(Diesel Technology Forum) Uncertainty Over Amount of Methane Emissions & Diesel Technology Efficiency Warrant Further Examination A new study published today said that switching from diesel to natural gas in heavy-duty trucks could worsen and accelerate negative climate impacts unless methane
methane/biomethane
Back TO HOMECNH Industrial Hosts Expert Panel to Raise Awareness on Biogas
(CNH Industrial/PR Newswire) The Company gathered experts from the scientific community, representatives from institutional European associations, public officials and professionals from the powertrain, commerical vehicles and agricultural machinery sectors for a workshop panel entitled "The Biogas Done Right Model". The
May 13, 2015 Read Full Article
Big Ox Energy Breaks Ground in South Sioux City
by Bret Hayworth (Sioux City Journal) ... Big Ox Energy, a Denmark, Wis.-based firm, has begun construction on a $30 million plant that will take organic waste from industrial plants and turn it into methane. ... Big Ox's technology includes an anaerobic
April 29, 2015 Read Full Article
New VERBIO Plant for the Production of Biomethane from 100 Percent Straw Commissioned as Scheduled
(VERBIO) New VERBIO plant for the production of biomethane from 100 percent straw commissioned as scheduled. Jörg Vogelsänger, Minister in the government of the Federal State of Brandenburg, and Kerstin Lichtenvort, EU project coordinator, witness the effectiveness of VERBIOS’s innovative
April 28, 2015 Read Full Article
Navassa Ordinance Would Allow Biofuel Production
by Lynda Van Kuren (StarNews Online) The Navassa Town Council recently tabled a decision on a proposed ordinance that would allow biofuel production in its heavy industrial districts and conditional production in its light industrial district. The council stressed the impact of biofuel
April 21, 2015 Read Full Article
From Food Waste to Fuel, CEAS Does Energy Sustainability Better
By: Ashley Duvelius (University of Cincinnati) CEAS researchers take aim at reducing the United States' annual 40 percent of food waste and are now able to convert waste into solid fuels, biodiesel and other products. The Food and Agriculture Organization of
April 17, 2015 Read Full Article
4 Minutes with… Chris Brown, CEO, Environmental Proteomics
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... We are biochemists/entrepreneurs making products for basic and applied research into methane production. ... We want to put our technology in the hands of anyone who takes a rigorous approach to optimizing biogenic methane
April 16, 2015 Read Full Article
Answers for Your Questions about Biofuels, Renewable Chemicals, Bioproducts and Sustainable Agriculture.
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Amazing questions get asked at ABLC — and except for attendees, you generally don’t hear them, or the answers. Let’s change that. With great sessions at conferences, delegates are usually keen to get a hold of
April 09, 2015 Read Full Article
The Experiment in Exploitation of Engines Working on Biofuel Has Been Completed in Sweden
(Ukrainian Biofuel Portal) Stockholm authorities reckoned up the results of a four-year experiment in testing the trucks with engines using alternative fuel. Within the framework of the experiment, fifty trucks appeared on the roads of Stockholm, equipped with methane-diesel, diesel-electric and
April 08, 2015 Read Full Article
European Biomethane Roadmap
(Netzwerk Biotreibstoffe) The GreenGasGrids project has reviewed the present market status and has thoroughly looked at the obstacles hindering the broader production and application of biomethane. The Roadmap indicates, that - if the necessary actions will be taken - the level
April 07, 2015 Read Full Article
Waste-Biogas Is at Least Ten Times More Effective than Crop-Biogas at Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions
(Bangor University) In a paper just released in the leading bioenergy journal Global Change Biology Bioenergy, researchers from Bangor University and the Thünen Institute in Germany conclude that crop-biogas and liquid biofuels are at best inefficient options for greenhouse gas
March 06, 2015 Read Full Article
4 Minutes with… Orion Lekos PhD, Director of Research, Whole Energy
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ...Whole Energy focuses on three areas… 1. Marketing Biofuels such as biodiesel, bio-methane, ethanol and renewable diesel; 2. Engineering services such as credit registration and process engineering; and 3. Refining glycerin to a commodity grade product and converting
March 03, 2015 Read Full Article
8 Ways Obama Sucks on Climate
by Ben Adler (Grist) ... But many of the administration’s moves, including a string of recent actions by federal agencies under Obama’s control, show this conventional wisdom to be false. Here are the president’s top eight climate failings, many of them
February 18, 2015 Read Full Article
Tulare County Collaboration Changing Cow Waste Into Clean Energy For Calgren
(Regenis) Sustainable energy production entered a new era in California today as a consortium of American companies joined together with state energy officials to launch the Calgren Ethanol Biodigester, which utilizes waste from dairy farms to power the production of
