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MIT News Release – Teaching a microbe to make fuel

Aug 20th, 2012
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For Immediate Release
MONDAY, AUG. 20, 2012

Contact: Sarah McDonnell, MIT News Office
E: s_mcd@mit.edu, T: 617-253-8923

======================================
Teaching a microbe to make fuel
Genetically modified organism could turn carbon dioxide or waste products into a gasoline-compatible transportation fuel.
======================================

CAMBRIDGE, MA — A humble soil bacterium called Ralstonia eutropha has a natural tendency, whenever it is stressed, to stop growing and put all its energy into making complex carbon compounds. Now scientists at MIT have taught this microbe a new trick: They’ve tinkered with its genes to persuade it to make fuel, specifically, a kind of alcohol called isobutanol that can be directly substituted for, or blended with, gasoline.

Christopher Brigham, a research scientist in MIT’ biology department who has been working to develop this bioengineered bacterium, is currently trying to get the organism to use a stream of carbon dioxide as its source of carbon, so that it could be used to make fuel out of emissions. Brigham is co-author of a paper on this research published this month in the journal Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology.

Brigham explains that in its natural state, when the microbe’€™s source of essential nutrients (such as nitrate or phosphate) is restricted, €œit will go into carbon-storage mode, essentially storing away food for later use when it senses that resources are limited.

“What it does is take whatever carbon is available, and stores it in the form of a polymer, which is similar in its properties to a lot of petroleum-based plastics,” Brigham says. By knocking out a few genes, inserting a gene from another organism, and tinkering with the expression of other genes, Brigham and his colleagues were able to redirect the microbe to make fuel instead of plastic.

While the team is focusing on getting the microbe to use CO2 as a carbon source, with slightly different modifications the same microbe could also potentially turn almost any source of carbon, including agricultural waste or municipal waste, into useful fuel. In the laboratory, the microbes have been using fructose, a sugar, as their carbon source.

At this point, the MIT team,” which includes chemistry graduate student Jingnan Lu, biology postdoc Claudia Gai, and is led by Anthony Sinskey, professor of biology, have demonstrated success in modifying the microbe’s genes so that it converts carbon into isobutanol in an ongoing process.

‘We’ve shown that, in continuous culture, we can get substantial amounts of isobutanol,€ ” Brigham says. Now, the researchers are focusing on finding ways to optimize the system to increase the rate of production and to design bioreactors to scale the process up to industrial levels.

Unlike some bioengineered systems in which microbes produce a wanted chemical within their bodies but have to be destroyed to retrieve the product, R. eutropha naturally expels the isobutanol into the surrounding fluid, where it can be continuously filtered out without stopping the production process, Brigham says. “We didn’t have to add a transport system to get it out of the cell,” he says.

A number of research groups are pursuing isobutanol production through various pathways, including other genetically modified organisms; at least two companies are already gearing up to produce it as a fuel, fuel additive or a feedstock for chemical production. Unlike some proposed biofuels, isobutanol can be used in current engines with little or no modification, and has already been used in some racing cars.

The work is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency, Energy (ARPA-E).
###

Written by David Chandler, MIT News Office

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Alaska sues to block low-sulfur fuel requirement for ships | Reuters CRAZY FOOLS

Jul 13th, 2012
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http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/07/14/us-usa-energy-alaska-idINBRE86D
02D20120714
Alaska sues to block low-sulfur fuel requirement for ships

By Yereth Rosen

ANCHORAGE, Alaska | Sat Jul 14, 2012 8:30am IST

(Reuters) – The state of Alaska sued the Obama administration on Friday
to block environmental regulations that would require ships sailing in
southern Alaska waters to use low-sulfur fuel.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Anchorage, challenges the
new federal regulations, which require the use of low-sulfur fuel for
large marine vessels such as cargo and cruise ships.

The rule is scheduled to be enforced starting on August 1 by the
Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard for ships
operating within 200 miles of the shores of southeastern and
south-central Alaska, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit faults the EPA, the Department of Homeland Security and
others for using a marine treaty amendment as the basis for the new
federal regulations without waiting for ratification of that amendment
by the U.S. Senate.

The Alaska Department of Law said in a statement that the
low-sulfur-fuel requirement would be costly, jacking up prices for
products shipped by marine vessel and harming Alaska’s cruise industry.

“Alaska relies heavily on maritime traffic, both for goods shipped to
and from the state, and for the cruise ship passengers who support
thousands of Alaskan jobs,” Alaska Attorney General Michael Geraghty
said in a statement.

“There are reasonable and equally effective alternatives for the
Secretary and the EPA to consider which would still protect the
environment but dramatically reduce the severe impact these regulations
will have on Alaskan jobs and families.”

Totem Ocean Trailer Express, a major shipper operating in Alaska,
estimates that the move to low-sulfur fuel will increase its costs by 8
percent, Geraghty said.

A spokesman for EPA’s Seattle regional office was not immediately
available to comment on the lawsuit.

The treaty amendment at issue is a 2010 agreement under the
International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, or
MARPOL. The United States has signed onto MARPOL, and Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton has accepted the 2010 amendment.

Domestic enforcement of the amendment is not permitted without
ratification by two-thirds of the U.S. Senate, Assistant Alaska Attorney
General Seth Beausang said. He said the EPA also erred by failing to
conduct an environmental analysis.

“The only thing they relied on was the treaty amendment in issuing the
regulations,” he told Reuters, adding that Alaska was not coordinating
its effort to overturn the regulations with any other state.

The lawsuit names as defendants the EPA and its director, Lisa Jackson,
the Department of Homeland Security and Secretary Janet Napolitano, the
Coast Guard and its commandant, Admiral Robert Papp, and Clinton.

Environment: Airlines begin to realise green fuel is a complex proposition

Jul 7th, 2012
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http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/8d7212cc-b484-11e1-bb2e-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1zwcWyrWI

July 7, 2012 4:21 am

By Rose Jacobs

©Rolf Bewersdorf

Clean skies: Lufthansa ran eight daily commercial flights between Hamburg and Frankfurt for six months last year on a fuel made in part from vegetable oils

Jeremy Woods, a lecturer in bioenergy at Imperial College in London, has created a chart that describes pathways you might follow if you were working to produce a biofuel. It is a mess of labels and lines, showing a range of feedstocks – from algae to eucalyptus to sugar cane – technologies and possible final products.

“I call it the ‘horrendogram’,” he jokes.

Yet airlines are serious about navigating that maze as they seek to meet environmental targets set out by their main trade body, the International Air Transport Association.

The aviation industry aims to halt carbon emissions growth from 2020 and to halve emissions from 2005 levels by 2050, even as air traffic increases.

