PNG is going about 7 million population with uncontrolled population growth boom , last reported was 1.7 growth rate means doubling the current poplation in less than 20 years would account for 14 million plus by 2030.
More and more graduates from secondary to colleges and universities will be spited out every year totalling some hundred thousands yearly. Government in desperate measure had opened accessively to allow more natural resources exploiters in order to increase its tax collection. Quite a number will be absorded into these investment but for how long as minings will be exhausted in 15-25 years.
Government has to made desperate measure to contain all problems that will rise into seriuos economic and social issues. One of the easiest way to capture more graduates into permennent jobs is called green jobs. these jobs are renewable resources, recycle and alternative energy development is one such opportunity that will give the nation longest term benefit.
Acoording to reports(http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0907/S00417.htm), Australian government has created 30 000 green jobs by injecting $94 m into alternative energy development. New Zealand is desperate to create more jobs after Australia. Where is PNG in this regard?
Below is as reported in New Zealand.
New Zealanders will be asking how “Australia can create 50,000 green jobs while we are getting just 160 so far for a bike track”, Labour Finance spokesperson David Cunliffe says.
David Cunliffe said National should be urgently investigating a green jobs package similar to Australia's.
Yesterday Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced a $94 million jobs package made up of around 30,000 trainee and apprentice positions concentrating on "green skills" in building and construction, 10,000 jobs in a new National Green Jobs Corps, 6,000 local green jobs through the jobs fund, and the 4,000 people already working in the housing insulation programme.
Vote Yes for Children in the 2009 referendum
David Cunliffe said: "That's the equivalent of 10,000 new jobs in New Zealand, a quarter of all those hard-working Kiwis thrown on the scrapheap since National took office. Contrast that to the white elephant cycleway creating perhaps 160 to 300 jobs over three years --- less than one day's sackings at the current rate.
“National will no doubt be self-congratulatory at its annual conference this weekend, but they’re not doing enough in terms of maintaining or creating employment. Apart from the token cycleway, its so-called green employment initiatives --- Auckland rail electrification, home insulation and biofuels --- were all happening under Labour.”
David Cunliffe said New Zealand could have a global leadership role in renewable energy and environmental technology that “builds off our fantastic primary industries. Instead we have a government whose response to recession has been one of retrenchment, creeping deregulation and yet again flogging off more of our land and assets to foreigners.
“There’s no future in that approach. New Zealanders deserve a government with vision and commitment to sustainable full employment in the future and to helping New Zealand maximise its potential. Building serious capability in environmental business should be a no-brainer. Why isn't the government doing it?"
"Instead of a credible plan to create much-needed jobs, National has cut R and D tax credits and the Fast Forward research fund, and gutted the Conservation Department’s budget. Why? New Zealanders deserve action. A credible plan for 10,000 Kiwi green jobs would be a start,” David Cunliffe said
Friday, July 31, 2009
Biofuel in Briefs.Biofuels market to triple from $76 billion to $240 billion by 2020
Pike Research: biofuels market to triple from $76 billion to $240 billion by 2020
In a positive outlook for the biodiesel industry, Pike Research, a new cleantech analysis firm headquartered in Boulder, Colo., has predicted robust growth over the long-term for the global renewables market. "The study started out as an assessment of technologies in the biofuels industries, but then it grew into a more of a market analysis," said Robert McDonald, author of the report. Growth on the supply side was linked to game changing technologies related to biofuels processing. "In the biofuels world, feedstock is king and any technology that provides additional feedstock is a game changer to me," McDonald told Biodiesel Magazine
British OK world's largest renewable energy plant
A 295-megawatt biomass electricity plant-the largest in the world-is expected to be operational and capable of providing energy for 600,000 households near Teesport, England, in late 2012, according to British company MGT Power, the company developing it. The Tees Renewable Energy Plant will run on 2.65 million tons of wood chips per year shipped over from sustainable and certified forestry operations mostly in Europe and America, including the Southeast U.S., according to MGT, which recently received consent from the British government to proceed with development of the facility
UK's largest anaerobic digestion plant approved
A proposal to build the largest anaerobic digestion facility in the U.K. has been granted planning permission by the North Yorkshire County Council. The $32.8 million Selby Renewable Energy Park project will power nearly 11,000 homes and divert 165,000 tons of food waste from landfills each year. Meanwhile,the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) announced that a coalition of universities and aviation companies will undertake a $148 million research program to reduce the carbon footprint of aviation and improve engine fuel efficiency. Funding is provided by the TSB and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
In the EU, a new report from RDC Aviation and Point Carbon concluded that the the airline industry will face carbon credit costs of $1.54 billion per year starting in 2012, based on the current carbon spot price of $20.26 per tonne. That year, the industry will enter the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. The report warned that costs could soar even higher if carbon prices rise as expected.
Oxnard, Calif.,-based Gills Onions, a fresh onion producer, will soon be able to achieve 100 percent of its electricity requirement, 600 kilowatts daily, through anaerobic digestion of its onion waste. The company's Advanced Energy Recovery System will convert 75 percent of the 300,000 pounds of waste produced daily into biogas to be fed into two 300-kilowatt fuel cells, according to the company.
Bacteria simplifies cellulosic ethanol production
Bacteria found in sweet gum wood may improve the preprocessing steps for cost-effective production of cellulosic ethanol. JDR-2, a strain of the wood-decaying bacteria, Paenibacilluscan, break down and digest hemicelluloses, which in traditional cellulosic ethanol production is broken down by acid hydrolysis. This bacteria is also isolated from anaerobic digesters, it is facultative and can work in both anaerobi and aerobic conditions.
Terrabon proves biomass-to-fuel process
Terrabon LLC has produced high-octane green gasoline from biomass at its advanced biofuels research facility in Bryan, Texas, using its MixAlco pretreatment and fermentation technology. In April, Terrabon received the first installment of an equity infusion for an undisclosed amount, from Texas-based oil refiner and lead Terrabon investor Valero Energy Corp., which owns and operates 16 oil refineries in the U.S. Its subsidiary, Valero Renewable Fuels, recently became the owner of some of bankrupt ethanol producer VeraSun Energy Corp assets, including five ethanol production facilities and a development site.
Covanta to acquire seven waste-to-energy facilities
Covanta Holding Corp. has signed a $450 million definitive agreement with Veolia Environmental Services to acquire seven municipal solid waste-to-energy facilities in North America, which collectively process approximately 3 million tons of waste each year. Covanta has 38 existing waste-to-energy facilities, which annually process an approximate total of 17 million tons of municipal solid waste.
Government funding to support biofuels research
U.S. DOE Secretary Steven Chu and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced July 22 the joint selection of up to $6.3 million in awards towards fundamental genomics-enabled research to improve the use of plant feedstocks for biofuel production. The seven grants will be awarded under a joint DOE-USDA program that began in 2006 to conduct fundamental research in biomass genomics that will establish a scientific foundation to facilitate and accelerate the use of woody plant tissue for bioenergy and biofuel. The DOE will provide $4 million in funding for four projects; the USDA will award $2.3 million to fund three projects. Initial funding will support research projects for up to three years. The government also announced up to $30 billion in new loan guarantees, funded partly through the Recovery Act and partly through 2009 appropriations.
The lending authority includes up to $500 million in subsidy costs to support loans for cutting edge biofuel projects funded by the Recovery Act. The solicitation is the seventh rounds of solicitations by the Department's Loan Guarantee Program, which encourages the commercial use of new or improved energy technologies to help foster clean energy projects.
Applications will be accepted over the next 45 days. In addition, the DOE has streamlined its processes to accelerate these new loan solicitations, and is absorbing up to $3 billion in loan guarantee administration costs that were previously charged back to loan recipients. The DOE said that additional loan guarantee solicitations funded by the Recovery Act will be announced soon.
In China, researchers will publish a report in the Aug 20 issue of The American Chemical Society's Energy & Fuels of their success in developing a low-cost biodiesel catalyst from shrimp shells. The researchers say that their catalyst converted rapeseed oil to biodiesel faster than existing catalysts, and that the catalyst can be recycled.
In Taiwan, CPC announced that it would commence sales of E3 ethanol in Kaohsiung City, and added that it would incentivize sales with a discount of wNT$2 per gallon below the cost of gasoline. Kaohsiung joins Taipei as the only two cities with E3 fuels available - eight stations in Taipei offer ethanol blended fuel. A similar project, replacing diesel with biodiesel, is aiming to reduce diesel demand by 10 Mgy.
In California, SunEco and JB Hunt announced a cooperative agreement which could lead to J.B. Hunt becoming a significant purchaser of biodiesel made from natural algae oil using SunEco Energy's proprietary technology. The two companies said that they had completed a series of successful tests using biodiesel made by SunEco Energy from 100 percent natural algae oil produced at the company's pilot plant in Chino, California.
In Massachusetts, BP and Verenium have named their 50-50 joint venture company Vercipia Biofuels, and plan to relocate its corporate headquarters to Florida. Vercipia continues to focus on the development of one of the nation's first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol facilities, located in Highlands County, Florida. The company is also developing a second commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol site in the Gulf Coast region.
The Energy Tribune ran an article by John Lynn of the Methanol Institute, which outlines that group's vision for the prospects and opportunities of methanol fuels. Methanol has been a controversial fuel option due to concerns over efficiency and safety. The Methanol Institute article gives an excellent introduction to the opportunities, as seen from the industry point of view.
In Finland, Neste Oil said that its new 170,000 tonne biodiesel plant at its Porvoo refinery has successfully completed start-up and is now running at full capacity. The plant doubles the company's biodiesel capacity at Porvoo, and the company is also expected to complete 800,000 tonne biodiesel plants in Singapore in 2010 and Rotterdam in 2011, which will be the largest plants in the world.
In New Zealand, Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee said that five companies have taken advantage of a three-year biodiesel grant fund. Meanwhile, a Green Party bill that establishes sustainability standards for biofuels production passed its first reading in the national Parliament. The bill would eliminate biofuels made from food crops or made from materials that led to the destruction of animal habitats.
In Jamaica, Jamaica Broilers Group secured a US$7 million loan from IIC, and guaranteed the debt with its JB Ethanol business, which the group has invested $42 million in to date. The ethanol business, which uses sugar cane as a feedstock, has been solidly profitable for the past two years although the operation was closed for six weeks in February for maintenance and in response to low global ethanol prices.
Oregon B2 mandate takes effect Aug. 5
Nine counties in northwest Oregon will adopt a B2 mandate beginning next week followed by the rest of the state later in the fall. The biodiesel blend will become mandatory Aug. 5 in Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook, Yamhill, Polk and Marion counties. By October 1 the rest of the state will join the effort. The only exceptions to the biodiesel blend mandate are rail, marine, and home heating oil applications. The two percent requirement has been recently triggered by Oregon's biodiesel production capacity now reaching five million gallons.
Arkansas producers urge farmer comments to EPA
Hornbeck Agricultural has gotten responses from farmers in five states and broad news coverage for a large ad that appeared in the Delta Farm Press urging farmers to tell the U.S. EPA what they think of provisions in the proposed rule for the revised renewable fuels standard. The ad read as a letter to soybean farmers. "The question is simple: Will you and other farmers have greater opportunity to raise soybeans for the production of biodiesel-or will proposed Environmental Protection Agency regulations cripple that industry and limit your choices?" The letter is urging farmers to speak out in opposition to EPA regulations on indirect land use changes.
Dover Chemical markets new biodiesel additive
A new chemical additive for biodiesel fuel offered by Dover Chemical Corp. of Ohio is formulated to prevent engine deposits. "It acts as a detergent to prevent carbon contamination on engines," said Corky Thacker, spokesman for Dover. Polyisobutylene succinic anhydride (PIBSA) is a versatile chemical intermediate that adds functionality, particularly dispersion, to hydrocarbon products used in a wide range of applications including biodiesel.
Schroeder increases throughput of ColdClear
Enabling large continuous flow operations to conform to new cold soak requirements in the ASTM standard is now possible as Schroeder Biofuels has increased the handling capacity of its purification system for biodiesel. "This technology really has no top end" as to what capacity it can handle, said Jonathan Dugan of Schroeder Biofuels. In the past year ASTM published specifications for blended fuel-from B6 to B20-as well as pure biodiesel which means fuel terminals and distribution centers which perform blending operations also have to comply with ASTM specifications. The increased handling capacity of Shroeder's ColdClear product will allow them to purify blended fuel as well.
In Italy, Biofuels International is reporting that a consortium of eight biodiesel producers, working with researchers from the University of Florence, have developed a technology to replace corn and rapeseed as feedstocks with algae. The $14 million project is being coordinated by the Union of Biodiesel Producers, which heads the project.
In Ghana, allafrica is reporting on efforts by the The Civil Society Coalition on Land (CICOL) to persuade the government to accelerate development of a biofuels policy. The current draft policy was originally developed in 2005, not finalized, and contains deadlines as soon as 2015.
In a positive outlook for the biodiesel industry, Pike Research, a new cleantech analysis firm headquartered in Boulder, Colo., has predicted robust growth over the long-term for the global renewables market. "The study started out as an assessment of technologies in the biofuels industries, but then it grew into a more of a market analysis," said Robert McDonald, author of the report. Growth on the supply side was linked to game changing technologies related to biofuels processing. "In the biofuels world, feedstock is king and any technology that provides additional feedstock is a game changer to me," McDonald told Biodiesel Magazine
British OK world's largest renewable energy plant
A 295-megawatt biomass electricity plant-the largest in the world-is expected to be operational and capable of providing energy for 600,000 households near Teesport, England, in late 2012, according to British company MGT Power, the company developing it. The Tees Renewable Energy Plant will run on 2.65 million tons of wood chips per year shipped over from sustainable and certified forestry operations mostly in Europe and America, including the Southeast U.S., according to MGT, which recently received consent from the British government to proceed with development of the facility
UK's largest anaerobic digestion plant approved
A proposal to build the largest anaerobic digestion facility in the U.K. has been granted planning permission by the North Yorkshire County Council. The $32.8 million Selby Renewable Energy Park project will power nearly 11,000 homes and divert 165,000 tons of food waste from landfills each year. Meanwhile,the Technology Strategy Board (TSB) announced that a coalition of universities and aviation companies will undertake a $148 million research program to reduce the carbon footprint of aviation and improve engine fuel efficiency. Funding is provided by the TSB and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
In the EU, a new report from RDC Aviation and Point Carbon concluded that the the airline industry will face carbon credit costs of $1.54 billion per year starting in 2012, based on the current carbon spot price of $20.26 per tonne. That year, the industry will enter the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. The report warned that costs could soar even higher if carbon prices rise as expected.
Oxnard, Calif.,-based Gills Onions, a fresh onion producer, will soon be able to achieve 100 percent of its electricity requirement, 600 kilowatts daily, through anaerobic digestion of its onion waste. The company's Advanced Energy Recovery System will convert 75 percent of the 300,000 pounds of waste produced daily into biogas to be fed into two 300-kilowatt fuel cells, according to the company.
Bacteria simplifies cellulosic ethanol production
Bacteria found in sweet gum wood may improve the preprocessing steps for cost-effective production of cellulosic ethanol. JDR-2, a strain of the wood-decaying bacteria, Paenibacilluscan, break down and digest hemicelluloses, which in traditional cellulosic ethanol production is broken down by acid hydrolysis. This bacteria is also isolated from anaerobic digesters, it is facultative and can work in both anaerobi and aerobic conditions.
Terrabon proves biomass-to-fuel process
Terrabon LLC has produced high-octane green gasoline from biomass at its advanced biofuels research facility in Bryan, Texas, using its MixAlco pretreatment and fermentation technology. In April, Terrabon received the first installment of an equity infusion for an undisclosed amount, from Texas-based oil refiner and lead Terrabon investor Valero Energy Corp., which owns and operates 16 oil refineries in the U.S. Its subsidiary, Valero Renewable Fuels, recently became the owner of some of bankrupt ethanol producer VeraSun Energy Corp assets, including five ethanol production facilities and a development site.