February 10, 2015 Read Full Article
4 Minutes with… Douglas Furtek, Director, Operational Innovation, R&D, Teck Guan Group
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Teck Guan Group is a progressive multinational (Malaysia, China, Indonesia) oil palm plantation, palm oil mill, and oleochemical company. We are now converting our massive amounts of agricultural residues into biogas and liquid biofuels. The
February 09, 2015 Read Full Article
5 Things to Know about Obama’s Next Climate Move: Methane
(Associated Press/The Washington Post) The Obama administration on Wednesday announced its latest move to combat global warming, this time trying to rein in heat-trapping methane gas that escapes from oil and gas fields. The plan relies on voluntary steps and new
January 16, 2015 Read Full Article
CPI Work to Transform Food Waste into Graphene and Renewable Hydrogen
(Centre for Process Innovation) The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) is leading a European collaborative project that aims to transform food waste into a sustainable source of significant economic added value, namely graphene and renewable hydrogen. The project titled ‘PlasCarb’ will
January 15, 2015 Read Full Article
The 41 Weirdest Things Ever Used to Make Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Bunnies, liposuction fat, Prince Charles’ leftover wine, day-old whale, the human poo bus, fire ants dipped in hexane, old beer, raging fireballs, vibrating blobs, dope, and even the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Take your pick and,
December 31, 2014 Read Full Article
Delaware-Size Gas Plume over West Illustrates the Cost of Leaking Methane
by Joby Warrick (The Washington Post) The methane that leaks from 40,000 gas wells near this desert trading post may be colorless and odorless, but it’s not invisible. It can be seen from space. Satellites that sweep over energy-rich
December 30, 2014 Read Full Article
Small but Tough: Iridium Nanoparticles Resist Deactivation in Biofuel Production
(Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) Scientists characterized catalysts to determine ability to convert methane to more valuable fuels Results: Steam reforming turns methane from biomass into a mixture that can be further converted into transportation fuels. By combining experimental and theoretical approaches,
December 23, 2014 Read Full Article
Brazil: Scania Biomethane Powered Bus Hits Roads of PTI Area in Paraná
(NGV Journal) Inhabitants of the Itaipu Technological Park (PTI) now have a more sustainable and environmentally friendly transport. Recently, the bus fleet that offers internal transport services introduced a vehicle driven by the fuel obtained from the purification of biogas
December 15, 2014 Read Full Article
Gaz Métro & ANGI for Quebec BioNGVs
by Rich Piellisch (Fleets & Fuels) Compost Collection Supports Saint-Hyacinth Fleet Vehicles Canada’s Gaz Métro utility and the compressed natural gas infrastructure provider ANGI Energi have played key roles in the commitment by the Quebec town of Saint-Hyacinthe to run fleet
December 15, 2014 Read Full Article
Small Number of Wells Responsible for Methane Emissions
by Max B. Baker (Star-Telegram) A small number of natural gas wells are responsible for the majority of the methane gas being released into the atmosphere during production, but at higher levels than previously estimated by the U.S. Environmental Protection
December 15, 2014 Read Full Article
Process Converts Human Waste into Rocket Fuel
Brad Buck (University of Florida) Buck Rogers surely couldn’t have seen this one coming, but at NASA’s request, University of Florida researchers have figured out how to turn human waste -- yes, that kind -- into rocket fuel. Adolescent jokes aside, the
December 11, 2014 Read Full Article
Direct Measurements of Methane Emissions from Abandoned Oil and Gas Wells in Pennsylvania
by Mary Kanga, Cynthia M. Kannoa, Matthew C. Reida, Xin Zhangb, Denise L. Mauzeralla, Michael A. Celia, Yuheng Chen, and Tullis C. Onstott (PNAS) Abandoned oil and gas wells provide a potential pathway for subsurface migration and emissions of methane and other fluids to
December 10, 2014 Read Full Article
The Environmental Pros and Cons of Feeding Dried Distillers Grains
by Alma Release (Alberta Farmer) Cattle fed DDGs produce less methane and more nitrogen, Lethbridge Research Station scientists have found ... Feed is one of the highest on-farm costs and when the price of barley, corn and wheat rises, producers often turn
December 04, 2014 Read Full Article
Pacific Ethanol Receives $3 Million Grant
by Reed Fujii (Recordnet.com) State energy officials awarded Pacific Ethanol Inc. $3 million to help develop grain sorghum as a low-carbon feedstock, replacing some of the corn traditionally used, at its plants in Stockton and Madera. The award came at the
November 25, 2014 Read Full Article
The Downside of the Boom
by Deborah Sontag and Robert Gebeloff (The New York Times) North Dakota took on the oversight of a multibillion-dollar oil industry with a regulatory system built on trust, warnings and second chances. ... Blowouts represent the riskiest failure in the oil business.
