by Tim Radford (The Daily Climate) Charcoal and other forms of black carbon do not, as previously thought, stay where they are buried. They migrate to the oceans and recirculate the carbon they contain. Climate scientists may have to rethink some
(European Commission Joint Research Centre Institute for Energy and Transport) In the current European energy policy framework, biogenic CO2 emissions from combustion of forest biomass used for energy and transport purposes are set to zero. Biomass is thus considered as a
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Today in part II, we look at a new set of technologies coming along that are redefining our ideas about scale and cost. ... A barrier to long term deployment? The $11 per gallon average capital
(25 x '25) The ethanol industry has some good news to share. And it comes in an arena where the domestically produced biofuel has often been challenged – carbon sequestration and the life-cycle assessment of ethanol made from corn. A study
by Debra Fiakas (Alt Energy Stocks) As part of its program to promote beneficial reuse of carbon dioxide, the Department of Energy awarded a total of $27.2 million ($3.0 million in the first phase and $24.2 million in a second phase)
by Lidija Grozdanic (Inhabitat.com) ...Scientists Daniel Bond, Zarath Summers and Jeffrey Gralnick of the University of Minnesota’s BioTechnology Institute used the co-called electrochemical cultivation to grow iron-oxidizing bacteria without any presence of iron. By adding marine oxidizer Mariprofundus ferrooxydans PV-1,
by Erin Voegele (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Stanford University’s Global Climate and Energy Project has released a report highlighting the potential to combine bioenergy production with carbon capture and storage techniques to enable carbon-negative energy production. "Net negative emissions can be
(Bioenergy Crops) There is an increasing interest worldwide on developing sustainable bioenergy alternatives for low competitive lands where food production profitability is scarce or where soils and climates are not suited for traditional activities or have no market access and
by W.M.J. Achten, A. Trabucco, W.H. Maes, L.V. Verchot, R. Aerts, E. Mathijs, P. Vantomme, V.P. Singh, B. Muys (ScienceDirect.com/Journal of Arid Environments) Biofuels are considered as a climate-friendly energy alternative. However, their environmental sustainability is increasingly debated because of land
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) According to a new study performed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, corn grown using no-till methods may sequester larger amounts of carbon than previously believed. The study was published in BioEnergy Research and showed that
by Ned Stowe (Environmental and Energy Study Institute) The USDA estimates that farmers in the U.S. will plant nine million more acres in corn in 2013 than they did in 2011, an increase of almost 10 percent. Over the same period,
by Diego Iribarren, Jens F. Peters, Javier Dufour (Fuel/Science Direct) This article evaluates the environmental performance of a biofuel production system based on the fast pyrolysis of short-rotation poplar biomass using a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. The system includes
(Forest Products Society) Biofuels made from high-yield, short rotation woody crops or from forest residuals and thinnings that are currently left unused have substantial potential to reduce CO2 emissions as well as to contribute to energy independence. A series of
(WebWire) Biofuels made from high yield, short rotation woody crops or from forest residuals and thinnings that are currently left unused have substantial potential to reduce CO2 emissions as well as to contribute to energy independence. A series of articles
by Sam A. Rushing (Advanced Cryogenics, Ltd. ) ...Pure carbon dioxide sequestration projects have been evaluated by my office for large US and Brazilian ventures, primarily fed by CO2 from ethanol projects. In the future, it is entirely likely
(Business Green) Illinois Basin-Decatur Project has stored 317,000 metric tons of CO2 from an adjacent ethanol plant in an underground reservoir The first demonstration-scale carbon capture and storage (CS) plant in the US has successfully injected 317,000 metric tons of CO2
by Andrew Hough (The Telegraph) A small company in the north of England has developed the “air capture” technology to create synthetic petrol using only air and electricity. ...The “petrol from air” technology involves taking sodium hydroxide and mixing it with
(Kiverdi) Kiverdi, Inc., a privately held, advanced sustainable oil and chemicals company, was awarded a $747,126 grant from the California Energy Commission's Research, Demonstration, and Development program for its efforts to develop beneficial uses of carbon dioxide (CO2). Kiverdi also
by David L. Chandler (MIT News) Genetically modified organism could turn carbon dioxide or waste products into a gasoline-compatible transportation fuel. A humble soil bacterium called Ralstonia eutrophahas a natural tendency, whenever it is stressed, to stop growing and put all its