Covanta to acquire seven waste-to-energy facilities
Covanta Holding Corp. has signed a $450 million definitive agreement with Veolia Environmental Services to acquire seven municipal solid waste-to-energy facilities in North America, which collectively process approximately 3 million tons of waste each year. Covanta has 38 existing waste-to-energy facilities, which annually process an approximate total of 17 million tons of municipal solid waste.
Government funding to support biofuels research
U.S. DOE Secretary Steven Chu and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced July 22 the joint selection of up to $6.3 million in awards towards fundamental genomics-enabled research to improve the use of plant feedstocks for biofuel production. The seven grants will be awarded under a joint DOE-USDA program that began in 2006 to conduct fundamental research in biomass genomics that will establish a scientific foundation to facilitate and accelerate the use of woody plant tissue for bioenergy and biofuel. The DOE will provide $4 million in funding for four projects; the USDA will award $2.3 million to fund three projects. Initial funding will support research projects for up to three years. The government also announced up to $30 billion in new loan guarantees, funded partly through the Recovery Act and partly through 2009 appropriations.
The lending authority includes up to $500 million in subsidy costs to support loans for cutting edge biofuel projects funded by the Recovery Act. The solicitation is the seventh rounds of solicitations by the Department's Loan Guarantee Program, which encourages the commercial use of new or improved energy technologies to help foster clean energy projects.
Applications will be accepted over the next 45 days. In addition, the DOE has streamlined its processes to accelerate these new loan solicitations, and is absorbing up to $3 billion in loan guarantee administration costs that were previously charged back to loan recipients. The DOE said that additional loan guarantee solicitations funded by the Recovery Act will be announced soon.
In China, researchers will publish a report in the Aug 20 issue of The American Chemical Society's Energy & Fuels of their success in developing a low-cost biodiesel catalyst from shrimp shells. The researchers say that their catalyst converted rapeseed oil to biodiesel faster than existing catalysts, and that the catalyst can be recycled.
In Taiwan, CPC announced that it would commence sales of E3 ethanol in Kaohsiung City, and added that it would incentivize sales with a discount of wNT$2 per gallon below the cost of gasoline. Kaohsiung joins Taipei as the only two cities with E3 fuels available - eight stations in Taipei offer ethanol blended fuel. A similar project, replacing diesel with biodiesel, is aiming to reduce diesel demand by 10 Mgy.
In California, SunEco and JB Hunt announced a cooperative agreement which could lead to J.B. Hunt becoming a significant purchaser of biodiesel made from natural algae oil using SunEco Energy's proprietary technology. The two companies said that they had completed a series of successful tests using biodiesel made by SunEco Energy from 100 percent natural algae oil produced at the company's pilot plant in Chino, California.
In Massachusetts, BP and Verenium have named their 50-50 joint venture company Vercipia Biofuels, and plan to relocate its corporate headquarters to Florida. Vercipia continues to focus on the development of one of the nation's first commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol facilities, located in Highlands County, Florida. The company is also developing a second commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol site in the Gulf Coast region.
The Energy Tribune ran an article by John Lynn of the Methanol Institute, which outlines that group's vision for the prospects and opportunities of methanol fuels. Methanol has been a controversial fuel option due to concerns over efficiency and safety. The Methanol Institute article gives an excellent introduction to the opportunities, as seen from the industry point of view.
In Finland, Neste Oil said that its new 170,000 tonne biodiesel plant at its Porvoo refinery has successfully completed start-up and is now running at full capacity. The plant doubles the company's biodiesel capacity at Porvoo, and the company is also expected to complete 800,000 tonne biodiesel plants in Singapore in 2010 and Rotterdam in 2011, which will be the largest plants in the world.
In New Zealand, Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee said that five companies have taken advantage of a three-year biodiesel grant fund. Meanwhile, a Green Party bill that establishes sustainability standards for biofuels production passed its first reading in the national Parliament. The bill would eliminate biofuels made from food crops or made from materials that led to the destruction of animal habitats.
In Jamaica, Jamaica Broilers Group secured a US$7 million loan from IIC, and guaranteed the debt with its JB Ethanol business, which the group has invested $42 million in to date. The ethanol business, which uses sugar cane as a feedstock, has been solidly profitable for the past two years although the operation was closed for six weeks in February for maintenance and in response to low global ethanol prices.
Oregon B2 mandate takes effect Aug. 5
Nine counties in northwest Oregon will adopt a B2 mandate beginning next week followed by the rest of the state later in the fall. The biodiesel blend will become mandatory Aug. 5 in Multnomah, Clackamas, Washington, Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook, Yamhill, Polk and Marion counties. By October 1 the rest of the state will join the effort. The only exceptions to the biodiesel blend mandate are rail, marine, and home heating oil applications. The two percent requirement has been recently triggered by Oregon's biodiesel production capacity now reaching five million gallons.
Arkansas producers urge farmer comments to EPA
Hornbeck Agricultural has gotten responses from farmers in five states and broad news coverage for a large ad that appeared in the Delta Farm Press urging farmers to tell the U.S. EPA what they think of provisions in the proposed rule for the revised renewable fuels standard. The ad read as a letter to soybean farmers. "The question is simple: Will you and other farmers have greater opportunity to raise soybeans for the production of biodiesel-or will proposed Environmental Protection Agency regulations cripple that industry and limit your choices?" The letter is urging farmers to speak out in opposition to EPA regulations on indirect land use changes.
Dover Chemical markets new biodiesel additive
A new chemical additive for biodiesel fuel offered by Dover Chemical Corp. of Ohio is formulated to prevent engine deposits. "It acts as a detergent to prevent carbon contamination on engines," said Corky Thacker, spokesman for Dover. Polyisobutylene succinic anhydride (PIBSA) is a versatile chemical intermediate that adds functionality, particularly dispersion, to hydrocarbon products used in a wide range of applications including biodiesel.
Schroeder increases throughput of ColdClear
Enabling large continuous flow operations to conform to new cold soak requirements in the ASTM standard is now possible as Schroeder Biofuels has increased the handling capacity of its purification system for biodiesel. "This technology really has no top end" as to what capacity it can handle, said Jonathan Dugan of Schroeder Biofuels. In the past year ASTM published specifications for blended fuel-from B6 to B20-as well as pure biodiesel which means fuel terminals and distribution centers which perform blending operations also have to comply with ASTM specifications. The increased handling capacity of Shroeder's ColdClear product will allow them to purify blended fuel as well.
In Italy, Biofuels International is reporting that a consortium of eight biodiesel producers, working with researchers from the University of Florence, have developed a technology to replace corn and rapeseed as feedstocks with algae. The $14 million project is being coordinated by the Union of Biodiesel Producers, which heads the project.
In Ghana, allafrica is reporting on efforts by the The Civil Society Coalition on Land (CICOL) to persuade the government to accelerate development of a biofuels policy. The current draft policy was originally developed in 2005, not finalized, and contains deadlines as soon as 2015.
Monday, July 27, 2009
USA admin is dead serious in Bionergy. Obama injected 1.8 billion US dollars
From: www.climateart.org
Obama ploughs $1.8bn into US biofuel industry makeover
Agencies release biofuel targets and unveil $1.8bn in funding designed to accelerate switch to second generation fuels
James Murray, BusinessGreen, 06 May 2009
The Obama administration grasped the nettle of US corn ethanol policy yesterday, unveiling a £1.8bn strategy designed to bolster biofuel production while guarding against potential environmental damage.
Green groups have argued US subsidies for producers of corn-based ethanol coupled with targets for biofuel production have contributed to rising food prices and deforestation as land previously used to grow corn for food is instead used to supply ethanol producers.
The charge has been vehemently denied by the US biofuel industry, which insists corn-based ethanol delivers net environmental benefits while providing the US with a secure source of fuel.
Now the Obama White House has waded into the row, calling for increased production of conventional biofuels, alongside greater research into its potential environmental impact and more investment in the development of so-called second generation cellulosic biofuels, which experts claim will have less impact on food prices and land use.
The new policy was kicked off with the release of a presidential memo in which Obama instructed the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy and the Department of Agriculture to form a new Biofuels Interagency Working Group, designed to identify the policies required to drive the production of more environmentally sustainable biofuels.
He also instructed agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack to accelerate the roll out of $1.1bn in new financing, such as loan guarantees, to help developers investing in the construction of biorefineries and biofuel infrastructure.
Meanwhile, energy secretary Steven Chu announced that $786.5 million of economic stimulus funding would be made available to support research into second generation biofuels made from non-food crops such as grasses and algae.
"Developing the next generation of biofuels is key to our effort to end our dependence on foreign oil and address the climate crisis - while creating mil lions of new jobs that can't be outsourced," Chu said. "With American investment and ingenuity - and resources grown right here at home - we can lead the way toward a new green energy economy."
The new funding came as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed it would retain President Bush's target for the US to use 36bn gallons of biofuels by 2022, but would also introduce tough new standards designed to ensure only biofuels that deliver net environmental benefits will be allowed to count towards the target.
Under the new rules, which are now subject to consultation, corn-based ethanol will have to demonstrate that it delivers full lifecycle greenhouse gas emission savings of 20 per cent compared to the fossil fuel it replaces, biomass-based fuels will have to deliver a 50 per cent cut, and cellulosic biofuels will have to deliver a 60 per cent cut.
The EPA also set out annual targets for different types of fuel, which will require producers to deliver 16bn gallons of cellulosic biofuels, 15bn gallons of conventional biofuels, four billion gallons of advanced biofuels, and one billion gallons of biomass-based diesel by 2022.
Lisa Jackson, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, said that the aim of the new policies was to engineer a gradual shift from controversial corn-based ethanol to second generation biofuels.
"As we work towards energy independence, using more homegrown biofuels reduces our vulnerability to oil price spikes that everyone feels at the pump," she added. "Energy independence also puts billions of dollars back into our economy, creates green jobs, and protects the planet from climate change in the bargain."
The proposals were broadly welcomed by both green groups and biofuel producers.
Environmentalists said that the focus on second generation biofuels indicated that the administration was willing to take on the powerful farming lobby and listen to concerns about the full lifecycle impact of biofuels.
Meanwhile, biofuel industry trade group the Renewable Fuels Association gave the package a cautious welcome, but expressed some reservations over how the EPA plans to assess the environmental impact of conventional biofuels.
Bob Dinneen, chief executive and president of trade group the Renewable Fuels Association, said that second generation biofuel technologies had the potential to "create the kind of economic and green job opportunities, as well as provide cleaner solutions to petroleum use, that President Obama desires".
But he also warned that uncertainty continues to surround the viability of some of these technologies and criticised the government's analysis of how biofuel will impact land use, arguing "questionable logic" was "being used to penalise existing biofuel producers for carbon emissions occurring halfway around the globe for reasons that may have little, or nothing, to do with US biofuel production".
Obama ploughs $1.8bn into US biofuel industry makeover
Agencies release biofuel targets and unveil $1.8bn in funding designed to accelerate switch to second generation fuels
James Murray, BusinessGreen, 06 May 2009
The Obama administration grasped the nettle of US corn ethanol policy yesterday, unveiling a £1.8bn strategy designed to bolster biofuel production while guarding against potential environmental damage.
Green groups have argued US subsidies for producers of corn-based ethanol coupled with targets for biofuel production have contributed to rising food prices and deforestation as land previously used to grow corn for food is instead used to supply ethanol producers.
The charge has been vehemently denied by the US biofuel industry, which insists corn-based ethanol delivers net environmental benefits while providing the US with a secure source of fuel.
Now the Obama White House has waded into the row, calling for increased production of conventional biofuels, alongside greater research into its potential environmental impact and more investment in the development of so-called second generation cellulosic biofuels, which experts claim will have less impact on food prices and land use.
The new policy was kicked off with the release of a presidential memo in which Obama instructed the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy and the Department of Agriculture to form a new Biofuels Interagency Working Group, designed to identify the policies required to drive the production of more environmentally sustainable biofuels.
He also instructed agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack to accelerate the roll out of $1.1bn in new financing, such as loan guarantees, to help developers investing in the construction of biorefineries and biofuel infrastructure.
Meanwhile, energy secretary Steven Chu announced that $786.5 million of economic stimulus funding would be made available to support research into second generation biofuels made from non-food crops such as grasses and algae.
"Developing the next generation of biofuels is key to our effort to end our dependence on foreign oil and address the climate crisis - while creating mil lions of new jobs that can't be outsourced," Chu said. "With American investment and ingenuity - and resources grown right here at home - we can lead the way toward a new green energy economy."
The new funding came as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) confirmed it would retain President Bush's target for the US to use 36bn gallons of biofuels by 2022, but would also introduce tough new standards designed to ensure only biofuels that deliver net environmental benefits will be allowed to count towards the target.
Under the new rules, which are now subject to consultation, corn-based ethanol will have to demonstrate that it delivers full lifecycle greenhouse gas emission savings of 20 per cent compared to the fossil fuel it replaces, biomass-based fuels will have to deliver a 50 per cent cut, and cellulosic biofuels will have to deliver a 60 per cent cut.
The EPA also set out annual targets for different types of fuel, which will require producers to deliver 16bn gallons of cellulosic biofuels, 15bn gallons of conventional biofuels, four billion gallons of advanced biofuels, and one billion gallons of biomass-based diesel by 2022.
Lisa Jackson, head of the Environmental Protection Agency, said that the aim of the new policies was to engineer a gradual shift from controversial corn-based ethanol to second generation biofuels.
"As we work towards energy independence, using more homegrown biofuels reduces our vulnerability to oil price spikes that everyone feels at the pump," she added. "Energy independence also puts billions of dollars back into our economy, creates green jobs, and protects the planet from climate change in the bargain."
The proposals were broadly welcomed by both green groups and biofuel producers.
Environmentalists said that the focus on second generation biofuels indicated that the administration was willing to take on the powerful farming lobby and listen to concerns about the full lifecycle impact of biofuels.
Meanwhile, biofuel industry trade group the Renewable Fuels Association gave the package a cautious welcome, but expressed some reservations over how the EPA plans to assess the environmental impact of conventional biofuels.
Bob Dinneen, chief executive and president of trade group the Renewable Fuels Association, said that second generation biofuel technologies had the potential to "create the kind of economic and green job opportunities, as well as provide cleaner solutions to petroleum use, that President Obama desires".
But he also warned that uncertainty continues to surround the viability of some of these technologies and criticised the government's analysis of how biofuel will impact land use, arguing "questionable logic" was "being used to penalise existing biofuel producers for carbon emissions occurring halfway around the globe for reasons that may have little, or nothing, to do with US biofuel production".
Exxon bet million Dollars in Algae transport fuel development.
from: www.climateart.org
Exxon makes first big investment in biofuels
Source: Copyright 2009, Associated Press
Date: July 14, 2009
Byline: John Porretto
Original URL
Exxon Mobil Corp. said Tuesday it will make its first major investment in greenhouse-gas reducing biofuels in a $600 million partnership with biotech company Synthetic Genomics Inc. to develop transportation fuels from algae.
Despite record-breaking profits in recent years, the oil and gas giant has been criticized by environmental groups, members of Congress and even shareholders for not spending enough to explore alternative energy options.
One of the company's requirements was finding a biofuel source that could be produced on a large scale. It says photosynthetic algae appears to be a viable, long-term candidate. If the alliance is successful, pumping algae-based gasoline at Exxon service stations is still several years away and will mean additional, multibillion-dollar investments for mass production.