November 24, 2014 Read Full Article
Carbon Fee Bill Would Benefit Algae Industry
by Erin Voegele (Biomass Magazine) Legislation recently introduced in the U.S. Senate includes a provision that would encourage carbon utilization technology. The Algae Biomass Organization has spoken out to applaud the bill, which calls for greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations that
November 21, 2014 Read Full Article
Good Neighbors (Anaerobic Digesters)
by Katie Fletcher (Biomass Magazine) Lately, cellulosic ethanol plant startups have basked in the bioenergy limelight. While less celebrated, anaerobic digesters are adding value to operations and seem to be trending in blueprints. When ethanol plants can provide excess sugar to
November 21, 2014 Read Full Article
UK's First Ever Bus to Run on Human and Food Waste Launched
(Geneco) The UK's first ever bus powered on food waste and human poo has taken to the road today which engineers believe could provide a sustainable way of fuelling public transport - cutting emissions in polluted towns and cities. The 40-seater
November 21, 2014 Read Full Article
Beet Ethanol Demonstration Project to Begin Next Month
by Ben Keller (The Business Journal) A new source of transportation fuel may soon flow from the Central Valley if a pilot-scale biorefinery wrapping up later this year in Fresno County proves successful in converting thousands of tons of beets
November 21, 2014 Read Full Article
California Approves $13.5 Million in Loans for Energy-Efficient Upgrades to Schools
(California Energy Commission) Grants for alternative and renewable fuel projects totaling nearly $8 million also approved The California Energy Commission approved $13.5 million for energy efficiency measures to 14 schools in the San Francisco Bay Area, San Joaquin County and Orange
November 19, 2014 Read Full Article
10 Must-See Hot Slides from ABLC Next 2014 – the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) 10 hot companies, 10 hot slides explaining where they are, what they’re up to, and where they are going, and when and how and why. Here are new slides from the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference – ABLC
November 17, 2014 Read Full Article
Building Blocks: LanzaTech, IOC, NatureWorks, Calysta make strides on Omega-3s, lactic acid
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Illinois, LanzaTech and a research team from the IOC-DBT Center for Advanced Bio-Energy Research (an entity co-funded by India’s Department of Biotechnology and Indian Oil Corporation Limited) announced the development of a new process
November 03, 2014 Read Full Article
California Energy Commission to Award up to $3M for Advanced Biofuel Projects
(Green Car Congress) The California Energy Commission’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP) announced (PON-14-602) the availability of up to $3 million in grant funds for biofuels projects that are in the early/pre-commercial technology development stage. This
October 29, 2014 Read Full Article
A Host of Chemicals Emissions Are Seeping from Oil and Gas Operations
by Mark Jaffe (The Denver Post) A host of chemical emissions seep are seeping from oil and gas drilling pads with different ones coming from different places in the operation – from the wellhead to tanks to valves, according to
October 23, 2014 Read Full Article
Study: Natural Gas Surge Won't Slow Global Warming
by Seth Borenstein (AP/SFGate.com) Cheap and plentiful natural gas isn't quite a bridge to a brighter energy future as claimed and won't slow global warming, a new study projects. Abundant natural gas in the United States has been displacing coal,
October 16, 2014 Read Full Article
EPA Announces Winning P3 Student Teams for Pioneering Projects to Solve Environmental Problems
(US Enviromental Protection Agency) “Each year, the projects and designs created by the P3 teams surpass expectations,” said Lek Kadeli, Acting Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development. “These students are creating sustainable solutions for our everyday needs,
October 15, 2014 Read Full Article
Energy Department Announces $13.4 Million to Develop Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts
(U.S. Department of Energy) The Energy Department announced today (October 9, 2014) up to $13.4 million for five projects to develop advanced biofuels and bioproducts that will help drive down the cost of producing gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel from
October 14, 2014 Read Full Article
Natural Gas Usage Will Have Little Effect on CO2 Emissions, UCI-Led Study Finds
(University of California-Irvine) Abundant supplies of natural gas will do little to reduce harmful U.S. emissions causing climate change, according to researchers at UC Irvine, Stanford University, and the nonprofit organization Near Zero. They found that inexpensive gas boosts electricity
September 25, 2014 Read Full Article
Breakthrough or No Breakthrough? As UK Research Team Reports Progress toward Renewable Propane, Global Media Goes Gaga
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In the UK, If you look this week in your Google News alerts, you’ll see an awful lot of breathless headlines around a meme something like “Researchers have engineered the harmless gut bacteria E.coli to generate
September 08, 2014 Read Full Article
