biofuel

Abandoned Mines: The New Algae-Harvesting Powerhouses?

Ariel Schwartz — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:06:43 -0500

Cereplast Turning Algae Into Green Plastic

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:58:59 -0400

Algae: is there anything it can't do? The slimy photosynthetic organism is already in the prototype stages as a biofuel, and now sustainable plastic manufacturer Cereplast has announced that it can turn algae into a sustainable bioplastic.

How Sustainable Is Southwest's "Green Plane"?

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:40:51 -0400

Southwest Airlines announced recently that it is launching a prototype "green plane," a Boeing 737 tweaked to include environmentally responsible materials and cut down on fuel use. It's a nice idea, but is it an honest effort or just greenwashing?

Moral Question of the Day: Should We Burn Bunnies for Biofuel?

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:30:42 -0400

Biofuel comes from some strange sources--watermelon, coffee grounds, and poop, to name a few. But when does the weirdness cross over into immorality? Perhaps when we start burning bunnies for biofuel.

Eco Building Rebuilds Itself Using Robotic Arms and Eco Power

Kit Eaton — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:50:16 -0400

We've seen every kind of architectural concept related to green design, but here's an exciting new one that may also be the oddest. It seems to borrow from a NASA design concept; it constantly re-builds itself and grows biofuel on its exterior.

Can Switchgrass Replace Coal at Power Plants?

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:35:53 -0400

Go Fish: Startup Makes Algae-Based Fish Oil Into Biofuel

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 09:38:19 -0400

We've seen a spate of companies getting involved in algae fuel in recent months, and all of them plan to use some variation on bioreactors and algae farms to squeeze oil out of algae. California startup LiveFuels is taking a different approach: feed algae to filter-hungry fish, round up the fish, and squeeze the oil out of them.

BP Joins Exxon in Algae Fuel Lovefest

Ariel Schwartz — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:10:36 -0400

Now that oil companies have finally acknowledged the prospect of peak oil, we're seeing longtime biofuel holdouts investing heavily in biofuels--and more specifically, algae-based biofuels.

Five Companies That Are Turning Algae Into Energy

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:00:57 -0400

We recently received a press release from a fledging company called Renewed World Energies claiming that it has created the first commercially viable algae-processing system. The company expects to have two acres of commercial algae growing systems by this fall. It's quite a claim considering the slew of well-funded algae fuel startups racing towards commercial viability.

Does Joule Biotechnologies Hold the Key to Our Biofuel Future?

Ariel Schwartz — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 14:48:01 -0400

It sounds too good to be true: Technology that converts CO2 and sunlight directly into liquid biofuel, all using a method that requires minimal non-agricultural land and no fresh water. Yet that's exactly what Joule Biotechnologies, a company that emerged from stealth mode today, claims it can do

Chicken Feather Biofuel Something to Cluck About

Ariel Schwartz — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:46:19 -0400

Chicken feather meal--a mix of processed chicken feathers, blood and innards--is one of the nastiest byproducts of the poultry processing industry. The 11 billion pounds of feather meal that pile up in the United States each year are mostly used as animal feed and fertilizer. A new study from scientists at the University of Nevada indicates that the feather/blood/innard mash-up might be better suited as a non-food based feedstock for biofuels.

Mach Green Liftoff! Another Advance for Super Clean Flying Machines

Stephanie Schomer — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 12:37:34 -0400

Earlier this month, somewhere high above the Mojave Desert, a rocket, powered by a heart-healthy mix of canola and soybean oils, approached the speed of sound and reached an altitude of 20,000 feet--a significant advance for the future of biofuel-fueled flight.

Exxon, a Longtime Biofuel Holdout, Makes a $600 Million Algae Fuel Investment

Ariel Schwartz — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 05:27:22 -0400

Exxon has long denied plans to move into the biofuel market, but the oil company announced a plan today to invest $600 million in the production of biofuel from algae. As part of the plan, Exxon will partner with Synethetic Genomics, a biotechnology outfit, to develop the fuel.

Shirts With a Caffeine Buzz? Waste Coffee Grounds Make High-Tech Fabric

Kit Eaton — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:29:55 -0400

Waste coffee grounds is icky stuff that's a pain to clean up...but it's also proven to be a great biofuel, and now a Taiwanese company has figured out how to turn it into a super-high tech eco-fabric. Is there no end to its talents?