"This is not going to be easy, and there are no guarantees of success," Emil Jacobs, a vice president at Exxon Mobil Research and Engineering Co., said in an interview with The Associated Press. "But we're combining Exxon Mobil's technical and financial strength with a leader in bioscientific genomics."
Jacobs said the project involves three critical steps: identifying algae strains that can produce suitable types of oil quickly and at low costs, determining the best way to grow the algae and developing systems to harvest enough for commercial purposes.
Besides the potential for large-scale production, algae has other benefits, Jacobs said. It can be grown using land and water unsuitable for other crop and food production; it consumes carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas blamed for climate change; and it can produce an oil with molecular structures similar to the petroleum products -- gasoline, diesel, jet fuel -- Exxon already makes.
That means the Irving, Texas-based company will be able to convert the bio-oil into fuels at its own refineries and use existing pipelines and tanker trucks to get it to consumers.
The $600 million price tag includes $300 million for Exxon's internal costs and $300 million or more to La Jolla, Calif.-based Synthetic Genomics -- if research and development milestones are successfully met.
"Even though this is a multiyear program, we both still consider it a very aggressive timetable, and it involves a lot of basic research," said J. Craig Venter, founder and CEO of the privately held company. "As a result, you don't know the answers until you've done these tests and experiments."
Algae is considered a sustainable source for second-generation biofuels, which go beyond corn-based ethanol into nonfood sources such as switchgrass and wood chips.
Royal Dutch Shell PLC said earlier this year it would scale back large investments in wind and solar in favor of next-generation biofuels. The European oil giant is working with Canadian company Iogen Corp. on a method to produce ethanol from wheat straw, and partnering with Germany-based Choren Industries to develop a synthetic biofuel from wood residue.
Another oil major, BP PLC, plans to team up with Verenium Corp. to build a $300 million cellulosic ethanol plant in Highlands County, Fla.
For Exxon Mobil, the world's largest publicly traded oil company, the biofuels investment is tiny compared with its spending to find new supplies of crude and natural gas.
CEO Rex Tillerson said earlier this year Exxon's 2009 spending on capital and exploration projects is expected to reach $29 billion, up from the $26.1 billion it spent in 2008. The company said those levels are likely to remain in the $25 billion to $30 billion range through 2013.
Gene scientist to create algae biofuel with Exxon Mobil
New biofuel requires no car or plane engine modification
Alok Jha, The Guardian - Published under license by, BusinessGreen, 15 Jul 2009
Gene scientist Craig Venter has announced plans to develop next-generation biofuels from algae in a $600m partnership with oil giant Exxon Mobil.
His company, Synthetic Genomics Incorporated (SGI), will develop fuels that can be used by cars or aeroplanes without the need for any modification of their engines. Exxon Mobil will provide $600m over five years with half going to SGI.
"Meeting the world's growing energy demands will require a multitude of technologies and energy sources," said Emil Jacobs, vice president of research and development at ExxonMobil. "We believe that biofuel produced by algae could be a meaningful part of the solution in the future if our efforts result in an economically viable, low-net carbon emission transportation fuel."
Transport accounts for one-quarter of the UK's carbon emissions and is the fastest growing sector. Finding carbon-neutral fuels will be crucial to the government meeting its target to reduce overall emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.
Algae are an attractive way to harvest solar energy because they reproduce themselves, they can live in areas not useful for producing food and they do not need clean or even fresh water. In addition, they use far less space to grow than traditional biofuel crops such as corn or palm oil.
"Algae consumes carbon dioxide and sunlight in the presence of water, to make a kind of oil that has similar molecular structures to petroleum products we produce today," said Jacobs. "That means it could be possible to convert it into gasoline and diesel in existing refineries, transport it through existing pipelines, and sell it to consumers from existing service stations."
The Carbon Trust, a government-backed agency that promotes low-carbon technologies, has forecast that algae-based biofuels could replace more than 70bn litres of fossil fuels used every year around the world in road transport and aviation by 2030, equivalent to 12 per cent of annual global jet fuel consumption or six per cent of road transport diesel. In carbon terms, this equates to an annual saving of more than 160m tonnes of CO2 globally with a market value of more than £15bn.
Ben Graziano, research and development manager at the Carbon Trust, said that algae-based biofuels offered the potential for "major carbon savings". "Exxon Mobil is estimating that algae could yield just over 20,000 litres of fuel per hectare each year, which is in line with our own forecasts," he said. "However, producing biofuel from algae on such a massive commercial scale is a major challenge, which will require many years of research and development."
Venter, who is best known for his role in sequencing the human genome, said the new partnership was the largest single investment in trying to produce biofuels from algae but said the challenge to creating a viable next-generation fuel was the ability to produce it in large volumes. "This would not happen without the oil industry stepping up and taking part," he said. "The challenges are not minor for any of us but we have the combined teams and scientific and engineering talents to give this the best chance of success."
The research programme will begin with the construction of a new test facility in San Diego, where Venter says different techniques to grow and optimise algae will be tested. These will include open ponds as well as bioreactors, where the algae are grown in sealed tubes. "We will be trying out these different approaches … using newly-discovered natural algae to test the best approaches we can come up with to go into a scale-up mode."
Venter has spent several years trawling the world's oceans in search of environmentally-friendly microbes that could be used, in one way or another, to bring down the world's carbon emissions. The organisms he has found include those that can turn CO2 into methane, which could be used to make fuels from the exhaust gases of power stations, and another that turns coal into natural gas, speeding up a natural process and reducing both the energy needed to extract the fossil fuel and the amount of pollution caused when it is burned.
Exxon makes first big investment in biofuels
Source: Copyright 2009, Associated Press
Date: July 14, 2009
Byline: John Porretto
Original URL
Exxon Mobil Corp. said Tuesday it will make its first major investment in greenhouse-gas reducing biofuels in a $600 million partnership with biotech company Synthetic Genomics Inc. to develop transportation fuels from algae.
Despite record-breaking profits in recent years, the oil and gas giant has been criticized by environmental groups, members of Congress and even shareholders for not spending enough to explore alternative energy options.
One of the company's requirements was finding a biofuel source that could be produced on a large scale. It says photosynthetic algae appears to be a viable, long-term candidate. If the alliance is successful, pumping algae-based gasoline at Exxon service stations is still several years away and will mean additional, multibillion-dollar investments for mass production.
"This is not going to be easy, and there are no guarantees of success," Emil Jacobs, a vice president at Exxon Mobil Research and Engineering Co., said in an interview with The Associated Press. "But we're combining Exxon Mobil's technical and financial strength with a leader in bioscientific genomics."
Jacobs said the project involves three critical steps: identifying algae strains that can produce suitable types of oil quickly and at low costs, determining the best way to grow the algae and developing systems to harvest enough for commercial purposes.
Besides the potential for large-scale production, algae has other benefits, Jacobs said. It can be grown using land and water unsuitable for other crop and food production; it consumes carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas blamed for climate change; and it can produce an oil with molecular structures similar to the petroleum products -- gasoline, diesel, jet fuel -- Exxon already makes.
That means the Irving, Texas-based company will be able to convert the bio-oil into fuels at its own refineries and use existing pipelines and tanker trucks to get it to consumers.
The $600 million price tag includes $300 million for Exxon's internal costs and $300 million or more to La Jolla, Calif.-based Synthetic Genomics -- if research and development milestones are successfully met.
"Even though this is a multiyear program, we both still consider it a very aggressive timetable, and it involves a lot of basic research," said J. Craig Venter, founder and CEO of the privately held company. "As a result, you don't know the answers until you've done these tests and experiments."
Algae is considered a sustainable source for second-generation biofuels, which go beyond corn-based ethanol into nonfood sources such as switchgrass and wood chips.
Royal Dutch Shell PLC said earlier this year it would scale back large investments in wind and solar in favor of next-generation biofuels. The European oil giant is working with Canadian company Iogen Corp. on a method to produce ethanol from wheat straw, and partnering with Germany-based Choren Industries to develop a synthetic biofuel from wood residue.
Another oil major, BP PLC, plans to team up with Verenium Corp. to build a $300 million cellulosic ethanol plant in Highlands County, Fla.
For Exxon Mobil, the world's largest publicly traded oil company, the biofuels investment is tiny compared with its spending to find new supplies of crude and natural gas.
CEO Rex Tillerson said earlier this year Exxon's 2009 spending on capital and exploration projects is expected to reach $29 billion, up from the $26.1 billion it spent in 2008. The company said those levels are likely to remain in the $25 billion to $30 billion range through 2013.
Gene scientist to create algae biofuel with Exxon Mobil
New biofuel requires no car or plane engine modification
Alok Jha, The Guardian - Published under license by, BusinessGreen, 15 Jul 2009
Gene scientist Craig Venter has announced plans to develop next-generation biofuels from algae in a $600m partnership with oil giant Exxon Mobil.
His company, Synthetic Genomics Incorporated (SGI), will develop fuels that can be used by cars or aeroplanes without the need for any modification of their engines. Exxon Mobil will provide $600m over five years with half going to SGI.
"Meeting the world's growing energy demands will require a multitude of technologies and energy sources," said Emil Jacobs, vice president of research and development at ExxonMobil. "We believe that biofuel produced by algae could be a meaningful part of the solution in the future if our efforts result in an economically viable, low-net carbon emission transportation fuel."
Transport accounts for one-quarter of the UK's carbon emissions and is the fastest growing sector. Finding carbon-neutral fuels will be crucial to the government meeting its target to reduce overall emissions by 80 per cent by 2050.
Algae are an attractive way to harvest solar energy because they reproduce themselves, they can live in areas not useful for producing food and they do not need clean or even fresh water. In addition, they use far less space to grow than traditional biofuel crops such as corn or palm oil.
"Algae consumes carbon dioxide and sunlight in the presence of water, to make a kind of oil that has similar molecular structures to petroleum products we produce today," said Jacobs. "That means it could be possible to convert it into gasoline and diesel in existing refineries, transport it through existing pipelines, and sell it to consumers from existing service stations."
The Carbon Trust, a government-backed agency that promotes low-carbon technologies, has forecast that algae-based biofuels could replace more than 70bn litres of fossil fuels used every year around the world in road transport and aviation by 2030, equivalent to 12 per cent of annual global jet fuel consumption or six per cent of road transport diesel. In carbon terms, this equates to an annual saving of more than 160m tonnes of CO2 globally with a market value of more than £15bn.
Ben Graziano, research and development manager at the Carbon Trust, said that algae-based biofuels offered the potential for "major carbon savings". "Exxon Mobil is estimating that algae could yield just over 20,000 litres of fuel per hectare each year, which is in line with our own forecasts," he said. "However, producing biofuel from algae on such a massive commercial scale is a major challenge, which will require many years of research and development."
Venter, who is best known for his role in sequencing the human genome, said the new partnership was the largest single investment in trying to produce biofuels from algae but said the challenge to creating a viable next-generation fuel was the ability to produce it in large volumes. "This would not happen without the oil industry stepping up and taking part," he said. "The challenges are not minor for any of us but we have the combined teams and scientific and engineering talents to give this the best chance of success."
The research programme will begin with the construction of a new test facility in San Diego, where Venter says different techniques to grow and optimise algae will be tested. These will include open ponds as well as bioreactors, where the algae are grown in sealed tubes. "We will be trying out these different approaches … using newly-discovered natural algae to test the best approaches we can come up with to go into a scale-up mode."
Venter has spent several years trawling the world's oceans in search of environmentally-friendly microbes that could be used, in one way or another, to bring down the world's carbon emissions. The organisms he has found include those that can turn CO2 into methane, which could be used to make fuels from the exhaust gases of power stations, and another that turns coal into natural gas, speeding up a natural process and reducing both the energy needed to extract the fossil fuel and the amount of pollution caused when it is burned.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
The 50 hottest Bioenergy Companies and latest hottest on Algae.
The top 50 Bioenergy companies
1. Coskata
2. Sapphire Energy
3. Virent Energy Systems
4. POET
5. Range Fuels
6. Solazyme
7. Amyris Biotechnologies
8. Mascoma
9. DuPont Danisco
10. UOP
11. ZeaChem
12. Aquaflow Bionomic
13. Bluefire Ethanol
14. Novozymes
15. Qteros
16. Petrobras
17. Cobalt Biofuels
18. Iogen
19. Synthetic Genomics
20. Abengoa Energy
21. KL Energy
22. Ineos
23. GreenFuel
24. Vital Renewable Energy
25. LS9
26. Raven Biofuels
27. Gevo
28. St.1 Biofuels Oy
29. Primafuel
30. Taurus Energy
31. Ceres
32. Syngenta
33. Aurora Biofuels
34. Bionavitas
35. Algenol
36. Verenium
37. Simply Green
38. Carbon Green
39. SEKAB
40. Osage Bioenergy
41. Dynamotive
42. Sustainable Power
43. ETH Bioenergia
44. Choren
45. OriginOil
46. Propel Fuels
47. GEM Biofuels
48. Lake Erie Biofuels
49. Cavitation Technologies
50. Lotus/Jaguar – Omnivore
Hot Topics on the latest on algae-to-energy
Here are some of the most popular latest stories on algae-to-energy that have run in Biofuels Digest:
Profile of Aquatic Energy: In Louisiana, Aquatic Energy unveiled significant progress in its pilot algae-to-energy project in the Lake Charles-Lafayette corridor of the state. The company is now preparing to expand from a “couple of acre” pilot in Lake Charles, to an 30-acre demonstration project that will feature the company’s 1-acre open-pond system that is yielding 2500 gallons per acre without using an external CO2 source.
Profile of Aurora Biofuels: “It’s the Florida panther of algae biofuels: little seen, but capable of making a big mark and certainly, of late, issuing a big roar with completion of its 18-month pilot and confidence now high that they will be at demo-stage next year and on target for $1.30 algal fuel.”
Profile of PetroAlgae: “You will not see giant corn ears, gas pumps or a string of billboards in Burma Shave style at Fellsmere. What you will see is the first near-to-workable platform for a national energy solution. They, or rather PetroAlgae, is making algal oil in Fellsmere, and nearing completion of a vertically integrated, scaleable, licensable 5-6,000 gallon per acre algae-to-energy production system.”
Sapphire Energy speeds up path to commercialization: In California, Sapphire Energy said the pace of algae commercialization is increasing and that it will reach commercial scale by 2011, and producing 1 Mgy of diesel and jet fuel from algae that year, double its previous estimate.
OriginOil announces breakthrough oil extraction technology: In California, OriginOil announced a breakthrough, one-step process for extracting oil from algae. The company said that its patent-pending process does not require chemicals or significant capital expenditure for heavy machinery, and no initial dewatering is required.
Solazyme says lifecycle analysis of Soladiesel shows 93 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions: In California, Life Cycle Associates, the same consultant that performed lifecycle greenhouse gas calculations for the California Air Resources Board, completed a field-to-wheels assessment of Soladiesel, the company’s algae-based biodiesel using the Argonne National Laboratories GREET model. LCA found that Soladiesel’s full lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are 85 to 93 percent lower than standard petroleum based ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD).