A significant part of those savings will have to come from carriers switching from traditional fossil fuels to alternatives.

But while the technology is already available in some cases, as made clear by multiple test flights in recent years, a commercially viable synthetic fuel remains a middle to long-distance prospect.

Lufthansa, the only airline with a dedicated biofuels department, ran eight daily commercial flights between Hamburg and Frankfurt for six months last year on a fuel made in part from vegetable oils. Government funding brought down the premium from three times the cost of traditional jet fuel to two times, but Joachim Buse, head of biofuels for the airline, said no rollout is imminent, nor could one happen without board approval.

While most experts predict the biofuel premium will fall as production ramps up, feeding economies of scale, there is uncertainty surrounding the ease with which greater production can be achieved.

Vegetable oils are an expensive feedstock, even those that are not part of the human food chain (which airlines such as Lufthansa now insist upon), while alternative sources such as carbon captured for recycling require processing at hugely expensive plants.

“It’s a chicken and egg situation,” says Mr Buse. “Nobody wants to invest in a refinery as long as he has no security in acquiring sufficient feedstock for his production. But on the other hand, feedstock producers are waiting for someone to come and say, ‘whatever you produce, we will buy it from you’.”

For a global industry, the solutions to sourcing are, so far, surprisingly local.

US and Asian airlines are largely focusing on fuels from crops that can be grown domestically, since the land is available, while Qatar Air has explored using natural gas to fuel aircraft, hoping to exploit the country’s vast reserves.

Carriers in Europe – where EU regulations have pushed farmers into growing crops for the biodiesel used in surface transport – are looking at a greater variety of feedstocks.

Solena, BA’s main biofuel partner, has recently secured both funding and a site in east London for a plant that would turn household waste into synthetic aviation fuel.

Jonathan Counsell, head of environment at BA, says the flag-carrier’s two main requirements were that the source of its biofuel be sustainable – “we kept away from crops” – and commercially viable.

Britain’s high volumes of household waste mean the feedstock meets the first requirement, while the UK’s high landfill tax helps Solena, and therefore BA – which has signed a 10-year agreement to buy the fuel – tick the latter box.

Mr Counsell says the fuel will be cost-competitive with traditional jet fuel at today’s oil price – about $100 a barrel. He expects the plant to fuel BA’s City Airport operations, or about 2 per cent of the airline’s total fuel demand.

US airlines are also signing offtake agreements with a number of biofuel producers, says Christopher Surgenor, editor of Green Air, a website about aviation and the environment. “But they won’t necessarily agree a price in advance.”

In fact, he questions the extent to which airlines should be in the business – via partnerships or even offtake agreements – of integrated biofuel production.

Instead he points to intermediaries such as SkyNRG and Honeywell UOP, which manage the whole supply chain, buying the biomass in bulk, paying production companies to transform it into fuel and selling that on to airlines.

The oil companies could get involved as they have in biodiesel production, but Charles Cameron, head of technology, refining and marketing at BP, warns they would be reluctant to do so as long as margins were lower for biodiesel and traditional jet fuel.

“This is going to require some financial engineering,” he told a green aviation conference late last month.

Dr Woods at Imperial agrees. But while Mr Cameron points to government subsidies and tax structures as the way to bring down the synthetic jet fuel premium, Dr Woods says the solution must be multifarious, including better use of regulation and oversight to spread the burden of monitoring the biofuel supply chain – as well as an acceptance that the supply chain itself needs to draw on a wide range of feedstocks, including controversial sources such as elements of the human food chain.

He believes the industry is at a turning point, where it begins to accept that biofuels are not a simple solution to the problem of emissions.

“The airlines are at the point of understanding that what they’re getting is not what’s important, it’s where it’s produced and how it’s produced.” He welcomes that embrace of complexity, as well as the industry’s expanding focus, from biofuels to turbine efficiency and drag reduction.

Mr Surgenor points to other nearer-term opportunities for greener flying, such as rationalisation of air traffic control and new codes of practice for departure and ground operations.

As for commercialising aviation biofuels, “while there are promising signs from around the world, beware anyone who predicts when that will be and on what scale”, he says.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2012. You may share using our article

UK Biofuel Firm Agrees $150m Funding for Philippine Project

Jun 8th, 2012
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http://www.waste-management-world.com/index/display/article-display/5859479380/articles/waste-management-world/waste-to-energy/2012/06/UK_Biofuel_Firm_Agrees__150m_Funding_for_Philippine_Project.html

Description: gazasia UK Biofuel Firm Agrees $150m Funding for Philippine Project

The agreement between Gazasia and Aboitiz Equity Ventures was signed in London today

7 June 2012

London, UK based waste to biofuel specialist, Gazasia is to begin development of a vehicle fuel made from organic waste products from landfill in the Philippines.

The company said that it has signed an agreement with Philippine power, financial services and food group, Aboitiz Equity Ventures (PSE: AEV) that secures $150 million of investment to fund the development of plants to create liquid biomethane from organic waste.

According to Gazasia, vehicle fuel prices in Asia have risen sharply over the last year and are expected to continue rising. Many governments throughout the region are subsidising fuel costs but have insufficient resources to maintain their subsidies indefinitely.

“The impact of higher vehicle fuel prices has been especially severe in South East Asia,” explained Richard Lilleystone, CEO of Gazasia.

“Public transport is essential to the workforce. Rising fuel costs have a direct impact on transport costs and food prices, which of course has the greatest impact on those least able to afford it,” he added.

The company said by cleaning and refining the natural gas produced by organic waste found in landfill sites it can create liquid biomethane- a carbon-neutral, sustainable and high-quality vehicle fuel.

According to Gazasia, in the Philippines, as throughout much of the world, landfill remains the most common means of waste disposal. However, left unmanaged it creates potentially damaging gases, including methane and carbon dioxide.

The company also claimed that the use of biomethane as a vehicle fuel is growing across the world, and particularly in South East Asia, and that it is an economical alternative to oil-based fuels that has a positive impact on air quality

Waste to Biofuels Set for Growth but Industry Must Remain Realistic

May 29th, 2012
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http://www.waste-management-world.com/index/display/article-display/7892763813/articles/waste-management-world/waste-to-energy/2012/05/Waste_to_Biofuels_Set_for_Growth_but_Industry_Must_Remain_Realistic.html?cmpid=EnlWMW_WeeklyJune12012

29 May 2012

Advanced biofuels that use waste feedstocks to deliver a low carbon footprint and do not compete with food crops are entering a critical stage of development as a number of new facilities prepare to enter service, according to a market analysis by Reuters.

According to the report, many of the companies are turning to wood waste, municipal solid waste, animal waste and cellulosic plant materials to deliver millions of gallons of biofuels.

