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Ethanol


BP prepares output of new biofuels - algae diesel and butanol - starting in 2010

BP could become the first major energy company to start commercial scale production of cellulosic ethanol in 2010 if all goes according to plan. BP has been partnering with Verenium Corporation to commercialize the latter company's process for breaking down cellulose into sugars. Verenium has been running a demonstration plant in Louisiana that can produce 1.4 million gallons of ethanol annually. The Verenium process relies on enzymes to break down the cellulose, allowing it to be converted to alcohol, and the company claims almost complete ... Read more →

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Kansas newspapers calls for end to ethanol subsidy Sam Abuelsamid

It's no secret that ethanol is a controversial fuel. There are numerous arguments against the use of corn-derived alcohol as a fuel, both economic and environmental. The federal and some state ...

Coskata's new Lighthouse cellulosic ethanol plant, in depth Sebastian Blanco

Coskata's newly-opened semi-commercial flex ethanol facility in Madison, Pennsylvania is as small as it can possibly be. Co-located at a Westinghouse facility that also in some fashion uses ...

Does a corn-ethanol vehicle beat the Tesla Roadster in lifetime CO2 emissions? Sebastian Blanco

What does it take for a car to "beat" the Tesla Roadster? With a 0-60 time that blows away almost anything else on four wheels, there aren't many vehicles that are faster. With an all-electric ...

CleanFlex Power System finds a way to burn ethanol in diesel engines Sebastian Blanco

Diesel engines like to burn diesel fuel. Most, especially older ones, will also run just fine on biodiesel. But ethanol? You can't put ethanol in a diesel engine, right? According to National Corn ...

DOE readies $85 billion for algal and advanced biofuels 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

The DOE is getting ready to spend $85 billion on research to create biofuels made from algae and other advanced techniques. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds will be made available "for the development of algae-based biofuels and advanced, infrastructure-compatible biofuels" that can ...

Toyota's Bill Reinert lets loose on ethanol, li-ion batteries, plug-in vehicles 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

Toyota's Bill Reinert should be better known. With so many quotable statements coming from GM's Bob Lutz and Tesla Motor's Elon Musk, perhaps Reinert, Toyota Motor Sales' national manager or the advanced technology group, is just overshadowed in the OMG series. But, during a recent conference ...

Congressional Republicans call out Stephen Chu for flex-fuel vehicle remarks 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

Six Republican members of Congress have taken issue with DOE head Stephen Chu's call for all American vehicles to be E85-capable. Chu – who once said that ethanol, as it is made today, "is not the right crop for biofuels" – suggested the increase in flex-fuel availability during a ...

Derek Bell runs the Bentley Continental Supersports at Goodwood [w/VIDEO] 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

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Is Exxon making a real, $600 million biofuel shift? 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

Money talks, but how can we know what it's saying? Exxon Mobil is investing $600 million into a 5- to 6-year algae biofuel project with biotech company Synthetic Genomics. The biofuel will be made from "sunlight, water and waste carbon dioxide by photosynthetic pond scum," writes the New York ...

ALMS CEO Scott Atherton discusses the relevance of sports car racing 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

Given the current economic difficulties, automakers are finding it increasingly difficult to justify participation in motorsports. Series such as NASCAR and Formula 1, in particular, are finding their relevance questioned. One area that seems to be doing OK, for now, is sports car racing such ...

Green gasoline: Coming soon to a pump near you? 3 months ago on Autoblog Green

It may sound a bit like something from a Dr. Seuss book, but it seems "green gasoline" is indeed on its way to a pump near you. Terrabon, a Texas-based company specializing in biofuels, reports its alternative fuel is completely compatible with gasoline and can be produced using nearly any kind of ...

U.S. Postal Service gets 6,500 new alternative power vehicles 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

As part of the U.S. General Services Administration's recent $210 million purchase of new vehicles from Chrysler, Ford and General Motors, the U.S. Postal Service is set to replace some 6,500 vehicles from its current fleet with more fuel efficient models. Of that number, 1,000 of the new ...

Does the government know if ethanol cars qualify for Cash-For-Clunkers? 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

AutoblogGreen reader Michael recently sent in a question regarding the about-to-start "Cash for Clunkers" program. Officially known as the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS), the program allows owners of some older and inefficient vehicles to trade them in and get a rebate check worth up to ...

