In the UK, a researcher from the University of York has teamed with The Carbon Trust and the University of Sao Paulo to develop biofuel from wasted orange peels in Brazil using microwave technology. The lab-scale version of OPEC (Orange Peel Exploitation Company) can process 30kg of citrus peels per hour. Project proponents say that […]
In Washington, the EPA says November sales of biodiesel reached a whopping 108 million gallons, bringing the year-to-date total to a record 908 million gallons, up from the previous record of 690 million gallons in 2008. The National Biodiesel Board says that this year’s volume represents about 95% of the biomass diesel requirements under the […]
In Sweden, the Swedish DOE (Energimyndigheten) has awarded $1.2 million in support of a shared 2nd generation ethanol research project to Taurus Energy AB in cooperation with the Department of Chemical Engineering at Lund University and Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg. The purpose of the project is to further develop the process technology for […]
In Sweden, the Swedish DOE (Energimyndigheten) has awarded $1.2 million in support of a shared 2nd generation ethanol research project to Taurus Energy AB in cooperation with the Department of Chemical Engineering at Lund University and Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg. The purpose of the project is to further develop the process technology for […]
In Germany, researchers at the Technical University of Munich have developed a new way to produce biodiesel from microalgae using a novel catalyst based on nickel on a porous support made of zeolite HBeta that produces saturated hydrocarbons suitable for use as high-grade fuels in vehicles. That’s opposed to many algae-based biodiesels that has too […]
In California, another set of researchers at the DOE’s Joint BioEnergy Institute has made a breakthrough on the production of bisabolane as a potential replacement for #2 diesel by determining the three-dimensional crystal structure of a protein that is key to boosting its microbial-based production.
In Mexico, researchers at the University of Puebla (BUAP) have begun experimenting with biodiesel production from castor oil, fuel that will later be used to run the university’s transport system. The pilot plant under development, which should see its first production this month, will produce up to 72,000 liters of biodiesel daily and will process […]
In Nevada, the University of Nevada at Reno will offer an online graduate certificate in renewable energy that provides an opportunity to study the policies and practices in the diverse alternative energy fields, beginning in the spring 2012 semester. The online, 12-credit certificate is designed for professionals, including business staff and managers, practicing engineers, government […]
In Georgia, University of Georgia researchers have found a way hijack the bacterial immune system to direct its homing system to a target of their choosing. Building on prior work from 2009, the researchers modified the bacteria’s immune system to specifically target and destroy the message for a protein that is responsible for resistance to […]
In the UK, two researchers at the University of Manchester have solved the problem of what to do with a global surplus of glycerol, a by-product from the biodiesel manufacturing process. The research was funded by the university, which has now secured a patent on the process. Dr. Constantinos Theodoropoulos and Prof. Colin Webb from […]
