butanol

Ford researchers looking at algae as a potenial biofuel

There's been a lot of buzz about algae as an alternative biofuel. Several business and university researchers are looking at algae's potential as a viable alternative to fossil fuel. And earlier this year, the House of Representatives introduced the Green Jobs Act of 2010, which offers investment tax credits for algae-based biorefineries.

Now researchers at Ford are looking into algae as a fuel source, the company announced.

"Algae have some very desirable characteristics as a potential biofuel feedstock and Ford wants to show its support any efforts that could lead to a viable, commercial-scale application of this … Read more

A forest epidemic turns into energy opportunity

Fuel start-up Cobalt Technologies has figured out a way to use trees poisoned and killed by pine beetles to make biobutanol, the company announced Wednesday.

Cobalt develops biofuels that can be mixed with gas, diesel, or jet fuel, as well as used to make plastics. Up until now, the company has used forestry byproducts that originated from healthy trees to make its n-butanol. The result is a gasoline blend made up of 12 percent biobutanol, which the company has claimed can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 85 percent when compared to conventional gasoline. It's been touting the … Read more

Oil giant Total invests in butanol maker Gevo

Oil giant Total has invested in start-up Gevo, which has a process for making butanol--a biofuel that backers say offers advantages over ethanol.

Gevo said Tuesday that Total invested an undisclosed amount as part of a series D round of funding. Existing investors include Khosla Ventures, Virgin Green Fund, Burrill & Co., and Malaysian Life Sciences Capital Fund.

Much of the activity in biofuels in the past five years has been focused on ethanol, which is used mainly as an additive to gasoline. But there are a number of companies pursuing alternative biofuels, such as butanol.

Colorado-based Gevo has developed … Read more