When the subject of algae comes up in relation to biofuels, it’s usually concerning biodiesel. That’s because algae are very high in oil content. However, one of the main reasons for interest in algae is that it grows fast and consumes a significant amount of carbon dioxide. With that in mind, there is no reason algae couldn’t also be used to produce ethanol. A company called Algenol has refined strains of algae specifically for ethanol production in salt water. Algenol has submitted a grant application to the Department of Energy to build a pilot plant in cooperation with Dow. The plant, located next to a Dow facility in Freeport, Texas, will consume carbon dioxide produced by Dow’s operations to grow the algae in bio reactors. Dow intends to use ethanol primarily in the production of plastics to replace petroleum. However, the ethanol could be used as a fuel as well. Algenol hopes to get the production price of its algae ethanol down to $1 per gallon. Not only does the process consume carbon dioxide at the net rate of 1.5 million tons of CO 2 per 100 million gallons of ethanol, it also transforms salt water into fresh water. [Source: Algenol, Dow ] Continue reading Dow and Algenol producing ethanol from algae and saltwater Filed under: Ethanol Dow and Algenol producing ethanol from algae and saltwater originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

Congratulations! You’ve done it! Your hard work and effort to reduce your carbon footprint last year has paid off and, we would like to think, Planet Earth is just a little bit happier to hear that the worldwide rise in CO 2 levels slowed by half in 2008. Now, we understand that just slowing the rate means CO 2 levels are still increasing but you have to slow down and stop before you can go in reverse. We are also aware that a large part of the decline has to do with the high price of oil and the global economic slowdown which has had negative effects on lots of people, but if there is a silver lining to those financial storm clouds to be had, this may well be it. The good news comes to us via a study by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) which points out that the use of biofuels and an increase in the use of renewables has helped achieve the encouraging result. It’s also worth noting that America actually reduced emissions by 3 percent and that the continuing increases are mostly occurring in developing countries. One final positive worth underlining is that 2008 was the first year investment in renewables was greater than investments in fossil-fuelled technologies. So, keep it up and hopefully we’ll have an even better result to celebrate next year! [Source: Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency via Green Car Congress ] Filed under: Etc. , Green Daily Congratulations! Rise in CO 2 emissions halved originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 28 Jun 2009 10:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

A recent test in Germany attempted to test claims by Neste that its biodiesel is sustainable. The tests involved 14 Daimler vehicles, DHL, the German Post, OMV and the Stuttgart bus company. The test involved about one million kilometers driven with NExBTL biodiesel that were produced from certified palm oil. The results stated that this fuel helped reduce NOx by 15 percent, compared to regular diesel, as well as CO 2 emissions by 60 percent. The test measured each step in the production chain to assess its environmental efficiency and found that certified biofuels are the way to go, as there is no point in using biofuels that were produced with too many pesticides or old and polluting machinery. [Source: Auto News ] Filed under: Biodiesel , Mitsubishi , Tesla Motors , Germany , Daimler German test with certified biodiesel shows great results originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

Hydrogen cars in Vancouver - click above for high-res image gallery The U.S. Department of Energy under President Obama hasn’t been kind to hydrogen vehicles in 2009. In early May, the DOE eliminated funding for research into H 2 -powered vehicles . Since then, the hydrogen vehicle industry has taken stock of the situation, promoted itself and is now ready to fight back. Support is coming from, unsurprisingly, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), which is going to bat for hydrogen cars in a big way. CARB Chairman Mary Nichols has spoken with the DOE’s Steven Chu about reinstating the funds and wants involved players to continue the “dialog and investigation,” according to Green Car Congress . An important part of the debate is what Chu called the “Four Miracles” that need to be overcome before hydrogen cars are viable. Big advances need to be made in: fuel cell durability/cost hydrogen production hydrogen storage hydrogen infrastructure Nichols’ response is that any alternative to gasoline has hurdles to overcome, so no options should be taken off the table quite yet. Heard that before? More details available over at Green Car Congress . Gallery: Vancouver 2009: Hydrogen Road Trip vehicles [Source: Green Car Congress ] Filed under: Hydrogen , Legislation and Policy , USA CARB asks DOE to restore hydrogen vehicle funds originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 16:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

Hummer HX Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery Despite what could be construed as opposition by the Chinese government towards Tengzhong’s bid to purchase the HUMMER division from General Motors, the company is still working towards finalizing the sale by October of this year and on future environmentally-friendly models. According to Yang Yi, the firm’s general manager: We want to make a green HUMMER. We think the Hummer has huge potential in emerging markets. Tengzhong and HUMMER are very aware of the government’s fuel-efficiency requirements. HUMMER has already achieved substantial progress in this area . Last year, GM’s SUV-centric brand showed off a concept for a downsized HUMMER called the HX , which would likely be known as the H4 if it were ever to enter into production. Jim Taylor, currently head of HUMMER’s operations and likely to stay on after the brand’s sale to Tengzhong, has previously stated that the brand is investigating biofuels, hybrids and fully electric machines. Gallery: Detroit 2008: HUMMER HX Concept [Source: Autocar ] Filed under: EV/Plug-in , Flex-Fuel , HUMMER , China Confirmed: HUMMER buyer plans new green model originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 18:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

