Biofuels

Red tape, costs entangle fans of 'green' fuel

It's not uncommon on California roadways to spot diesel cars with bumper stickers that boast of biofuels in the engine, using slogans such as "Fuel for the revolution."

"This is the largest underground movement in the United States since the Civil War and the underground railroad," said Michael Wittman, an environmental activist and biodiesel user in Los Angeles.

But many drivers who began using biofuels to reduce their carbon emissions and save money fear that little-known government regulations are nipping the adoption of homegrown, "green" fuels in the bud.

In California, it's … Read more

For $9,995, your car could run on sugar and tequila

NEW YORK--"Henry Ford had it right all along," E-Fuel founder and CEO Thomas Quinn declared, referring to the fact that many original Model T Ford automobiles ran on the ethanol, not gasoline. But that was before the era of Prohibition, which banned production of the biofuel along with other forms of alcohol.

Now, he hopes ethanol can have a real revival.

In a press event at Revel, a Meatpacking District restaurant that features a greenhouse-like roof and trees growing inside, Quinn and his fellow executives unveiled the EFuel100 MicroFueler. It looks like a cross between a gas … Read more

Canadians tap algae to clean Alberta oil sands

Canadian researchers hope algae offers them "la grande solution" to greenhouse gas emissions and the environmental havoc caused by oil extraction in the Alberta tar sands.

The project is called CARS, Carbon Algae Recycling System, and it's backed by a consortium of researchers.

The idea is to grow algae next to a source of carbon dioxide, like a power plant. A number of algae start-ups plan to or are already doing exactly that to "feed" their algae the CO2 they need to grow.

Algae can be used for toxic cleanup as well, researchers tell clean-tech reporter Tyler Hamilton. … Read more

Green-tech news harvest: Turning CO2 to stone, health problems with Priuses?

A sampling of green-tech news.

The Ethanol Industrial Complex--Forbes.com

A snapshot of Senate hearings this week on the impact that U.S. government mandates for ethanol are having on corn prices. This article points out that even if mandates were loosened, high oil prices would keep corn ethanol demand strong.

The Clean Energy Scam--TIME

Time magazine declares biofuels a scam, listing the many problems with biofuels including deforestation in Brazil.

New Source for Biofuels Discovered--Renewable Energy World

University of Texas researchers create a microbe that can produce ethanol and other biofuels. Can a licensing deal and venture-backed start-up be … Read more

Mix of gas and hybrid cars to slash fossil fuel use: MIT study

The United States can slash its use of petroleum dramatically by 2035 by adding a heavy dose of hybrids to the market, according to a study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

To return U.S. fuel use to pre-2000 levels, however, carmakers would have to improve efficiency and consumers would have to learn to love hybrids, trading features like increased speed and size for higher fuel efficiency.

"There's all this fascination with vehicle technology--more hybrids, more diesels, and so on," said study author Anup Bandivadekar, an analyst at the International Council on Clean Transportation, in a … Read more

Green-tech news harvest: Rising oil prices, ethanol plant cancellations, grease bandits

Here is a sampling of green-tech and energy news over the past few days:

Goldman's Murti says oil 'likely' to reach $150 to $200 -- Bloomberg Oil is now at about $120. Will $200 drive more investment in clean tech?

Grease bandits strike as biofuel demand rises -- The Christian Science Monitor Grease thieves are driving up behind Burger Kings to steal material to make biodiesel. Says a cop: we see it all the time now.

Poet cancels ethanol plant -- Greentech Media The gold rush mentality in ethanol seems to be fading fast. Poet cancels a planned Minnesota … Read more

Marathon Oil, GM invest in ethanol maker Mascoma

In a step toward maturing the cellulosic ethanol business, Mascoma officially announced on Tuesday $61 million in third-round funding, which includes participation from Marathon Oil and General Motors.

Marathon Oil, a gas and oil refiner, will put $10 million into Mascoma to help construct a plant and to further develop the company's proprietary microbe that streamlines the process of turning wood chips or agricultural waste into ethanol.

GM's decision to invest in Mascoma--the second cellulosic ethanol company with which it has partnered--was disclosed last week. GM's amount, however, is under wraps.

As previously reported, Mascoma's … Read more

Range Fuels expands funding to speed cellulosic-ethanol production

When it comes to next-generation biofuels, it's a competition for both technology and capital.

Range Fuels expanded its previously announced series B funding from $100 million to $166 million, according to reports. Private Equity Hub on Monday cited a regulatory filing, saying Morgan Stanley Capital Group joined the round. VentureBeat reported the expansion last week.

The money will be used to build the first phase of its ethanol plant in Soperton, Ga., which will use forestry waste as a feedstock. The plan is to complete a 20 million gallon-per-year plant next year that uses a gasification process.

There's … Read more

Start-up enlists algae for toxic clean-up, fuel

Algae may one day be the preferred feedstock for biofuels. But in the meantime, it can have a job cleaning up waste water.

Seattle-area start-up Bionavitas is one of several companies moving into the algae business. Because it doesn't compete with food and has a high energy density, algae has a lot of potential as a source of biodiesel.

But it will take years before algae biodiesel will make a dent in the petroleum diesel market, said Bionavitas CEO and co-founder Michael Weaver.

So in the short term, the company is growing algae for alternative markets: oils for pharmaceuticals … Read more

GM spreads bets with investment in second ethanol start-up

General Motors is opening its pocketbook to get ethanol to the pumps and into its cars.

The auto giant on Thursday announced a partnership and an undisclosed investment in cellulosic-ethanol company Mascoma. The Cambridge, Mass.-based start-up is developing a biochemical approach to converting wood chips and agricultural wastes into ethanol.

It's GM's second investment in a cellulosic ethanol company. Earlier this year, it formed a partnership and took a stake in Coskata, which will be testing its fuel at GM facilities.

For GM, the investments are part of its strategy to prime the pump for ethanol that … Read more