11,000 Biogas Project Opportunities in the US? USDA, DOE, EPA Publish Biogas Opportunities Roadmap
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, USDA, EPA and the US DOE published the Biogas Opportunities Roadmap, and concluded that: · Developing a viable biogas industry in the U.S. can boost the economy and provide a reliable, distributed source of renewable energy
August 08, 2014 Read Full Article
Fulcrum BioEnergy and Cathay Pacific Announce Strategic Investment
(Fulcrum BioEnergy/PRNewswire) -- Cathay Pacific Airways announced today that it is the first airline investor in Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc. ("Fulcrum"), a US-based sustainable biofuel developer, as part of the airline's biofuel strategy and to help it achieve a target of
August 07, 2014 Read Full Article
Gas Processing Contract in Stockholm Awarded to Schmack Carbotech
(MyNewsDesk.com/Schmack Biogas GmbH) Schmack Carbotech has been awarded the contract to construct a plant with a processing capacity of 2000 Nm3/h in raw biogas in Sofielund Huddinge, Stockholm. Gas with a methane content of 97 percent after purification will
July 23, 2014 Read Full Article
California Proposes $46.3M for Advanced Biofuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... In California, the California Energy Commission recommended awards of $46.6 million to 11 biofuels and biomethane projects. ... The winning projects and award amounts are: Crimson Renewable Energy LP Bakersfield Biodiesel Production Plant Expansion Project–Phase II $5,000,000 American Biodiesel, Inc.
July 22, 2014 Read Full Article
Questions and Answers on the Outcome of the Second Call for Proposals under the NER 300 Programme
(Europa.EU) ... NER 300 is one of the world's largest funding programmes for innovative low-carbon energy demonstration projects. The programme aims to successfully demonstrate environmentally safe carbon capture and storage (CCS) and innovative renewable energy (RES) technologies on a commercial scale
July 10, 2014 Read Full Article
Calysta Produces Lactic Acid in NatureWorks Partnership Ahead of Schedule
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) The Digest has heard from California that Calysta has successfully produced lactic acid – a key building block for industrial bioplastics – from methane at lab scale for NatureWorks. NatureWorks is one of the world’s largest makers
July 01, 2014 Read Full Article
Fracking Study Finds New Gas Wells Leak More
by Seth Borenstein (Associated Press) In Pennsylvania's gas drilling boom, newer and unconventional wells leak far more often than older and traditional ones, according to a study of state inspection reports for 41,000 wells. The results suggest that leaks of methane
July 01, 2014 Read Full Article
Exporting U.S. Natural Gas Isn’t as “Clean” as You Think
by Steven Mufson (The Washington Post) One of the rallying cries in favor of liquefying and exporting U.S. natural gas has been to help reduce greenhouse gases in other countries, by crowding out coal in Asia and Europe. Yet tucked into
June 10, 2014 Read Full Article
Obama Really Wishes He Could Put a Price on Carbon
(Grist) President Obama explained his thinking about climate change during a sit-down interview with New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman; it will air Monday night during the final episode of Showtime’s climate series “Years of Living Dangerously.” Friedman also shared lots of
June 09, 2014 Read Full Article
18 Free Studies on 21 Next-Wave Biofuels Feedstocks
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) Thought you knew everything there was to know about some of biofuels’ favorite feedstocks? Here are 18 free reports that may dampen or re-ignite your enthusiasm. ...To bring you up to speed on the latest about
June 09, 2014 Read Full Article
Ag Census Demonstrates Real Growth in Renewables from Farms and Ranches
(25 x '25) The mission of the 25x’25 Alliance has been consistent since its inception 10 years ago: promote to policy makers and regulators the role of farms, ranches and forestlands in developing clean, sustainable sources of energy to help
May 09, 2014 Read Full Article
Global Warming Alert: Methane Levels Continue to Climb
by Bill Chameides (Duke University) ... Recently, NOAA’s Earth System Research Laboratory released its Annual Greenhouse Gas Index, “a measure of the warming influence of long-lived trace gases and how that influence is changing each year.” The data presented on methane is striking and
May 08, 2014 Read Full Article
CIRES, NOAA Study Finds More Methane, Ozone Precursors and Benzene than Estimated by Regulators
(CIRES) During two days of intensive airborne measurements, oil and gas operations in Colorado’s Front Range leaked nearly three times as much methane, a greenhouse gas, as predicted based on inventory estimates, and seven times as much benzene, a regulated
May 08, 2014 Read Full Article
Study Raises New Concerns about Emissions from Shale Gas Wells
by Jennifer A. Dlouhy (FuelFix) Researchers found higher-than-expected emissions of a potent greenhouse gas emanating from Pennsylvania wells, according to a study published Monday that adds to concerns about the environmental footprint of natural gas. The study, conducted by Purdue and Cornell universities
April 15, 2014 Read Full Article
Natural Gas Vehicles Worse for Climate than Diesel Ones?