(Algae Industry Magazine) Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) and Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego (Scripps) have entered into an agreement focusing on the design of an innovative system in which algae consume carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from
(Georgia Tech University) With a series of papers published in chemistry and chemical engineering journals, researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology have advanced the case for extracting carbon dioxide directly from the air using newly-developed adsorbent materials. The technique might
by Meghan Sapp (Biofuels Digest) In Belgium, the European Biofuels Technology Platform has released a new report that says certain biofuels production routes could provide “low-hanging fruits” for early, low-cost CCS deployment. A recent study indicated that, globally, Bio-CCS could
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Power and Thermal Magazine) The European Biofuels Technology Platform published a report in June that addresses the potential to couple carbon capture and storage (CCS) with biofuel and biomass heat and power technologies. The report, titled
(EurekAlert) Two scientists are challenging the currently accepted norms of biofuel production. A commentary published today in GCB Bioenergy reveals that calculations of greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions from bioenergy production are neglecting crucial information that has led to the overestimation of the
(Environmental Research Web) A new study from the University of California, Davis, provides a deeper understanding of the complex global impacts of deforestation on greenhouse gas emissions. The study, published May 13 in the advance online edition of the journal Nature
(Air Fuel Synthesis) ... The company’s demonstration unit fuel reactor has produced methanol fuels from carbon monoxide and hydrogen, and also from carbon dioxide and hydrogen. The production of these first liquid hydrocarbon fuels – a real alternative to fossil
(Solutions4CO2) Solutions4CO2 Inc. (“S4CO2”), is pleased to announce a joint venture with BARD Holding, Inc. (www.bardholding.com ) (the “S4CO2 – BARD Joint Venture”) to co-develop waste gas/water to co-products facilities in Canada. The initial phase of the joint venture will
(The Economist) ...A report published last year by the American Physical Society (APS) put the cost of extracting and storing carbon dioxide using an air-capture system based on known technology at between $600 and $800 a tonne. That is about
(US Department of Energy) The purpose of this Request for Information (RFI) is solely to solicit input for ARPA-E consideration to inform the possible development of future chemo/electro-autotrophic fuel production programs. Information obtained may be used by ARPA-E on a non-attribution
(Daily Commercial News) Pond Biofuels is piloting a new carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption system at St. Marys Cement. The new system will reduce greenhouse gases by absorbing dirty smokestack emissions to grow algae which can be used in oil production, converted
(Endesa) Madrid • Expansion of the Almería plant to demonstrate the technical and economic viability of the technology. • The success of the first stage of the project has led Endesa to carry out trials with two new types of photo-bioreactors and develop
(Algae.Tec) Algae.Tec Limited an advanced algae to biofuels company with a high-yield enclosed algae growth and harvesting system announced today it had signed a collaboration contract to build its first algae biofuels production facility in Asia. The facility will be built
by Margaret Munro (PostMedia News/Canada.com) ...The faster the organisms suck up carbon dioxide, the better, as John McDougall, president of the National Research Council, envisions big things for the lowly microbes.McDougall is a long-time and unabashed promoter of using algae
by Tim Wall (Discovery.com) The Midwest now boasts the United States' first large scale carbon sequestration project working in conjunction with a biofuel plant. Carbon dioxide emissions from an Archer Daniels Midland Company corn ethanol plant are being pressurized and stored
by Vidya Ramanathan (Advanced Biofuels USA) A clear view of coppery miniature treetops, brilliant skies and shimmering coastline. This is the sight that welcomed the attendees of the first ever conference on ElectroFuels, conducted by the Society of Biologigal Engineering, under
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Overall, there remain more than 100 companies chasing the prize of developing an algae biomaterials project, profitable and at commercial scale. Yesterday (October 24, 2011), on the eve of the annual Algal Biomass Summit, two of
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...ILUC mitigation practices identified by Ernst & Young include the development of advanced generation biofuels, improvements to crop yields on existing agricultural land, the use of co-products for animal feed purposes, and crop production on
(Science Daily) A new insight into global photosynthesis, the chemical process governing how ocean and land plants absorb and release carbon dioxide, has been revealed in research that will assist scientists to more accurately assess future climate change. In a paper
