| Biofuels Image of the Month |
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| Giant Miscanthus (above) grows at North Carolina's Biofuels Campus in Oxford, N.C. (2 September 2011). Research is underway to evaluate the performance of this energy grass across North Carolina, develop production practices and recommendations, breed and develop improved varieties, and improve efficiency of bioprocessing and cellulosic ethanol conversion. Learn more about this potential biofuels feedstock crop in this month's Biofuels Wiki Recent Updates (below). |
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| Biofuels Industry Spotlight |
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RTI International has been awarded a project from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop an advanced technology to produce biofuels that are compatible with the existing transportation fuels infrastructure. RTI will partner with Haldor Topsøe, a world-leading provider of catalyst and process technologies, for the refining and chemical industries.
As part of the $5 million cooperative agreement with the DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the project team will integrate RTI's catalytic biomass pyrolysis technology, which converts biomass into a "biocrude" intermediate, with Haldor Topsøe's hydroprocessing technology, to upgrade the intermediate into transportation fuels. A major portion of the project will focus on the optimization of both technologies together to achieve maximum biomass-to-fuels yield. The optimized process technologies have significant potential to meet the DOE goal of developing cost-competitive biomass technologies to enable the production of biofuels nationwide in a sustainable manner and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
Other project partners include Archer Daniels Midland, which will provide corn stover for the project, and the Biofuels Center of North Carolina, which will facilitate the delivery of woody biomass and switchgrass. The integrated catalytic biomass pyrolysis hydroprocessing technology will be tested with feedstock grown and harvested in North Carolina facilitating the local, in-state deployment of this technology using North Carolina-grown biomass feedstocks.
Shaw Group's Energy & Chemicals unit will provide technical guidance for the project by supporting the development of a process design and technology package for a 2,000-tons-per-day integrated catalytic biomass pyrolysis hydroprocessing plant for advanced biofuels production.
RTI is an independent, nonprofit institute that provides research, development and technical services to government and commercial clients worldwide. RTI develops advanced energy technologies to address today's significant energy challenges, such as climate change, energy security, energy efficiency, sustainability, and water conservation.
Find out more about RTI projects at www.rti.org.
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| Biofuels Center News |
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RTI International lands significant federal biofuels project (Biorefining Magazine)
Project partners include Archer Daniels Midland Co., which will provide corn stover for the project, and the Biofuels Center of North Carolina, which will facilitate the delivery of woody biomass and switchgrass...
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Looking to tall grass to fuel future in Asheville area (Asheville Citizen-Times)
A plot of grasses waving 20 feet high under the September sun could be the cash crop of the future for farmers and a source of fuel for your car in the coming decades...
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Four NC-based producers receive federal funding for biofuels expansion
In September 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced federal funding for energy producers in 41 states...
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| North Carolina Biofuels News |
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Gilbarco introduces new biofuels-friendly fuel dispensers, configurations (MarketWatch)
Greensboro, N.C.-based Gilbarco Veeder-Root expands its Encore family of flexible fuel dispensers with new models that are compatible with fuels containing up to 25 percent ethanol and new ethanol blender configurations...
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Project could help beat oil addiction (Asheville Citizen-Times)
Although experts disagree on how long until the world runs out of oil, almost everyone who is not on the payroll of an oil company agrees that we will, one day, run out...
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GrassRoots Biotechnology and Monsanto Company extend collaboration (Monsanto News Release)
GrassRoots Biotechnology and Monsanto Company have agreed to extend their existing three-year research collaboration for an additional two years through January 2014...
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| News Around the Globe |
Biofuels here to stay, says Shell (Petroleum Economist)
Shell claims using ethanol instead of conventional petroleum products in road vehicles could cut carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 90 percent...
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Airlines look to alternative fuels for the future (Huffington Post)
Among major American carriers, those that have made varying commitments to biofuels include US Airways, United (and a pre-merger Continental), Delta, and American Airlines...