1. Coskata
2. Sapphire Energy
3. Virent Energy Systems
4. POET
5. Range Fuels
6. Solazyme
7. Amyris Biotechnologies
8. Mascoma
9. DuPont Danisco
10. UOP
11. ZeaChem
12. Aquaflow Bionomic
13. Bluefire Ethanol
14. Novozymes
15. Qteros
16. Petrobras
17. Cobalt Biofuels
18. Iogen
19. Synthetic Genomics
20. Abengoa Energy
21. KL Energy
22. Ineos
23. GreenFuel
24. Vital Renewable Energy
25. LS9
26. Raven Biofuels
27. Gevo
28. St.1 Biofuels Oy
29. Primafuel
30. Taurus Energy
31. Ceres
32. Syngenta
33. Aurora Biofuels
34. Bionavitas
35. Algenol
36. Verenium
37. Simply Green
38. Carbon Green
39. SEKAB
40. Osage Bioenergy
41. Dynamotive
42. Sustainable Power
43. ETH Bioenergia
44. Choren
45. OriginOil
46. Propel Fuels
47. GEM Biofuels
48. Lake Erie Biofuels
49. Cavitation Technologies
50. Lotus/Jaguar – Omnivore
Hot Topics on the latest on algae-to-energy
Here are some of the most popular latest stories on algae-to-energy that have run in Biofuels Digest:
Profile of Aquatic Energy: In Louisiana, Aquatic Energy unveiled significant progress in its pilot algae-to-energy project in the Lake Charles-Lafayette corridor of the state. The company is now preparing to expand from a “couple of acre” pilot in Lake Charles, to an 30-acre demonstration project that will feature the company’s 1-acre open-pond system that is yielding 2500 gallons per acre without using an external CO2 source.
Profile of Aurora Biofuels: “It’s the Florida panther of algae biofuels: little seen, but capable of making a big mark and certainly, of late, issuing a big roar with completion of its 18-month pilot and confidence now high that they will be at demo-stage next year and on target for $1.30 algal fuel.”
Profile of PetroAlgae: “You will not see giant corn ears, gas pumps or a string of billboards in Burma Shave style at Fellsmere. What you will see is the first near-to-workable platform for a national energy solution. They, or rather PetroAlgae, is making algal oil in Fellsmere, and nearing completion of a vertically integrated, scaleable, licensable 5-6,000 gallon per acre algae-to-energy production system.”
Sapphire Energy speeds up path to commercialization: In California, Sapphire Energy said the pace of algae commercialization is increasing and that it will reach commercial scale by 2011, and producing 1 Mgy of diesel and jet fuel from algae that year, double its previous estimate.
OriginOil announces breakthrough oil extraction technology: In California, OriginOil announced a breakthrough, one-step process for extracting oil from algae. The company said that its patent-pending process does not require chemicals or significant capital expenditure for heavy machinery, and no initial dewatering is required.
Solazyme says lifecycle analysis of Soladiesel shows 93 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions: In California, Life Cycle Associates, the same consultant that performed lifecycle greenhouse gas calculations for the California Air Resources Board, completed a field-to-wheels assessment of Soladiesel, the company’s algae-based biodiesel using the Argonne National Laboratories GREET model. LCA found that Soladiesel’s full lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are 85 to 93 percent lower than standard petroleum based ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD).
Dynamic biofuel use in EU!
EU biodiesel production grows, UK meets sustainability goals
Two reports issued from the United Kingdom’s Renewable Fuels Agency and the European Biodiesel Board this week give a snapshot of the European biofuels industry.
EBB reports biodiesel numbers
The European Biodiesel Board released figures showing the European Union biodiesel production
totaled 7.7 million metric tons (approximately 3 billion gallons) in 2008, comprising 78 percent of the biofuels consumed in the EU. The EBB estimates the EU is responsible for 65 percent of the world’s biodiesel output.
The organization reiterated its stand that the EU biodiesel industry was hurt by U.S. biodiesel imports in analyzing recent production trends. “EBB statistics for 2008 and 2009 show that at least 50 percent of existing plants remain idle,” the report said. The number of biodiesel plants stands at 276 as of July 2009 with close to 21 million metric tons (over 8 billion gallons) of installed capacity. The 36.7 percent increase in 2008 biodiesel production compared to 2007 indicates a continued slowing of growth in the industry, which had seen production increases in 2005 and 2006 of 65 percent and 54 percent respectively.
The EBB said the recent growth in biodiesel production is not sufficient to meet “the ambitious EU objective for climate change mitigation outlined in the recently published Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28.” The EBB estimates the 10 percent renewable content for the transport sector will require the production of 30 to 35 million metric tons (12 to 14 billion gallons) of biodiesel by 2020. The EBB called for completion of standards for B10 as soon as possible as an essential step in reaching the 10 percent target. As the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive is implemented in each of the member states, the EBB emphasized the need for coordinated sustainability requirements. “Let us not lose sight of the fact that EU biodiesel is already today produced in a sustainable way.”
UK meets GHG reduction goals
The United Kingdom beat its target of 2.5 percent biofuel content in transportation fuels, according to provisional data released July 15 by the Renewable Fuels Agency . The biofuel content was 82 percent biodiesel, 18 percent ethanol plus a very small quantity of biogas. The RFA reported the results from the first year of reporting on biofuels supplied to retail outlets under the UK Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation. A final report will be issued later this year following verification.
The Renewable Fuels Agency was established in 2007 to administrate the RTFO which establishes sustainability and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets for the United Kingdom. According to the RFA statement, the most challenging target for companies was that 30 percent of biofuels should meet environmental sustainability standards. “Although many companies have risen to the challenge, others have still not reported any demonstrably sustainable fuel,” the RFA said. “Overall, 24 percent of fuel reached the required level.” The agency estimated the biofuels supplied delivered a 47 percent reduction in GHG compared to fossil fuels, exceeding the 40 percent target, although indirect emissions were not incorporated into the life-cycle analysis.
The RTFO is helping to drive the development of a sustainable biofuels market in the UK where 99 percent of the feedstocks supplied by UK agriculture meets the standard. While the UK has a well-established sustainability program, many other countries do not, said Aaron Berry, the RFA’s head of carbon and sustainability. “Progress by projects such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and the Better Sugarcane Initiative show reason for optimism,” he said, “as does the commitment of those companies that have undertaken their own sustainability audit.
Meanwhile in California, Khosla Ventures has announced two new cleantech investment funds with a combined $1 billion in fresh capital.
The first fund, $250 million in size, will fund new startups, while the larger $750 million fund will provide fresh capital to companies that are seeking funds for scale up and commercialization. The second fund is an example of an approach to solve the “valley of death” problem that befalls companies as they transition from small early-stage companies and find themselves too big for traditional VC investments but too early to attract project finance interest.
According to a report in Forbes, Khosla will set up a “conflicts committee” for the new funds that will oversee and limit re-investment in old companies that have not succeeded. Bnet.com is reporting that “Talk is growing of a spate of cleantech IPOs down the road.”
Khosla invested in Coskata, Amyris, LS9, RaneFuels, LanzaTech, Gevo and KiOR, as well as an interest in Cello Energy, which recently attracted interest when the company was assessed $10 million in liability to an earlier round investor. Among other Silicon Valley giants, Burrill & Company has also commenced development of a new cleantech fund.
Two reports issued from the United Kingdom’s Renewable Fuels Agency and the European Biodiesel Board this week give a snapshot of the European biofuels industry.
EBB reports biodiesel numbers
The European Biodiesel Board released figures showing the European Union biodiesel production
totaled 7.7 million metric tons (approximately 3 billion gallons) in 2008, comprising 78 percent of the biofuels consumed in the EU. The EBB estimates the EU is responsible for 65 percent of the world’s biodiesel output.
The organization reiterated its stand that the EU biodiesel industry was hurt by U.S. biodiesel imports in analyzing recent production trends. “EBB statistics for 2008 and 2009 show that at least 50 percent of existing plants remain idle,” the report said. The number of biodiesel plants stands at 276 as of July 2009 with close to 21 million metric tons (over 8 billion gallons) of installed capacity. The 36.7 percent increase in 2008 biodiesel production compared to 2007 indicates a continued slowing of growth in the industry, which had seen production increases in 2005 and 2006 of 65 percent and 54 percent respectively.
The EBB said the recent growth in biodiesel production is not sufficient to meet “the ambitious EU objective for climate change mitigation outlined in the recently published Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28.” The EBB estimates the 10 percent renewable content for the transport sector will require the production of 30 to 35 million metric tons (12 to 14 billion gallons) of biodiesel by 2020. The EBB called for completion of standards for B10 as soon as possible as an essential step in reaching the 10 percent target. As the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive is implemented in each of the member states, the EBB emphasized the need for coordinated sustainability requirements. “Let us not lose sight of the fact that EU biodiesel is already today produced in a sustainable way.”
UK meets GHG reduction goals
The United Kingdom beat its target of 2.5 percent biofuel content in transportation fuels, according to provisional data released July 15 by the Renewable Fuels Agency . The biofuel content was 82 percent biodiesel, 18 percent ethanol plus a very small quantity of biogas. The RFA reported the results from the first year of reporting on biofuels supplied to retail outlets under the UK Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation. A final report will be issued later this year following verification.
The Renewable Fuels Agency was established in 2007 to administrate the RTFO which establishes sustainability and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets for the United Kingdom. According to the RFA statement, the most challenging target for companies was that 30 percent of biofuels should meet environmental sustainability standards. “Although many companies have risen to the challenge, others have still not reported any demonstrably sustainable fuel,” the RFA said. “Overall, 24 percent of fuel reached the required level.” The agency estimated the biofuels supplied delivered a 47 percent reduction in GHG compared to fossil fuels, exceeding the 40 percent target, although indirect emissions were not incorporated into the life-cycle analysis.
The RTFO is helping to drive the development of a sustainable biofuels market in the UK where 99 percent of the feedstocks supplied by UK agriculture meets the standard. While the UK has a well-established sustainability program, many other countries do not, said Aaron Berry, the RFA’s head of carbon and sustainability. “Progress by projects such as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil and the Better Sugarcane Initiative show reason for optimism,” he said, “as does the commitment of those companies that have undertaken their own sustainability audit.
Meanwhile in California, Khosla Ventures has announced two new cleantech investment funds with a combined $1 billion in fresh capital.
The first fund, $250 million in size, will fund new startups, while the larger $750 million fund will provide fresh capital to companies that are seeking funds for scale up and commercialization. The second fund is an example of an approach to solve the “valley of death” problem that befalls companies as they transition from small early-stage companies and find themselves too big for traditional VC investments but too early to attract project finance interest.
According to a report in Forbes, Khosla will set up a “conflicts committee” for the new funds that will oversee and limit re-investment in old companies that have not succeeded. Bnet.com is reporting that “Talk is growing of a spate of cleantech IPOs down the road.”
Khosla invested in Coskata, Amyris, LS9, RaneFuels, LanzaTech, Gevo and KiOR, as well as an interest in Cello Energy, which recently attracted interest when the company was assessed $10 million in liability to an earlier round investor. Among other Silicon Valley giants, Burrill & Company has also commenced development of a new cleantech fund.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Fake glories and poverty.
By Gene Drekeke Iyovo in Wuxi City, China
People must change attitude for PNG to develop
PRIOR to 2007 July, I had negative perception about foreigners, especially people of Asian origins.
All I thought about them was that they were simple traders or investors from tucker shops to big mining operations.
I lived in my own isolated world while conscious of PNG’s path towards development.
Until the day I stepped out of Macau Airlines via Shanghai to Beijing in September 1, 2007, everything changed for me. I was bemused by the structures and buildings, roads and bridge, huge and gleaming, yet magnificent cities in China.
Actually, I did expect to see the images of Kung Fu movies, the replica of Kunfu Gangs and knife welding warriors. But suddenly, the big modern Wuxi City with skyscrapers erected all up, in streets abundant with cheap food, efficient transport systems and everlasting smiles, depicting the curious looks of loving citizens.
Traveling by train to another huge city with million passengers on a daily bases, I kept thinking that PNG can not match this part of the great China!
Wuxi City was one of the ten cities of the Jiangsu province where I live and study. It is a huge city, much bigger then Port Moresby alone. But interestingly, the citizens tell me it’s the smallest and unpopular city in China. I see the opposite.
The road system is very convenient, accessible and sustainable for all types of transport including bicycles, three wheeled vehicles, and electronic vehicles, even the pedestrians.
The roads are permanently built with bitumen and cement, pothole free and long lasting without regular maintenance.
I imagine our roads in PNG that experience potholes after three to four months of construction and have to go under regular maintenance or non at all leading to bumpy rides. We waste a lot of time and resources costing tax payers huge money.
The roads at Wuxi are affordable and connect all cities either by bus, train or private vehicles.
Farmers bring their produce easily using cheap and affordable transport means like three wheeled vehicles to supply the huge population that results in alleviating poverty and improving life styles.
The roads play major role in China’s magic economic rise! Mega highways are the real blood veins of China’s economic growth.
Transport ranges from luxurious kind to three wheeled cars and bicycles. Since roads are convenient and user friendly, cheaper means of transport are used making economic activities increase at a constant rate.
Creating a suitable condition and system for man is increasing the economic activities that improves and drives for a prosperous society China faces today.
The huge cities are filled with apples, watermelons, fish, shrimps, eggs, chicken, duck, pork, greens and vegetables whether processed or not at cheaper prices. Wonder how a constant supply is there in the heart of the city at certain price all year round? Efficient roads and transport!
But I wondered how China produces all these surplus agricultural products and others?
My investigations lead to government - people relationships, especially the farmer relation is rigid.
The responsible government supplies the basic farming materials, impart agriculture knowledge and make the willing and readily available farmers to engage in intensive farming activities.
The necessary bills incurred on them are paid off and the farmers take full ownership in the farming entrepreneurship that keeps a constant supply to the markets.
In this simple way, millions of farmers are rich and poverty is minimized and eventually eradicated in many parts of China.
The constant support from the government encourages the farmers and consequently, you find eels meat, shrimps, pork, apples, and other produce at cheap prices throughout the city at a constant price, despite the different weathers.
In PNG, it is rare to find an eel, shrimp, crab, mutton, pork, fish, and other food staff on a family dining table.
My first taste of shrimp was in China even though I worked and lived in the coastal city of Lae for the past 7 years that would have abundant supply of many sea produces, including shrimps.
It is embarrassing to compare PNG with China when PNG can do simple things successful but yet fail in many ways. Most of these things include agriculture, infrastructure developments, processing and other informal sectors
Many Papua New Guineans are genuine but there are rampant lazy elites that make things fall their way or fail to disseminate their services for rightful progress in every sectors.
The whole lots of population is thought to be lazy, beg, steal and are engaged in dishonest ways of life and make belief in lies and become overnight rich through corruption.
The PNG population is led to go astray as they are engaged in no knowledge no certificate jobs like thieveries, betel nut commerce, gambling and exotic and unrealistic life styles.
Imagine how many millions may be under that category for the rest of their lives as orphans lacking parental guidance.
Life is creativity and PNG lack creativity. That is why we have a stagnant economic growth while the little ripples now are due to mining boom, but all will go and leave bunch of helpless individual who will not know how to make sweet potato bread or fix a bicycle tyre.
It was confirmed when the dim-witted games like state of origin played by some individuals who played for his bread and butter down in Australia and people in PNG have to die, violence and casualties !
This was a big joke! A PNG mining engineer in Australia by online chat laughed and joked a lot when he said no body knows who is Alan Langer or Willie Mason and no body cares about state of origin in his city.
It will be another government liability if the nation develops state of origin related syndrome!
In September 2008 after the glorious high tech Olympic Beijing Games, Shenzhou 7 rocket was launched.
Before the launching time, a handful of Chinese students came and watched on their internet TV for only 2-4 minutes then back to their work in our laboratory.
This was of surprise to me because I expected them or the city and the nation to be in jubilation with shouts and fireworks, coinciding with the bursting off of the rocket.
Forget the Australians’ who were there to watch the state of origin live but imagine the jubilation amongst the crazy Papua New Guineans in PNG on the game they regard second to God.
Though Shenzhou 7s’ success was the pride of China, these Chinese students and the entire nation did not show off but humbled themselves and went back to their respective serious jobs and studies to build a even better pride for China.
And in PNG, we are like the bunch of hungry dogs fighting over the bare bone (rugby ball and state of origin) that is played somewhere in Australia where most of us will not set foot on.
