Biofuels and Synfuels Topic

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GRA said:
Considering we're less than 1/5th of the way through the 21st Century, I'd say their conclusion is far more decisive than is justified. It could well be true, or it could well not be. The next 10 or maybe 20 years, sure, if there are no major breakthroughs.
No, they got it right. Biofuel production is an extremely wasteful use of valuable land. Here is a comparison of projected algae-based biofuel production with CURRENT PV+BEV technology and current corn-based ethanol biofuels:

Current PV+BEV technology: 1,000,000 miles per acre per year
Projected future algae-based biofuel: 500,000 miles per acre per year
Current Ethanol+ICEV technology: 10,000 miles per acre per year

In addition, the PV is lightweight and can (and is) installed on top of buildings, so it does not use valuable farmland which could be used to grow food for growing fuel.
 
RegGuheert said:
GRA said:
Considering we're less than 1/5th of the way through the 21st Century, I'd say their conclusion is far more decisive than is justified. It could well be true, or it could well not be. The next 10 or maybe 20 years, sure, if there are no major breakthroughs.
No, they got it right. Biofuel production is an extremely wasteful use of valuable land. Here is a comparison of projected algae-based biofuel production with CURRENT PV+BEV technology and current corn-based ethanol biofuels:

Current PV+BEV technology: 1,000,000 miles per acre per year
Projected future algae-based biofuel: 500,000 miles per acre per year
Current Ethanol+ICEV technology: 10,000 miles per acre per year

In addition, the PV is lightweight and can (and is) installed on top of buildings, so it does not use valuable farmland which could be used to grow food for growing fuel.
Seems to me the major theoretical advantage of algae-based biofuels is that you don't need land to grow it. Figuring out how to do that cost-effectively in the ocean is the major technical challenge. I agree that growing biofuels on land otherwise suited to growing food's a bad idea, but then we're not talking about replacing all transportation with biofuels, only that which has to be liquid fueled due to operational requirements: long-range aviation for sure, and and maybe some others. Efficiency is great, but it doesn't override practical considerations.
 
GRA said:
Seems to me the major theoretical advantage of algae-based biofuels is that you don't need land to grow it. Figuring out how to do that cost-effectively in the ocean is the major technical challenge. I agree that growing biofuels on land otherwise suited to growing food's a bad idea, but then we're not talking about replacing all transportation with biofuels, only that which has to be liquid fueled due to operational requirements: long-range aviation for sure, and and maybe some others. Efficiency is great, but it doesn't override practical considerations.
No argument with any of that.
 
Via GCC:
Air Canada to operate biofuel flights in support of environmental research on contrails and emissions
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/04/20170424-aircanada.html

. . . This project will use advanced sensing equipment mounted on a research aircraft operated by the NRC to measure the impact of biofuel blends on contrail formation by aircraft on five biofuel flights operated by Air Canada between Montreal and Toronto in the coming days, weather permitting. During these flights the National Research Council of Canada will trail the Air Canada aircraft with a modified T-33 research jet to sample and test the contrail biofuel emissions. The sustainable biofuel is produced by AltAir Fuels from used cooking oil and supplied by SkyNRG.

A reduction in the thickness and coverage of contrails produced by the jet engines of aircraft could reduce aviation’s impact on the environment, an important beneficial effect of sustainable biofuel usage in aviation. . . .
 
Via GCC:
Singapore Airlines & CAAS partner on “Green Package” flights; biofuels, optimized operations and fuel-efficient A350-950
Singapore Airlines & CAAS partner on “Green Package” flights; biofuels, optimized operations and fuel-efficient A350-950

Singapore Airlines (SIA), in partnership with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS), has started operating a series of 12 “green package” flights over a three-month period on its non-stop San Francisco-Singapore route. The green package flights are the first to combine the use of biofuels, fuel-efficient aircraft—SIA’s Airbus A350-900—and optimized flight operations. CAAS is facilitating the use of optimized flight operations and Air Traffic Management (ATM) best practices which reduce fuel burn and carbon emissions for the flights.