Swedish heatwave prompts recall of thousands of flex fuel Volvos 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

After receiving hundreds of complaints from Swedish drivers who have been left stranded by the side of the road, Volvo has recalled 8,500 of its V70 and S80 Flexifuel vehicles. Apparently the rigorous environmental testing the car maker employs does not extend to heatwaves like the one Sweden ...

Stockholm orders 85 timber-fueled buses from Scania 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

Sweden has latched on to ethanol as a fuel source more strongly than just about any other country except Brazil. Unlike the U.S. and Brazil, where corn and sugar cane, respectively, are the primary feedstocks, Sweden is using waste from its timber industry. Now, the Stockholm transit company ...

Dow and Algenol producing ethanol from algae and saltwater 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

When the subject of algae comes up in relation to biofuels, it's usually concerning biodiesel. That's because algae are very high in oil content. However, one of the main reasons for interest in algae is that it grows fast and consumes a significant amount of carbon dioxide. With that in mind, ...

Virent Energy Systems wins Presidential Green Chemistry award for efficient biofuel process 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

Virent Energy Systems, a biofuel company based in Madison, Wisconsin, has received a Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge award for its low-energy water-based process for producing fuels. Using its proprietary BioForming process that uses nearly zero outside energy other than what's generated by ...

Chu: all American cars should be E85 capable 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

In early May, the U.S. DOE announced a $786.5 million "third-generation" biofuel program. Yesterday, ex-biofuel researcher Stephen Chu, the Energy Secretary, said that all cars made in America should be able to burn ethanol (E85). Earlier this month, Chu said electric vehicles were "inevitable." Chu ...

Drive your green vehicle at Laguna Seca during Refuel 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

Ever wanted to take your green vehicle to a world-renowned race track, show it off to the masses and maybe even try a little race-against-the-clock action? Well, soon you can. On July 19th, Speed Ventures is presenting a day at Laguna Seca for owners, builders and manufacturers of ...

Ethanol-free gas a hot seller in Florida 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

While ethanol blended into gasoline can be a comparative good deal (or a possible scam), there's also good money to be made ignoring the biofuel altogether. At least, that's the case for two gas stations in Brevard County, Florida that proudly sell ethanol-free gasoline. The driving force for the ...

Ethanol scam going on in Virginia? 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

The Virginia State Agriculture Department is investigating gas stations that might be selling people bad gas. In this case, "bad" means too much ethanol. While the maximum percentage of ethanol that can be blended with unleaded fuel in that state is 10 percent, some people claim that some stations ...

French groups argue against using the term "biofuels" 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

The French Federation of Bio Agriculture (FNAB) is currently lobbying the French senate to forbid using the prefix "bio" when referring to fuels made from plant matter. Bear in mind that, in France, E85 is called bioéthanol and then there's biodiesel. The reason for the suggestion is a recent ...

Shell station starts selling E10 in Ottawa using wheat straw ethanol 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

A Shell station near Ottawa, Canada is leading the way in offering cellulosic ethanol at the pump. While many companies, including some in Canada, are working on making the biofuel, not many have gotten it to the refueling station. Blended at 10 percent with unleaded (E10), the ethanol is made by ...

TransAtlas: a new and interactive map for alt-fuel hunters, policymakers 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

Ever wondered where all the biodiesel drivers are? Or how about where to find the most corn ethanol is made? Questions like these can be answered over at TransAtlas, a new project by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL). While good old Joe Internet can ...

Ethanol Summit 2009 finds consensus on ethanol certification 4 months ago on Autoblog Green

The Brazilian city of São Paulo hosted this year's edition of the Ethanol Summit. Opened by former President Clinton, one of the main issues this year was how to certify sustainable ethanol. You know the story: The EU wants to burn more ethanol in order to curb greenhouse emissions and is ...

UPDATE: Ford's new Bobcat, ethanol injected, turbocharged V8 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

Back in the 1970s, a Bobcat at Ford was a Mercury-badged version of the infamous Pinto. Hopefully, the new usage of the name at Ford will turn out with better results. So far, it's looking very promising. Our buddy Mike Levine has been doing some digging in the document treasure trove at the U.S. ...