For a game that will not profit PNG in any way, a game played by unknown person who is nobody to the course of the nations’ development, who plays as part of his employment, for the increase of his salary and most importantly will not sympathize for those dead, wounded or broken families, friends due to this game.
It is ridiculous enough! This is a false glory, and it is now imperative that government has the responsibility to control this rubbish given the past records and this year’s record of high violence and deaths reported.
I have also come to realize that, it is a rampant knowledge for under twelve years children to know all the players in a team, jersey numbers, full names, coach and other immediate data of the people involved.
I wonder if such zeal can be used to emphasis in the right thing, educate for vigorous national development in all sectors.
Or better I would encourage the children to learn periodic elements, names and symbols, geography, Chinese characters, mathematics, or bible text and verses then a rubbish that profits one and makes population into fake jubilations. PNG ‘s development is at snail pace and human development is low, majority of enforcers who suppose to go to the people and implement , teach , and ensure projects progress are all air conditioned office layers.
High rate of violence and crime, poor diet, low agricultural products output and increased inadequate supply of goods and services will continue to increase as long as people’s focus are on fake glories.
If PNG will have to move forward in just ten years, there has to be major changes , for instances, make illegal all playing card purchase into the country, mobilize and cut all buai trees in the country, stop rugby games on TV etc..
If PNG wants change, change yourself first. Take some drastic change and abort some stupid industries like mentioned.
If you want facts, look at Japan who make car engines “made in Japan” running in New York city after loosing WW11 after 30 to 40 years or look at China with double digit growth in economy and how they chase out foreign infiltrates, clean themselves up then go global and now in PNG.
If PNG will have to grow, there will be sacrifices the government needs to make for the good of development. Leniency is a sin in itself that will drag PNG down.
State of origin, buai and other social influences are mentioned here as illustrations but are serious problems in PNG directing people’s mind into idleness and promote rampant poverty.
Shall we clean the cobweb or kill the spider?
Note: The writer is a postgraduate PNG student in China majoring in biofuels with research interests in biodiesel, bioethanol, biogas, production-processing and engineering from algae, jatropha, oil palm, industrial wastes at Jiangnan University, School of Biotechnology. For comments or inquiry, e-mail Mathew Yakai on m_yakai@hotmail.com
People must change attitude for PNG to develop
PRIOR to 2007 July, I had negative perception about foreigners, especially people of Asian origins.
All I thought about them was that they were simple traders or investors from tucker shops to big mining operations.
I lived in my own isolated world while conscious of PNG’s path towards development.
Until the day I stepped out of Macau Airlines via Shanghai to Beijing in September 1, 2007, everything changed for me. I was bemused by the structures and buildings, roads and bridge, huge and gleaming, yet magnificent cities in China.
Actually, I did expect to see the images of Kung Fu movies, the replica of Kunfu Gangs and knife welding warriors. But suddenly, the big modern Wuxi City with skyscrapers erected all up, in streets abundant with cheap food, efficient transport systems and everlasting smiles, depicting the curious looks of loving citizens.
Traveling by train to another huge city with million passengers on a daily bases, I kept thinking that PNG can not match this part of the great China!
Wuxi City was one of the ten cities of the Jiangsu province where I live and study. It is a huge city, much bigger then Port Moresby alone. But interestingly, the citizens tell me it’s the smallest and unpopular city in China. I see the opposite.
The road system is very convenient, accessible and sustainable for all types of transport including bicycles, three wheeled vehicles, and electronic vehicles, even the pedestrians.
The roads are permanently built with bitumen and cement, pothole free and long lasting without regular maintenance.
I imagine our roads in PNG that experience potholes after three to four months of construction and have to go under regular maintenance or non at all leading to bumpy rides. We waste a lot of time and resources costing tax payers huge money.
The roads at Wuxi are affordable and connect all cities either by bus, train or private vehicles.
Farmers bring their produce easily using cheap and affordable transport means like three wheeled vehicles to supply the huge population that results in alleviating poverty and improving life styles.
The roads play major role in China’s magic economic rise! Mega highways are the real blood veins of China’s economic growth.
Transport ranges from luxurious kind to three wheeled cars and bicycles. Since roads are convenient and user friendly, cheaper means of transport are used making economic activities increase at a constant rate.
Creating a suitable condition and system for man is increasing the economic activities that improves and drives for a prosperous society China faces today.
The huge cities are filled with apples, watermelons, fish, shrimps, eggs, chicken, duck, pork, greens and vegetables whether processed or not at cheaper prices. Wonder how a constant supply is there in the heart of the city at certain price all year round? Efficient roads and transport!
But I wondered how China produces all these surplus agricultural products and others?
My investigations lead to government - people relationships, especially the farmer relation is rigid.
The responsible government supplies the basic farming materials, impart agriculture knowledge and make the willing and readily available farmers to engage in intensive farming activities.
The necessary bills incurred on them are paid off and the farmers take full ownership in the farming entrepreneurship that keeps a constant supply to the markets.
In this simple way, millions of farmers are rich and poverty is minimized and eventually eradicated in many parts of China.
The constant support from the government encourages the farmers and consequently, you find eels meat, shrimps, pork, apples, and other produce at cheap prices throughout the city at a constant price, despite the different weathers.
In PNG, it is rare to find an eel, shrimp, crab, mutton, pork, fish, and other food staff on a family dining table.
My first taste of shrimp was in China even though I worked and lived in the coastal city of Lae for the past 7 years that would have abundant supply of many sea produces, including shrimps.
It is embarrassing to compare PNG with China when PNG can do simple things successful but yet fail in many ways. Most of these things include agriculture, infrastructure developments, processing and other informal sectors
Many Papua New Guineans are genuine but there are rampant lazy elites that make things fall their way or fail to disseminate their services for rightful progress in every sectors.
The whole lots of population is thought to be lazy, beg, steal and are engaged in dishonest ways of life and make belief in lies and become overnight rich through corruption.
The PNG population is led to go astray as they are engaged in no knowledge no certificate jobs like thieveries, betel nut commerce, gambling and exotic and unrealistic life styles.
Imagine how many millions may be under that category for the rest of their lives as orphans lacking parental guidance.
Life is creativity and PNG lack creativity. That is why we have a stagnant economic growth while the little ripples now are due to mining boom, but all will go and leave bunch of helpless individual who will not know how to make sweet potato bread or fix a bicycle tyre.
It was confirmed when the dim-witted games like state of origin played by some individuals who played for his bread and butter down in Australia and people in PNG have to die, violence and casualties !
This was a big joke! A PNG mining engineer in Australia by online chat laughed and joked a lot when he said no body knows who is Alan Langer or Willie Mason and no body cares about state of origin in his city.
It will be another government liability if the nation develops state of origin related syndrome!
In September 2008 after the glorious high tech Olympic Beijing Games, Shenzhou 7 rocket was launched.
Before the launching time, a handful of Chinese students came and watched on their internet TV for only 2-4 minutes then back to their work in our laboratory.
This was of surprise to me because I expected them or the city and the nation to be in jubilation with shouts and fireworks, coinciding with the bursting off of the rocket.
Forget the Australians’ who were there to watch the state of origin live but imagine the jubilation amongst the crazy Papua New Guineans in PNG on the game they regard second to God.
Though Shenzhou 7s’ success was the pride of China, these Chinese students and the entire nation did not show off but humbled themselves and went back to their respective serious jobs and studies to build a even better pride for China.
And in PNG, we are like the bunch of hungry dogs fighting over the bare bone (rugby ball and state of origin) that is played somewhere in Australia where most of us will not set foot on.
For a game that will not profit PNG in any way, a game played by unknown person who is nobody to the course of the nations’ development, who plays as part of his employment, for the increase of his salary and most importantly will not sympathize for those dead, wounded or broken families, friends due to this game.
It is ridiculous enough! This is a false glory, and it is now imperative that government has the responsibility to control this rubbish given the past records and this year’s record of high violence and deaths reported.
I have also come to realize that, it is a rampant knowledge for under twelve years children to know all the players in a team, jersey numbers, full names, coach and other immediate data of the people involved.
I wonder if such zeal can be used to emphasis in the right thing, educate for vigorous national development in all sectors.
Or better I would encourage the children to learn periodic elements, names and symbols, geography, Chinese characters, mathematics, or bible text and verses then a rubbish that profits one and makes population into fake jubilations. PNG ‘s development is at snail pace and human development is low, majority of enforcers who suppose to go to the people and implement , teach , and ensure projects progress are all air conditioned office layers.
High rate of violence and crime, poor diet, low agricultural products output and increased inadequate supply of goods and services will continue to increase as long as people’s focus are on fake glories.
If PNG will have to move forward in just ten years, there has to be major changes , for instances, make illegal all playing card purchase into the country, mobilize and cut all buai trees in the country, stop rugby games on TV etc..
If PNG wants change, change yourself first. Take some drastic change and abort some stupid industries like mentioned.
If you want facts, look at Japan who make car engines “made in Japan” running in New York city after loosing WW11 after 30 to 40 years or look at China with double digit growth in economy and how they chase out foreign infiltrates, clean themselves up then go global and now in PNG.
If PNG will have to grow, there will be sacrifices the government needs to make for the good of development. Leniency is a sin in itself that will drag PNG down.
State of origin, buai and other social influences are mentioned here as illustrations but are serious problems in PNG directing people’s mind into idleness and promote rampant poverty.
Shall we clean the cobweb or kill the spider?
Note: The writer is a postgraduate PNG student in China majoring in biofuels with research interests in biodiesel, bioethanol, biogas, production-processing and engineering from algae, jatropha, oil palm, industrial wastes at Jiangnan University, School of Biotechnology. For comments or inquiry, e-mail Mathew Yakai on m_yakai@hotmail.com
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
ExxonMobil Vigorous investment in Algae!
In California, ExxonMobil, the last of the oil majors to commit to a major investment in biofuels, announced that its Research and Engineering unit will invest $300 million in inhouse algae research, and up to an additional $300 million in La Jolla-based Synthetic Genomics, the genetics firm founded by J. Craig Venter that has been working on algae-to-energy research since 2005. SGI has developed techniques for harvesting algal oils, and will focus research on increasing lipid content by manipulating algal strains. The ExxonMobil investment in SGI is contingent on the meeting of R&D goals, according to a report in the New York Times.
The venture is presented as a research collaboration rather than a commercialization effort at his stage, and could be classified to some extent opposite a $500 million investment made in 2007 by BP in the Joint Bioenergy Institute.
For sheer magnitude of investment, the focus on a single bioenergy feedstock, and the focus on a single R&D partner in Synthetic Genomics, the announcement is without parallel in biofuels history.
"Exxon-Mobil's $600 million dollar commitment to algae based bio-crude and biofuels," said Will Thurmond, author of the Algae2020 study, "represents another affirmative commitment by major petroleum companies, research laboratories, private investors and governments that are looking beyond the research and development phase, and are now entering the next stage to scale up and build out industrial-scale systems based on innovative, emerging and disruptive technologies."
It may not be possible to interpret this investment as, in itself, a new and imminent path towards algal fuel commercialization, but it can be regarded as confirmation that ExxonMobil, after a famously long delay, has entered the renewable energy arena, and is placing its bet on algae.
The venture is presented as a research collaboration rather than a commercialization effort at his stage, and could be classified to some extent opposite a $500 million investment made in 2007 by BP in the Joint Bioenergy Institute.
For sheer magnitude of investment, the focus on a single bioenergy feedstock, and the focus on a single R&D partner in Synthetic Genomics, the announcement is without parallel in biofuels history.
"Exxon-Mobil's $600 million dollar commitment to algae based bio-crude and biofuels," said Will Thurmond, author of the Algae2020 study, "represents another affirmative commitment by major petroleum companies, research laboratories, private investors and governments that are looking beyond the research and development phase, and are now entering the next stage to scale up and build out industrial-scale systems based on innovative, emerging and disruptive technologies."
It may not be possible to interpret this investment as, in itself, a new and imminent path towards algal fuel commercialization, but it can be regarded as confirmation that ExxonMobil, after a famously long delay, has entered the renewable energy arena, and is placing its bet on algae.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Politicizing Climate Change is dangerous for PNG!
The issue of climate change is a new physical science in the world today though it is taught and discovered recently of the phenomenal climate change since the beginning of time. In Papua New Guinea is totally new. Government, statutory bodies, private and individuals need to understand some real basics of science behind before shouting from the mountain tops.
Firstly lets look at the causes of temperature rise in the world. According to real science, the only factor that makes the earth warm is the sun. More than 90 % of the causes causing temperature rise in the past century by 0.8 ºC was by the sun while 10 % accounts to natural variations prone to vegetational changes due to changes in environment variability and planetary energy balance.
Many focus has being laid on carbon dioxide and methane as green house gas while over looking the water vapor which is the greatest concentration known and is one of the green house gas. Energy is not needed to drive the water cycle; the energy comes from the sun evaporation- cooling in stratosphere region and transpiration in plants. Without arguing the heat conductivity or heat capacities of carbon dioxide, methane or water lets consider from equilibrium point of view. In equilibrium science, one concentration of same kind move to lower concentration, now carbon dioxide still remains 0.03 % in the atmospheric composition since science was invented!
All plants and are satisfied with the 0.03% carbon dioxide supply and water vapor at its current routes either via its cycles or plants compost the cycle of exchange for oxygen keeping animals alive, in other words we need carbon dioxide and water vapor if we want oxygen, without oxygen.
So what are all these stories and fears about climate change? Can man save the planet? Planting trees and giving tax save how many lives either plants or animals, human beings? These are the fears that are instigated by low educated politicians and self proclaimed scientist, those hungry for rich, power and influence taking advantages of the poor uneducated mass. This is not ruling out that there is no climate change and everyone else go to sleep! There is change but gravely misunderstood and its already a government and people’s liability. It’s already a global universal god or religion.
Take away the intense politics surrounding the global warming debate. Take away the self-interest groups, business interests, legal, bureaucratic and mass media influences that all seek to make a buck out of driving public hysteria over the fads and fashions of the age. Lets focus on real science.
Ocean temperatures are these days measured by 3,000 automated Argos buoys deployed in the seas. These buoys present a challenge to global warmers. They have failed to detect any imminent signs of climate change. According to Dr. Josh Willis who worked for NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory indicated as saying only a slight cooling over the buoys’ five years of observation, but that drop was not anything really significant
Added to this challenge is the evidence produced by NASA’s eight weather satellites totaling . 7,000 land-based stations, they take more than 300,000 temperature readings daily over the surface of the Earth. In 30 years of operation, the satellites have recorded a warming trend of just 0.14 degrees Celsius—well within the range of normal variations
The results concluded that global warming campaign was inconclusive.
The sinking islands is figured as one of the causes of climate change, this may be a grave mistake. To consider the issue of rising sea levels and sinking islands, one has to consider the change of ocean currents, apart form mini currents with a set region like Guinea current, there is this huge global ocean currents called the Themohaline circulation (THC) or ocean conveyor belt which is driven by global density gradient created by surface heat of fresh water fluxes. This is known to change direction in a space of time in decades or centuries which can also be influenced by elevated salt concentration due to increasing land use and earth’s heat from sun due to routine tilt and rotation over space of time. This means any island or a little land mass in its new direction will experience heightened level, over flooding or sinking. This does not mean ice in the North and South poles will necessary melt to sink the islands!
The West industrialized since 1800’s , for the past 200 years industrialized regions rigorously destructing forest, huge minings, petroleum usage while increasing luxury, glass house, skyscrapers for these long years until effect find them out. All these times, PNG has contributed none!