The first of the 12 flights, SQ31, departed San Francisco at 1121hrs (San Francisco Time) on 1 May 2017 and arrived in Singapore at 1910 hrs (Singapore Time) on 2 May with 206 passengers on board. Over the three-month period, flight SQ31 will be powered by a combination of HEFA (Hydro-processed Esters and Fatty Acids), a sustainable biofuel produced from used cooking oils, and conventional jet fuel. The biofuel, produced by AltAir Fuels, will be supplied and delivered to San Francisco by SkyNRG in collaboration with North American Fuel Corporation (NAFCO), a wholly owned subsidiary of China Aviation Oil (Singapore), and EPIC Fuels. . . .
 
Via GCC:
Praj cellulosic ethanol demo plant running in India; commercial projects coming
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/05/20170510-praj.html

Nitin Gadkari, India’s Minister for Road Transport, Highways and Shipping, recently inaugurated Praj’s cellulosic ethanol demonstration plant near Pune, India. The plant is India’s first integrated bio-refinery, built to showcase Praj’s proprietary process technology to produce ethanol from agricultural waste.

The demonstration plant has the capacity to produce 1 million liters (264,000 gallons US) of ethanol annually from a variety of biomass such as rice and wheat straw, cotton stalks, sugarcane trash, bagasse, corn cobs and stover. Backed by its expertise and experience of well integrated first-generation technologies, Praj is confident that its second-generation ethanol technology will produce ethanol at the lowest cost and GHG emissions.

. . . Praj has already signed MoUs with Indian Oil Corporation and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd to be their technology partners for certain projects in India.

In the first phase, about 10 to 12 projects based on second-generation ethanol technology are being planned across the country, each with a capital outlay of approximately US$100 million and average capacity of 100,000 liters of ethanol per day.
 
Put these here, as there didn't seem to be a more appropriate place. Both via GCC:
Climeworks launches world’s first commercial plant to capture CO2 from air; potential for CO2-neutral fuels
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/06/20170609-climeworks.html
. . . The Swiss direct air capture company—which has also partnered with Audi in that company’s e-fuels initiative (earlier post)—launched the commercial-scale Direct Air Capture (DAC) plant, featuring its patented technology that filters carbon dioxide from ambient air.

The plant is now supplying 900 tonnes of CO2 annually to a nearby greenhouse to help grow vegetables. The plant is a historic step for negative emissions technology—earmarked by the Paris climate agreement as being vital in the quest to limit a global temperature rise of 2 °C. Climeworks aims to capture 1% of global CO2 emissions by 2025.

. . . Climeworks developed its technology to capture atmospheric carbon with a filter, using mainly low-grade heat as an energy source. In Hinwil the DAC plant has been installed on the roof of a waste recovery facility—operated by the municipal administration union KEZO—with its waste heat powering the Climeworks DAC plant.

During the Climeworks capture process, CO2 is chemically deposited on the filter surface. Once the filter is saturated, the CO2 is then isolated at a temperature of about 100 °C. The pure captured CO2 gas can then be sold to customers in key markets, including: commercial agriculture; food and beverage industries; the energy sector; and the automotive industry. In Hinwil, Climeworks provides a continuous supply of CO2 through an underground pipeline to a greenhouse 400m away. . . .

The Hinwil plant will operate as a three-year demonstration project in co-operation with the partners Gebrüder Meier and KEZO, and with a contribution towards non-amortizable costs by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE). . . .

Soletair demo plant produces renewable hydrocarbon fuel from CO2 captured from the air
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/06/20170609-soletair.html

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) are beginning testing of the Soletair demo plant, which uses air-captured carbon dioxide to produce renewable fuels and chemicals. . . .

The aim of the project is to demonstrate the technical performance of the overall process and produce 200 liters of fuels and other hydrocarbons for research purposes. The demo plant incorporates the entire process chain, and comprises four separate units: a solar power plant; equipment for separating carbon dioxide and water from the air; a section that uses electrolysis to produce hydrogen; and synthesis equipment for producing a crude-oil substitute from carbon dioxide and hydrogen. . . .