Ever wondered where all the biodiesel drivers are? Or how about where to find the most corn ethanol is made? Questions like these can be answered over at TransAtlas , a new project by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL). While good old Joe Internet can use the Google Maps-based map to find information, the DOE and NREL really designed the system to help industry and government planners make decisions on how best to east America’s dependence on oil. The alternative “fuel” types included on the map include: biodiesel, compressed or liquefied natural gas, ethanol (E85), electricity, hydrogen, and propane (sorry, diesel). Current and future refueling stations are included. Check out the map here . [Source: NREL ] Filed under: Biodiesel , Ethanol , EV/Plug-in , Flex-Fuel , Hydrogen , Natural Gas , USA TransAtlas: a new and interactive map for alt-fuel hunters, policymakers originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

The Brazilian city of São Paulo hosted this year’s edition of the Ethanol Summit. Opened by former President Clinton , one of the main issues this year was how to certify sustainable ethanol. You know the story: The EU wants to burn more ethanol in order to curb greenhouse emissions and is committed to use 10 percent biofuels. When demand exceeds local production, EU companies use imports, requesting that the imported fuel is made using certified sustainable sources. However, many organizations state that some ethanol producers don’t use sustainable methods and there are increasing questions about the benefits of ethanol as well. Therefore, the Ethanol Summit established rules that will apply to biofuel that is labeled “sustainable ethanol.” The label will be applied to fuel made by producers who voluntarily follow the sustainable guidelines, as published by BSI (Better Sugarcane Initiative). These are a set of 21 rules and 48 indicators that will be made public and available by all certified companies. Expect the first certifications to be ready for 2014 [Source: Ethanol summit (link is Portuguese)] Filed under: Ethanol , South/Latin America Ethanol Summit 2009 finds consensus on ethanol certification originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 10 Jun 2009 18:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

MINI E - Click above for image gallery The all-electric MINI Es are starting to be delivered, and AutoblogGreen reader David VM. will do something a little extra with his new ride: power it completely by solar power. David has started up a new blog called MINI E 19 (his car is #19) and the first entry talks about the initial week with the battery-laden MINI E. Oh, and he describes what the G.A.S. and B.R.A.K.E pedals are for. They’re different than look-alike pedals in a MINI Cooper ClubmanS, for example, which David also owns. David powers his whole house using rooftop power, so adding the car to the solar mix wasn’t exactly difficult. While the leases for the MINI E aren’t cheap ($850 a month, plus tax), David says the EV replaces another car, so it only costs him about $100 more a month to cruise in true zero-emission style. You can see the solar-powered MINI E in David’s gallery below, along with his first electric vehicle: a GEM. Gallery: Solar-powered MINI E [Source: MINI E 19 ] Filed under: EV/Plug-in , Green Culture , Solar , MINI , AutoblogGreen Exclusive Meet a MINI E that will only use solar power originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

In the grand scheme of things, the facilities and products of Lamborghini don’t really amount to a hill of beans. After all, the company only has one main factory that produces a few thousand cars a year. While those cars are high-powered and consume a lot of fuel per mile driven, Lamborghini owners tend to drive those cars far fewer miles than the mainstream autos the rest of us hop into on a daily basis. As such, the Lambos’ total emissions don’t add up to much. Nonetheless, Lamborghini is still somewhat sensitive to both social and regulatory concerns and has an ambitious plan to reduce CO 2 emissions. The automaker is in the process of installing a 17,000 square meter solar array to its factory roof that, when completed later this year, will generate 1,582 MWh of electricity annually. In addition to that, changes are being made inside the plant to improve insulation, lighting, and climate control as part of a broader effort to lower factory-related CO 2 emissions 30 percent by 2010. As for the products coming out of the factory, Lamborghini is pursuing several paths towards a goal of a 35 percent CO 2 reduction by 2015. In addition to expanding the use of technology like the direct injection that debuted on the Gallardo LP560-4 last year, the engineers are working on improved combustion, weight reduction, auto start/stop systems, hybrid drive and biofuel use. Gallery: Lamborghini CO 2 reductions [Source: Lamborghini] Continue reading Lamborghini adds solar power to factory, vows to cut range CO 2 35% by 2015 Filed under: Flex-Fuel , Hybrid , Manufacturing/Plants , Lamborghini , Green Daily Lamborghini adds solar power to factory, vows to cut range CO 2 35% by 2015 originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments

According to a recent survey from the Royal Automobile Club Foundation in the UK, there will be lots of people who want to buy electric vehicles but are going to get frustrated by the long delay in getting EVs ready for mass consumption. That’s a problem, but the Institute of Mechanical Engineers seems to think the solution is obvious: invest in multiple green technologies, including hybrid, fuel cell, hydrogen and fully electric cars in addition to the continued advancement of gasoline and diesel internal combustion engines. According to Richard Folkson, Chairman of IME’s Automotive Division: We are telling the government to set the targets but to leave the engineers to figure out how it can be done - and electric cars alone will not be the answer. Even among those who believe that we need to reduce the carbon emissions from our automobiles, picking the best technology to do so hasn’t been quite so easy to agree upon. Have an opinion on the subject? Click past the break to take part in our poll. [Source: Channel 4 ] Continue reading Institute of Mechanical Engineers: Electric cars aren’t enough (w/POLL) Filed under: Diesel , Emerging Technologies , Ethanol , EV/Plug-in , Flex-Fuel , Hybrid , Hydrogen , Legislation and Policy , UK Institute of Mechanical Engineers: Electric cars aren’t enough (w/POLL) originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Fri, 29 May 2009 10:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Read  |  Permalink  |  Email this  |  Comments