This will be supported by the fact that our atmosphere contains 730 billion tons of carbon as CO2. Each year about 120 billion tonnes of carbon are cycled via plants on land and 90billion tonnes via oceans. Human emissions account for about seven billion to 10billion tonnes, or less than 5 per cent, of the annual CO2 flux. This means 95% of the emissions follow the national law of equilibrium dynamics while 5 % emitted are sucked up by oceans increasing acidity due to weak carbonic acid form by soluble state of the carbon dioxide and others by additional flora.
If Australia is said to contribute 3.5 % of that component from 5 % (10billion tones) coming from human emissions and New Zealand 0.34 %, what is PNG contribution?
According to National Climate Change Policy Framework released by the Climate change and sustainable development office in PNG is stated that PNG has contributed 1.8% of the forest degradation! That means we are better worse that developed New Zealand and half way worse than Australia. It is also stated that the emission is projected to go 127 % of which 42% is from Asia Pacific region while the under developed transport sector with 1 in 2000 with cars are blamed for 20 % of the green house gas emission! Ridiculous! More over, land use and increasing industrializations was blamed was increased emissions. This is a laughing matter when people are still burning firewood to fry flour balls for ten toea and we marked them as industries and tax them!
Scientifically speaking, to give datas is done by proven methodology, and machines by experts and interpreted as intended. For PNG to be responsible for gas emission since the first fire and flour ball era is still here is worth the argument. Huge industustries like metal refining, steel making, nuclear, power coal, etc...are not here that shake the atmospheric gaseous composition to detection, unfortunately we have none and yet we will pay tax!
Amazingly funny, global warmists have even measure cow ‘kapupu’and said to stop cattle rearing due to methane production from their digestion. They have laid tax on them, this is forcing money out of people for fear of unknown make up lies about global warming lies! This is robbery. Soon , there is expected global taxation system in the name of global warming of leaders politicize this science.
Politicians who find difficulty in gaining consensus between political parties on issues of vital importance are suddenly finding common ground on the global warming issue. One prime example was Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel. When faced with great divisions within the European Union on a range of issues during her leadership of last year’s EU summit, she cleverly played the global warming card, raising that issue to the top of the summit agenda. Predictably, all parties fell fashionably in line behind her on this one single issue. By thus achieving consensus on what the media has seized upon as an issue of vital global importance, Merkel was able to snatch victory out of the jaws of what may well have otherwise been billed as a debacle. Leaders using global warming cards are not scientists either.
But there is a cost to such politicking. Governments are imposing crushing tax burdens on industries and individuals in efforts to “solve” this illusory problem.
Finally, if PNG was serious with global warming and emission, if they said that 20 % emission comes from vehicles and fuel burning, I find is contradicting when no mention of alternative biofuels was emphasized, and still advocated to get coal powered energy supply which is the worst in light of global warming!
It was also a failure, when and how and by what means were test and analysis obtained to convince the tax payers as to its validation of the data.
PNG climate change office has a vital role to play, but when it plays wrong, we will have serious consequences. I believe it will play the game to sustainably help the lives of the natives and not to serve foreign interest or personal materialistic gain.
For PNG to be misguided while claiming to be a christian country is funny when God said in the book of Job 26:7 which says God hangeth the earth on nothing. He has about climate change then what we think about lie of man, Sciences proves the magnificent work of God Psalms8:3 and called each star by name Psalms 147:4
Firstly lets look at the causes of temperature rise in the world. According to real science, the only factor that makes the earth warm is the sun. More than 90 % of the causes causing temperature rise in the past century by 0.8 ºC was by the sun while 10 % accounts to natural variations prone to vegetational changes due to changes in environment variability and planetary energy balance.
Many focus has being laid on carbon dioxide and methane as green house gas while over looking the water vapor which is the greatest concentration known and is one of the green house gas. Energy is not needed to drive the water cycle; the energy comes from the sun evaporation- cooling in stratosphere region and transpiration in plants. Without arguing the heat conductivity or heat capacities of carbon dioxide, methane or water lets consider from equilibrium point of view. In equilibrium science, one concentration of same kind move to lower concentration, now carbon dioxide still remains 0.03 % in the atmospheric composition since science was invented!
All plants and are satisfied with the 0.03% carbon dioxide supply and water vapor at its current routes either via its cycles or plants compost the cycle of exchange for oxygen keeping animals alive, in other words we need carbon dioxide and water vapor if we want oxygen, without oxygen.
So what are all these stories and fears about climate change? Can man save the planet? Planting trees and giving tax save how many lives either plants or animals, human beings? These are the fears that are instigated by low educated politicians and self proclaimed scientist, those hungry for rich, power and influence taking advantages of the poor uneducated mass. This is not ruling out that there is no climate change and everyone else go to sleep! There is change but gravely misunderstood and its already a government and people’s liability. It’s already a global universal god or religion.
Take away the intense politics surrounding the global warming debate. Take away the self-interest groups, business interests, legal, bureaucratic and mass media influences that all seek to make a buck out of driving public hysteria over the fads and fashions of the age. Lets focus on real science.
Ocean temperatures are these days measured by 3,000 automated Argos buoys deployed in the seas. These buoys present a challenge to global warmers. They have failed to detect any imminent signs of climate change. According to Dr. Josh Willis who worked for NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory indicated as saying only a slight cooling over the buoys’ five years of observation, but that drop was not anything really significant
Added to this challenge is the evidence produced by NASA’s eight weather satellites totaling . 7,000 land-based stations, they take more than 300,000 temperature readings daily over the surface of the Earth. In 30 years of operation, the satellites have recorded a warming trend of just 0.14 degrees Celsius—well within the range of normal variations
The results concluded that global warming campaign was inconclusive.
The sinking islands is figured as one of the causes of climate change, this may be a grave mistake. To consider the issue of rising sea levels and sinking islands, one has to consider the change of ocean currents, apart form mini currents with a set region like Guinea current, there is this huge global ocean currents called the Themohaline circulation (THC) or ocean conveyor belt which is driven by global density gradient created by surface heat of fresh water fluxes. This is known to change direction in a space of time in decades or centuries which can also be influenced by elevated salt concentration due to increasing land use and earth’s heat from sun due to routine tilt and rotation over space of time. This means any island or a little land mass in its new direction will experience heightened level, over flooding or sinking. This does not mean ice in the North and South poles will necessary melt to sink the islands!
The West industrialized since 1800’s , for the past 200 years industrialized regions rigorously destructing forest, huge minings, petroleum usage while increasing luxury, glass house, skyscrapers for these long years until effect find them out. All these times, PNG has contributed none!
This will be supported by the fact that our atmosphere contains 730 billion tons of carbon as CO2. Each year about 120 billion tonnes of carbon are cycled via plants on land and 90billion tonnes via oceans. Human emissions account for about seven billion to 10billion tonnes, or less than 5 per cent, of the annual CO2 flux. This means 95% of the emissions follow the national law of equilibrium dynamics while 5 % emitted are sucked up by oceans increasing acidity due to weak carbonic acid form by soluble state of the carbon dioxide and others by additional flora.
If Australia is said to contribute 3.5 % of that component from 5 % (10billion tones) coming from human emissions and New Zealand 0.34 %, what is PNG contribution?
According to National Climate Change Policy Framework released by the Climate change and sustainable development office in PNG is stated that PNG has contributed 1.8% of the forest degradation! That means we are better worse that developed New Zealand and half way worse than Australia. It is also stated that the emission is projected to go 127 % of which 42% is from Asia Pacific region while the under developed transport sector with 1 in 2000 with cars are blamed for 20 % of the green house gas emission! Ridiculous! More over, land use and increasing industrializations was blamed was increased emissions. This is a laughing matter when people are still burning firewood to fry flour balls for ten toea and we marked them as industries and tax them!
Scientifically speaking, to give datas is done by proven methodology, and machines by experts and interpreted as intended. For PNG to be responsible for gas emission since the first fire and flour ball era is still here is worth the argument. Huge industustries like metal refining, steel making, nuclear, power coal, etc...are not here that shake the atmospheric gaseous composition to detection, unfortunately we have none and yet we will pay tax!
Amazingly funny, global warmists have even measure cow ‘kapupu’and said to stop cattle rearing due to methane production from their digestion. They have laid tax on them, this is forcing money out of people for fear of unknown make up lies about global warming lies! This is robbery. Soon , there is expected global taxation system in the name of global warming of leaders politicize this science.
Politicians who find difficulty in gaining consensus between political parties on issues of vital importance are suddenly finding common ground on the global warming issue. One prime example was Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel. When faced with great divisions within the European Union on a range of issues during her leadership of last year’s EU summit, she cleverly played the global warming card, raising that issue to the top of the summit agenda. Predictably, all parties fell fashionably in line behind her on this one single issue. By thus achieving consensus on what the media has seized upon as an issue of vital global importance, Merkel was able to snatch victory out of the jaws of what may well have otherwise been billed as a debacle. Leaders using global warming cards are not scientists either.
But there is a cost to such politicking. Governments are imposing crushing tax burdens on industries and individuals in efforts to “solve” this illusory problem.
Finally, if PNG was serious with global warming and emission, if they said that 20 % emission comes from vehicles and fuel burning, I find is contradicting when no mention of alternative biofuels was emphasized, and still advocated to get coal powered energy supply which is the worst in light of global warming!
It was also a failure, when and how and by what means were test and analysis obtained to convince the tax payers as to its validation of the data.
PNG climate change office has a vital role to play, but when it plays wrong, we will have serious consequences. I believe it will play the game to sustainably help the lives of the natives and not to serve foreign interest or personal materialistic gain.
For PNG to be misguided while claiming to be a christian country is funny when God said in the book of Job 26:7 which says God hangeth the earth on nothing. He has about climate change then what we think about lie of man, Sciences proves the magnificent work of God Psalms8:3 and called each star by name Psalms 147:4
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Gasification and agricultural rural PNG development opportunity.
Biogas production for rural energy need by livstock is becoming an alternative that can not be put down with the rising eenergy crises worldwide. Below is an extract from China rural energy enhencement project.
Biomass gasification is believed to be an ideal means of efficiently disposing large quantities of agricultural waste as well as a way to relieve poverty by increasing farmers' incomes.
North China's Shanxi Province, a major coal producer of the country, has been developing farm-based biogas projects since 2003. It has set a good example for other areas of the country that are highly dependent on coal. Our reporter Xiao Hong has more.
Reporter:
In the past, many farmers in Shanxi Province in North China disposed of large quantities of agricultural waste inappropriately. Crop residue burned in open fields, and animal waste polluted streams and groundwater. This was not only harmful for the environment, but also resulted in a loss of potential energy and nutrient resources.
But the use of biogas digesters has proved to be an effective way to reduce farmers' dependence on coal, straw, and firewood for heating and cooking. The digesters generate cleaner, renewable energy and have improved the quantity and quality of the vegetables the farmers produce.
Wu Ailing (伍爱玲) is a 45-year-old woman in Xiguan (西关) village, Qixian (祁县)County. Her family built a biomass plant eight years ago.
"The biogas produced by the plant is quite sufficient for my cooking and lighting. It saves me over 1,000 yuan in buying coal every year. It's quite safe and convenient."
Wu uses animal waste from her biogas digester pool as fertilizer. She says she can sell her vegetables fertilized with the waste for 30 percent more at market than those fertilized with chemicals.
But for many other farm households, biomass technology faces numerous constraints and barriers. Many farmers cannot obtain loans to set up biogas digesters. They also do not possess the technical expertise needed to start such projects. And there are few policy incentives encouraging farmers to switch to biogas.
In 2003, Shanxi Province invested more than 8 million U.S. dollars along with another 8 million dollars in the form of a loan from the Asian Development Bank to help local farm households establish biogas digesters and biomass gasification plants for clean energy production.
At the same time, the province used a Global Environmental Facility grant worth 840 thousand U.S. dollars to train farmers how to use biogas digesters and how to farm more efficiently.
More than 5,000 farm households and medium-sized enterprises have benefited from the program to date.
The Xinxing (新兴) company in Jiaocheng (交城) County received a 200-thousand-U.S. dollar loan from the Asian Development Bank to expand its breeding capacity from 2,200 pigs to 9,000 next year. It has built a large-scale biomass gasification plant to dispose of pig dung and produce biogas at its new factory base currently under construction.
Ren Jianquan (任建全) is an agricultural official with Jiaocheng County.
"Now 100 households enjoy biogas produced by the plant for free. The company's goal is to serve 300 households after the new base is put into use. The biogas supply is now quite stable. Users can get energy at 11 o'clock every morning."
Ren says the energy will be priced at 1.2-1.5 yuan per cubic meter in the future. Most of the farmers who now use the free service say the price is fair.
Liu Wenyong (刘文勇), deputy director of the Shanxi Rural Energy Office, says other regions in China can draw on the province's experience to set up similar biogas projects using both domestic and foreign funding.
"First, by using a GEF grant and domestic funding, we have trained a group of skilled people. Second, guided by international institutions while using foreign funds, we have gained experience in bidding, purchasing facilities, and pre-auditing, and can make our project more efficient. Third, we have set some good examples for future programs."
The province now wants to develop large-scale gasification plans to cover more villages and set up biogas projects in remote mountainous areas.
Biomass gasification is believed to be an ideal means of efficiently disposing large quantities of agricultural waste as well as a way to relieve poverty by increasing farmers' incomes.
North China's Shanxi Province, a major coal producer of the country, has been developing farm-based biogas projects since 2003. It has set a good example for other areas of the country that are highly dependent on coal. Our reporter Xiao Hong has more.
Reporter:
In the past, many farmers in Shanxi Province in North China disposed of large quantities of agricultural waste inappropriately. Crop residue burned in open fields, and animal waste polluted streams and groundwater. This was not only harmful for the environment, but also resulted in a loss of potential energy and nutrient resources.
But the use of biogas digesters has proved to be an effective way to reduce farmers' dependence on coal, straw, and firewood for heating and cooking. The digesters generate cleaner, renewable energy and have improved the quantity and quality of the vegetables the farmers produce.
Wu Ailing (伍爱玲) is a 45-year-old woman in Xiguan (西关) village, Qixian (祁县)County. Her family built a biomass plant eight years ago.
"The biogas produced by the plant is quite sufficient for my cooking and lighting. It saves me over 1,000 yuan in buying coal every year. It's quite safe and convenient."
Wu uses animal waste from her biogas digester pool as fertilizer. She says she can sell her vegetables fertilized with the waste for 30 percent more at market than those fertilized with chemicals.
But for many other farm households, biomass technology faces numerous constraints and barriers. Many farmers cannot obtain loans to set up biogas digesters. They also do not possess the technical expertise needed to start such projects. And there are few policy incentives encouraging farmers to switch to biogas.
In 2003, Shanxi Province invested more than 8 million U.S. dollars along with another 8 million dollars in the form of a loan from the Asian Development Bank to help local farm households establish biogas digesters and biomass gasification plants for clean energy production.
At the same time, the province used a Global Environmental Facility grant worth 840 thousand U.S. dollars to train farmers how to use biogas digesters and how to farm more efficiently.
More than 5,000 farm households and medium-sized enterprises have benefited from the program to date.
The Xinxing (新兴) company in Jiaocheng (交城) County received a 200-thousand-U.S. dollar loan from the Asian Development Bank to expand its breeding capacity from 2,200 pigs to 9,000 next year. It has built a large-scale biomass gasification plant to dispose of pig dung and produce biogas at its new factory base currently under construction.
Ren Jianquan (任建全) is an agricultural official with Jiaocheng County.
"Now 100 households enjoy biogas produced by the plant for free. The company's goal is to serve 300 households after the new base is put into use. The biogas supply is now quite stable. Users can get energy at 11 o'clock every morning."
Ren says the energy will be priced at 1.2-1.5 yuan per cubic meter in the future. Most of the farmers who now use the free service say the price is fair.
