Cassava, not in Cambodia... photo: The Ewan
Just a quick one on ethanol and Southeast Asia: Chinaview.cn is reporting that Cambodia has opened the nation’s first ethanol production facility. Using cassava as a feedstock, at least initially all of the plant’s production will be for the export market (primarily the European market...). Here are the rest of the details:...
In his inauguration speech, President-Elect Obama said we need an economy that addresses the “new energy to harness and new jobs to be created.” But what are some of the opportunities to watch for? Check out his plan below, and then lets discuss some of the areas that should see increased opportunity.
Obama's proposals are ambitious, and could lead to millions of new green jobs
Looking to follow through on its plans to develop biomass-driven biofuels plants in North America Raven Biofuels Nov. 7 announced that it is partnering with British Columbia’s Kamloops Indian Band (KIB), a local First Nations government, one of the largest of the 17 groups into which the Secwepemc, aka Shuswap, nation was divided when the Colony of British Columbia established an Indian reserve system in the 1860s.
Raven and KIB have signed a memorandum of understanding to aimed at developing and building a proposed ethanol biorefinery and cogeneration plant, according to a media release.
photo: Monique
Just in case anyone thinks that I might be just an Obama fanboy and won't call him out on energy policy when he deserves it, this one’s for you. Bloomberg.com is reporting comments which they are spinning as indicating as Obama being willing to continue similar levels of support for ethanol as the Bush administration.
photo: Edward Leger
South Dakota-based Verasun Energy Corp., which claims to be the world's largest producer of ethanol, operating 14 refineries producing some 1.4 billion gallons of fuel annually, has filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy. According to the company’s press release on the matter, it will continue normal operations and “has taken steps to ensure continued supply of product to its customers and to fulfill all customer obligations.”
The company said that the bankruptcy filing came about because:...
photo: Steven Roemerman
OK, before anyone accuses me of a misleading headline: Coal-fired power plants in Iowa produce much more carbon emissions than do ethanol plants. Said. Done. Moving on: While it’s true that I believe that corn ethanol is probably one of the worst biofuels out there on many levels, I’m presenting this not to bash ethanol; instead I saw this in the context of “gee, whaddya know...”
7.6 Million Tonnes From Ethanol Plants
photo: Jenny
Another nail has been hammered into the corn ethanol coffin. According to researchers at the University of Texas at Austin, the water requirements to produce corn ethanol are significantly higher than producing non-irrigated biofuels, hydrogen generated from renewable energy, or petroleum or diesel fuel.
Photo by Scorpions and Centaurs
Well, it is probably a little bit of both to tell the truth. Gas has of course been taking a noticeable dip in cost at the pumps, coming down to around the low $3 a gallon range. The initial reason for the price decrease of gasoline is because right now we are currently enjoying some above average supplies of the stuff.
photo: Phil
While much of the thinking on first generation biofuels of late hasn’t been entirely encouraging, the US Department of Energy still has a soft spot for biofuels in general and the agency has just announced a National Biofuels Action Plan which hopes to encourage the development of sustainable biofuels. Developed in response to President Bush’s “Twenty in Ten” plan to reduce gasoline consumption by 20% over the next ten years, the plan was development by the DOE in collaboration with the US Department of Agriculture.
photo: Robenalt via flickr
It’s all but conventional wisdom at this point that corn ethanol isn’t the renewable energy savior that it was once cracked up to be. Several power farm lobby groups still portray corn ethanol as the answer to the United States’ energy problems and this is why Robert Bryce argues in a new Yale Environment 360 piece that Federal ethanol blending mandates have not be scaled back or repealed. Bryce gives a good overview of the issue:
...
photo: Andreas via flickr
It’s been a pretty long road to making cellulosic ethanol commercially viable. As it stands there is one demonstration-scale cellulosic ethanol plant in the United States, and the the first commercial-scale biorefinery recently received approval back in July. Suffice it to say, cellulosic ethanol holds promise but is a work in progress.
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