by Wendy Koch (USA Today) Trucks and buses that run on natural gas may actually be worse for the climate, over the long run, than diesel-fueled vehicles, study says. Natural gas is widely hailed as cleaner than other fossil fuels, but
March 08, 2014 Read Full Article
The Hunt for Hydrogen and Hydro-Riches
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... “You will never have enough affordable hydrogen.” Perhaps that is the attractor in the news from little-known Solarvest Bioenergy, when they announced third party confirmation of their bio-hydrogen expression system following the successful completion of a six
March 07, 2014 Read Full Article
Big Plans to Power the Future with Microscopic Algae
by Christian Ludwig (The National) ... In order to offer a viable alternative to oil or natural gas, the microalgae have to be produced sustainably, and fuels derived from them have to be compatible with today’s distribution grid, while also being able
March 04, 2014 Read Full Article
Colorado Adopts Tougher Air Rules for Oil, Gas Industry
by Bruce Finley (The Denver Post) Colorado adopted tougher air pollution rules for the oil and gas industry — the first in the nation to cover methane, a gas linked to climate change. State air quality control commissioners voted 8-1 on
March 03, 2014 Read Full Article
Levels of Global-Warming Gas Methane Exceed Government Estimates, New Study Contends
by Lenny Bernstein (The Washington Post) The amount of the heat-trapping gas methane in the atmosphere is considerably greater than government estimates, a problem significantly fueled by leaks from the U.S. natural gas system, according to a study released Thursday. The leak rate probably
February 14, 2014 Read Full Article
Renewable Energy the Focus of Unique UH, Maui Company Partnership
(University of Hawaii) Researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa are working with Maui based company Pacific Biodiesel to develop a way to make water from restaurant grease traps reusable. The collaboration is an example of a new type
February 13, 2014 Read Full Article
Envisioning the Bioconversion of Methane to Liquid Fuels
by Robert J. Conrado and Ramon Gonzalez (Science Magazine) Efforts to use natural gas in transportation, either directly or by conversion to a liquid fuel, have been spurred by recent increases in available supply and a growing price spread between
February 10, 2014 Read Full Article
What Role for Short-Lived Climate Pollutants in Mitigation Policy?
by J. K. Shoemaker, D. P. Schrag, M. J. Molina, V. Ramanathan (Science Magazine) Short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) include methane (CH4), black carbon (BC), tropospheric ozone, and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). They are important contributors to anthropogenic climate change, responsible for as much
December 13, 2013 Read Full Article
First Producer Signs up to Biomethane Certification Scheme
(GreenGasTrading) Future Biogas, an established and experienced builder and operator of anaerobic digestion plants in the UK, is to become the first registered producer to join the Biomethane Certification Scheme (BMCS) run by Green Gas Trading Limited (GGT). Explaining the company’s
December 12, 2013 Read Full Article
Groups Call for Federal Regulations to Curb Methane Leaks
by Lenny Bernstein (The Washington Post) Ninety health, environmental and sportsmen’s groups asked the federal government Thursday to clamp down on the release of methane gas by the petrochemical industry, asserting that the United States cannot reach its goal for
December 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Company Hopes to Tap into Sugar Cane, Sorghum for Fuel-Grade Ethanol
by James Palen (The Daily Transcript/San Diego Source) ... Brawley-based California Ethanol + Power is bringing the matter closer to home. The company has yet to build its first facility, but by possibly the first quarter of 2014, it looks to break ground on
November 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Study: US Spewing 50% More Methane than EPA Says
by Seth Borenstein (Associated Press/US News and World Report) The United States is spewing 50 percent more methane — a potent heat-trapping gas — than the federal government estimates, a new comprehensive scientific study says. Much of it is coming
November 25, 2013 Read Full Article
Colorado Governor Proposes Strict Limits on Greenhouse Gas Leaks From Drilling
by Michael Wines (The New York Times) Gov. John W. Hickenlooper of Colorado proposed on Monday tough new limits on leaks of methane and other gases from well sites and storage tanks. Supporters called the limits, which would exceed existing
November 25, 2013 Read Full Article
More Bad News For Fracking: IPCC Warns Methane Traps More Heat than We Thought
by Joseph Romm (Think Progress/The Energy Collective) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports that methane (CH4) is far more potent a greenhouse gas than we had previously realized. This matters to the fracking debate because methane leaks throughout the
October 11, 2013 Read Full Article
Clean Energy Becomes the First Ever Commercial Distributor of Transportational Fuel Made from Waste
(Clean Energy) Clean Energy Fuels Corp. (Nasdaq: CLNE), North America’s largest provider of natural gas for transportation, announced today (October 3, 2013) that it will be the first company to commercially distribute a renewable natural gas vehicle fuel, called Redeem,
October 04, 2013 Read Full Article
ARPA-E Awards $34M in R&D for Advanced Liquid Fuels from Methane