  • Phase 1: Renewable energy. Solar photovoltaic (PV) electricity is used as a renewable energy source in the Soletair system to produce electricity especially for the hydrogen production unit—the most energy intensive part in the system. The renewable energy plant consists of flat roof, carport, wall, 2-axis tracking, and manual tracking solar PV installations. The total installed power is 206.5 kW.

    Phase 2: Hydrogen production. Proton exchange membrane (PEM) water electrolysis is used for hydrogen production . . . Hydrogen is used with recycled carbon dioxide to produce renewable fuels, raw materials, and chemicals. The hydrogen gas can also be used as a chemical energy storage and can later be reconverted into electricity in a fuel cell, albeit with an additional penalty in terms of losses in conversion. The hydrogen production system is built in a standard shipping container and virtually connected to the 206.5 kW solar PV power plant at LUT. . . .

    Phase 3: Direct air capture. Direct air capture (DAC) is the carbon source of the SOLETAIR project. DAC falls under the class of carbon sequestration technologies. However, direct air capture is the only carbon capture technology that can directly capture CO2 previously emitted in the atmosphere. When surplus renewable energy drives the unit, DAC has the potential of being 100% negative carbon emission technology.

    The current DAC unit is a modified version of air-scrubbing units for civil shelters. . . .

    Phase 4: Mobile synthesis (MOBSU). The MOBSU uses Fischer-Tropsch synthesis to combine carbon and hydrogen and produce valuable gas, liquid and solid products for various uses. The Soletair team is currently working on two different production lines which are tailored for either natural gases or liquid and wax component production. These units are positioned side by side inside the Mobile Synthesis Unit. . . .

    Phase 5: Refining. The share each type of product from the MOBSU varies depending on the reaction conditions and the catalyst used in the Fischer-Tropsch reaction. It is essential to utilize all of these products fully to make an economically feasible process.

    The renewable product that is in gaseous form at room temperature consists of methane, the main component of natural gas, and other light hydrocarbons. It is easy to separate the gaseous fraction from the liquid and solid products. In larger refineries light olefins—ethylene, propylene and butenes—are separated from this fraction. These basic petrochemicals form the basis for the manufacture of a wide range of plastics and other products. On the other hand, the light paraffins generally known as Liquefied Petroleum Gas, are sold to customers to be used for instance in stoves, grills and refrigerators. . . .

    The liquid product can be fractioned by distillation to renewable gasoline and middle-distillate hydrocarbons. The gasoline fraction is further hydrotreated and reformed over a platinum catalyst in order to increase its octane number and to improve other characteristics for motor use. The middle-distillate fraction is also hydrotreated and thereafter distilled to renewable jet-fuel and/or diesel.

    Phase 6: Renewable consumer products. When the Soletair process is operated in the Fischer-Tropsch mode, the main part of the renewable consumer product is liquid fuels: gasoline, kerosene and diesel. If the renewable hydrocarbons are refined to olefins and aromatics instead of fuels, wide range of possible renewable consumer products exists. . . .
 
Via GCC:
DOE to award up to $8M to three algae-based biofuels projects
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/07/20170711-doe.html

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has selected three projects to receive up to $8 million, aimed at reducing the costs of producing algal biofuels and bioproducts. These projects are to deliver high-impact tools and techniques for increasing the productivity of algae organisms and cultures. . . .

The selected projects are:

  • Lumen Bioscience. Working with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Lumen Bioscience will rapidly engineer strains that grow robustly in seawater, resist contamination and predation, and accumulate substantial amounts of energy-rich components. Lumen Bioscience is focusing on agricultural production of algae on otherwise non-productive land in rural eastern Washington State, with the ultimate goal of creating new agricultural jobs in that region.

    Global Algae Innovations. Pond ecology has a major impact on algal health and productivity, yet very little is known about the impacts of bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi. In partnership with Sandia National Laboratories, University of California at San Diego – Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the J. Craig Venter Institute, Global Algae Innovations will deliver a tool for low cost, rapid analysis of pond microbiota, gather data on the impacts of pond ecology, and develop new cultivation methods that utilize this information to achieve greater algal productivity.