Make your own ethanol at home with the MicroFueler 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

Flex-fuel vehicles, especially trucks and SUVs, are increasingly commonplace in the U.S. market. However, in many (actually most) parts of the country, actually finding ethanol at retail pumps is exceedingly difficult, if not impossible. E-Fuel technology now has a solution that allows users to ...

Biodiesel's water footprint? 14,000 liters per liter of biofuel 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

We recently heard that, according to one group of researchers at Environmental Science & Technology magazine, corn ethanol has a water cost of 50 gallons per mile. Now, a team working from the University of Twente in the Netherlands has calculated the water cost of ethanol and other biofuels ...

Obama responds to governors' biofuels concerns 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

Presidents and biofuels. Seems to be a theme today. Back in February, the Governors' Biofuels Coalition sent a letter to President Obama asking for a stronger ethanol position, specifically asking that the national blend be increased to E13 and that the government consider promoting the ...

Bill Clinton: don't destroy the forest to make ethanol 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

During the big Ethanol Summit 2009 down in Brazil this week, former President Clinton gave a bit of advice to that country's ethanol industry: don't destroy so much forest land just to make biofuel. Clinton said that "everybody" already knows that Brazilian ethanol made from sugar cane is the most ...

Sign of the times: Ethanol almost 40 cents cheaper than gas 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

Driving around mid-Michigan over the weekend, I couldn't help but notice how much gas prices have jumped in the last few weeks. According to AAA, the national average price for a gallon of regular gas has jumped up 50 cents in the past month to $2.50. Well, this is a good time to have a flex-fuel ...

One lucky Hoosier gets ethanol, wins the lottery 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

Don't say ethanol never paid off for anyone. Summitville, Indiana resident Pamela Smith stopped off to buy E85 earlier this month and dropped a few bucks into the Indiana lottery. Luck was with her, and she won the $2.5 million Hoosier Lotto jackpot. "I was looking for Ethanol gas," Smith in a ...

Institute of Mechanical Engineers: Electric cars aren't enough (w/POLL) 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

According to a recent survey from the Royal Automobile Club Foundation in the UK, there will be lots of people who want to buy electric vehicles but are going to get frustrated by the long delay in getting EVs ready for mass consumption. That's a problem, but the Institute of Mechanical Engineers ...

Money's not there for flex-fuel and other advanced technologies, automakers say 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

Here's the thing: American automakers used to fully support E85-capable (aka flex-fuel) vehicles. With a few cheap additions to a standard engine ($100, or thereabouts), a car could get a special badge, drink corn (where available) and get the automaker a bit of goodwill, especially from ...

Ugly watermelons = ethanol opportunity 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

America, your apparent hatred for disfigured fruit means we may have a big, untapped biomass source to make ethanol. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Oklahoma has been testing ways to make the simple sugars found in watermelons into ethanol, and the USDA is now reporting some success on that ...

Corn ethanol subsidies getting the pro/con debate in Kansas 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

The debate over corn ethanol, and the federal government's strong support for the biofuel, is being debated across the U.S. Everything from the potential cost for damaged fuel systems to the possible Federal push for E15 is in the news. The discussion has even hit deep into corn country, where the ...

EPA: let's talk about that E15 raise a little longer 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is looking into what might happen to the environemnt if the maximum level of ethanol mixed into the national liquid fuel supply is increased from 10 percent (where it is today) to 15. This is raising all sorts of issues, as we've pretty much described to ...

"Great ethanol scam" can easily cost you $1,000, says BW 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

The undeniable shift towards E15 continues, but not everyone is liking it. Business Week's Ed Wallace has collected a series of anecdotes that shows what he calls the "unpublicized trend" of ethanol destroying fuel systems in America's cars even without the increase to E15. A lot of mechanics are ...

Spy shots: Bentley gets ready to run the 'Ring in the E85 Continental Supersports 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

At the Geneva Motor Show in March, Bentley unveiled its first-ever flex-fuel car, the Continental Supersports. Not only is this car the first production Bentley that will be capable of running on either gasoline of E85 ethanol, it also happens to be the most powerful production Bentley ever, putting ...

Canadian E5 mandate to move ahead despite concerns 5 months ago on Autoblog Green

Despite growing concerns that the widespread production and use of corn ethanol is actually counter-productive to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the Canadian government is moving ahead with a mandate to require ethanol blending into all gasoline supplies. By September 2010, Canadian refiners ...

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