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In Washington, the US Department of Energy announced that 15 breakthrough energy projects will receive approximately $34 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) via the REMOTE program (Reducing Emissions using Methanotrophic Organisms for
September 20, 2013 Read Full Article
Methane Emissions from Onshore Natural Gas Drilling Found Lower than Estimates
by Steven Mufson (The Washington Post) A new study by the University of Texas at Austin shows that methane emissions from onshore natural gas drilling are much lower than previous estimates, in part because of the effectiveness of techniques required
September 17, 2013 Read Full Article
Methane Leaking in Utah Suggests Higher National Rate
by Andrew Freedman (Climate Central) A new study of the air above a natural gas field in Utah suggests that far more methane gas may be escaping into the atmosphere from drilling operations than previously estimated. The study, to be published
August 13, 2013 Read Full Article
Lowering Ethanol's Carbon Footprint with Energy Beets
by Keith Loria (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Mendota Bioenergy’s plan to turn energy beets to ethanol moves to demonstration scale in California’s San Joaquin Valley. The future of advanced biofuels is in beets. At least that’s the thinking of those behind Mendota Bioenergy
July 02, 2013 Read Full Article
DDGS Intake Reduces Methane Output of Dairy Cows
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Every once in a while, I read something that really catches my attention. A study that found that distillers grains can help reduce methane output and increase milk production in dairy cows definitely falls
May 28, 2013 Read Full Article
Ethanol Improving While Oil Gets Worse
by Joanna Schroeder (DomesticFuel.com) The House and Energy Commerce Committee has released its third white paper on the Renewable Fuel Standard, “Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Environmental Impacts.” Executive Vice President of the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE), Brian Jennings, responded with written
May 28, 2013 Read Full Article
Investing in Sustainable Palm Oil Production Ex-ante Impact Assessment of Investments in a Palm Oil Mill in Palembang, Indonesia
by Yuca Waarts, Kor Zwart (LEI Wageningen UR) Recycling palm oil mill effluent, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and improving smallholder livelihoods are three important topics in debates on sustainable palm oil production. In Indonesia, Zebra Special Products BV has invested in various
May 13, 2013 Read Full Article
EPA Methane Report Further Divides Fracking Camps
(National Public Radio/Associated Press) The Environmental Protection Agency has dramatically lowered its estimate of how much of a potent heat-trapping gas leaks during natural gas production, in a shift with major implications for a debate that has divided environmentalists: Does
May 06, 2013 Read Full Article
Tap, Enhance, Process Stream to Create Value-added Products
by Dil Vashi (Ethanol Producer Magazine/Solutions 4 CO2) Stillage, CO2 become valuable inputs in synergistic design Many ethanol producers look for additional revenue streams beyond the core ethanol and distillers grains to extract corn oil and capture CO2. Opportunities exist
April 24, 2013 Read Full Article
The Hydrogen Problem
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) A numbers of readers responding to “Biofuels from a raging fireball” (Friday’s Top Story, on research work with the raging fireball, Pyrococchus furiosus, to make biofuels and renewable chemicals from hydrogen gas and CO2) raised
April 02, 2013 Read Full Article
ARPA-E Launches $20M Project REMOTE – Bioconversion of Natural Gas to Liquid Fuels
by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ARPA-E aims to drive liquid fuel production from abundant, affordable methane — and sees biobased technology as the path forward. In Washington, ARPA-E released its long-awaited funding opportunity announcement for Project REMOTE – Reducing Emissions using
March 27, 2013 Read Full Article
Report: Flaws in EPA Drilling Pollution Data
by Dina Cappiello (Associated Press/San Francisco Chronicle) Limited data and unreliable estimates on air pollution from oil and natural gas production is hindering the Environmental Protection Agency's efforts to police the drilling boom, the agency's internal watchdog said in a
March 07, 2013 Read Full Article
Natural Gas Leaks Come under Scrutiny, Raise Questions on Climate Impact
by Juliet Eilperin (The Washington Post) ... Measuring how much methane gas is leaking from pipes under the District could help answer a key policy question. As natural gas production expands in the United States, do its benefits for the climate far outweigh
March 04, 2013 Read Full Article
B&Q Introduces Bio-LNG Fleet
(EnergyGlobal.com) Gasrec and B&Q are working together to create a greener fleet with 50 dual fuel lorries powered by Bio-LNG. The eco-friendly fuel used to power the lorries comprises 60% biomethane, the natural green source of renewable energy produced from organic
March 01, 2013 Read Full Article
Methane Leaks Erode Green Credentials of Natural Gas
by Jeff Tollefson (Nature) Losses of up to 9% show need for broader data on US gas industry’s environmental Scientists are once again reporting alarmingly high methane emissions from an oil and gas field, underscoring questions about the environmental benefits of the
January 07, 2013 Read Full Article
Can Flex-Fuel Cars Put US on the Road to Low Oil Prices?
