A pilot project in Texas has generated 33,000 gallons of vegetable oil per acre from a close-looped algae bioreactor for use as a biodiesel feedstock. The project is headed by Vertigro, a joint venture between Global Green Solutions and Valcent Products. Interesting stat: Soybeans produce 49 gallons of veg oil per acre. Palm oil produces 630 gallons of veg oil per acre. Read more here. See video below.
South Africa is excluding corn based biofuels from their energy plan to ensure it doesn’t affect food security. The plan takes effect in 2008 and continues through 2013 with fuel blending targets of 8% for ethanol and 2% for biodiesel. South Africa is looking to use soybean and rapeseed for biodiesel feedstock and sugar cane and sugar beet for ethanol feedstock. Read more here.
In the proposed legislation, producers of ethanol will get up to $0.10 (Cdn) per liter and biodiesel producers will receive up to $0.20 per liter beginning in April 2008. Additionally, there is a requirement for 5% of gasoline sold to be renewable come 2010. This latest proposal is in addition to a $500 million (Cdn) fund announced earlier this Fall to help fund biofuel production pilot plants, as well as two multi-million dollar funds tied to farming and feedstock production. Interesting stat: Producers only need to have production capacity of 5 million liters for ethanol and 3 million liters for biodiesel to be elible. Read more here.
Democrats in Congress are negotiating a new energy bill that would increase biofuel requirements. Those close to the talks say a proposal under discussion would require 20.5 billion gallons of biofuels by 2015. Interesting note: Oil refiners and livestock producers are lobbying against the increase. Read more here.
Formed in Nov. 2006, MIT’s Energy Initiative announced a five-year collaboration with Ford Motor Company and British Petroleum. Ford’s funded research will obviously focus on automotive technologies. Read more HERE. British Petroleum’s funds will support research in feedstock conversion and decarbonization. BP committed up to $5 million for five years. Read more HERE.