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A major trend emerging from the conference was a broad agreement on the strong potential for XTL fuels – that is, fuels that combined both fossil and biomass inputs, to provide the opportunities for massive
by Ben Cubby (Sydney Morning Herald) Plants have been breathing a lot more quickly than we thought, according to a study that suggests some climate change models may have to be modified to account for faster rates of photosynthesis. An analysis
by James Murray (Business Green) Could gasification hold the key to the decarbonisation of the North East's heavy industries? Researchers at the Newcastle Institute for Research on Sustainability(NIReS) are working on ambitious plans that could establish the North East as a global
(St. Louis Today/AP) The U.S. Department of Energy says construction has started on a $207.5 million project to capture carbon dioxide produced by an ethanol plant in Illinois and store it underground. The Energy Department said construction started Tuesday on the
(EurekAlert!/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) Growing perennial grasses on the least productive farmland now used for corn ethanol production in the U.S. would result in higher overall corn yields, more ethanol output per acre and better groundwater quality, researchers report
by Dong Li, William C. Hockaday, Caroline A. Masiello and Pedro J.J. Alvarez (Science Direct) Biochar has a great potential for enhancing soil fertility and carbon sequestration while enabling beneficial waste disposition. Because of the potential for widespread application, it is essential to proactively assess
(Stevens Institute of Technology) Every year, the world consumes 15 Terrawatts of power. Since the amount of annual harvestable solar energy has been estimated at 50 Terrawatts, students at Stevens Institute of Technology are working on a supercapacitor that will
by Dr. William Strauss (Renewable Energy World/FutureMetrics) This short article challenges the assumption that there is always a carbon debt incurred first and then a carbon dividend realized later (debt-then-dividend) when using woody biomass for energy. The Manomet Study has generated
(OriginOil) Owner of three ‘CO2 to energy’ projects will pilot extraction unit at large coal-fired power plant OriginOil, Inc., the developer of breakthrough technology to transform algae, the most promising source of renewable oil, into a true competitor to petroleum, today announced
By Don Hofstrand (Iowa State University Extension/JoplinStockyards.com) U.S. energy policy has recently moved into the background due to concerns about the current economic downturn. However, the importance of the two major drivers of energy policy - the need to wean
by Fred Pearce (New Scientist) Climate negotiations were dealt a bombshell at the weekend when ecologists reported that carbon emissions from the destruction of tropical forests are probably only half previous estimates. If we are emitting less carbon dioxide from deforestation that's
by Dawson Williams and Rick Gilmore (GIC Group/Biofuels Digest) ...The Climate Action Reserve (CAR), which was chartered by state legislation in California in 2001, has just proposed three new agriculture related offset categories, including: cropland management, nutrient (fertilizer) management, and rice
by Roland Hiederer, Fabien Ramos, et al. (European Commission Joint Research Centre) This study implements a new methodology developed by the JRC IES and IE for estimating changes in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from soil and above- and below-ground biomass resulting
by Sam A. Rushing (Biofuels Digest) ...Since CO2 has been shown to be the globe’s worst offender as a greenhouse gas, the very use of this gas in a technology which would foster the production of viable basic chemicals, plastics,
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) LanzaTech announced that it has produced 2,3-Butanediol (2,3-BD), a key building block used to make polymers, plastics and hydrocarbon fuels, using the company's waste steel gas fermentation technology. LanzaTech is a story about a company transforming
(Algae Industry Magazine) An article by Rene H. Wijffels and Maria J. Barbosa, of Wageningen University in the Netherlands, published in the current edition of Science Journal, details the challenges and opportunities of algal biofuel development from a European perspective.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Massachusetts, the secretive Joule Unlimited (then known as Joule Biotechnologies) emerged late last year from “stealth mode” with the startling announcement that their technology could produce up to 15,000 gallons per acre of drop-in hydrocarbon
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Aside from the general observation that nearly all energy systems ultimately are based on today’s or yesterday’s solar energy (only geothermal and nuclear power are distinct exceptions), a new generation of technologies is bringing solar
by Dominic Woolf, James E. Amonette, F. Alayne Street-Perrott, Johannes Lehmann & Stephen Joseph (Nature Communications) Production of biochar (the carbon (C)-rich solid formed by pyrolysis of biomass) and its storage in soils have been suggested as a means of abating