Liu Wenyong (刘文勇), deputy director of the Shanxi Rural Energy Office, says other regions in China can draw on the province's experience to set up similar biogas projects using both domestic and foreign funding.
"First, by using a GEF grant and domestic funding, we have trained a group of skilled people. Second, guided by international institutions while using foreign funds, we have gained experience in bidding, purchasing facilities, and pre-auditing, and can make our project more efficient. Third, we have set some good examples for future programs."
The province now wants to develop large-scale gasification plans to cover more villages and set up biogas projects in remote mountainous areas.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Algae Biofuel commercialization!
USA is digging deeper into biofuel as alternative future fuel and as role model in this regard. The whole of EU continent is embracing Biofuel to have more than 15% up to 30% of fuel to be biofuel making mandatory. Huge China is going biofuel from cassava, to sugar cane, canola and other related biofuel plants to control its fuel hunger. Elsewhere, From North to South and east and west had engaged in Biofuel developments and obvioulsy this trend will accumulate into major trades arround the globe. This will add billions of gallons per year increasing widespread interest and development, job creation and economic growth. The climate change threat and fuel reserves depletion are driving biofuel devlopment to newer heiths yearly.
One billion gallons by 2014: algal fuel price, capacity projections
Algae production facility (PetroAlgae plant in Fellsmere, Florida)
Biofuels Digest is projecting that algal biofuels capacity will reach 1 billion gallons by 2014, based on analysis of price and capacity projections for 2009-14 from leading companies in the field.
Algae producers are targeting to reach a $1.30 wholesale cost and 1.62 billion gallons in capacity by 2014.
Costs are based on the lowest cost provider - not an average for all providers. Sources are Biofuels Digest reports and interviews on PetroAlgae, Algenol, Solazyme, Aurora Biofuels, Sapphire Energy, PetroSun and Solix (among more than 30 algae biofuels companies whose progress towards commercialization was reviewed) , and a study prepared on algae feasibility for the Louisiana Economic Development. Production forecasts are based on interpretation of guidance from each company on forward production as well as public statements.
“The $9-$30 cost ranges cited in the latest research reflect today’s prices,” said Biofuels Digest editor Jim Lane. “That’s already competitive in some nutraceutical and food markets - for example, a pound of olive oil retails for around $17 at my store, or about $120 per gallon. But like the computer market - costs are expected to come down quickly.”
Readers expressed some confusion over the differing reports on price and capacity from research organizations, as well as public statements by algae biofuel producers regarding forward price and capacity. The prices expressed are wholesale, rather than retail.
Algal Fuel/Capacity projections, 2009-14
39 percent of 2014 capacity is expected to be built in the US, and 61 percent in other countries. 33 percent of 2014 capacity is projected to use a closed system, photobioreactor (PBR) process, with 67 percent using open pond “raceway” systems.
In 2012, 22 percent of projected capacity would utilize the closed PBR process, and 78 percent would utilize open ponds. 41 percent of capacity by 2012 is projected to be in the US. Algae biomass yields are projected in the 24-53 tons per acre per year for open pond systems.
This blog has focused on Algae as alternative. Below is an extract from biofuel digest on biofuel.
Of all the hydrocarbons that can be made from biomass or recovered from fossil reserves," begins today's Special Report: A Biofuels Commercialization Outlook, "gasoline, diesel and natural gas remain the most important end-products and are likely to remain so for some time to come. Into that mix comes the advent of biofuels, and in recent years the arrival of what are variously termed "second-generation" or advanced biofuels.
Though markets for intermediates and fuels such as methanol, propylene and ethylene are considerable, range into the billions, as high as $25 billion in the case of propylene, the market for gasoline is measured in trillions of dollars, not billions.
According to the Energy Information Administration, global liquid fuel consumption in 2008 was 85.43 million barrels a day at a US refiner averaged cost of $94.68 per barrel, or $2.95 trillion.
The biofuels market today is small - no more than $40 billion, or less than two percent of the total liquid fuels market, and not much more than the market for ethyl propylene. Talk about biofuels is all out of proportion to its market size.
Biofuels have four basic economic drivers: energy independence, climate change remediation, economic development, hedging, and the search for fuels that are lower in cost or in price volatility.
These are linked. As US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in urging her colleagues to pass the climate change bill: "remember these four words for what this legislation means: jobs, jobs, jobs, and jobs." Pass it they did.
Algae Movers and Shakers: a Special Digest Report:
The Algal Biomass Organization. More than 600 people attended the last annual ABO summit, and up to 1000 are expected at this year's meeting in San Diego in October, bringing together many of the best-known phycologists, producers as well as high-visibility end-users including numerous airlines. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
AlgaeVenture Systems. AlgaeVenture Systems leaped into the public eye earlier this year with a dewatering solution that it said could reduce the cost of dewatering by as much as 98 percent compared to centrifuging. Digest sources confirmed that the company has at least one commercial agreement in place with an early-stage algal fuel developer. The company's process takes water out of algae instead of algae out of water. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
Algenol. Algenol has been in the news heavily in the past week, with reaction to their announced partnership with Dow Chemical. Most reaction has been positive; some continues to be skeptical. Dow Chemical announced that it will partner with Algenol Fuels to build and operate a 24-acre Texas-based algae biorefinery demonstration farm that will produce ethanol at a target cost of $1 per gallon. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
Aquatic Energy. Low-cost leader Aquatic Energy first came to wider attention this spring when unveiling details of its demo stage project as well as sharing data from its first-gen efforts with an open-pod algal biomass pilot. The company said at the time it is preparing to expand from a "couple of acre" pilot in Lake Charles, to an 30-acre demonstration project that will feature the company's 1-acre open-pond system that is yielding 2500 gallons per acre without using an external CO2 source. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
Aurora Biofuels. Aurora leapt into the news this spring with a projected $1.30 cost for algae in its second-generation technology, due in 2013. The company completed an 18-month pilot earlier this year, and the company's VC backer Jim Long of Gabriel Venture Partners recently told a group of biofuels execs at Biofuels: Science and Innovation that algae was "the focus" at GVP as far as biofuels. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
CAAFI. The Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative doesn't get as much publicity as other organizations, but it's well worth following. Last October, the CAAFI environmental team established a lifecycle emissions framework for jet biofuels, and CAAFI provided business and economics teams in support of a 46-company meeting at the Department of Commerce last September, including both end-users and producers. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
The National Algae Association. The NAA evokes passion among its membership of algae innovators, which includes both end-users and producers and ranges from pre-seed start-ups through to high-visibility companies such as Sapphire Energy and the Air Transport Association. The Association holds popular quarterly meetings in Houston. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
OriginOil. One of the shocker industry announcements this spring came from OriginOil, in revealing a one-step process for algae dewatering and oil extraction. Last month, the company said that it had filed a Patent Cooperation Treaty application for a system that provides efficient light utilization with comparatively low energy cost in algae photobioreactors. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
PetroAlgae. PetroAlgae was most recently in the news with expansion of their international sales staff to 28 people. Licensing commenced earlier this spring with an Asian deal focused on China and part of southern Japan. The company's model farm is 12,500 acres and produces 60 Mgy of fuel and as much or more value in proteins, according to company execs. In all, PetroAlgae added nine representatives in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
Sapphire Energy. Sapphire gained instant attention when it raised a stunning $100 million, and participated in the initial algae-based jet test with Continental last December. The combination were factors in propelling Sapphire to a #2 ranking in last December's 50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy list. The company has been fine tuning its process in recent months, while increasing the pace of its commercialization schedule. The company has indicated it will be at 1 Mgy in production by 2011 and 100 Mgy by 2018. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
Seambiotic. The main attraction in terms of algal fuel development outside of the US, Seambiotic, a global leader in the development and production of marine microalgae for the nutraceutical and biofuel industries, reappeared in the headlines this past month via an agreement with NASA Glenn Research Center to develop an on-going collaborative R&D program for optimization of open-pond microalgae growth processes. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
Solazyme. Solazyme's been on a strong run throughout 2008 and 2009, recently announcing that it closed a $57 million third round of funding. $45 million of the round had previously been announced. Funds were invested by Braemar Energy Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, VantagePoint, Roda Group, Harris & Harris and Solazyme chairman Jerry Fiddler. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
Solix Biofuels. After a quiet start to the year, closed system photobioreactor pioneer Solix Biofuels completed its $16.8 million Series A capital funding that added Shanghai Alliance Investment to its group. Proceeds will be used to finance construction and commencement of operations at the company's Coyote Gulch Demonstration Facility, which will be operational by late summer 2009. I2BF Venture Capital, Bohemian Investments, Southern Ute Alternative Energy LLC, Valero Energy Corp., and Infield Capital also invested in this round. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
The US Defense establishment. The Air Force, Navy, DARPA and the Defense Department have all been sponsoring projects or looking at algal fuel acquisition. DOD has two projects - one led by General Atomics and the other by SAIC, which have a goal of producing $3 fuel. Most recently, the US Navy's Mid Atlantic Coast section said it is looking to put out RFPs for 30-year contracts to produce biomass and/or fuel on Navy property.
One billion gallons by 2014: algal fuel price, capacity projections
Algae production facility (PetroAlgae plant in Fellsmere, Florida)
Biofuels Digest is projecting that algal biofuels capacity will reach 1 billion gallons by 2014, based on analysis of price and capacity projections for 2009-14 from leading companies in the field.
Algae producers are targeting to reach a $1.30 wholesale cost and 1.62 billion gallons in capacity by 2014.
Costs are based on the lowest cost provider - not an average for all providers. Sources are Biofuels Digest reports and interviews on PetroAlgae, Algenol, Solazyme, Aurora Biofuels, Sapphire Energy, PetroSun and Solix (among more than 30 algae biofuels companies whose progress towards commercialization was reviewed) , and a study prepared on algae feasibility for the Louisiana Economic Development. Production forecasts are based on interpretation of guidance from each company on forward production as well as public statements.
“The $9-$30 cost ranges cited in the latest research reflect today’s prices,” said Biofuels Digest editor Jim Lane. “That’s already competitive in some nutraceutical and food markets - for example, a pound of olive oil retails for around $17 at my store, or about $120 per gallon. But like the computer market - costs are expected to come down quickly.”
Readers expressed some confusion over the differing reports on price and capacity from research organizations, as well as public statements by algae biofuel producers regarding forward price and capacity. The prices expressed are wholesale, rather than retail.
Algal Fuel/Capacity projections, 2009-14
39 percent of 2014 capacity is expected to be built in the US, and 61 percent in other countries. 33 percent of 2014 capacity is projected to use a closed system, photobioreactor (PBR) process, with 67 percent using open pond “raceway” systems.
In 2012, 22 percent of projected capacity would utilize the closed PBR process, and 78 percent would utilize open ponds. 41 percent of capacity by 2012 is projected to be in the US. Algae biomass yields are projected in the 24-53 tons per acre per year for open pond systems.
This blog has focused on Algae as alternative. Below is an extract from biofuel digest on biofuel.
Of all the hydrocarbons that can be made from biomass or recovered from fossil reserves," begins today's Special Report: A Biofuels Commercialization Outlook, "gasoline, diesel and natural gas remain the most important end-products and are likely to remain so for some time to come. Into that mix comes the advent of biofuels, and in recent years the arrival of what are variously termed "second-generation" or advanced biofuels.
Though markets for intermediates and fuels such as methanol, propylene and ethylene are considerable, range into the billions, as high as $25 billion in the case of propylene, the market for gasoline is measured in trillions of dollars, not billions.
According to the Energy Information Administration, global liquid fuel consumption in 2008 was 85.43 million barrels a day at a US refiner averaged cost of $94.68 per barrel, or $2.95 trillion.
The biofuels market today is small - no more than $40 billion, or less than two percent of the total liquid fuels market, and not much more than the market for ethyl propylene. Talk about biofuels is all out of proportion to its market size.
Biofuels have four basic economic drivers: energy independence, climate change remediation, economic development, hedging, and the search for fuels that are lower in cost or in price volatility.
These are linked. As US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in urging her colleagues to pass the climate change bill: "remember these four words for what this legislation means: jobs, jobs, jobs, and jobs." Pass it they did.
Algae Movers and Shakers: a Special Digest Report:
The Algal Biomass Organization. More than 600 people attended the last annual ABO summit, and up to 1000 are expected at this year's meeting in San Diego in October, bringing together many of the best-known phycologists, producers as well as high-visibility end-users including numerous airlines. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
AlgaeVenture Systems. AlgaeVenture Systems leaped into the public eye earlier this year with a dewatering solution that it said could reduce the cost of dewatering by as much as 98 percent compared to centrifuging. Digest sources confirmed that the company has at least one commercial agreement in place with an early-stage algal fuel developer. The company's process takes water out of algae instead of algae out of water. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
Algenol. Algenol has been in the news heavily in the past week, with reaction to their announced partnership with Dow Chemical. Most reaction has been positive; some continues to be skeptical. Dow Chemical announced that it will partner with Algenol Fuels to build and operate a 24-acre Texas-based algae biorefinery demonstration farm that will produce ethanol at a target cost of $1 per gallon. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
Aquatic Energy. Low-cost leader Aquatic Energy first came to wider attention this spring when unveiling details of its demo stage project as well as sharing data from its first-gen efforts with an open-pod algal biomass pilot. The company said at the time it is preparing to expand from a "couple of acre" pilot in Lake Charles, to an 30-acre demonstration project that will feature the company's 1-acre open-pond system that is yielding 2500 gallons per acre without using an external CO2 source. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
Aurora Biofuels. Aurora leapt into the news this spring with a projected $1.30 cost for algae in its second-generation technology, due in 2013. The company completed an 18-month pilot earlier this year, and the company's VC backer Jim Long of Gabriel Venture Partners recently told a group of biofuels execs at Biofuels: Science and Innovation that algae was "the focus" at GVP as far as biofuels. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
CAAFI. The Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative doesn't get as much publicity as other organizations, but it's well worth following. Last October, the CAAFI environmental team established a lifecycle emissions framework for jet biofuels, and CAAFI provided business and economics teams in support of a 46-company meeting at the Department of Commerce last September, including both end-users and producers. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
The National Algae Association. The NAA evokes passion among its membership of algae innovators, which includes both end-users and producers and ranges from pre-seed start-ups through to high-visibility companies such as Sapphire Energy and the Air Transport Association. The Association holds popular quarterly meetings in Houston. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
OriginOil. One of the shocker industry announcements this spring came from OriginOil, in revealing a one-step process for algae dewatering and oil extraction. Last month, the company said that it had filed a Patent Cooperation Treaty application for a system that provides efficient light utilization with comparatively low energy cost in algae photobioreactors. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
PetroAlgae. PetroAlgae was most recently in the news with expansion of their international sales staff to 28 people. Licensing commenced earlier this spring with an Asian deal focused on China and part of southern Japan. The company's model farm is 12,500 acres and produces 60 Mgy of fuel and as much or more value in proteins, according to company execs. In all, PetroAlgae added nine representatives in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
Sapphire Energy. Sapphire gained instant attention when it raised a stunning $100 million, and participated in the initial algae-based jet test with Continental last December. The combination were factors in propelling Sapphire to a #2 ranking in last December's 50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy list. The company has been fine tuning its process in recent months, while increasing the pace of its commercialization schedule. The company has indicated it will be at 1 Mgy in production by 2011 and 100 Mgy by 2018. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
Seambiotic. The main attraction in terms of algal fuel development outside of the US, Seambiotic, a global leader in the development and production of marine microalgae for the nutraceutical and biofuel industries, reappeared in the headlines this past month via an agreement with NASA Glenn Research Center to develop an on-going collaborative R&D program for optimization of open-pond microalgae growth processes. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
Solazyme. Solazyme's been on a strong run throughout 2008 and 2009, recently announcing that it closed a $57 million third round of funding. $45 million of the round had previously been announced. Funds were invested by Braemar Energy Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, VantagePoint, Roda Group, Harris & Harris and Solazyme chairman Jerry Fiddler. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
Solix Biofuels. After a quiet start to the year, closed system photobioreactor pioneer Solix Biofuels completed its $16.8 million Series A capital funding that added Shanghai Alliance Investment to its group. Proceeds will be used to finance construction and commencement of operations at the company's Coyote Gulch Demonstration Facility, which will be operational by late summer 2009. I2BF Venture Capital, Bohemian Investments, Southern Ute Alternative Energy LLC, Valero Energy Corp., and Infield Capital also invested in this round. More at biofuelsdigest.com.