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US continues to lead global biofuels production, new report says (GlobalAgInvesting.com)
According to the report, “Global Biofuel Market Analysis," the U.S. is the biggest market player in the global biofuels industry...
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Gene discovery could be biofuel’s 'missing link' (Renewable Energy Magazine)
A team of researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s BioEnergy Science Center (BESC) have pinpointed the exact, single gene that controls ethanol production capacity in a microorganism...
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Air Force and Navy turn to biofuels (National Public Radio News)
Secretary Mabus says he is committed to getting 50 percent of the Navy's fuel for aircraft and surface ships from renewable sources by 2020 because dependence on foreign oil makes the U.S. military vulnerable...
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ALMS leads by example in reducing dependence on petroleum (American Le Mans Series)
As government officials and auto manufacturers seek ways to reduce the American public’s dependence on imported oil, the American Le Mans Series reports that it reduced its petroleum usage by nearly 50 percent in its most recent race...
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German-based Rotary Supercars developing E85-powered elite roadster (PistonHeads.com)
It is called the RSC Predator GT, and its developers hope to unveil prototypes of the car in 2012, possibly at the Top Marques show in Monaco next April...
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| Biofuels Education Spotlight |
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Featured at the 2011 North Carolina State Fair, “Cultivate a Career” is a new exhibit where visitors can go on a career personality scavenger hunt and interact with organizations to learn about the wide variety of jobs in the agriculture industry. Agriculture is about more than just farmers—science, mathematics, communications, construction, nutrition, gardening, and other areas of interest all play vital roles in our state’s leading industry. Speak with representatives from the Biofuels Center of North Carolina, N.C. community colleges, N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, N.C. State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, USDA, high school career development counselors, and more at the exhibit.
The exhibit is well timed for an industry with a wide array of emerging opportunities. “I think a lot of fairgoers will be surprised by the variety of careers available in the agriculture industry,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said. “’Cultivate a Career’ is a great way of highlighting ag-related jobs, which employ nearly a fifth of the state’s workforce.”
Outreach, education, and information are how the Biofuels Center will implement Strategy 8 of North Carolina's Strategic Plan for Biofuels Leadership. The “Cultivate a Career” project will assist visitors with career development while helping grow the message of choosing and using locally produced biofuels.
The North Carolina State Fair kicks off 13 October 2011 and runs through 23 October 2011. The “Cultivate a Career” exhibit will be located at Gate 12 and open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 9:45 p.m. (except on 13 October 2011, when the exhibit will open at 4 p.m.).
To find out more about the “Cultivate a Career” project and to get started with a career assessment, click here.
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| Biofuels Wiki Recent Updates |
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The Biofuels Wiki is a one-stop, collaborative site where reliable knowledge about liquid renewable fuels can be found—think of it as a biofuels encyclopedia on the Internet. To add or edit content on the site, click here to register.
Giant Miscanthus
Giant Miscanthus (an "energy cane") is a perennial warm season grass in the sugarcane complex that has considerable potential as a biomass crop in North Carolina to supply feedstock for cellulosic ethanol production and for gasification to gasoline processing...
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NASCAR E15 Racing Fuel Report: First Million Competition Miles
NASCAR released a report in September 2011 validating the benefits of ethanol as a high-performing fuel used in more than 1.3 million miles of E15 on the racetrack...
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IDEA Engineering Inc.
IDEA is a full-service engineering and design firm active in the biofuels space with three office locations...
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InnovaTech Inc.
InnovaTech is a filtration company developing a method to economically harvest algae for biofuel production...
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Monroe Oil Company
Monroe Oil Company, Inc. is a locally owned and operated company serving Union County, N.C. and the surrounding areas since 1951...
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The Biofuels Center of North Carolina is developing a sustainable, statewide biofuels industry to reduce North Carolina’s dependence on imported liquid fuels and to create jobs. The goal is to replace 10% of the state’s liquid fuel consumption with home-grown and -produced biofuels by 2017. Find out more at www.biofuelscenter.org. |
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