Category: Biomass
From Guest Blogger Alia Haley: Algae–Can It Become the Renewable Energy Source of the Future?
| May 9, 2012 | Posted by Alia under Biomass |
The scientists at Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia have collected the draft genome of a marine algae sequence to support the researchers all over the United States in a project which aspires to find out the best algae species for creating biodiesel fuel. The need to develop an alternative and renewable fuel sources is to avert any energy crisis in the future along with reducing the greenhouse gas production. Researchers want to produce large quality of bio fuel in some small amount of space employing minimal resources. This will therefore to address the world’s fuel requirements.
Algae bio fuels is both promising and unique
Algae are simple microscopic organism which is generally seen in water and grows hydroponically. Read More
Turning Buffalo Dung into Fertilizer and Energy
| May 1, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
I’m going to be helping my new-found friend, Robert Orr of Manchester, England in his quest to build a facility to turn buffalo dung in Southern Pakistan into fertilizer and energy. How much dung are we talking about? It’s hard to imagine. First, try to picture 400,000 dairy buffaloes in an area of a few square miles – several hundred per acre. Now, figure that, between solids and liquids, you’re getting 25 pounds per day per head, or about 8,000 tons per day. Read More
Video: The Pros and Cons of Biomass
| March 7, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
Here’s another part of our series for newcomers to the subject of renewable energy — this one on biomass. I provide a few thoughts on how it offers the potential to provide carbon-neutral renewable energy and biofuels.
Do Biofuels Hold the Promise They Claim?
| March 3, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
I’m one of these people who essentially runs his life off his “to-do” list — a list of incomplete actions in a Word file that is always open, to which I’m constantly adding, deleting, and reprioritizing.
Here’s something I’ve looked at every day for the last few weeks:
Identify and support a few of the top players in biofuels. Short list: Enerkem, LanzaTech, ZeaChem, Virent Energy Systems, Sapphire Energy, Coskata, Terrabon, Mascoma, Cobalt Technologies, Joule Unlimited, Genomatica, Algenol, SG Biofuels.
I suppose I really DO need to do this, but I’m dreading the task. Read More
Jack McMullen To Play Key Role in Waste-To-Energy Project
| February 22, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
During my trip back East last week I had the honor of meeting Jack McMullen in his office in Cambridge, MA. If you want to see an interesting and multi-varied bio, you may want to check this out.
I’m happy to report that Jack, a man of great accomplishment and integrity, will be playing a leading role in one of the huge waste-to-energy projects that I’m so excited about — a project in which 3000 tons of municipal solid waste a day will be converted to 130 megawatts of electricity; this is summarized in the video below.
Please drop me a line if you know of anyone who may also like to play an investment role in cleantech here.
From Guest-Blogger Joshua Okomo: Fuel Farming Is a Global Reality
| February 5, 2012 | Posted by okomo under Biomass |
Farming energy is a global reality. While biomass fuel wood is still the energy of peasants, used by nearly 2 billion people living on the planet earth, biological fuel is rapidly becoming popular in the developed countries. Modern agriculture is for food, industrial raw materials for manufacturing consumer goods, biological fuel feed stock and biomass for cogeneration. Read More
An Efficient and Sustainable Use of Biomass for Heat and Power
| December 14, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
I’m delighted that Ben Thorp has become friendly with us here at 2GreenEnergy. Here’s a guy who’s forgotten more about biomass than 99% of professionals in this arena know, and who frequently sends me scholarly papers he’s penned on the subject, in a patient and thoughtful effort to bring me up to speed. Here’s one of his recent publications, An Efficient and Sustainable Use of Biomass for Heat and Power. Hope you enjoy.
The Future of Renewable Energy
| November 26, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
Here’s a short video in which I discuss the future of algae and other biofuels, synthetic fuels, and cold fusion.
Arundo Donax – One of the Diverse Feedstocks Used To Create Biofuels
| November 7, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
A reader wrote in with a question about his plans to get in the ethanol business, using a certain feedstock in which he’s an expert. Indeed, one of the most interesting things about biofuels is the enormous diversity of feedstocks.
The plant pictured here, Arundo donax, a type of cane that is highly prized for its growth rate, and the diversity of soils and climates in which it grows. But the energy density of all terrestrial plants is at least 30 times less than algae, which is the main reason for the interest in the latter.
Looking for a Pragmatic Discussion of Biofuels? Check Out the BioEnergy Deployment Consortium
| October 21, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
Ben Thorp is one of the true gentlemen in the biofuels industry, humbly but energetically chairing the non-profit BioEnergy Deployment Consortium. Retired from business after an enviable lifetime of successful engagements, he’s dedicated himself to the proposition that biomass needs to be a) understood, and then b) implemented on a pragmatic basis. Yet this represents a considerable challenge.
“There are 11 definitions of the term ‘biomass’”, he told me. “What fits for a business plan to a VC firm might fail completely in an application for a loan guarantee or a permit application. And how about this: is MSW (municipal solid waste) really ‘renewable energy?’ In some places it’s regarded as such, but not in others.” Read More