    Los Alamos National Laboratory. Working with Sapphire Energy at its Las Cruces, New Mexico, field site, Los Alamos National Laboratory will evaluate rationally designed pond cultures containing multiple species of algae, as well as beneficial bacteria, to achieve consistent biomass composition and high productivity. This project will help the algal research and development community better understand these metrics at commercial scales.
 
Via GCC:
Enerkem begins commercial production of cellulosic ethanol from garbage at its Edmonton biofuels facility
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/09/20170916-enerkem.html

. . .The company has been producing and selling biomethanol since 2016, prior to expanding production to include cellulosic ethanol with the installation of its methanol-to-ethanol conversion unit earlier this year.

This growing global market is expected to reach 124 billion liters (32.8 billion gallons) per year by 2030 according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. Enerkem will progressively increase production in Edmonton, while preparing to build the next Enerkem facilities locally and around the world, said Vincent Chornet, President and Chief Executive Officer of Enerkem.

Enerkem’s technology is deployed through an exclusive process that converts non-recyclable waste into a pure synthesis gas (or syngas). This syngas is then converted into biofuels and other widely used chemicals using catalysts.

Enerkem’s 4-step thermochemical process:

  • Feedstock preparation
    Gasification
    Cleaning and conditioning of syngas
    Catalytic synthesis. . . .
 
Both via GCC:
Neste collaborates with Genève Aéroport to offer renewable jet fuel; targeting 1% of annual fuel use from Geneva International
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/09/20170919-neste.html

. . . Neste and Genève Aéroport are partnering on the introduction of renewable jet fuel into aircraft operations from Geneva International Airport; the target will be at least 1% of the annual jet fuel consumption at Genève Aéroport starting late 2018. . . .

British Airways partners with Velocys on renewable jet fuel from household waste
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/09/20170919-velocy8s.html

British Airways has entered a partnership with Velocys to design a series of waste plants that convert household waste into renewable jet fuel to power its fleet.

The first plant will take hundreds of thousands of tonnes of household waste per-year, destined for landfill or incineration, including diapers, plastic food containers and chocolate bar wrappers, and convert it into clean-burning, sustainable fuels. This will contribute to the airline’s commitment to reduce net emissions by 50% by 2050. . . .

The planned plant will produce enough fuel to power all British Airways’ 787 Dreamliner operated flights from London to San Jose, California and New Orleans, Louisiana for a whole year. It would be the first plant of this scale. The airline plans to supply its aircraft fleet with increasing amounts of sustainable jet fuel in the next decade.

The jet fuel produced at the plant will deliver more than 60% greenhouse gas reduction, compared with conventional fossil fuel, delivering 60,000 tonnes of CO2 savings every year. This will contribute to both global carbon emissions reductions and local air quality improvements around major airports. . . .
 
Via GCC:
Stuttgart Airport ground fleet vehicles fueled by Neste MY Renewable Diesel
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/09/20170921-neste.html

. . . All the ground fleet vehicles which are not electrified, such as the trucks of the airport fire department and winter service equipment, will be using Neste MY Renewable Diesel. . . .

Neste MY Renewable Diesel is a drop-in fuel which can be used to replace conventional fossil diesel without any modifications to the existing diesel engines or investments in storage or logistical systems.
 
GRA said:
Both via GCC:
Neste collaborates with Genève Aéroport to offer renewable jet fuel; targeting 1% of annual fuel use from Geneva International
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/09/20170919-neste.html

. . . Neste and Genève Aéroport are partnering on the introduction of renewable jet fuel into aircraft operations from Geneva International Airport; the target will be at least 1% of the annual jet fuel consumption at Genève Aéroport starting late 2018. . . .
GRA said:
Via GCC:
Stuttgart Airport ground fleet vehicles fueled by Neste MY Renewable Diesel
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/09/20170921-neste.html

. . . All the ground fleet vehicles which are not electrified, such as the trucks of the airport fire department and winter service equipment, will be using Neste MY Renewable Diesel. . . .