Reuters said that U.S. government targets that call for fuel suppliers to blend billions of gallons of the new biofuels into U.S. transport fuel are the driving force behind the recent developments.

However, the report highlights that while the targets have helped biofuel companies develop and expand, they do not provide tax incentives or subsidies such as those that have helped the solar and wind industries.

Many of the companies have reportedly been working for years to develop technology that can economically process cellulosic sugars or waste materials into energy – with many securing investment from the world’s top oil companies.

Among the big oil companies to have made such investments are BP Plc (BP.L), Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L), Chevron Corp (CVX.N) and Total SA (TOTF.PA).

According to the analysis, one of the most anticipated new production plants is KiOR’s (KIOR.O) Columbus, Mississippi, facility that will process wood wastes into blendstocks that can be used in the production of both gasoline and diesel.

With a capacity of 11 million gallons per year, the analysts said that KiOR’s $222 million plant will be the largest of its kind in the U.S.

KiOR is reported to have already sold the planned output from the plant to Hunt Refining, FedEx Corp (FDX.N) and Catchlight Energy, a joint venture between Chevron and forest products company Weyerhaeuser Co (WY.N).

However, the Reuters report cautioned that even with the growth expected over the next few years, many industry executives are wary of promising an energy revolution that could lead to unrealistic expectations.

The analysis also noted that while KiOR and others such as Codexis Inc CDXS.N, Amyris Inc (AMRS.O), Solazyme Inc (SZYM.O) and Renewable Energy Group Inc (REGI.O) have all successfully tapped into the public markets, their shares have all fallen below their launch prices.

Read More

Technology Partner for Sundrop’s Waste to Gasoline Facility
Gasification based biofuel specialist, company Sundrop Fuels has entered a partnership with technology and ThyssenKrupp Uhde for a commercial scale ‘green gasoline’ production facility in the U.S.

Advanced Biofuel Research Project Backed by EU
The Biofuels Research Infrastructure for Sharing Knowledge (BRISK) project – a new European research project -has been funded to the tune of 10.84 million Euros by the European Commission Seventh Framework Programme (FP7).

Canadian Gasified Waste to Biofuels Firm Selects Construction Partner
Canadian wood waste to biofuel specialist, CORE BioFuel has selected French engineering and project management firm, Technip to complete the construction engineering of its first wood to gasoline biorefinery

Anti-Hype in Lithium-ion Batteries Foretells Doom for Electric Cars | Alternative Energy Stocks

May 29th, 2012
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http://www.altenergystocks.com/archives/2012/05/antihype_in_lithiumion_batt
eries_foretells_doom_for_electric_cars_2.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_med
ium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AlternativeEnergyStocks+%28AltEnergyStocks.co
m%29
Anti-Hype in Lithium-ion Batteries Foretells Doom for Electric Cars

John Petersen

Despite billions of dollars in private investments and public subsidies,
lithium-ion battery technology has progressed at a snails pace for years
and battery developers have recently started to emphasize the importance of
baby steps. For the first time in memory, anti-hype is becoming a dominant
theme in stories about lithium-ion batteries.

Examples from this month include:
.An interview with Wards Auto where the business manager of the DOE’s
Kentucky-Argonne Battery Manufacturing Research and Development Center
explained that it takes about ten years to put a battery innovation into
production and all of today’s EVs are powered by technologies that were
developed at least a decade ago.
.An article from National Defense which predicts that lithium-ion battery
research will soon hit a brick wall because batteries can only be as small
and lightweight as their materials allow and immutable laws of physics and
chemistry limit the number of electrons that can be stored in a given mass
of battery material.
.An article in Nature that discussed ways nanotechnology can improve
battery performance by increasing surface area, but took pains to explain
that nano-materials must be produced in carefully controlled environments
and the high cost of manufacturing nano-materials usually outweighs the
benefits derived from using them.
.An article in Design News that focused on the harsh reality that battery
development is hard, slow work because batteries require a wide variety of
costly materials to work together as a system; there are limitless ways
that things can go wrong; and throwing loads of money at research can’t
make progress happen overnight.
.An article in Waste Management World that explains the complex technical
and economic challenges that must be overcome before lithium-ion battery
recycling can progress beyond a few pilot plants and become a
cost-effective industrial reality, as opposed to a hopium-laced talking
point.
.An article in the MIT Technology Review that reads like a premature
obituary as it discusses the triumphs and tragedies at A123 Systems (AONE)
and their ongoing search for strategic alternatives.

My personal favorite is a strategy memo from the National Alliance for
Advanced Technology Batteries that focuses on the problems at A123 Systems
and the failures of Ener1 and International Battery. It’s classic spin
control that ultimately blames the debacle on government policy. Since the
irony is so rich, I’ll annotate the last three paragraphs by highlighting
text that I find particularly entertaining in bold type and adding some
observations [in brackets].

“If criticism intensifies, which is likely, it will be important to
communicate an important point: Government funding of new energy
technologies is meant to support those technologies, not the companies that
develop them [or the investors who bought the hype that’s part and parcel
of government support]. The failures of Ener1 and International Battery,
and the troubles of A123 Systems, are business failures, not technology
failures. Companies come and go. Corporate assets get bought, sold and
reorganized [while investors lose their shirts]. None of that should matter
to taxpayers. What should matter is whether the technologies that A123 and
Ener1 owned at the time they received their grants has been advanced and
pushed closer to commercialization [while politicians promised
cost-effective products]. Indications in both cases are that they have been
[but unsubsidized demand hasn’t materialized].

If the FOA-26 program can be criticized for anything it is that the program
focused on funding immediate deployment of advanced automotive battery
technology rather than its longer term development. Many pointed that out
at the time [and we were lambasted as neo-luddites]. The [entirely
predictable] problems at A123 Systems and the failures of Ener1 and
International Battery are powerful testimony to the fact that the market
for that technology in 2009 was critically immature [just like the
underlying technology]. A better use of the funds would clearly have been
investing them in the development of new, next-generation battery
technologies that could facilitate the development of a market for advanced
automotive batteries in the future rather than cater to one that did not
fully exist.

In fairness to the Department of Energy, the emphasis on immediate
deployment and “getting shovels in the ground” was a political directive
motivated by a critical economic crisis, not a considered policy decision.
As a consequence, DOE funding of advanced battery technology over the past
three years has not been as efficient as it might have been. But that is
not to say that it has been a failure. Steady progress on increasing energy
density, decreasing battery cost and improving battery system management
continues to be made [at a snail’s pace]. The market we hoped for in 2009
is not here yet and some of the original players in the market may not make
it to the finish. But that market is substantially closer than it was three
years ago, and by that fact the success or failure of the FOA-26 program is
more properly judged.”