World War Two-Era Fungus, Elephant Dung Combine to Make Biofuels

Ariel Schwartz — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:39:42 -0400

Hemp, soy, mustard, sunflower and palm oil can all be used to make biofuels, so why not elephant dung and World War Two-era fungus? Copenhagen-based Danisco A/S is using the fungus, which was discovered during WWII eating soldier's cotton tents, for its enzymes that break down plants for ethanol. Once ethanol is produced, Amsterdam food company CSM NV uses yeast developed from enzymes contained in elephant dung to manufacture biofuels.

Continental Biofuel Flight Saved Energy, Lowered Carbon Emissions

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 19:53:27 -0400

The results are back from Continental Airlines' biofuel test flight in January, and they look good. Continental's biofuel blend yielded a 1.1% increase in fuel efficiency over traditional jet fuels, and more impressively, cut carbon emissions by 60% to 80%.

Ottawa Shell Station First to Deliver Gasoline Blended with Cellulosic Ethanol

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 13:18:41 -0400

In what is being described as the first commercial delivery of cellulosic ethanol, a Shell service station in Ottawa, Ontario is selling gasoline containing a 10% blend of biofuel made from wheat straw. The biofuel and gasoline combo will be available at Shell's Ottawa gas station for a month beginning today.

Solarix Sustainer: A Biodiesel Conversion System for the Survivalist

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 13:53:15 -0400

European biodiesel company Solarix has created what may be a sustainable powerhouse for rural areas: the Sustainer, a "power box" in a 20-foot container frame that converts oil-bearing crops and seeds into edible oil and biodiesel.

Biofuels Take Flight

Melanie Warner — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:00:00 -0400

Picture this: You've unhappily squeezed yourself into the middle seat of your flight and are busy unfurling your headphones when the pilot comes on over the loudspeaker and announces that today your journey will be powered by 100% American-grown algae. The plane won't fly any differently or emit green exhaust, he'll say with a rehearsed chuckle. It's just part of a plan to make airplane travel a lot more environmentally friendly.

NASA Coaxes Biofuel From Bags of Sewage

Ariel Schwartz — Tue, 12 May 2009 16:53:34 -0400

There are lots of creative ways to produce biofuel from algae, but NASA's takes the cake. The space agency is growing biofuel in plastic bags of sewage floating in the sea. The Offshore Membrane Enclosures for Growing Algae (OMEGA) bags are based on technology used to recycle astronauts' wastewater. The bags allow freshwater to exit and also keep saltwater out.

Mascoma Close to Achieving the 'Golden Dream' of Cellulosic Ethanol Production

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:36:55 -0400

It seems like major biofuel breakthroughs are coming down the pipeline every day, but cellulosic ethanol start-up Mascoma's announcement today that it has achieved a breakthrough in consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) is the biggest one in a long while.

Genifuel Develops Process to Turn Algae Into Natural Gas, Not Biofuel

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:42:46 -0400

A number of companies--Sapphire Energy, Solazyme, and Bionavitas to name a few--are working on methods to convert algae into biofuel. But Genifuel wants to turn the pond scum into something different: natural gas. The company, which has obtained a license from Pacific Northwest National Labs for its technology, is using catalytic hydrothermal gasification to create natural gas out of algae in a quick and efficient manner.

Light Immersion Technology Could Speed Up Algae Growth, Lower Biofuel Costs

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 13:08:41 -0500

Algae-based biofuels could rule the future--if we can lower production costs. A Seattle-based startup called Bionavitas thinks the solution to producing cost-efficient algae is Light Immersion Technology, which uses pencil-shaped acrylic rods to bring light to algae and stimulate growth.

German Biogas Plant Restores Dignity to Corn

Ariel Schwartz — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 15:34:45 -0500

Corn is a dirty word when it comes to biofuel, and for good reason. We barely have enough food to go around, so it seems like a huge waste to use the stuff for electricity and heat.

Sierra Nevada Brewing to Make Car Fuel from Beer Dregs

Ariel Schwartz — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:13:15 -0500

Soon enough, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. will make more than just tasty beer--it will also manufacture high-grade ethanol fuel from leftover beer yeast.