Neste MY Renewable Diesel is a drop-in fuel which can be used to replace conventional fossil diesel without any modifications to the existing diesel engines or investments in storage or logistical systems.
Everyone should be aware that Neste MY biodiesel emits 91% as much NOx and 67% as much particulate matter as normal diesel fuel. As such, it is not a solution to the pollution problems which are plaguing Europe.
 
Via GCC:
BHP and Goodfuels Marine to collaborate on biofuels pilot project in Singapore
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/09/20170925-mpa.html

With support from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), BHP and GoodFuels Marine have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to collaborate on a biofuels pilot project in Singapore, which is expected to be carried out early next year.

The LOI was signed during an MPA-organized inaugural closed-door biofuel roundtable in Singapore which discussed the use of biofuels as a sustainable alternative fuel for the future of shipping.

  • We are pleased to facilitate discussions on the biofuels front along with our partners, BHP and GoodFuels. The roundtable comes at an opportune time in light of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 0.5% global sulfur cap on marine fuels which will come into effect from 2020, as well as IMO’s longer term plan to lower carbon emissions for shipping. MPA welcomes dialogues across stakeholders and will continue to work with relevant parties as we prepare the bunkering industry for the future.

    —Andrew Tan, Chief Executive of MPA
As the largest bunkering hub in the world, Singapore is working towards providing cleaner alternative sources of fuel to cater to the future energy needs of the global shipping industry. Among the topics discussed at the roundtable included barriers to the use to biofuels and how these could be addressed. . . .

GoodFuels Marine develops and delivers sustainable biofuels for the maritime sector. GoodFuels’ products are drop-in replacements of fossil fuels. By utilizing GoodFuels’ advanced biofuels, the CO2-footprint can be reduced up to 90%. All GoodFuels’ products are produced from wastes and residues, and meet the most stringent sustainability criteria. . . .
 
Via GCC:
Gevo to supply alcohol-to-jet fuel to Virgin Australia
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/10/20171004-gevo.html

. . . Gevo’s ATJ is expected to be blended with traditional jet fuel and supplied on flights departing Brisbane Airport, including Virgin Australia flights. It is currently contemplated that Gevo will ship the first gallons of ATJ to the Virgin Australia Group in October 2017.

Gevo will supply the ATJ from its hydrocarbon plant based in Silsbee, Texas. The ATJ is derived from isobutanol produced at its commercial isobutanol plant located in Luverne, Minnesota.

  • Isobutanol produced from starch or biomass is dehydrated over an acidic catalyst to produce isobutylene, which is then further reacted to product mixtures of longer chain aliphatic hydrocarbons. A portion of this material is reacted separately to form high density aromatic compounds.

    Hydrogen gas, a byproduct of the aromatization reaction, is used to remove unsaturated bonds in the aliphatic material.

    The hydrocarbons then are blended in proportions that can meet all ASTM standards for fuels: isooctane is a dimer of dehydrated isobutanol and is a major component of the premium value alkylates, a key gasoline component; a trimer of the isobutylene (dehydrated isobutanol) is a jet fuel blend stock; a polymer of four and five isobutylenes can make a diesel blend stock. . . .
 
All via GCC:
KLM and Costa Rica partner on aviation biofuels
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/11/20171109-klm.html

The Costa Rican government and KLM will research the possibilities of flying from San José, the capital of Costa Rica, using bio-based jet fuel. . . . .

. . . In 2009, KLM operated its first flight using biofuel, with observers on board. In 2010, KLM became the world’s first airline to operate a commercial flight using sustainable biofuel. KLM has since operated more than a thousand flights using bio-based jet fuel to such places as Paris, Rio de Janeiro and from New York, and Oslo.

KLM founded SkyNRG and initiated the KLM Corporate BioFuel Program to stimulate the demand for sustainable biofuel. With the help of this cooperative effort, KLM has been operating all of its flights from Los Angeles partially with sustainable biofuel since 2012. . . .

