Green Technology

UCLA scientist leads BESC team in research that streamlines the synthesis of isobutanol from cellulose based materials.  The key to the process is development of microbes through genetic engineering.  The research team will continue to pursue genetically engineered strains that convert cellulosic materials well.  …

…   “Using consolidated bioprocessing, a team led by James Liao of the University of California at Los Angeles for the first time produced isobutanol directly from cellulose.

The team's work, published online in Applied and Environmental Microbiology, represents across-the-board savings in processing costs and time, plus isobutanol is a higher grade of alcohol than ethanol.”   …

Via Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Cellulose based isobutanol.

Posted by Green Tech at 01:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Clarkson University research will optimize the cellulosic pathway to ethanol biofuel with grant from the National Science Foundation.  Clarkson chemistry professor Sergiy Minko will lead the investigation.  …

…   “grant is for finding a way to bring the costs of the process down to a more competitive level. 

The major idea of this project is to make this process less expensive just by recycling the enzyme. 

Normally, he said, the enzyme is thrown out with the plant waste.

The point is to learn how we can selectively extract the enzymes from this biomass and reuse them …”   …

Via Clarkson University: Biofuels Research.

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Continue reading "Efficient process for cellulosic biofuels with water" »

Posted by Green Tech at 03:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "The Center for Lignocellulose Structure and Formation will be one of few places where research is truly focused on unraveling the secrets of lignocellulose. We believe we can answer the basic questions that to date no one has been able to answer, Catchmark explained. " ...

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"Royal Dutch Shell plc and Codexis, Inc. today [10-March-09] announced an expanded agreement to develop better enzymes that could accelerate commercialisation of next generation biofuels. ...Shell also increased its equity stake in Codexis ..."

" ... enhance the efficiency of enzymes used in the Iogen cellulosic ethanol production process.  The world-leading Iogen demonstration plant in Ottawa, Canada currently produces hundreds of thousands of litres of cellulosic ethanol from agricultural residue, such as wheat straw. "

" ... aims to enhance the Iogen process and shorten the timeline to its full-scale commercial deployment. ..."

 Via:  Shell  Link

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... "In the future, perennial crops, such as switchgrass, as well as crop residues and forestry biomass could be developed as major cellulosic ethanol sources that could potentially displace 30 percent of current U.S. petroleum consumption, Vogel said. Technology to convert biomass into cellulosic ethanol is being developed and is now at the development stage where small commercial scale biorefineries are beginning to be built with scale-up support from the U.S. Department of Energy. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 07:55 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Smith specifically plans to screen the lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose content of biofuel plant stocks, such as switchgrass, Miscanthus (a subtropical perennial grass that can grow 13 feet high), corn, and poplar and willow trees. Lignin interferes with enzymatic conversion of polysaccharides to ethanol, so Smith will use the imaging to help select plant stocks that have low lignin content. " ...

Via Ames Laboratory: Biofuel Crop Screening

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... "Secretary Bodman announced the availability of up to $200 million for cellulosic biorefineries at 10 percent of commercial scale, subject to appropriations. This effort will enable industry to resolve remaining technical and process integration uncertainties and allow for more predictable, less costly scale up of next generation biorefinery process technologies. The 10 percent- scale demonstrations have the potential to reduce the overall cost and risk to industry and contribute to the quicker commercialization of larger-scale facilities. Additionally, DOE will invest up to $385 million for as many as six commercial-scale biorefinery projects over the next four years, subject to appropriations. The EERE Biomass Program will continue in FY 2007 to support its cost-shared efforts with industry to develop and demonstrate technologies to enable cellulosic biorefineries for the production of transportation fuels and co-products." ...

