January 17th, 2012
By: SoundOffSister
We have told you about cellulosic ethanol before. Basically, it is any ethanol not made from corn, and, pursuant to a 2007 law, a certain amount of this stuff must be blended into our gasoline. The problem is that no one knows how to make it in any commercially viable operation, even though the federal government is heavily subsidizing its “production”.
For 2010 and 2011, you, the consumer paid $10 million in “fines” (via higher gas prices) because oil companies did not blend this non-existent material into the gasoline they produced. In spite of these facts, last week the EPA told oil companies that they must blend 8.65 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol into gasoline in 2012. The good news here is that but for the EPA’s waiver, Congress set the amount at 500 million gallons for 2012.
The [EPA] said [December 27] that a tiny fraction-less than one-tenth of 1%-of renewable fuels required to be used in the U.S. next year will come from cellulosic biofuel, based on projected production volumes, despite a congressional target that fuel made from plant stalks and other inedible materials account for more than 3% of the total.
The bad news is that, absent a technological miracle, you will once again, be forced to pay a penalty because companies fail to blend this into gasoline. This year, the penalty will be $1.20 per gallon for each of the mandated 8.65 million gallons of non-existent material. Last year it was only $1.13 per gallon…inflation?
Looking forward, under the law, by 2022, 16 billion gallons will need to be blended into our gasoline. How attainable is that? Here is what the National Academy of Sciences had to say last year.
[the target won't be met] unless innovative technologies are developed that unexpectedly improve the cellulosic biofuels process.
Given this, wouldn’t you think that the EPA would just suspend the fines until someone actually makes this junk? Silly me, that would be reasonable, and this, after all, is the EPA.
Tags: cellulosic ethanol, clean technologies, corporate sustainability, eco-friendly, EPA, full-cycle products, gasoline, Sustainability, technologies
Posted in Alternative Fuel Technologies Group, Alternative fuels, Bio-Diesel, Chemistry, Company Information, EPA, Sustainability
No Comments »
December 26th, 2011
By BEN LEFEBVRE
As advanced biofuel companies work toward creating an economically viable alternative to petroleum, some have found an alternative place to sell their product in the meantime: the specialty-chemicals market.
These companies produce oil from algae, wood scraps and other nonfood sources, bypassing the food-versus-fuel debate that has engulfed makers of corn-based ethanol. But the technology isn’t cheap, and increasing production to the point where biofuel would be cost-competitive with petroleum products has proved slower and more expensive than anticipated.
So companies like Solazyme Inc., Blue Fire Renewables Inc. and Gevo Inc. are using their technology to create personal-care products and raw materials for chemical companies, betting that the best way to obtain the millions of dollars in capital needed to ramp up fuel production is by entering the higher-margin—but also highly fragmented—specialty-chemicals business.
Some say the strategy isn’t without risk. While algae oil and other renewable substances typically command a higher price in the chemicals market, the deals tend to involve small batches of product tailored for specific buyers. The fuel market, by contrast, is a potentially much larger business, as the U.S. is requiring that 5.5 billion gallons of advanced biofuel be blended into the nation’s fuel supply by 2015.
The fear, says Andrew Soare of Boston-based Lux Research, is that in seeking out a quick revenue fix, biofuel producers could get trapped in low-growth markets. “They’re putting fuels on the back burner, pushing [large-scale production] back five years or so,” he says.
This story was originally posted in the Wall Street Journal. To view the complete story, click here.
For more information about biofuels, click here.
Tags: Albemarle Corporation, Biofuels, clean technologies, corporate sustainability, eco-friendly, flame retardant
Posted in Albemarle, Bio-Diesel, Chemistry, Company Information, Energy, Green Chemistry
No Comments »
November 28th, 2011
BOULDER, Colo., Nov 01, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — In the last decade there has been a great deal of activity in the development of renewable feedstocks for a variety of chemical processes. Compared to conventional petroleum-derived feedstocks, these new materials offer greenhouse gas emissions and reduced toxicity. More importantly to the companies that use chemicals in their industrial processes, they offer significantly lower costs. In contrast to the consumer market, where choosing green products usually entails paying a premium, greener is cheaper in industry. Most renewable feedstocks are produced through biological processes or thermal and chemical processes applied to cellulosic materials, such as wood, agricultural waste, or non-food plants like switchgrass — all of which are less costly than the purchase of petroleum products.