(POET) Construction underway on storage area for biomass bales in Emmetsburg, Iowa Farmers and POET today celebrated the upcoming collection and delivery of 56,000 tons of baled corn cobs and light stover in the first commercial harvest for Project LIBERTY. POET CEO Jeff
edited by Reid Lifset (Journal of Industrial Ecology) Includes Corn Ethanol Articles Related to Debate over Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Corn-Ethanol The Journal of Industrial Ecology is pleased to make the following articles on the greenhouse gas emissions from corn-ethanol freely available
by Joe Irvin (Capitol Weekly) This week, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) convened a group of experts to discuss issues related to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) that was approved last year. The Expert Working Group has been
by Joseph Holroyd (Algae Industry Magazine) LakeMaster Corporation, a clean energy technology company headquartered in Rochester, New York, is engaged in the development and commercialization of a proprietary algal to biofuel system that captures carbon dioxide. The company recently filed for
by Jens Borken-Kleefeld, Terje Berntsen and Jan Fuglestvedt (Environmental Science and Technology) ...An unambiguous ranking of the specific climate impact can be established for freight transportation, with shipping and rail having lowest and light trucks and air transport having highest
(Max Planck Society) ..."What’s new about this research is that we have integrated the carbon cycle into our model to obtain the emissions data," says Erich Roeckner. According to the model, admissible carbon dioxide emissions will increase from approximately seven
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Green Plains Renewable Energy Inc. is moving to Phase II with its algae project at one plant and planning to install corn oil extraction technology at all six of its ethanol plants. On July 20,
(US Department of Energy) California Institute of Technology to lead team in partnership with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and other California institutions As part of a broad effort to achieve breakthrough innovations in energy production, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel
(US Department of Energy) $106 Million Recovery Act Investment will Reduce CO2 Emissions and Mitigate Climate Change U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today the selections of six projects that aim to find ways of converting captured carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions
(CO2 Solution) Codexis, Inc., and CO2 Solution Inc., on July 13, 2010, will make the first joint public presentation on their program to develop carbon capture technology to reduce pollution from coal-fired power plants. The presentation is being made at the 4th Annual
by Jennifer A. Burney, Steven J. Davis, and David B. Lobell (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) As efforts to mitigate climate change increase, there is a need to identify cost-effective ways to avoid emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Agriculture is
(BrighterEnergy.com) Arizona Governor Jan Brewer has signed new legislation that makes tax credits available for projects that use algae to turn sunlight and carbon dioxide into biofuels. ...The new legislation specifies that qualified research includes only research conducted in Arizona, including
by Louis Bergeron (Stanford University) Advances in high-yield agriculture over the latter part of the 20th century have prevented massive amounts of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere – the equivalent of 590 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide – according
by POET (RenewableEnergyWorld.com) Biogas production highlighted in lifecycle analysis for Project LIBERTY. Ethanol produced by Project LIBERTY, POET's first planned commercial cellulosic ethanol plant, will reduce carbon emissions by 111 percent over gasoline, an independent lifecycle analysis shows. This means POET’s
(Herald-Review.com) Archer Daniels Midland Co. has been selected to receive funding for a second carbon sequestration project that is in addition to one that could begin injecting carbon dioxide deep below ground next year. The U.S. Department of Energy announced Thursday that
by Tristram O. West, Craig C. Brandt, Latha M. Baskaran, Chad M. Hellwinckel, Richard Mueller, Carl J. Bernacchi, Varaprasad Bandaru, Bai Yang, Bradly S. Wilson, Gregg Marland, Richard G. Nelson, Daniel G. De La Torre Ugarte, and Wilfred M. Post
by Michael Kanellos (GreenTech) It’s a sulfur scrubber, mineral maker and carbon capture machine all in one. Skyonic, which has developed a system for converting smokestack fumes into sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and other minerals, is moving toward commercialization and says that
(Renewable Fuels Association) The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) today continued to call into question accounting gimmicks and unproven theories used by environmental activists seeking to undermine the growth of biofuels as a way to displace fossil fuels. The latest iteration is a
by Timothy D Searchinger (Environmental Research Letters) Use of biofuels does not reduce emissions from energy combustion but may offset emissions by increasing plant growth or by reducing plant residue or other non-energy emissions. To do so, biofuel production must generate and