The US Defense establishment. The Air Force, Navy, DARPA and the Defense Department have all been sponsoring projects or looking at algal fuel acquisition. DOD has two projects - one led by General Atomics and the other by SAIC, which have a goal of producing $3 fuel. Most recently, the US Navy's Mid Atlantic Coast section said it is looking to put out RFPs for 30-year contracts to produce biomass and/or fuel on Navy property.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Biofuel is mandatory!
Thousands of developers from individuals to group are mushrooming into biofuel developments to have the luxury once enjoyed by oil producers at their backyard ,streets and country.
The rising number of biofuel producers are rapidly increasing worldwide.The list below are some of the potential developers who will carry our fuel demand /supply into 22nd century and beyond.
The following cellulosic ethanol plants are now open or in the pre-planning stages in the United States (sources, IEA Task 39 Group, Biofuels Digest, Reuters: company name, location, capacity in Mgy and feedstock).
Company Location Capacity Feed stock
-AE Biofuels Montana 0.15 Corn, corn stover
-KL Energy Corp Wyoming 1.5 Wood
-Poet S. Dakota 0.02 Corn cobs
-Verenium Louisiana 1.4 Bagasse
Commercial scale plants not yet open:
-Abengoa Bioenergy Kansas 30 Biomass
-BlueFire Mecca Llc Calif 17 Green waste
-Colusa Biomass Calif 12.5 Rice hulls
-Gulf Coast Energy Florida 25 Woody biomass
-Mascoma Corp Michigan 40 “ ”
-Poet Iowa 25 Corn cobs, stover
-Range Fuels Georgia 20 Woody biomass
-US Envirofuels LLC Florida 20 Sorghum, sugar cane
-Verenium-BP Florida 36 Energy cane, sorghum
Pilot, or pre-commercial plants, not open yet:
Company Location Capacity Feedstock
-Abengoa Nebraska 10 Corn stover
-BlueFire Calif 3.2 Green landfill waste
-Citrus Energy Llc Florida 4 Citrus waste
-Clemson University S. Carolina 10 Wood waste, algae
-Coskata Pennsylvania 0.04 Woody biomass, waste
-Dupont Danisco Tennessee 0.25 Switchgrass, stover
-Ecofin Llc Kentucky 1 Corn cobs
-Fulcrum Nevada 10.5 Municipal waste
-GulfCoast Energy Alabama 0.4 Wood Waste
-Flambeau River Wisconsin 6 Forest, paper waste
-ICM Inc Missouri 1.5 Switchgrass, sorghum
-KL Energy Corp Colorado 5 Wood pellets
-Liberty Industries Florida 7 Forest waste
-NewPage Wisconsin 5.5 Woody biomass
-Pacific Ethanol Oregon 2.7 Wheat straw, poplar
-PureVision Colorado 2 Corn stalks
-RSE Pulp & Chem Maine 2.2 Woody biomass
-SunOpta Minnesota 10 Corn stover, waste
-University of Florida Florida 2 Bagasse
-West Biofuels Calif 0.18 Wood chips
Countries engaged in biofuel developments ranged from oil rich countries ,Afrianc continent, into Europe which is rigorously into making mandatory for all vehicles to have more than 30% vehicles on the road to have on biofuels,China, South East Asia ,Australia and the Pacific including Solomon Islands.
As haze and smog hangs on lower tree tops giving impassable view, rising risk of asthma and global climate change tours in, the world is faced with huge challenges. Drinking waters turns sour, forest disappear and food crop become vulnerable to extiction , the question of money and survival is argued, at last serving our livihood is tabled to emphasize on sustainable living by engaging in sustainable energy , renewable and recycleable.
The infliction from 200 hundred years of fossil fuel use and emission of green houses gases and destruction of enviroment reversing natrural equilibrium is facing like facing a group of hngry lions in a dent.
Some of the multi national, rich organisations had already made up there minds to turn to sustainable biofuel for the next generation and the futture for all. Given the destruction of flora and fauna in ocean,change in wind patterns,change in ocean currents, change in Ocean pH,atmospheric air composition, etc,..etc..is setting new standards for survival. With these facts in our fronts, the pattern of life in production and usage, sources etc must change and it is mandatory for survival of all.
Beleow is an extract inline with this from biofuel digest.com
Greenchipstocks neatly summarized a presentation by Don Paul, Executive Director of the University of Southern California Energy Institute, givin g five reasons why Big Oil is "coming to cleantech," and five more as to why Big Oil is headed for a major role in the renewable energy business. Notably, Paul was CTO of Chevron befor joining the Institute.
His reasons for Bio Oil entering cleantech:
1. Global reach and scale
2. Strong balance sheets and cash flow
3. Technical, business, and market capabilities
4. Infrastructure, land, and supply chain management
5. Patience and longevity
His reasons for Bio Oil entering the renewable fuels marketplace:
1. Producing alternatives to oil, and thereby diverting existing petroleum refining to deliver more natural gas.
2. Converting existing production sites to wind and solar.
3. Integrating power infrastructure with natural gas as a back up to other power producing feedstocks.
4. Geothermal opportunities are a natural fit for the oil & gas business.
5. Integration opportunities in biofuels.
In addition, I gave the following presentation on oil companies and the rise of partnerships in biofuels production at the Biofuels: Science and Innovation workshop in San Francisco this week.
In remarks that accompanied the slides, I implored biofuels companies to cease making the mistake of considering Big Oil to be the Big Enemy, and consider it instead the only practical source of capital and know-how to drive scale, and also the only realistic opportunity for VC and other early investors to find exits.
Big Oil needs early-stage investors to take the technology risks on biofuels, and de-risk the space so that Big Oil can enter a more stable environment of projectable margins, provide scale, and provide exits for the early investors who can then redeploy their capital in search of more innovation in feedstocks and yields.
The rising number of biofuel producers are rapidly increasing worldwide.The list below are some of the potential developers who will carry our fuel demand /supply into 22nd century and beyond.
The following cellulosic ethanol plants are now open or in the pre-planning stages in the United States (sources, IEA Task 39 Group, Biofuels Digest, Reuters: company name, location, capacity in Mgy and feedstock).
Company Location Capacity Feed stock
-AE Biofuels Montana 0.15 Corn, corn stover
-KL Energy Corp Wyoming 1.5 Wood
-Poet S. Dakota 0.02 Corn cobs
-Verenium Louisiana 1.4 Bagasse
Commercial scale plants not yet open:
-Abengoa Bioenergy Kansas 30 Biomass
-BlueFire Mecca Llc Calif 17 Green waste
-Colusa Biomass Calif 12.5 Rice hulls
-Gulf Coast Energy Florida 25 Woody biomass
-Mascoma Corp Michigan 40 “ ”
-Poet Iowa 25 Corn cobs, stover
-Range Fuels Georgia 20 Woody biomass
-US Envirofuels LLC Florida 20 Sorghum, sugar cane
-Verenium-BP Florida 36 Energy cane, sorghum
Pilot, or pre-commercial plants, not open yet:
Company Location Capacity Feedstock
-Abengoa Nebraska 10 Corn stover
-BlueFire Calif 3.2 Green landfill waste
-Citrus Energy Llc Florida 4 Citrus waste
-Clemson University S. Carolina 10 Wood waste, algae
-Coskata Pennsylvania 0.04 Woody biomass, waste
-Dupont Danisco Tennessee 0.25 Switchgrass, stover
-Ecofin Llc Kentucky 1 Corn cobs
-Fulcrum Nevada 10.5 Municipal waste
-GulfCoast Energy Alabama 0.4 Wood Waste
-Flambeau River Wisconsin 6 Forest, paper waste
-ICM Inc Missouri 1.5 Switchgrass, sorghum
-KL Energy Corp Colorado 5 Wood pellets
-Liberty Industries Florida 7 Forest waste
-NewPage Wisconsin 5.5 Woody biomass
-Pacific Ethanol Oregon 2.7 Wheat straw, poplar
-PureVision Colorado 2 Corn stalks
-RSE Pulp & Chem Maine 2.2 Woody biomass
-SunOpta Minnesota 10 Corn stover, waste
-University of Florida Florida 2 Bagasse
-West Biofuels Calif 0.18 Wood chips
Countries engaged in biofuel developments ranged from oil rich countries ,Afrianc continent, into Europe which is rigorously into making mandatory for all vehicles to have more than 30% vehicles on the road to have on biofuels,China, South East Asia ,Australia and the Pacific including Solomon Islands.
As haze and smog hangs on lower tree tops giving impassable view, rising risk of asthma and global climate change tours in, the world is faced with huge challenges. Drinking waters turns sour, forest disappear and food crop become vulnerable to extiction , the question of money and survival is argued, at last serving our livihood is tabled to emphasize on sustainable living by engaging in sustainable energy , renewable and recycleable.
The infliction from 200 hundred years of fossil fuel use and emission of green houses gases and destruction of enviroment reversing natrural equilibrium is facing like facing a group of hngry lions in a dent.
Some of the multi national, rich organisations had already made up there minds to turn to sustainable biofuel for the next generation and the futture for all. Given the destruction of flora and fauna in ocean,change in wind patterns,change in ocean currents, change in Ocean pH,atmospheric air composition, etc,..etc..is setting new standards for survival. With these facts in our fronts, the pattern of life in production and usage, sources etc must change and it is mandatory for survival of all.
Beleow is an extract inline with this from biofuel digest.com
Greenchipstocks neatly summarized a presentation by Don Paul, Executive Director of the University of Southern California Energy Institute, givin g five reasons why Big Oil is "coming to cleantech," and five more as to why Big Oil is headed for a major role in the renewable energy business. Notably, Paul was CTO of Chevron befor joining the Institute.
His reasons for Bio Oil entering cleantech:
1. Global reach and scale
2. Strong balance sheets and cash flow
3. Technical, business, and market capabilities
4. Infrastructure, land, and supply chain management
5. Patience and longevity
His reasons for Bio Oil entering the renewable fuels marketplace:
1. Producing alternatives to oil, and thereby diverting existing petroleum refining to deliver more natural gas.
2. Converting existing production sites to wind and solar.
3. Integrating power infrastructure with natural gas as a back up to other power producing feedstocks.
4. Geothermal opportunities are a natural fit for the oil & gas business.
5. Integration opportunities in biofuels.
In addition, I gave the following presentation on oil companies and the rise of partnerships in biofuels production at the Biofuels: Science and Innovation workshop in San Francisco this week.
In remarks that accompanied the slides, I implored biofuels companies to cease making the mistake of considering Big Oil to be the Big Enemy, and consider it instead the only practical source of capital and know-how to drive scale, and also the only realistic opportunity for VC and other early investors to find exits.
Big Oil needs early-stage investors to take the technology risks on biofuels, and de-risk the space so that Big Oil can enter a more stable environment of projectable margins, provide scale, and provide exits for the early investors who can then redeploy their capital in search of more innovation in feedstocks and yields.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Algae is rising, possibly the best alternative fuel source!
Algae had staged best shows as alternative non food fuel source while collecting critics as to its dynamics of culturing and processing to biofuels. IT IS OPTIMISTIC that algae is the best way forward and nothing will impede its rise, if man can land on moon and plans to land on Mars by 2037, Algae will rise above the shoulders of technology in the twenty first century.
The recent investments and developments have been linearly increasing worldwide, below is as it appears in Biofuel digest.
Algae pioneer Solix closes $16.8 million Series A financing with new Chinese investor
In Colorado, algae photobioreactor pioneer Solix Biofuels announced the completion of its $16.8 million Series A capital funding that added Shanghai Alliance Investment to its group. Proceeds will be used to finance construction and commencement of operations at the company’s Coyote Gulch Demonstration Facility, which will be operational by late summer 2009. I2BF Venture Capital, Bohemian Investments, Southern Ute Alternative Energy LLC, Valero Energy Corp., and Infield Capital also invested in this round.
Solix COO Dr. Bryan Willson said that the company is currently at around 2500 gallons per acre, and said that the company is on track to achieve cost parity with $80 oil in 3-4 years.
The company has launched a third-generation of its bioreactors, a 20-meter system that integartes CO2 delivery and increase surface area. The system is water-supported to reduce cost. A fourth generation of photobioreactors is now under development. Willson said at the recent Biofuels: Science and Innovation conference in San Francisco that the problem with contamination of open-pond algae systems had not, in his opinion, been yet overcome.
Solix Biofuels raises $10.5 million in Series A financing; will construct 10-acre algae fuel facility in Colorado
In Colorado, algae biofuel producer Solix Biofuels announced that it has raised $10.5 million in its Series A, first-round of outside financing from cleantech investors. The company said that it has also agreed with investors regarding an additional $5 million in financing that will be used to fund the company’s pilot algae production facility in Durango.
The financing was led by London-based I2BF Venture Capital and Fort Collins-based Bohemian Investments. Other participants include Southern Ute Alternative Energy, Valero Energy and Boulder-based Infield Capital. Solix produces algae from closed photo bioreactors, and will locate its first demonstration production facility on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation near Durango. The 10-acre site will be built out in two phases over 18 months, with the first phase consisting of a 4-acre photobioreactor field.
The recent investments and developments have been linearly increasing worldwide, below is as it appears in Biofuel digest.
Algae pioneer Solix closes $16.8 million Series A financing with new Chinese investor
In Colorado, algae photobioreactor pioneer Solix Biofuels announced the completion of its $16.8 million Series A capital funding that added Shanghai Alliance Investment to its group. Proceeds will be used to finance construction and commencement of operations at the company’s Coyote Gulch Demonstration Facility, which will be operational by late summer 2009. I2BF Venture Capital, Bohemian Investments, Southern Ute Alternative Energy LLC, Valero Energy Corp., and Infield Capital also invested in this round.
Solix COO Dr. Bryan Willson said that the company is currently at around 2500 gallons per acre, and said that the company is on track to achieve cost parity with $80 oil in 3-4 years.
The company has launched a third-generation of its bioreactors, a 20-meter system that integartes CO2 delivery and increase surface area. The system is water-supported to reduce cost. A fourth generation of photobioreactors is now under development. Willson said at the recent Biofuels: Science and Innovation conference in San Francisco that the problem with contamination of open-pond algae systems had not, in his opinion, been yet overcome.
Solix Biofuels raises $10.5 million in Series A financing; will construct 10-acre algae fuel facility in Colorado
In Colorado, algae biofuel producer Solix Biofuels announced that it has raised $10.5 million in its Series A, first-round of outside financing from cleantech investors. The company said that it has also agreed with investors regarding an additional $5 million in financing that will be used to fund the company’s pilot algae production facility in Durango.
The financing was led by London-based I2BF Venture Capital and Fort Collins-based Bohemian Investments. Other participants include Southern Ute Alternative Energy, Valero Energy and Boulder-based Infield Capital. Solix produces algae from closed photo bioreactors, and will locate its first demonstration production facility on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation near Durango. The 10-acre site will be built out in two phases over 18 months, with the first phase consisting of a 4-acre photobioreactor field.
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