According to a recent report from Pike Research, the use of green chemistry in a range of industrial activities will grow rapidly in the coming decade, offering significant direct cost savings as well as indirect savings in the form of avoiding liability for environmental and social impacts. The total amount saved, the cleantech market intelligence firm forecasts, will reach $65.5 billion by 2020.
For more information on this report, click here.
Tags: Albemarle Corporation, clean technologies, eco-friendly, environmental business innovations, flame retardant, Green Chemistry, Sustainability
Posted in Albemarle, Bio-Diesel, Chemistry, Green Chemistry, Recycling, Sustainability
No Comments »
June 15th, 2010
Albemarle Corporation, a leader in providing innovative and sustainable chemistry solutions to its customers and communities, partners with LSU students to become a key sponsor of LSU mechanical and biological engineering students’ 2010 senior project, the biodiesel Tiger Truck.
LSU Tiger Truck Senior Project Team
The Tiger Truck is on a mission to demonstrate the process of creating biodiesel from Waste Vegetable Oil (WVO) and how to utilize alternative fuels to operate an entire mobile platform. The Tiger Truck team redesigned a fire truck to function as a mobile chemical plant, converting leftover cooking oil from food prepared on the truck to diesel-electric power that propels the vehicle. In addition to providing entertainment through food and refreshments, the team demonstrates the conversion process to children and adults by incorporating step-by-step visuals and hands-on mechanisms for display.
Albemarle’s Alternative Fuel Technologies (AFT) group is focused on the development and commercialization of new breakthrough catalysts and technologies for the conversion of biomass into clean, sustainable transportation fuels. ”This project fits very well with our objectives as a Corporation,” said Edgar Steenwinkel, Global Business Director AFT. “Working together with a group of motivated students and helping them with the design, construction and safe operation of their project is very rewarding,” added Hardin Wells, Senior Advisor of the Mechanical Tech Service Group at Albemarle.
The Tiger Truck Team proudly concludes: “Our main objective is to not only improve the environment we live in, but also to share the knowledge by educating the public of a cleaner and safer method to obtain energy.”
Because of the Tiger Truck’s mobility, the team plans to showcase the truck at fairs and school events to further its exposure in the community of the Baton Rouge metropolitan area.
About Tiger Truck
The Tiger Truck project is part of LSU’s Capstone Design process, which is divided into two major categories: Bio-Diesel Process and Engine Dynamics, The team is composed of Mechanical and Biological Engineers. Each engineering discipline was assigned an advisor for this senior project. Advisor Dr. Michael Murphy is a Mechanical Engineering Professor at LSU and also the head professor for the 2009-2010 senior Capstone Design course. His knowledge involving machine design, instrumentation and controls is perfect for the team. Advisor, Dr. Dorin Boldor, is the Biological Engineering Senior Design Advisor, specializing in the fields of microwave heating, bio-processing and bio-energy.
About Albemarle
Albemarle Corporation, headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a leading global developer, manufacturer, and marketer of highly-engineered specialty chemicals for consumer electronics, petroleum refining, utilities, packaging, construction, automotive/transportation, pharmaceuticals, crop protection, food-safety and custom chemistry services. The Company is committed to global sustainability and is advancing its eco-practices and solutions in its three business segments, Polymer Solutions, Catalysts and Fine Chemicals. Corporate Responsibility Magazine recently selected Albemarle to its prestigious “100 Best Corporate Citizens” list for 2010. Albemarle employs approximately 4,000 people and serves customers in approximately 100 countries.
Tags: Alternative Fuel Technologies Group, Alternative fuels, ATF, Bio-Diesel Process, bio-energy, bio-processing, biodiesel, Biological Engineers, Capstone Design, cooking oil, Engine Dynamics, fire truck, Louisiana State University, LSU, mobile chemical plant, Sustainable transportation fuels, Tiger Truck, Waste Vegetable Oil, WVO
Posted in Alternative Fuel Technologies Group, Alternative fuels, Bio-Diesel, Biofuels, Chemistry, Sustainability, Sustainable transportation fuels
1 Comment »
