Father's Love Letter
My Child…
You may not know me, but I know everything about you…Psalm 139:1
I know when you sit down and when you rise up…Psalm 139:2
I am familiar with all your ways…Psalm 139:3
Even the very hairs on your head are numbered…Matthew 10:29-31
For you were made in my image…Genesis 1:27
In me you live and move and have your being…Acts 17:28
For you are my offspring…Acts 17:28
I knew you even before you were conceived…Jeremiah 1:4-5
I chose you when I planned creation…Ephesians 1:11-12
You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book…Psalm 139:15-16
I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live…Acts 17:26
You are fearfully and wonderfully made…Psalm 139:14
I knit you together in your mother's womb…Psalm 139:13
And brought you forth on the day you were born…Psalm 71:6
I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me…John 8:41-44
I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love…1 John 4:16
And it is my desire to lavish my love on you…1 John 3:1
Simply because you are my child and I am your father…1 John 3:1
I offer you more than your earthly father ever could…Matthew 7:11
For I am the perfect father…Matthew 5:48
Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand…James 1:17
For I am your provider and I meet all your needs…Matthew 6:31-33
My plan for your future has always been filled with hope…Jeremiah 29:11
Because I love you with an everlasting love…Jeremiah 31:3
My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore…Psalm 139:17-18
And I rejoice over you with singing…Zephaniah 3:17
I will never stop doing good to you…Jeremiah 32:40
For you are my treasured possession…Exodus 19:5
I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul…Jeremiah 32:41
And I want to show you great and marvelous things…Jeremiah 33:3
If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me…Deuteronomy 4:29
Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart…Psalm 37:4
For it is I who gave you those desires…Philippians 2:13
I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine…Ephesians 3:20
For I am your greatest encourager…2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles…2 Corinthians 1:3-4
When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you…Psalm 34:18
As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart…Isaiah 40:11
One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes…Revelation 21:3-4
And I'll take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth…Revelation 21:3-4
I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus…John 17:23
For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed…John 17:26
He is the exact representation of my being…Hebrews 1:3
He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you…Romans 8:31
And to tell you that I am not counting your sins…2 Corinthians 5:18-19
Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled…2 Corinthians 5:18-19
His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you…1 John 4:10
I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love…Romans 8:31-32
If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me…1 John 2:23
And nothing will ever separate you from my love again…Romans 8:38-39
Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen…Luke 15:7
I have always been Father, and will always be Father…Ephesians 3:14-15
My question is…Will you be my child?…John 1:12-13
I am waiting for you…Luke 15:11-32
Love, Your Dad. Almighty God
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Dark fermentation-Sugar to lipids then to biodiesel. BP and Martek Bioscience for microalgae biodiesel.
BP enters algae market: signs with Martek Biosciences for conversion of sugars to biodiesel
BP and Martek Biosciences announced the signing of a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to work on the production of microbial oils for biofuels applications. The partnership combines a broad technology platform and operational capabilities to advance the development of a step-change technology for the conversion of sugars into biodiesel.
Under the terms of the multi-year agreement, Martek and BP will work together to establish proof of concept for large-scale, cost effective microbial biodiesel production through fermentation.
At first glance, the technology reflects a similar path - fermentation - as outlined by Solazyme.
“Martek is pleased to partner with BP’s Alternative Energy team, to combine our unique algae-based technologies and intellectual property for the creation of sustainable and affordable technology for microbial biofuel production,” said Steve Dubin, Martek CEO. “BP’s global leadership and commitment to alternative energy solutions complements Martek’s own commitment to responsible and sustainable products and production.”
“BP is very pleased to be entering this important partnership with Martek,” says Philip New, CEO BP Biofuels. “As an alternative to conventional vegetable oils, we believe sugar to diesel technology has the potential to deliver economic, sustainable and scaleable biodiesel supplies. In partnering with Martek, we combine the world’s leading know-how in microbial lipid production with our expertise in fuels markets and applications, and our more recent experience in biofuels production and commercialization.”
The technology has been demonstrated in Martek’s field for more than 20 years and the challenge is to adapt this technology to the needs of the biofuels market, in terms of product profile and economics.
Philip New added, “This technology is also a perfect fit with our other strategic choices for biofuels, all based on sustainable feedstocks and fermentation to produce advanced biofuels. It is part of our approach of integrating sugar cane and lignocellulosic biofuels with advanced technologies to produce products with a wide range of uses.”
BP has agreed to contribute up to $10 million to this initial phase of the collaboration which leverages Martek’s significant expertise in microbial oil production and BP’s production and commercialization experience in biofuels as the platform for the joint development effort. Martek will perform the biotechnology research and development associated with this initial phase, whilst BP will contribute to its integration within the biofuels value chain.