(University of Illinois, Chicago) A new University of Illinois at Chicago study of facilities that produce most of the nation's ethanol found that the energy needed to make a gallon of the corn-based fuel decreased on average by about 30
by Ann Perry (USDA ARS) ...Agricultural Research Service microbiologist Walter Mulbry has been finding out there’s more to algae than just stringy masses that muck up streams and ponds. Though some scientists believe algae might be the next best thing
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...It was the biochemist Dr. Ganesh Kishore, now the CEO of the Malaysian Life Sciences Capital Fund and formerly Chief Biotechnology Officer of Dupont, who raised the issue at a recent Burrill & Company Limited
by Tyler Hamilton (TheStar.com) A mixture of hot gas rises out of a flue stack at the St. Marys Cement plant about 50 kilometres west of Waterloo. But not all the CO2-rich exhaust is vented to the open air. Some is redirected
(Alpha Galileo) There are various kinds of CO2. Emissions of fossil CO2 that result from the burning of fossil fuel affect the environment. Biogenic CO2 resulting from the burning of wood or biofuels, however, is 'climate neutral'. Scientists at the
by Luke Geiver (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The first tanker of ethanol has left Ensus, Europe’s largest wheat-based ethanol facility. Headed for the Netherlands, the cargo, which has been purchased by Shell as part of a long term deal, is a
UOP, a Honeywell (NYSE:HON) company, announced today that it has been awarded a $1.5 million cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Energy for a project to demonstrate technology to capture carbon dioxide and produce algae for use in biofuel
E. Detlef Schulze and Inge Schulze(Science) letter to editor It is commonly held that planting forests helps to mitigate climate change, because forests sequester carbon dioxide into long-lived biomass and soils. However, our personal experience shows that managed forests are unlikely
David M. Lapola, Ruediger Schaldach, Joseph Alcamo, Alberte Bondeau, Jennifer Koch, Christina Koelking, and Joerg A. Priess (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) Abstract: The planned expansion of biofuel plantations in Brazil could potentially cause both direct and indirect
(Central Valley Business Times) The mass production of biofuels could be a major step toward eliminating dependence on fossil fuels, but a number of factors have stood in the way, including the argument against using productive agricultural land for fuel
The simple formula we’ve learned in recent years – forests remove the greenhouse gas CO2 from the atmosphere; therefore forests prevent global warming – may not be quite as simple as we thought. Forests can directly absorb and retain heat,
On December 3rd 2009, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced approval of the project proposal submitted by Pond Biofuels Inc. under the Asia-Pacific Partnership (APP) on Clean Development and Climate program. The approved project includes funding in support of its
Myriant Technologies LLC (as successor to BioEnergy International), a leading biotech developer and manufacturer of renewable biochemicals, has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to receive up to $50 million for its planned biobased Succinic Acid facility
(Living on Earth) University of Minnesota biochemistry professor Larry Wackett's team won support from the US Dept. of Energy for their approach to direct solar fuel. Wackett's wants to mimic symbiosis in nature by teaming up microbes. … YOUNG: One
by Yvonne Chan (BusinessGreen.com) Australian biofuel specialist MBD Energy is poised to unveil a new facility that it claims will be the world's largest refinery for producing algae-based biofuels and high-protein livestock feed. The Melbourne-based company plans to showcase its
by David Adam (Guardian) The carbon dioxide emissions caused by the destruction of tropical forests have been significantly overestimated, according to a new study. The work could undermine attempts to pay poor countries to protect forests as a cost-effective way to
(BusinessWire) Accelergy Corporation and A2BE Carbon Capture LLC today announced the formation of the Carbon Cycle Technology Alliance at the 2009 Algae Biomass Summit. The Alliance will commercialize a platform for Integrated Carbon to Liquids™ (ICTL) fuel production technologies that
(BBC) One of Scotland's best known whisky distilleries is taking part in a scheme to cut carbon dioxide emissions using oil-producing algae. The Glenturret Distillery in Perthshire will use the ground-breaking system to turn fumes generated by whisky production into
by Jonathan Watts (The Guardian) Chinese firm behind ambitious plan to breed microalgae in greenhouse with the potential to absorb carbon emissions ...Developed by a groundbreaking Chinese firm, ENN, the greenhouse is a bioreactor that breeds microalgae, one of the fastest
by Kristina J. Anderson-Teixeira, Sarah C. Davis, Michael D. Masters and Evan H. Delucia (Global Change Biology Bioenergy) One potentially significant impact of growing biofuel crops will be the sequestration or release of carbon (C) in soil. Soil organic carbon (SOC)
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