by Suzanne Goldenberg (The Guardian) Barack Obama is in the market for creative ways of combating climate change, and Eyal Aronoff thinks he has one – involving the US's beloved motor car Eyal Aronoff identifies himself on his business card as
December 20, 2012 Read Full Article
U.S. States Threaten Lawsuit against EPA over Regulations
by Andrew Hay (Reuters) A coalition of seven eastern states led by New York plans to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for failing to issue new guidelines to curb methane emissions, a greenhouse gas that may be linked to
December 17, 2012 Read Full Article
Camels' Stomachs Could Provide Key to Cheap, Renewable Biofuel
by Alya Al Tunaiji (The National) ...At the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, I am currently focusing my master's thesis research on the biogas-producing potential of the microbes that live in camels' stomachs. Large ruminants - plant-eating mammals such as cows, goats and
November 27, 2012 Read Full Article
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING: Data-Heavy Project Aims to Move Methane Emissions Research beyond 'He Said, She Said'
by Gayathri Vaidyanathan and Saqib Rahim (E&E Publishing/Energy Wire) A team of academics, natural gas companies and environmentalists is hoping to pull a crucial environmental issue from the jaws of polarization and controversy -- and start moving it into the realm
October 24, 2012 Read Full Article
Brazilian Biofuels That Cause Land-Use Change May Have Much Larger Non-GHG Air Quality Emissions Than Fossil Fuels
by C.-C. Tsao , J. E. Campbell, M. Mena-Carrasco, S. N. Spak, G. R. Carmichael, and Y. Chen (Environmental Science and Technology) Although biofuels present an opportunity for renewable energy production, significant land-use change resulting from biofuels may contribute to negative
September 21, 2012 Read Full Article
Renewable Biogas: Next RFS Darling or Marginal Fuel?
by Mackinnon Lawrence (Biofuels Digest/Pike Research) ...The Toilet Bike, though, brings to light questions around the broader potential for biogas as a renewable transportation fuel, an application that has been gaining increased attention in recent years. Still, biogas fuel’s broader market
September 12, 2012 Read Full Article
Biogas Boom in Germany Leads to Modern-Day Land Grab
by Nils Klawitter (Der Spiegel) Creating energy from corn once seemed like a revolutionary idea in Germany. But subsidies for the biogas industry have led to entire regions of the country being covered by the crop, and investors are eagerly
September 10, 2012 Read Full Article
U.S. Will Lead New Effort to Cut Global Warming from Methane, Soot
by Brian Vastag (The Washington Post) With global efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions stalled, the United States and five other countries are starting a new program to cut other pollutants — including methane, soot and hydrofluorocarbons — that contribute
February 20, 2012 Read Full Article
Bombshell Study: High Methane Emissions Measured Over Gas Field “May Offset Climate Benefits of Natural Gas”
by Joe Romm (ThinkProgress.org) Air sampling by NOAA over Colorado Finds 4% Methane Leakage, More Than Double Industry Claims How much methane leaks during the entire lifecycle of unconventional gas has emerged as a key question in the fracking debate. Natural gas is mostly
February 13, 2012 Read Full Article
Natural Gas vs. Energy Innovation
by Kate Bechen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) The production of ethanol is a complex, energy intensive process. Critics often cite the energy usage of ethanol plants and the wastes produced by the production of ethanol, especially corn-based ethanol, as lessening the
January 30, 2012 Read Full Article
Good Digestion: It’s Been a Bumpy Road to Full-Scale Adoption of Anaerobic Digestion Technologies at Ethanol Plants
by Holly Jessen (Ethanol Producer Magazine) Despite the promise of methane from anaerobic digestion technology, low natural gas rates and other factors have kept ethanol producers from jumping in with both feet. ...On top of the digester, Western Plains Energy utilizes
December 29, 2011 Read Full Article
Kansas City Firm to Re-Open Mead Ethanol Plant
by Art Hovey (Lincoln Journal Star) Spectrum Business Ventures of Kansas City aims to bring a closed ethanol plant near Mead out of mothball status in the next few months. The former E3 Biofuels plant attracted widespread attention in 2006 as
December 23, 2011 Read Full Article
Members of the European Parliament Call for Cuts in Non-CO2 Greenhouse Emissions
(European Parliament) Great efforts have been made to reduce CO2 emissions in Europe and internationally, but a number of other substances are also causing Arctic ice-melt and on Wednesday MEPs called for action against so-called non-CO2 emissions including the