Via UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENERGY AND AIR QUALITY: Testimony of ALEXANDER KARSNER, ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY PDF

Posted by Green Tech at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Funded by a $1.5 million research grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the three-year project will determine if energy crops planted for cellulosic ethanol could simultaneously produce methacrylate monomers, a key raw material used in the manufacture of many products including paint and coatings, building materials, and acrylic sheet and resins. The economics are attractive. More than 1.5 billion pounds of methacrylate monomers are produced annually in the United States, a market worth $780 million. Though in its early stages, the science looks promising. Molecular biologists and biochemistry experts at Ceres say that some plants naturally produce compounds similar to methacrylate monomers, but do not necessarily accumulate them in extractable forms or quantities. They believe it may be feasible to alter the way plants produce these compounds so that they can be extracted from the dried stalks, stems and leaves before these are fed into biorefineries producing ethanol from cellulose. " ...

Via Rohm and Haas: Bio-Products Research

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... "For cellulosic ethanol production, one major detour has being addressed with the characterization of the genetic blueprint of the fungus Pichia stipitis, by the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (DOE JGI) and collaborators at the U.S. Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory (FPL). The research, entailing the identification of numerous genes in P. stipitis responsible for its fermenting and cellulose-bioconverting prowess, and an analysis of these metabolic pathways ... " ...

Via DOE Joint Genome Institute: Genome Sequenced For Biofuel Production

Posted by Green Tech at 08:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

President Bush views demonstration of plug-in hybrid automobile technology as he strives to confirm if his Twenty in Ten vision is achievable.  ...

... "I also met with people that are working to help us develop a fuel industry that will be able to have ethanol derived from produce other than corn. In other words, I'm talking with people on the leading edge of change. And the reason why I've asked them to come in to see me is because I want to make sure that the goal I set by reducing gasoline usage by 20 percent over a 10-year period is a realistic goal. I know it's a necessary goal: it's necessary for national security purposes; it's necessary for economic security purposes; and it's necessary in order to be good stewards of the environment. My question is, is a practical goal, can we achieve that goal. And the answer is, absolutely. Now, it's going to require continued federal research dollars, and I call upon the Congress to fully fund my request for alternative sources of energy. " ...

Via White House: President Bush Alternative Fuel Automobile Demonstration

Posted by Green Tech at 05:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Although ethanol can be produced from virtually any plant substance, more intensive chemical processes are required to make the fuel from fibrous materials like grass or wood than from starch materials like corn or sugar cane ... " ...

Via Arizona Daily Star: Bioethanol Challenges

Posted by Green Tech at 09:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "The combined company will be the first within the cellulosic ethanol industry to possess integrated end-to-end capabilities in pre-treatment, novel enzyme development, fermentation, engineering, and project development. It will seek to build a global enterprise as a leading producer of cellulosic ethanol and as a strategic partner in bio-refineries around the world. At the same time, the company will continue to pursue broad market opportunities for specialty industrial enzymes within the areas of alternative fuels, specialty industrial processes, and health and nutrition, with a primary focus on enzymes for the production of biofuels. The combined company will be headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts and have research and operations facilities in San Diego, California; Jennings, Louisiana; and Gainesville, Florida. Celunol has recently commenced operations of the nation's first cellulosic ethanol pilot facility in Jennings, Louisiana and expects to complete a 1.4 million gallons-per-year, demonstration-scale facility to produce cellulosic ethanol from sugarcane bagasse and specially-bred energy cane by the end of 2007. " ...

Via Diversa Corporation: Diversa and Celunol Announce Merger to Create a New Biofuels Industry Leader ...

Posted by Green Tech at 08:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "As part of the EBI, some 340 acres of farmland at the Urbana campus will be devoted to the study and production of feedstock for biofuel production. Researchers will explore the potential benefits of using corn crop residues, switchgrass, Miscanthus (Miscanthus x giganticus: a hybrid grass that can grow 13 feet tall), and other herbaceous perennials as fuel sources. The initiative will explore how adequate supplies of high quality plant biomass can be sustainably produced and utilized in facilities that convert the biomass to fuels. " ...

Via University of Illinois: Initiative will put Illinois at forefront of farm bioenergy production

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