The core message of this new anti-hype campaign is clear. The promised
improvements in lithium-ion battery technology have not materialized and
they’re not likely to evolve from existing technology and architecture. We
may see a doubling of energy density over the next decade, but the six- to
seven-fold gains that Energy Secretary Chu has called for are not possible
with current technology. The dream of quantum leaps in performance
accompanied by precipitous cost reductions is not in the cards, or for that
matter on the horizon. Breathless promises of cost-effective electric cars
that will clear the air and deliver us from the tyranny of oil dictators
are snake oil cures that will enrich the hucksters for a time, but end in
tar, feathers and a ride out of town on a rail.

Battery mythology developed for the sole purpose of supporting electric car
mythology. Battery developers tried mightily and failed. Now battery
developers are seeking shelter from the backlash that inevitably comes back
to haunt companies and industries that promise more than they can deliver.
The next dominoes are companies like Tesla Motors (TSLA) that can’t
possibly build cost-effective electric vehicles without better and cheaper
batteries. Tesla may survive for a time by making toys for the
ideologically committed and mathematically challenged rich, but the
congenital birth defect that’s doomed every generation of electric cars to
the scrap heap remains.

The electric car industry can’t survive without a thriving and profitable
battery industry that can make products that meet or exceed expectations.
The battery industry is on record saying they can’t meet the ambitious
goals they embraced in the recent past. Things might change in my lifetime,
but the change is not going to happen in the next decade. Meanwhile the
real auto industry is digging into its toolbox and rapidly implementing
technologies that weren’t cost-effective in another economic era but are
today.

Technology Partner for Sundrop’s Waste to Gasoline Facility

May 25th, 2012
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http://www.waste-management-world.com/index/display/article-display/7447850645/articles/waste-management-world/waste-to-energy/2012/05/Technology_Partner_for_Sundrop_s_Waste_to_Gasoline_Facility.html?cmpid=EnlWMW_WeeklyJune12012

25 May 2012

Gasification based biofuel specialist, company Sundrop Fuels has entered a partnership with technology and engineering supplier ThyssenKrupp Uhdefor what it claimed will be the first commercial scale ‘green gasoline’ production facility in the U.S.

Colorado based Sundrop said that its inaugural plant near Alexandria, Louisiana, will yield up to 50 million gallons (190 million litres) of renewable gasoline annually while also serving as proving ground for its proprietary biomass conversion technologies that will be used for future large-scale facilities.

The company said that it will convert sustainable forest residues and thinnings, combined with natural gas into bio-based green gasoline by using a production process that integrates gasification, gas purification, methanol synthesis and a methanol-to-gasoline (MTG) process.

According to Sundrop its biofuel is ready for immediate use in today’s combustion engines and will be delivered to the marketplacevia the nation’s existing fuels distribution infrastructure. The company’s first production plant will have a capacity of about 3500 barrels of renewable gasoline per day.

As a key element to its first facility, Sundrop said that it will deploy ThyssenKrupp Uhde’s High Temperature Winkler (HTW) gasification process, coupled with other well-established technologies for gas cleanup, methanol synthesis, and the MTG conversion.

Within the plant the company said that it will demonstrate its proprietary process for biomass conversion incorporating the company’s patented RP Reactor?, an ultra high temperature technology that is claimed to generate the highest fuel energy yield per ton of biomass of any biofuels process available.

Sundrop said that it plans to follow its first facility with larger-scale fuels plants producing nearly 300 million gallons (1135 million litres) annually, with a combined production capacity of more than one billion gallons by 2020 – a significant%age of the cellulosic advanced biofuels goal set by the U.S.’s Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS).

The company said that it expects construction to start on the facility later this year.
Read More

Biofuel Specialist Expands Enzyme License from Dyadic
Abengoa Bioenergy New Technologies has agreed to pay enzyme specialist Dyadic International (OTC Pink: DYAI) $5.5 million for an expansion of its rights under a previous non-exclusive license agreement.

Membrane Contract to Boost Waste to Biofuel Efficiency
KmX Corporation has agreed to provide biofuel Fiberight exclusive rights to its membrane aided concentration and dehydration technologies for the conversion of Municipal Solid Waste into ethanol.

160 Million Euro French Algae Project Targets Biofuels from Wastes
French agricultural research organisation, the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) has launched a 160 million Euro collaborative platform aimed at developing efficient biofuels and high added value substances by utilising micro-algae feeding on nutrients contained in waste and industrial emissions of carbon dioxide

Aviation and military biofuels: new thinking on finance, fuels

May 20th, 2012
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http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2012/02/08/aviation-and-military-biofuels-new-thinking-on-finance-fuels/

Description: http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/F18greenhornet-sm.jpg

An F/A-18 Super Hornet from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 23

The US Navy, and a group of international airlines, struggle to foster sustainable, affordable aviation biofuels — the Navy for warfighting, the airlines for carbon-fighting.

New thinking in finance may finally clear the runways for take-off.

While most of the United States was focused on the 2012 Super Bowl, the CSPAN television network snuck a revealing interview from Brian Lamb with Secretary of the Navy, former Mississippi governor (and ambassador to Saudi Arabia) Ray Mabus, onto the airwaves last Sunday night.

A transcript of the complete interview is here.

In the interview, Mabus revealed the influence which his tenure as US ambassador to Saudi Arabia had on his thinking regarding the US military and its energy platforms.

US Navy Secretary Ray Mabus’ perspective on energy security, warfighting

“Oil, energy, it’s something I brought into this job [as Secretary of the Navy] and how we really shouldn’t be as dependent on foreign sources of our energy as we are today and it was driven home very loud and clear not only in Saudi Arabia, but in that part of the world.

Mabus restated his five-point plan for the Navy’s transition to new energy by 2020.

“We are too dependent on either potentially or actually volatile places on earth to get our energy. Now we’re susceptible to supply shocks and even if we’ve got enough, we’re susceptible to price shocks. I mean when the Libya situation started and the price of oil went up $40 a barrel, that was almost a billion dollars additional fuel bill for the U.S. Navy.”

Mabus pointed out that the oil shocks cost the US Navy in terms of readiness and operation. “The only place we’ve got to go get that money is operations or training, so our ships steam less, our planes fly less, we train our sailors and Marines less.”

His focus, he insists, is not on the adoption of renewable energy for reasons of reducing carbon emissions, but US naval preparedness. “We’re moving away from it for one reason, that is it makes us better war fighters. We would never give these countries the opportunities to build our ships, our aircraft, our ground vehicles, but we give them a vote in whether those ships sail and whether those aircraft fly or those ground vehicles operate when we allow them to set the price and the supply of our energy and we’ve just got to move away from it.”

