In Montana, Chengci Chen, a Montana State University associate professor of cropping systems, is working on testing camelina, pea and lentil as possible crop rotations for winter wheat at the Central Agriculture Research Station near Moccasin.. Chen noted that with the USDA requirement that next generation biofuels must be sourced from non food crops and […]
In Norway, controlled experiments with irrigation and fertilisation of jatropha have been conducted at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), which is an institute in Niger under the auspices of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). In this project, studies and field trials were conducted with jatropha in Ghana […]
In Illinois, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have modified the expression of three genes of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is used in the fermenation process to break down sugars to ethanol, in order to improve the way seaweed sugars can be converted to ethanol. Yong-Su Jin, one of the study’s authors […]
In Germany, researchers at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen (TUM) Department of Microbiology are studying Clostridium thermocellum for use in cellulosic ethanol production. This soil bacterium has altogether over 70 enzymes that it uses to degrade different parts of plant cell walls. Depending on whether it lives in straw, leaves or waste wood, C. thermocellum produces […]
In Washington state, microbiologist Hal Collins and agronomist Rick Boydston, of the ARS Vegetable and Forage Crops Research Laboratory in Prosser, report that it could take anywhere from 50 to 70 acres for a farmer with 1,000 acres and an onsite crusher and biodiesel facility to grow enough canola to produce the fuel needed to […]
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Innovation Portal now has more than 300 business-friendly marketing summaries available to help investors and companies identify and license leading-edge energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. The Portal is an online tool that links available DOE innovations to the entrepreneurs who can successfully license and commercialize them. By helping […]
In the EU, a new independent study published by the Öko-Institut has revealed that by 2050 the EU could source 80% of its transport fuel needs from biofuels. The comprehensive study titled “The Vision Scenario for the European Union”, commissioned on behalf of The Greens / European Free Alliance group in the European Parliament, concludes […]
In New York, the Development Authority of the North Country is teaming with researchers from Clarkson University to see whether its wastewater from its regional landfill would be a good environment to grow algae for biofuels. Heat produced from the landfill’s waste-to-energy electricity generator would be captured to grow the algae. More on the story.
In India, the expert panel set up to devise the government-regulated purchase price for ethanol has suggested making permanent the interim price of INR27—or 58 cents per liter. The final decision will now be made by an executive group of ministers or the cabinet. It had suggested three criteria for consideration: first, landed price of […]
In Norway, a new study shows that 7% biodiesel blending is safe for human health but that raising the blend or adding in newer alternative fuels could pose health risks and requires further study. The country currently blends 3.5% biodiesel and will soon raise it to 5%. More on the story.
