In a recent Bloomberg View article, a strong case is made for a carbon tax based on uncertainty about accessible shale oil and gas resources, which is having a chilling effect on the renewable industry. As Bloomberg states, “Investors come across it hard to look ahead to see regardless of whether green energy sources will […]
In Ireland, the AT~SEA project, in partnership with Oceanfuel, has developed advanced textiles that allow easy, mechanized cultivation of floating seaweed farms. The textile allows for high yields at a large scale, up to 16kg of wet seaweed per square meter. This is three to five times the yield of traditional seaweed farming. AT-SEA is […]
In Brazil, the first ethanol-propelled rocket was successfully launched by the Institute of Aeronautics and Space (IAE) last week. The launch lasted three minutes and 34 seconds, and worked throughout the 90-second period. The rocket used an engine that utilizes ethanol and liquid oxygen, named the Liquid-Propellant Propulsion Stage, and was developed by Orbital Engineering […]
In Iowa, Corn Oil ONE has broken ground for its new distillers corn oil facility in Council Bluffs, to be collocated with a Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy ethanol plant. The plant will purify constituents out of distillers corn oil with a patent-pending process. The purified product will “improve the efficiency, efficacy and economics of biodiesel […]
In Texas, Southwest Research Institute has installed a new piece of technology that will allow biodiesel producers to evaluate the quality and profitability of their catalysts at a rate of half a liter per hour, allowing more tests to be run in a shorter time. The experimental circulating fluidized bed (CFB) helps convert heavy crude […]
In Washington, in the wake of the $105 million loan guarantee to Fulcrum Sierra Biofuels announced last week, the USDA has received flack from the Taxpayers Protection Alliance. President David Williams criticized the guarantee, alluding to the 2011 Solyndra collapse: “Washington is used to flushing taxpayer money down the toilet, but now they’re having taxpayers […]
In Germany, rapeseed production for 2014 exceeded already high expectations as the second harvest estimate placing overall production at 6.2 million tonnes. Six out of nine German states increased production from 2013. Average yields for winter rapeseed increased 13%, meaning that while acreage for the crop decreased, production climbed nearly 8% from 2013. The German […]
In Kansas, Flint Hills Resources will acquire Southwest Georgia Ethanol’s plant in Camilla, Georgia. This will be Flint Hills Resources’ seventh ethanol plant and its first outside the Midwest. The plant near Camilla opened in 2008 and has an annual capacity of 100 million gallons of ethanol. It also produces more than 275,000 tons of […]
In California, Genomatica has announced the results of a survey on sustainability issues in the chemical industry. Key findings from 958 respondents include: 69% say their company has a sustainability policy in place or are currently developing one. 67% describe their company’s top business priority in sustainability as either promoting or marketing sustainable products, taking […]
In Massachusetts, Joule and Scatec Solar ASA have signed an MOU to work toward a partnership to support the roll-out of Joule production plants featuring photovoltaic power. The terms of the MoU anticipate that Scatec Solar ASA will become preferred supplier and operator of photovoltaic power installations for Joule plants, with an initial deployment goal […]