But he did point to the US Navy’s role in moving the country to new energy platforms, throughout its history. “The Navy has led this country in changing energy for a long time now, ” he said.

The naysayers

“In the 1850s, we went from sail to coal. In the early part of the 20th century, we went from coal to oil. In the 50s, we pioneered nuclear. We were the first service, first people to ever use nuclear power for transportation. And now, we’re changing it again. And every single time, from the 1850s to today, you’ve got nay sayers, they say you’re trading one form of energy that you know about, that’s predictable, that’s affordable for another that’s not and you just shouldn’t do it. And every single time, they’ve been wrong and I’m absolutely confident they’re going to be wrong again.

Mabus restated the Navy’s commitment, specifically, to biofuels for marine and aviation fuel. “We just made the largest purchase of biofuel, we think in American history. We’ve certified all our aircraft, every aircraft the Navy and Marine Corp fly for biofuels. We’re doing the same thing with our surface fleet today. We’ve got an F-18, the Hornet, that’s flown 1.7 times the speed of sound using a 50/50 mix of biofuel and aviation gas.

“We’re looking at second and third generation biofuels made from algae, made from things like camelina, which is an inedible part of the mustard family and the main source of this big biofuel purchase came from inedible grease that came from Tyson foods, from cooking chicken basically. So we’re – we don’t have a specific technology in mind, we just need the energy.

The Obama Administration’s $510M commitment to fostering commercial-scale biofuels for military use

The centerpiece of the Navy’s fuels strategy in the near-term: a Green Strike Group, powered by renewable diesel-electric engines, nuclear power and aviation biofuels, is able to operate independent of fossil fuel supply line threat or disruption.

The group contains a supercarrier; a carrier air wing of 65 to 70 aircraft; Ticonderoga class, Aegis guided missile cruisers; a destroyer squadron; two attack submarines, and a combined ammunition, oiler and supply ship.

The Defense Production Act and aviation biofuels

To ensure that a commercial market for advanced biofuels developed, the US Government recently invoked the Defense Production Act of 1950, issuing a presidential finding the advanced biofuels were total to national security.

The DPA authorizes the President and Congress to directly invest in the commercialization of vital defense technologies that would otherwise not reach (or too slowly reach) commercial-scale production at affordable prices. In a joint announcement by DOE, USDA and the US Navy, each branch of government is making available $170 million in previously authorized funding, and expects that figure to be matched at least 1:1 by the private sector, to provide $1 billion towards commercialization of advanced biofuels.

However, the US House has voted not to approve the Navy’s use of existing appropriations to fund its commitment, and the DOE has not yet won approval for its commitment, which would be funded out of its 2012 budget request.

New ideas for the financing aviation biofuels

Here at the Digest, we continue to see the struggles of early-stage biofuels companies to final commercial-scale scale-up of their technologies. The venture capital community generally funds the pilot and demonstration stages of development – and project finance is generally available for the second commercial-scale project. But who funds the first commercial projects – especially if the US governments DPA strategy fails?

Our take: get creative. For example, why could airlines, that are urgently seeking affordable aviation biofuels, provide the financing, in the form of advanced payments for aviation biofuel orders?

Here’s how such a scheme might work. (In our example, we are using a $400 million, 38 million gallon plant producing in-spec aviation biofuels at $4 per gallon. Actual project capital requirements may vary.)

Step 1. A consortium of 10 airlines each provide $30 million, which will ultimately pay for 7.5 million gallon initial orders at $4 per gallon, for each airline. The cash is provided in the form of a three-year construction loan, payable at the airline’s own cost of capital. Investors in the advanced biofuels company provide the project equity of around $100 million.

Step 2. Working with the USDA, the project secures a 15-year, affordable feedstock supply; the airlines provide 15-year off take contracts, with the US Navy providing a backup off take guarantee on the full faith and credit of the United States.

Step 3. A 38 million-gallon advanced aviation biofuel facility is constructed using the airline financing and project equity.

Step 4. Following completion, start-up and demonstration of the facility – essentially, taking out the technology risk – the project is refinanced at commercially-viable rates using the traditional project lending sources, or the bond market.

Step 5. The airline’s debt portion is converted to pre-paid orders, and the 38 million gallon facility delivers 75 million gallons of fuel to the airline buyers over a two-year period.

Step 6. Following completion of step four, the project moves to a “business as usual” relationship with its buyers.

Would such a step work? Bright financial minds can say better. But it does provide a financing vehicle without a US government loan guarantee, or direct US investment – and delivers commercial-scale aviation biofuels to the market within five years. Such a scheme could be repeated to achieve the scale necessary to meet military and aviation needs, and could be duplicated in other countries.

Military and Aviation Biofuels Markets day at the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference

We’ll be discussing creative financing, fuel development, supply chain and operations in the Digest’s annual Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference, where we have just announced our speaker line-up for Military and Aviation Biofuels Markets, our special one-day session planned in collaboration with the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) and Airlines for America

Sinopec unveils massive plans for aviation biofuels production in China

May 20th, 2012
by Editor.
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http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/bdigest/2012/03/01/sinopec-unveils-massive-plans-for-aviation-biofuels-production-in-china/

Meghan Sapp | March 1, 2012

In China, Sinopec wants to produce commercial scale biofuels for airplanes and has sought permission to do so from the country’s national aviation regulator. The company expects it could produce a third of the national aviation fuel demand, 12 million metric tons, from biofuels by 2020.

Sinopec produces about three-quarters of fossil aviation fuel used in China annually. PetroChina plans to build a refinery for aviation biofuels by 2014 that would produce 60,000 tons annually.

Green Car Congress: Aviation future

May 20th, 2012
by Editor.
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http://www.greencarcongress.com/aviation/

Aviation

[Due to the increasing size of the archives, each topic page now contains only the prior 365 days of content. Access to older stories is now solely through the Monthly Archive pages or the site search function.]

New series of test flights for Honeywell Green Jet Fuel produced from optimized oilseed feedstock and at higher blend ratios

April 18, 2012

UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, announced that Honeywell Green Jet Fuel (earlier post) will be used for the first comprehensive test program using a new optimized industrial oilseed biofeedstock specifically designed for biofuel production. The test flights, to be done in Canada with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and Agrisoma Biosciences Inc., will also feature in-flight collection of emissions by a trailing aircraft, allowing for later evaluation of the Green Jet Fuel’s emissions performance.

The program will also test blends of Honeywell Green Jet Fuel at higher ratios than previous demonstration flights, which have been conducted using a 50/50 ratio of biofuel and jet fuel produced from petroleum.

