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aLTERNaTiVEfUeL News Biofuel production 2.6 billion gallons by 2015 in the uS a new report from Environmental Entrepreneurs has revealed that biofuel production capacity increased by 250 million gallons in 2012 compared to 2011. The report also states that that the industry in the united States and Canada has the potential to produce up to 2.6 billion gallons of renewable fuel by 2015. Environmental Entrepreneurs, which focused on 165 companies active in Eu to amend biofuel targets European union authorities have said that they may cap the amount of crop biofuels available for use after coming to the conclusion that they are not as effective in cutting emissions as first thought, and that in future biofuel crop cultivation may interfere with food stocks. The change in attitude marks a u-turn from previous targets, which aimed to have 10 percent of the region’s vehicles running on biofuels by the year 2020, when current legislation the production of advanced biofuels and 82 companies involved in the supply chain for its report, also points out that production costs of advanced biofuels will continue to decrease as commercial capacity is expanded. it highlights that at capacity, companies involved in the study have plans to produce at between $0.60 and $ 3.50 per gallon, depending on feedstock and technology. expires. The figure, which now stands around 4.5 percent, is set to be limited at 5 percent. Despite its change of mind on biofuels, Eu authorities are still planning to proceed with the implementation of schemes aimed at increasing the amount of advanced biofuels on the market, as the fuels – generated from sources such as algae and crop residue – have no influence over food prices and are thought to be more environmentally friendly. Microalgae plant to begin operations The world’s first commercially viable microalgae production facility has opened its developers Renewed World Energies and Forsite Development have announced. The system, an Algae Photo Bioreactor, will enable a 667-acre site in ReVenture eco-industrial park, in Charlotte, South Carolina to power its electronics and machinery the developers have said, while it may also be used to create a viable fuel for transport. The facility was funded by RWE’s majority shareholder, Aventura Equities, based in Chicago. The company says that it may use patents it holds for algae development to create new strains that are capable of creating other transportation fuels and health supplements. The new facility was developed on an old textile dye facility. Conversion kits for petrol & hydrogen Fuel cells aren’t the only way of using hydrogen to power cars. Three years ago, iTM Power launched a pioneering collaboration with automotive technology business Revolve Technologies to develop a conversion kit that allows a conventional internal combustion engine to run on hydrogen as well as petrol. The company has also run a series of trials with blue chip companies and local authori- ties, using its transportable high pressure hydrogen refuelling unit and Ford Transit vans, modified to run on hydrogen as well as petrol, by Revolve. organisations were offered free fuel and the use of two modified Transits for a week, with the option to lease the refuelling unit and the vehicles for a further period, if they wanted to extend the test. As interest rose, more companies wanted to run tests. Hydrogen fuel infrastructure gets boost in Germany Automakers focusing on hydrogen-powered vehicles have plans to commercialize their new products between the years 2013 and 2015. A comprehensive hydrogen fuel infrastructure is needed for this commercialization to gain traction. Germany has made the most progress in developing an adequate structure and now Air liquide has announced the opening of Germany’s first hydrogen fuel station designed for passenger vehicles. The station is the first of 10 new fuel stations that the company will open over the next three years. NEws airbus hopes to utilise renewable fuels Airbus has announced that it hopes a project it undertook with a Chinese university will help to decrease the amount of time it will take airlines and others in the aviation industry to begin utilising renewable fuels, saying that cooking oil, crops and other feedstocks are suitable for use. A report on the benefits of algae use is due next year, it said. “The commercialisation of alternative fuels is one of the essential ingredients in our quest to achieving ambitious environmental targets in aviation”, said Frederic Eychenne, new Energies Programme Manager for Airbus. Patriot Bioenergy plan new energy complex Patriot Bioenergy Corporation has said that it intends to begin work on a new energy complex in Kentucky that will see sugar converted into useable fuel. The company says the work on the new complex will take place over the next 24 to 48 months, and that natural gas will be used in the initial stages of the energy creation process. The company has been growing energy beets (which it will be using to generate power in the plant) for the past few months in order to test conditions. The company has yet to be signed off on planning permission by the state’s planning authorities, while some funding and materials details are also yet to be agreed. Carbon dioxide could become fuel American scientists are trying to trick a soil bacterium into making fuel. Researchers at Massachusetts institute of Technology (MiT) are attempting to modify the genes of Ralstonia eutropha to produce isobutanol that can be used instead of gasoline/petrol. The microbe has a tendency to stop growing and to use its energy to make complex carbon compounds, so scientists are attempting to get it to use carbon dioxide as its source, so it can make fuel from emissions. Research scientist Christopher Brigham, has been developing the bioengineered bacterium. By removing some genes, inserting a gene from a different organism and altering the expression of other genes, Brigham and his team redirected the microbe to create fuel rather than plastic. latest LatEst news, aLtERNatIvE events, FuEL jobs NEws online – www.PEtROLPLaza.COM – www.PetrolPlaza.com 25