel made from the Bekkelaget sewage treatment plant, which houses the waste of 250,000 people. "
International News

In the Dominican Republic
Sustainable Power announced the formation of Rhino Evergreen International to license the company's core pyrolysis and biomass-to-power technologies for development of projects in the DR. Sustainable Power said that its Dominican partners will provide financing and will hold a 65 percent stake in the new concern.

In France
Oil & Gas Journal is reporting that the move from mandated E5 to E10 ethanol blending will be delayed, and only 75 percent of service stations in France will be in compliance by year-end. Logistic problems and conversion costs were cited as factors in the delay. Initial conversions by BP and Total will commence next month.

In Germany
Verbio reported a 63 percent increase in sales to 666 million euros, up 63 percent over 2007. The company said that overall biodiesel demand had increased despite increased biodiesel fuel taxes, with a 38 percent increase in demand for biodiesel from Eastern Europe. The company said that its ethanol exports dropped 9 percent for the year.

The rapid increase in biofuel/alternative energy sources and developments have become the only competitor to traditional fossil fuel. For sure biofuels will remain the only competitor. Competition is good for economy and better lifestyle for people. But for how long will the competition last? This is a question many developers must address. This will drive them torwards sustainable alternative, viable,affordable and competitive. Obviously ,the best latewrnative, non food based can give such guarantees.It is estimated that more than 50% of fuel worldwide will be biofuels by 2030 and beyond.For sure, we know that if this world will continue another 200 years of civilization , fossil fuel will not take us there even 10-20 years from now. This is the biggest threat. Sustainable biofuel /bioenergy is the way forward.