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Qatar Airways looking to take up to a 10% stake in alcohol-to-jet company Byogy, along with off-take agreement

April 10, 2012

Bloomberg reports that Qatar Airways Ltd. plans to take up to a 10% stake in alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) fuel company Byogy Renewables Inc., coupled with an off-take agreement. (Earlier post.) In March, Byogy announced a joint venture with Qatar Airways as well as other partnerships including a feedstock agreement with Brazilian sugar cane ethanol producer Itapecuru Bioenergia and fuel off-take terms with Brazil’s Azul Airways.

The ATJ process broadly consists of four main steps: dehydration of the alcohol; oligomerization; distillation; and hydrogenation. Alcohol is attractive as a feedstock for the production of renewable jet fuel partly because the steps required are currently in use at commercial scale in the petrochemical industry. Key to the cost-effectiveness of ATJ is reducing the production cost of the alcohol, as well as of the ATJ process itself.

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Virent produces high quality renewable jet and gasoline from Virdia’s cellulosic sugars

March 26, 2012

Virent and Virdia, formerly HCL CleanTech, have successfully converted cellulosic pine tree sugars to drop-in hydrocarbon fuels within the BIRD Energy project, a joint program funded by the US Department of Energy, the Israeli Ministry of National Infrastructure and the BIRD Foundation. (Earlier post.)

The project, which commenced in January 2011, successfully demonstrated that Virdia’s deconstruction process generated high-quality sugars from cellulosic biomass, which were converted to fuel via Virent’s BioForming process. Virentused Virdia’s biomass-derived sugars to produce gasoline and jet fuel, the latter being sent to the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for analysis where it passed rigorous testing.

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Airbus joins Australian consortium developing pyrolysis pathway for renewable jet fuel

March 21, 2012

Airbus has joined a consortium that includes Virgin Australia, Renewable Oil Corporation, the Future Farm Industries CRC, Canadian biofuels company Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation and GE to study a new pathway for the production of sustainable aviation fuels from mallee trees using fast pyrolysis and subsequent bio-oil upgrading. (Earlier post.)

Eucalyptus mallee trees, grown in Western Australia’s wheat belt, are sustainably harvested and converted to a feedstock. Mallee is indigenous to Australia and is well adapted to the environment. It is a suitable sustainable crop because it helps return salt-affected land to a productive state.

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Naval Air Warfare Center awards contract to Albemarle for processing Cobalt Technologies’ bio n-butanol to renewable jet fuel using Alcohol-to-Jet process

March 20, 2012

Overview of the NAWCWD alcohol-to-jet process. Source: NAWCWD. Click to enlarge.

The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD), China Lake has awarded a contract to Albemarle Corporation to complete the first biojet fuel production run based on bio n-butanolprovided by Cobalt Technologies. For this production run, Albemarle will use NAWCWD alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) technologies (developed by Michael Wright, Benjamin Harvey and Roxanne Quintana, earlier post) to process Cobalt’s bio n-butanol into renewable jet fuel at its Baton Rouge, La. processing facility.

Cobalt converts non-food feedstock such as woody biomass into renewable butanol for both chemicals and fuels, including jet fuel. The combined science team from Cobalt and the NAWCWD focused on scaling and optimizing the dehydration chemistry for the conversion of bio n-butanol to 1-butene, followed by oligomerization of the bio-butene into jet fuel, based on the process developed at NAWCWD in China Lake, CA. (Earlier post.)

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MIT/Stanford team optimizes shape of Busemann-type supersonic biplane to reduce drag, fuel consumption, and sonic booms

Conceptual drawing of a supersonic biplane in flight. Credit: Tohoku University. Click to enlarge.

MIT assistant professor of aeronautics and astronautics Qiqi Wang and his colleagues Rui Hu, a postdoc in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and Antony Jameson, a professor of engineering at Stanford University, have optimized the aerodynamic shape of a Busemann-type supersonic biplane to reduce the wave drag at supersonic cruise speeds.

This decreased drag would produce less of a sonic boom, and also reduce the fuel consumption of the plane, according to Wang. A paper on the group’s work has been accepted for publication in the AIAA Journal of Aircraft. An earlier version of the paper was presented at the 49th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting in 2011.

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NASA seeking proposals for Green Propellant technology demonstrations

February 09, 2012

NASA has issued a Broad Agency Announcement (BAA, NNM12ZZP03K) seeking technology demonstration proposals for green propellant alternatives to the highly toxic fuel hydrazine. As NASA works with US companies to open a new era of access to space, the agency seeks innovative and transformative fuels that are less harmful to the environment.

Hydrazine is an efficient and ubiquitous propellant that can be stored for long periods of time, but is also highly corrosive and toxic. It is used extensively on commercial and defense department satellites as well as for NASA science and exploration missions. NASA is looking for an alternative that decreases environmental hazards and pollutants, has fewer operational hazards and shortens rocket launch processing times.

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OSU researchers working to improve CFD software for simulation and evaluation of turbomachinery

December 27, 2011

Simulations of pulsing vortex generating jets, a type of flow control device, created on Ohio Supercomputer Center systems.Vorticity iso-surfaces are colored by velocity magnitude. Credit: Chen/OSU. Click to enlarge.

Researchers at the Ohio State University led by Dr. Jen-Ping Chen are working to improve the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software that engineers use to simulate and evaluate the operation ofturbomachinery.

Turbomachinery—pumps, fans, compressors, turbines and other machines that transfer energy between a rotor and a fluid—is especially instrumental in power generation in the aeronautic, automotive, marine, space and industrial sectors. For engine designers to achieve the most efficient propulsion and power systems, they must understand the physics of very complex air-flow fields produced within multiple stages of constantly rotating rotors and stators.

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Licella signs MoUs with Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand on renewable aviation fuels

December 14, 2011

Australia-based Licella, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ignite Energy, has signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) with Virgin Australia and Air New Zealand to examine the development and commercialization of a process to convert woody biomass into sustainable aviation biofuel.

Licella has developed a process using a continuous flow catalytic hydro-thermal reactor (Cat-HTR) with supercritical water which converts woody materials and other biomass into a high quality bio-crude oil. The Licella bio-crude, which has an energy density of 34-36 MJ/kg and oxygen content of around 10 wt% or less, can then be refined into drop-in fuels.

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Virent secures $1.5M FAA award to advance renewable jet fuel certification

December 06, 2011

Virent has received a $1.5-million award from the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation, through the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center to advance the readiness of Virent’s drop-in jet fuel. (Earlier post.)