September 19, 2011 Read Full Article
$15.6M Grant to Help Pay to Convert Manure to Methane in Oakley
by Mike Corn (The Hays Daily News) Leftover money from the federal Recovery Act will help pay for a project converting cattle manure to methane to help fuel the Western Plains Energy ethanol plant near Oakley. The Kansas Department of Commerce
September 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Greenhouse Packs A Power Punch
by Joan Melcher (BioCycle) Closed loop system utilizes gasification, algae ponds and anaerobic digestion to convert wood waste to a variety of products, including biofuel, biogas and a soil amendment. Michael Smith is supervising the first commercial-scaleGreen Power House at the
July 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Search Produces Energy from Biodiesel Waste
(Correio do Brasil) School of Engineering of São Carlos (EESC) of USP, a research proposes the production of energyfrom the gas released in the treatment of glycerol originating from the biodiesel. The residue is rich in impurities, which increases the
July 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Study: Gas from ‘Fracking’ Worse than Coal on Climate
by Ben Geman (The Hill) Cornell University professors will soon publish research that concludes natural gas produced with a drilling method called “hydraulic fracturing” contributes to global warming as much as coal, or even more. The conclusion is explosive because
April 14, 2011 Read Full Article
Biofuel Truck Quietly Proves Nothing Need Go to Waste
by Isaac Davison (NZHerald.co.NZ) ...The truck, launched in Rodney yesterday by Auckland Mayor Len Brown, is the result of the first successful New Zealand project to turn landfill gas into a transport fuel. Its creators say the truck's
January 19, 2011 Read Full Article
Researchers Engineer New Methane-Production Pathway in Microorganism
(University of Arkansas) A University of Arkansas researcher and his colleagues have created the first methane-producing microorganism that can metabolize complex carbon structures, which could lead to microbial recycling of waste products and their transformation into natural gas. Daniel J. Lessner, assistant
December 13, 2010 Read Full Article
EUR 6.1 mln Project to Farm Algae for Biofuels
(FIS) Scientists are proposing the creation of methane gas from algae grown in great offshore farms to power adapted vehicles. A new GBP 5 million (EUR 6.1 million) UK and Irish joint project called BioMara disclosed the plan and seeks to
September 30, 2010 Read Full Article
MemfoACT Carbon Membrane Helps to Convert Low-Grade Biogas into Biofuel
(AZo Materials) MemfoACT, a spin-off from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), has secured NOK 25 million to turn its award-winning membrane technology into a commercial product. Based on research conducted at NTNU's Department of Chemical Engineering, the company's
September 22, 2010 Read Full Article
Kettering University to Debut Biofuel Pickup Truck Tied to Swedish Biogas Plant in Flint
by Beata Mostafavi (Flint Journal) The white Chevy Silverado in Kettering University’s parking lot could be a symbol of a future Flint — one where cars, trucks and buses run on biofuel produced in the city. It looks like any other pickup,
August 23, 2010 Read Full Article
Sewage-Powered Volkswagen Beetle Relies on Six ‘Movements’ per Mile
(Environmental Transport Association) A car unveiled this week by Wessex Water that runs on methane gas generated from fermented human waste may have a performance comparable with a petrol-powered vehicle, but range may prove a problem; the converted Volkswagen Beetle
August 18, 2010 Read Full Article
UK Airport to Plant Its Own Willow Farm to Produce Biofuel for Terminal Building Biomass Boiler and Complement Biomethane Bus
(GreenAirOnline) The UK’s East Midlands Airport is to establish a 26-hectare willow farm on its land to produce biofuel to power a biomass boiler, which will be situated in the terminal building. The farm is to be located north of
April 12, 2010 Read Full Article
Scum of Earth Will save Us before ETS Does
by Mark Coulton (The Australian) ... Carbon neutrality may be achievable without resorting to a hefty new tax if the government employed a skerrick of the initiative and ingenuity shown by the team at Townsville's James Cook University. ... This
January 02, 2010 Read Full Article
Hauling Garbage with Fuel Created from Garbage
At Frederick County's Solid Waste Options presentation, Dave Specca, Assistant Director of the Rutgers EcoComplex described how landfill gases fuel compressed natural gas garbage trucks at the EcoComplex. Watch video of similar process in California. READ MORE