By using sustainable biofuel, KLM can reduce its CO2 emissions by as much as 80% compared to fossil fuels. The market for sustainable biofuel, however, is far from mature, so the price is still three times higher than that of fossil fuel. KLM only purchases biofuels made from raw materials that have no negative environmental impact on biodiversity or food production. KLM is currently using sustainable biofuel made from used cooking oil (UCO).

Diamond Green Diesel considering expansion to 550M gallons annual production of renewable diesel
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/11/20171109-diamonggreen.html

Valero Energy Corporation and Darling Ingredients Inc. announced today that in anticipation of growing demand for renewable diesel due to the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and global low carbon markets, the companies will initiate an engineering and construction cost review to analyze an additional project that would grow annual production capacity to 550 million gallons at the Diamond Green Diesel (DGD) facility in Norco, Louisiana. (Earlier post.)

The Diamond Green Diesel facility converts inedible oils and other waste feedstocks to produce Honeywell Green Diesel, a high-quality renewable fuel. Renewable diesel produced using the Ecofining process is chemically identical to petroleum-based diesel; it can be blended in any proportion with EN590 or ASTM 975 diesel. It also features up to an 80% lifecycle reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared with diesel from petroleum. Diamond Green Diesel started production in 2013 using Ecofining technology to produce Honeywell Green Diesel.

The DGD facility is currently undergoing an expansion that will increase annual production capacity from 160 million gallons of renewable diesel to 275 million gallons. This project is targeted for completion in the second quarter of 2018. . . .

Study concludes 20% synthetic diesel blend could reduce PM emissions in Beijing by ~19%
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/11/20171109-greyrock.html

PM emissions from current vehicles in Beijing could be reduced by approximately 19% by simply blending 20% synthetic diesel with currently available diesel, according to a new study by Tsinghua University, the Desert Research Institute in Nevada and Greyrock Energy, a developer of gas-to-liquids technology. This improvement can be accomplished with no changes to the current vehicle fleet, no material changes to infrastructure and no involvement by the consumer.

Other benefits from a 20% fuel blend include reductions in carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and methane (CH4) emissions by a projected 24%, 5.5%, and 11%, respectively. The control of CH4 emissions is important since it is approximately 84 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO2, measured over a 20-year period. Additional advantages of synthetic fuel use include improved fuel economy, enhanced vehicle performance and increased engine life.

Beijing’s poor air quality is the result of emissions from vehicles, manufacturing plants, the use of coal for cooking, and other sources. Diesel vehicles were chosen for this study since they contribute about 74% of the particulate matter/soot (PM) from vehicle emissions, one of the major sources of smog and poor air quality in Beijing. . . .
 
Via GCC:
Tri Delta Transit switches fleet to 100% Neste MY Renewable Diesel
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2017/12/20171204-tridelta.html

. . . This drop-in fuel cuts greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% and significantly reduces tailpipe emissions, all while enhancing fleet performance.

The company reports that complaints about engine smoke have been eliminated even from the older vehicles in the fleet.

  • Since changing fuels, we have received zero complaints from drivers regarding vehicle power and reliability, and there has been no change to routine maintenance.

    —Kevin Moody, maintenance director at Tri Delta Transit
Moody added that none of the drivers were told of the switch to renewable diesel and none of them noticed any difference at all.

Tri Delta Transit provides more than 3,000,000 trips each year to a population of more than 250,000 residents in the 225 square miles of Eastern Contra Costa County, California. Tri Delta operates 14 local bus routes Monday – Friday, four local bus routes on weekends, door-to-door bus service for senior citizens and people with disabilities, and shuttle services to community events.
 
Via GCC:
Study of 7 years of production data supports billion-ton biofuels feedstock estimate
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/01/20180124-biomass.html

In 2016, the US Department of Energy (DOE) and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) released a study concluding that within 25 years, the US could produce enough biomass to support a bioeconomy, including renewable aquatic and terrestrial biomass resources that could be used for energy and to develop products for economic, environmental, social, and national security benefits. The goal would be to replace 30% of the petroleum consumed in the United States with biofuels.