This award supports the generation of 100 gallons of Virent jet fuel for the purposes for fit-for-purpose testing at the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) at Wright-Patterson AFB. The lab will measure criteria such as seal swell properties, density, boiling points, freeze points, and other qualities which, when met, will help Virent’s fuel move through ASTM certification. The duration of the award is two years.

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Honeywell’s UOP receives $1.1M FAA contract to demonstrate technology for conversion of isobutanol from Gevo to aviation biofuels

December 02, 2011

UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, was awarded a $1.1 million contract from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) via the US Department of Transportation’s Volpe Center to develop and demonstrate technology that will produce renewable jet fuel from isobutanol supplied by Gevo, Inc. (Earlier post.) The award was one of eight such from the FAA, totaling $7.7M.

Isobutanol can be produced from a variety of starch and sugar feedstocks, including corn. In the future, inedible sources, such as corn stover, bagasse and wood residues, could also be used as feedstocks. In September, Gevo received a $5-million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the development of biojet fuel from woody biomass and forest product residues. (Earlier post.)

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LanzaTech receives $3M contract from FAA for alcohol-to-jet project; one of 8 awards worth total of $7.7M

December 01, 2011

Different pathways to jet fuel. Alcohol-to-jet (bottom) is currently being explored by an ASTM Working Group. Source: Byogy. Click to enlarge.

LanzaTech has received a US$3-million contract from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), through the Department of Transportation’s John A. Volpe Center, to accelerate commercial availability of alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) renewable drop-in aviation fuel. (Earlier post.)

The award was the largest of eight contracts worth a total of $7.7 million announced by the FAA to help advance alternative, environmentally-friendly, sustainable sources for commercial jet fuel.

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Global Bioenergies and LanzaTech to collaborate to assess the bioproduction of isobutene from carbon monoxide

November 23, 2011

Global Bioenergies S.A. and LanzaTech Ltd, two industrial biology companies, have begun a feasibility study to examine whether Global Bioenergies’ artificial isobutene pathway (earlier post), can be functionally transferred into LanzaTech’s carbon monoxide-using organism (earlier post).

Isobutene is a widely used intermediate chemical used for the production of fuel additives, rubber and solvents. In a paper earlier this year describing a new mixed oxide catalyst for the direct conversion of bio-ethanol to isobutene, researchers from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) noted that trimerization of isobutene produces tri-isobutenes, which can be used as an additive for jet fuel. Isobutene dimerization and hydrogenation to produce isooctane is used to increase the octane number of gasoline, and isobutene also reacts with alcohols such as ethanol to form ethyl tert-butyl ether (ETBE), a gasoline additive. (Earlier post.)

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MIT study finds including non-CO2 emissions from synthetic aviation fuel in lifecycle analysis of climate impact can lead to decrease in relative environmental merit; need for a holistic analysis framework

Aviation climate change impacts pathway. Credit: ACS, Stratton et al. Click to enlarge.

A new study by researchers at MIT has found that factoring the non-CO2 combustion emissions and effects into the lifecycle of a Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (SPK) aviation fuel can lead to a decrease in the relative environmental merit of the SPK fuel compared to conventional jet fuel.

As a result, they suggest in a paper published in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology, climate change mitigation policies for aviation that rely exclusively on relative “well-to-wake” lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as a proxy for aviation climate impact may overestimate the benefit of alternative fuel use on the global climate system.

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DoD report concludes use of renewable fuels contributes to national security interests, but at a price penalty

November 08, 2011

Increased use of renewable fuels by the US Department of Defense (DoD) contributes to US national security interests, achieves Service energy security goals, and offers some limited military utility, according to a new report released by DoD.

However, the report also finds that the projected supply of drop-in renewable fuels will not be sufficient to meet anticipated DoD demand for renewable jet fuel products, and that price premiums for drop-in renewable fuels and the budgetary implications associated with meeting renewable fuel goals may be considerable. Further action by DoD and Congress could help to promote renewable jet fuel production and address the price premiums necessary for the Services to achieve their renewable fuel goals, it concludes.

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Alaska Airlines launching 75 flights powered by 20% biofuel blend in the US; SkyNRG the fuel supplier

November 07, 2011

Alaska Airlines will fly 75 commercial passenger flights in the United States powered by a biofuel blend, starting this Wednesday. Two flights will leave Seattle on 9 Nov. for Washington, D.C. and Portland, Oregon. Alaska Airlines and its sister carrier, Horizon Air, will continue to operate select flights between Seattle and the two cities over the next few weeks using a 20% blend of renewable biofuel.

The fuel was supplied by SkyNRG, an aviation biofuels broker, and made by Dynamic Fuels, a producer of next-generation renewable, synthetic fuels made from used cooking oil. The synthetic fuel made by Dynamic Fuels—a $170 million joint-venture between Tyson Foods Inc. and Syntroleum Corp. (earlier post)—meets aviation and military safety, sustainability and performance standards.

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GE Aviation Common Core System for the 787 Dreamliner marks debut of open architecture approach for this type of commercial aviation system

October 28, 2011

The open architecture common core system (CCS) that houses third-party modules. Source: GE Aviation.

On Wednesday, ANA made the first commercial flight with one of Boeing’s new 787 Dreamliners (earlier post)—a 4-hour hop from Tokyo to Hong Kong. The Dreamliner marks a number of visible—and many more not so visible—innovations in design, materials, flight systems, propulsion and environmental performance. (On Wednesday, the UK Guardian ran a poll asking if “all airlines should be forced to fly the most environmentally friendly plane possible—such as the Dreamliner.” Almost 56% of respondents so far have said “yes”.)

GE Aviation Systems is a key supplier on the 787, including the common core system (CCS) and the landing gear actuation, indication and nose wheel steering systems. (GE also is one of the engine suppliers for the 787). The CCS is the backbone of the Boeing 787’s computers, networks and interfacing electronics, and provides the primary computing environment for the Dreamliner. The Dreamliner CCS marks the debut of an open architecture approach to this critical system, notes George Kiefer, vice president of Avionics, North America, GE Aviation Systems.

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Purdue study projects that under likely adoption rates, use of biojet fuel alone will not meet aviation emissions reduction targets for 2050; the need to go above 50% blends

October 16, 2011

Uncertainty range of the aviation GHG emissions under the High Oil price scenario (the most optimistic for biojet adoption), given in a box plot depicting the minimum, quartile, and maximum values. Credit: ACS, Agusdinata et al. Click to enlarge.

A study by a team from Purdue University has found that, at what it determined as likely adoption rates, the use of drop-in biojet fuel (produced from US feedstocks) at up to a 50:50 blend with petrojet fuel alone would not be sufficient to achieve the aviation emissions reduction target of 50% below 2005 levels by 2050.