All intellectual property owned prior to the execution of the JDA will be retained by each respective company, and all intellectual property developed during the JDA will be owned by BP, with an exclusive licence to Martek for application and commercialization in nutrition, cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications. Additionally, each party is entitled to certain commercial payments from technology commercialized in the other party’s field.
BP and Martek Biosciences announced the signing of a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to work on the production of microbial oils for biofuels applications. The partnership combines a broad technology platform and operational capabilities to advance the development of a step-change technology for the conversion of sugars into biodiesel.
Under the terms of the multi-year agreement, Martek and BP will work together to establish proof of concept for large-scale, cost effective microbial biodiesel production through fermentation.
At first glance, the technology reflects a similar path - fermentation - as outlined by Solazyme.
“Martek is pleased to partner with BP’s Alternative Energy team, to combine our unique algae-based technologies and intellectual property for the creation of sustainable and affordable technology for microbial biofuel production,” said Steve Dubin, Martek CEO. “BP’s global leadership and commitment to alternative energy solutions complements Martek’s own commitment to responsible and sustainable products and production.”
“BP is very pleased to be entering this important partnership with Martek,” says Philip New, CEO BP Biofuels. “As an alternative to conventional vegetable oils, we believe sugar to diesel technology has the potential to deliver economic, sustainable and scaleable biodiesel supplies. In partnering with Martek, we combine the world’s leading know-how in microbial lipid production with our expertise in fuels markets and applications, and our more recent experience in biofuels production and commercialization.”
The technology has been demonstrated in Martek’s field for more than 20 years and the challenge is to adapt this technology to the needs of the biofuels market, in terms of product profile and economics.
Philip New added, “This technology is also a perfect fit with our other strategic choices for biofuels, all based on sustainable feedstocks and fermentation to produce advanced biofuels. It is part of our approach of integrating sugar cane and lignocellulosic biofuels with advanced technologies to produce products with a wide range of uses.”
BP has agreed to contribute up to $10 million to this initial phase of the collaboration which leverages Martek’s significant expertise in microbial oil production and BP’s production and commercialization experience in biofuels as the platform for the joint development effort. Martek will perform the biotechnology research and development associated with this initial phase, whilst BP will contribute to its integration within the biofuels value chain.
All intellectual property owned prior to the execution of the JDA will be retained by each respective company, and all intellectual property developed during the JDA will be owned by BP, with an exclusive licence to Martek for application and commercialization in nutrition, cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications. Additionally, each party is entitled to certain commercial payments from technology commercialized in the other party’s field.
Monday, August 10, 2009
ABC news:Plants to produce a third of our petrol by 2025 in Australia.
A researcher from the Southern Cross University says up to a third of the nation's petrol could come from plants by the year 2025.
Professor Robert Henry says biofuel has the potential to become a five-billion dollar industry in Australia.
Professor Henry says plants such as sugar cane and eucalyptus trees can be used to produce fuel.
He says more than a hundred conversion facilities would have to be built in rural and regional areas, spreading the wealth and creating jobs.
"This could see very substantial growth in a number of rural industries and so the benefits will be in more than one area and across a number of different sectors we would expect within rural communities," prof Henry said.
"We would be replacing imported oil and that would have benefits for our balance in the economy, but we'd also see the creation of large numbers of jobs in regional areas associated with the production of these crops and their processing into fuel," he said.
Meanwhile, PNG is still rampant with high class corruption, government is poised at bringing in investors for sake of collecting more tax. Natrual resources exploitation is rampant while population is doubling with high rate of unemployment, drop outs , rapid rise of crime and violence rates upon upon 50 years old infrasturures too small to contain ever growing demand.
Angels from heaven will fall and tell PNG what to do, PNG is waiting for that time! Hahahah not in a histroy!
Professor Robert Henry says biofuel has the potential to become a five-billion dollar industry in Australia.
Professor Henry says plants such as sugar cane and eucalyptus trees can be used to produce fuel.
He says more than a hundred conversion facilities would have to be built in rural and regional areas, spreading the wealth and creating jobs.
"This could see very substantial growth in a number of rural industries and so the benefits will be in more than one area and across a number of different sectors we would expect within rural communities," prof Henry said.
"We would be replacing imported oil and that would have benefits for our balance in the economy, but we'd also see the creation of large numbers of jobs in regional areas associated with the production of these crops and their processing into fuel," he said.
Meanwhile, PNG is still rampant with high class corruption, government is poised at bringing in investors for sake of collecting more tax. Natrual resources exploitation is rampant while population is doubling with high rate of unemployment, drop outs , rapid rise of crime and violence rates upon upon 50 years old infrasturures too small to contain ever growing demand.
Angels from heaven will fall and tell PNG what to do, PNG is waiting for that time! Hahahah not in a histroy!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Green jobs in PNG can erase high unemployment rates.
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
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
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.
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