That report, the 2016 Billion-Ton Report, volume 1, updated and expanded upon analysis in the 2011 US Billion-Ton Update (earlier post), which was preceded by the 2005 US Billion Ton Study (earlier post). Now, a new analysis of up to seven years of production data gathered through the Regional Feedstock Partnership, established by DOE and the Sun Grant Initiative, supports the billon-ton estimate. That amount could be available annually by 2030. . . .

  • This map shows the yield potential for herbaceous nonfood crops, including mixed grasses grown on Conservation Reserve Program land, energycane, Giant Miscanthus, sorghum and switchgrass, that could be used to produced biofuels. The estimates were based in part on the analysis of up to seven years of production data gathered through the Regional Feedstock Partnership, established by the US Department of Energy and the Sun Grant Initiative. Click to enlarge. . . .
 
Instead of leveling forests and repurposing food-crop farmland to grow yet another monocrop, I recommend that we install PV panels on rooftops and provide for an equivalent amount of miles to be driven with significantly less environmental damage. What was that ratio again? 1/100 the area needed with PV to drive the same number of miles. No plowing, harvesting, processing. It just sits there for many DECADES making clean BEV fuel from the sun.

In other words, simply put a few PV panels on your roof and drive 12,000 miles/year every year for the next 30 years. Unlike biofuels, this approach works everywhere in the continental US plus Hawaii. Some southern areas can get by with about 4 PV panels and in the Pacific Northwest you might need 8 or 10. If all US homeowners did this (or more) we could replace massive amounts of fossil-fuel consumption.
 
Via GCC:
First Qantas US-Australia biofuel flight; Carinata feedstock, Honeywell process
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2018/01/20180130-qantas.html

Qantas made the world’s first dedicated biofuel flight between the United States and Australia, Qantas QF96 from Los Angeles to Melbourne (a Boeing Dreamliner 787-9), over the weekend. The 15-hour trans-Pacific flight operated with approximately 24,000 kg of 10% biofuel blend, saving 18,000 kg in carbon emissions.

Fuel for the flight was produced from Carinata seeds by AltAir Paramount LLC using Honeywell UOP’s Renewable Jet Fuel process technology, which converts non-edible animal fats and oils into renewable fuels. Carinata seeds—a non-edible industrial mustard seed—are pressed and yield half their weight in oils that are then refined into jet fuel.

The seeds were developed by Canadian-based agricultural-technology company, Agrisoma Biosciences (Agrisoma). Qantas established a partnership with Agrisoma to promote Carinata as a crop for Australian farmers, specifically as a renewable feedstock for making commercial aviation biofuel. The first such commercial seed crop is expected to harvest in 2020.

AltAir, which converted the Carinata oil into jet fuel, operates a commercial-scale renewable jet fuel plant at the AltAir Paramount refinery in Paramount, Calif. The plant produces 35 million gallons per year of renewable fuels, including Honeywell Green Jet Fuel, using Honeywell’s UOP Renewable Jet Fuel process, which produces fuels that are chemically identical to petroleum-based fuels.

Across its lifecycle, using Carinata-derived biofuel can reduce carbon emissions by eighty percent compared to traditional jet fuel. The ten percent biofuel blend used on the flight will therefore see a seven percent reduction in emissions on this route compared to normal operations.

Carinata requires no specialized production or processing techniques. It is water-efficient and The University of Queensland field trials in Gatton, Queensland, and in Bordertown, South Australia, have demonstrated it should do very well in the Australian climate.

It is sown in either fallow areas where food crops fail or in between regular crop cycles, known as “cover cropping”. Rotational or break-crops can improve soil quality, reduce erosion for food crops and provide farmers with additional income. . . .

One hectare of Carinata seed yields 2,000 liters of oil, which produces 400 liters of biofuel, 1,400 liters of renewable diesel and 10% renewable by-products.
 
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