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Dow and Algenol producing ethanol from algae and saltwater
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, there is no reason algae couldn't also be used to produce ethanol. A company called Algenol has refined strains of algae specifically for ethanol production in salt water. Algenol has submitted a grant application to the Department of Energy to build a ... Read more →
Virent Energy Systems wins Presidential Green Chemistry award for efficient biofuel process Jeremy Korzeniewski
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 ...
Chu: all American cars should be E85 capable Sebastian Blanco
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 ...
Drive your green vehicle at Laguna Seca during Refuel Domenick Yoney
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 ...
Ethanol-free gas a hot seller in Florida Sebastian Blanco
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 ...
More ethanol news
Ethanol scam going on in Virginia? 13 days ago on AutoblogGreen
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" 15 days ago on AutoblogGreen
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 21 days ago on AutoblogGreen
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 21 days ago on AutoblogGreen
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 22 days ago on AutoblogGreen
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 24 days ago on AutoblogGreen
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 26 days ago on AutoblogGreen
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 27 days ago on AutoblogGreen
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 27 days ago on AutoblogGreen
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 28 days ago on AutoblogGreen
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 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
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 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
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) 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
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 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
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 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
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 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
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 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
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 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
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 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
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 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
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 ...
GM: Mascoma ethanol process works as promised in laboratory testing 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
Back in February, Mascoma opened its first pilot plant for the production of cellulosic ethanol. According to General Motors, which invested in Mascoma and its unique method for producing the alcohol, Mascoma's consolidated bioprocessing process has proven successful in a laboratory environment. ...
GTA Spano supercar makes 840 horsepower on ethanol 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
GTA Spano – Click above for a high-res image gallery The massive 8.4L V10 engine from the Dodge Viper has never been short on power. This undeniable fact hasn't stopped enterprising souls from tweaking the powerplant to offer even more, however, and past efforts have focused on doing so ...
Shell CEO: electric cars are old news, biofuels are the future 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
Shell has stated its preference for hydrogen and biofuels in the past. What they haven't gone out of their way to do, though, was to aggravate electric vehicle fans by dismissing their powertrain of choice. Royal Dutch Shell CEO, Jereoen van der Veer, has filled in that little oversight yesterday ...
Study: better to burn biomass to power electric cars than to make ethanol 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
Corn ethanol promoters, get out your keyboards. You've got another dragon to slay. A new study has found that it is more efficient to straight-up burn plant material to generate electricity and then charge up electric vehicles than to make ethanol for those vehicles. Professor Elliot Campbell at ...
Hajek Motorsports attempts to topple 22-year-old NASCAR speed record in E85 Mustang 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
Ford Racing FR500C Mustang - Click above for a high-res image gallery The current NASCAR top speed record sits at 212.089 and was set by Bill Elliot at Talladega Superspeedway in a 1987 Ford Thunderbird. Brent Hajek apparently figures it's about time that 22-year-old record is topped. Next ...
President Clinton headed to Ethanol Summit 2009 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) has snagged former U.S. President Bill Clinton to be a speaker at the upcoming Ethanol Summit 2009. The Summit takes place in Sao Paulo, Brazil in early June. Part of Clinton's post-White House life has been running the William J. Clinton ...
Media outlet: Ethanol's minor impact on food prices ignored by media 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
The Southeastern Farm Press, echoing the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), is pointing a finger at the media for not reporting on a recent finding by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). According to the CBO's report, called "The Impact of Ethanol Use on Food Prices and Greenhouse-Gas ...
50 gallons per mile?!? That's the water cost of corn-based ethanol 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
The nail in the coffin of corn-based ethanol might be made of water. The magazine Environmental Science & Technology has published an article that pegs the amount of water needed to make enough corn ethanol to move a vehicle one mile at 50 gallons. That's pretty high. ES&T calculated the ...
E85 Revenge Verde: a 110 MPGe super car coming in December 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
110 MPGe Mustang - Click above for high-res gallery Doug Pelmear claims that his converted 1985 Mustang now gets 110 MPGe (miles per gallon energy equivalent) thanks to his HP2g engine. That same engine, which burns E85, will be going into a new "super car" called the Revenge Verde. Pelmear and ...
DOE announces $786 million for third-generation biofuels 1 month ago on AutoblogGreen
Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced a huge, $786.5 million program to speed development and commercialization of biofuels today. The money comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and is intended for the following specific projects: $480 Million Solicitation for ...
GM makes the case for testing E15 ethanol blend 2 months ago on AutoblogGreen
GM has long been a proponent of using high-level ethanol blend, E85, in motor vehicles. But, with all of the talk of putting E15 or E20 (gasoline with 15 or 20 percent ethanol blended in) into the national supply - see these earlier posts about the EPA, the Minnesota Ag Department, the Secretary of ...
