Research team announces 1-step process for drop-in fuel from biomass — re-engineers e.coli to produce renewable diesel directly from biomass. (Biofuels Digest)
CBP arrives in the drop-in sphere; “early days” cautions team re: commercial feasibility
In California, a research team including members of the Keasling lab at the DOE’s Joint BioEnergy Institute and LS9 announced a major breakthrough in their ability to make renewable diesel and other advanced biofuels directly from cellulosic biomass in a one-step process.
Consolidated bio-processing – converting pretreated biomass in one step to a renewable fuel is considered a critical path element in driving down the costs of cellulosic biofuel towards cost parity with gasoline. It has been described as [...]
Real-time fuel from biomass a reality?
UVA Study Confirms Standalone Algae Production Not Viable
A new study from researchers at the University of Virginia’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, writing in Environmental Science & Technology, finds that algae cultivated in a standalone agricultural environment “consumes more energy, has higher greenhouse gas emissions and uses more water than other biofuel sources, such as switchgrass, canola and corn.”
This morning’s report by the Biofuels Digest goes on to say that “The researchers propose siting algae production ponds behind wastewater treatment facilities to capture phosphorous and nitrogen, and the research team is investigating demonstration projects for the wastewater production methods. The team is also developing research on the economic lifecycle of algae compared to other bioenergy feedstocks.”
Comment:
This [...]
Climate Change Legislation Is Dead (this year)
Democrats dim hopes for US climate bill after election loss
Recharge News today: “Congressional Democrats wasted little time Wednesday in dashing hopes for passage of a comprehensive climate change bill anytime soon, one day after their party suffered a stunning election loss in Massachusetts, a state it had dominated politically since World War II.”
It’s far from bad. What we really need is funding to commercialize algae and other technologies, and there is plenty of that money available.
Riggs
Deutsche Bank: cleantech companies outperformed global economy
… and will present “the economic and investment opportunities of our lifetime.”
According to Green Chip’s Weekend Edition,
Deutsche Bank was out with a new report this week that told us what we already know. It showed that “companies specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy such as wind and solar power outperformed peers across the wider global economy last year and expected more to come in 2010.”
Said the head of the bank’s global asset management: Cleantech companies will present “the economic and investment opportunities of our lifetime.”
Riggs
Biofuels M+A up 421 percent in 2009
But who will continue DOE funding role when Obama dollars run out? — Biofuels Digest asks.
In New York, Peachtree Media Advisors said that 248 greentech mergers, acquisitions, and capital raises in the U.S. were recorded in 2009 for a reported total of $9.5 billion, falling a respective 14% and 4% from 2008. The declines, however, were more than offset by generous amounts of funding from the DOE.
Peachtree identified $1.327 in biofuels M&A activity, up 421.3 percent, the fastest-growing alternative energy sector and trailing only energy efficiency. The Peachtree report includes seasonal trends and analysis of public companies in the biofuels space.
In Canada, the slowdown in Canadian M&A continued in 2009 [...]
India to implement solar feed-in tariff in 2010
(we like FITs as they reward renewables instead of penalizing polluters.)
India looks to implement solar feed-in tariff in 2010
India will put in place a solar feed-in tariff in 2010 that will govern the first phase of its ‘National Solar Mission’, a project intended to deliver 20 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity by 2022 and catapult India to the forefront of the increasingly commoditised solar industry.
Thanks to Recharge
Riggs
Clean fuel cost between $2 and $3 per gallon – unsubsidized?
Solar gasification towers finally show their promise. From Biofuels Digest:
Solar Biofuels heats up – Kleiner, Perkins, Oak-funded Sundrop Fuels emerges from “stealth mode” with billion gallon solar gasification project
one of the most interesting biofuels propositions in quite some time, Sundrop Fuels, is emerging from stealth mode.
Sundrop Fuels is a solar gasification-based renewable energy company with headquarters in Louisville, Colorado. The company’s process centers on its SurroundSun reactor technology, a proprietary solar-thermal biomass gasifier mounted on a tower and powered by a concentrating mirror field below, creating temperatures of nearly 1,300°C.
The process allows Sundrop to add solar energy to the process, rather than diverting energy from biomass to drive gasification. In [...]
Obama Awards $2.3B in New Clean-Tech Incentives
“The Recovery Act awards I am announcing today will help close the clean energy gap that has grown between America and other nations while creating good jobs, reducing our carbon emissions and increasing our energy security.”
Full story here. Hat tip to Green Chip Review
China Mandates 100% Renewable Electricity
A new law requires Chinese utilities to buy all available renewable power. As reported in today’s Green Chip Review:
China recently passed a law requiring electricity distributors to purchase 100% of the renewable energy available. With that kind of law on the books, you can bet there will be a rush on renewable energy installations in the coming year.
This is the kind of simple but effective regulation that we should think of for the USA.
Riggs