In a paper published in the ACS journal Environmental Science & Technology, they report finding that in 2050, under a high oil price scenario assumption, GHG emissions can be reduced to a level ranging from 55 to 92%, with a median value of 74%, compared to the 2005 baseline level. The study combines lifecycle analysis of different biojet pathways with a model of the supply and demand chain of biojet involving farmers, biorefineries, airlines, and policymaker, considering the factors that drive the decisions of actors (i.e., decision-makers and stakeholders) in the lifecycle stages.

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LanzaTech and Swedish Biofuels partnering with Virgin Atlantic on waste gas-to-ethanol-to-jet fuel process; targeting commercial use by 2014

October 11, 2011

Virgin Atlantic announced the development of a low-carbon, synthetic jet fuel kerosene produced from industrial waste gases with half the carbon footprint of the standard fossil fuel alternative in partnership with LanzaTech and Swedish Biofuels.

Virgin Atlantic will be the first airline to use this fuel and will work with LanzaTech, Boeing and Swedish Biofuels towards achieving the technical approval required for using new fuel types in commercial aircraft. A demo flight with the new fuel is planned in 12-18 months, with commercialization targeted for 2014.

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NASA awards Green Flight Challenge Prizes; electric-powered winners fly 200 miles on .5 gallon fuel equivalent per passenger

October 03, 2011

the Pipistrel Taurus G4 in flight. Click to enlarge.

NASA has awarded the largest prize in aviation history, created to inspire the development of more fuel-efficient aircraft and spark the start of a new electric airplane industry. (Earlier post.) The first place Green Flight Challenge prize of $1.35 million was awarded to team Pipistrel-USA.com of State College, Pa, for the Taurus G4. The second place prize of $120,000 went to team eGenius, of Ramona, Calif.

The winning aircraft had to fly 200 miles (322 km) in less than two hours and use less than one gallon of fuel per occupant, or the equivalent in electricity. The winning aircraft also had to take off from a distance of less than 2,000 feet to clear a 50-foot obstacle and deliver a decibel level below 78 dBA at full power takeoff, as measured from a 250-foot sideline.

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Gevo awarded $5M to develop cellulosic jet fuel; separate contract to supply alcohol-to-jet drop-in biojet fuel to USAF

September 28, 2011

Gevo, Inc. received a $5-million grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the development of biojet fuel from woody biomass and forest product residues. The award is a portion of a $40-million grant presented to the Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA), a consortium led by Washington State University (WSU). (Earlier post.)

Separately, Gevo has also been awarded a contract by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to supply biojet fuel to the US Air Force (USAF). The contract, worth a possible total of $600,000, provides that Gevo will supply the USAF with up to 11,000 gallons of “alcohol-to-jet” (ATJ)-based jet fuel, which will be used to support engine testing and a feasibility flight demonstration using an A-10 aircraft.

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USDA awarding $136M to five major research projects focused in part on developing cellulosic drop-in aviation fuels

US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced five major agricultural research projects aimed at developing regional, renewable energy markets, generating rural jobs, and decreasing America’s dependence on foreign oil. Altogether, the five-year program will deliver more than $136 million in research and development grants to public and private sector partners in 22 states.

University partners from the states of Washington, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Iowa will lead the projects, which focus in part on developing aviation biofuels from tall grasses, crop residues and forest resources. Vilsack made the announcement with partners from private industry, research institutions, and the biofuels industry at the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

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Airbus forecasts demand for more than 27,800 aircraft over the next 20 years; global passenger fleet to double; the role of megacities

September 19, 2011

Airbus foresees strong ongoing demand for commercial aircraft. According to its latest Global Market Forecast (GMF), by 2030 some 27,800 new aircraft will be required to satisfy future market demand. The combined value of the more than 26,900 passenger aircraft (above 100 seats) and more than 900 new factory-built freighters forecast by the GMF is US$3.5 trillion.

As a result, by 2030 the global passenger fleet will more than double from today’s 15,000 aircraft to 31,500. This will include some 27,800 new aircraft deliveries of which 10,500 will be needed for replacing older less fuel efficient aircraft. The trend towards larger aircraft will continue, according to Airbus, in order for the aviation sector to keep pace with future growth in demand.

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New catalytic decarboxylation process for converting fatty acids to drop-in hydrocarbon fuels; initial focus on biojet

September 14, 2011

Overview of AliphaJet process. Click to enlarge.

AliphaJet, Inc., a collaborative venture between SynGest Inc. and Unitel Technologies, has says it has developed and successfully demonstrated a cost-effective catalytic method for making jet biofuel from renewable products such as plant and animal triglycerides and/or fatty acids. The development of the AliphaJet process was led by Dr. Ravi Randhava in collaboration with Dr. Paul Ratnasamy at the University of Louisville.

AliphaJet’s BoxCar process first converts crude fat feedstock into fatty acids and glycerol. The fatty acids are then put through catalytic decarboxylation (CDC) to produce bio paraffins. The CDC process is capable of processing unsaturated as well as saturated fatty acids into true hydrocarbons. The process does not change the type of saturation; however, when necessary to create fuels from unsaturated fats, introduction of a small amount of hydrogen during the catalytic decarboxylation step will yield a saturated hydrocarbon suited for fuels.

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SG Biofuels teams With JETBIO and aviation stakeholders to deploy Jatropha for biojet fuel in Brazil

SG Biofuels (SGB) has teamed with JETBIO, leader of a multi-stakeholder initiative including Airbus, the Inter-American Development Bank, Bioventures Brasil, Rio Pardo Bioenergia, Air BP and TAM Airlines, to accelerate the production of crude Jatropha oil as a source for aviation biojet fuel in Brazil.

SGB will work with Bioventures Brasil, an energy crop project developer, and other program partners on a multi-phased program leading to the deployment of 75,000 acres of intercropped Jatropha plantations in the Central-west region of Brazil using SGB’s JMax hybrid seeds. The crude Jatropha oil produced will be converted into biokerosene to supply customer airlines.

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Honeywell’s UOP breaks ground on integrated biorefinery project in Hawaii for drop-in gasoline, jet and diesel from fast pyrolysis of biomass and catalytic upgrading

August 30, 2011

UOP LLC, a Honeywell company, has begun construction in Hawaii of a demonstration unit that will convert forest residuals, algae and other cellulosic biomass into renewable drop-in transportation fuels via a rapid pyrolysis process integrated with a catalytic upgrading process.

Backed by a $25-million US Department of Energy (DOE) award, the Honeywell UOP Integrated Biorefinery will utilize rapid thermal processing (RTP) technology (earlier post) to convert biomass into a pourable, liquid bio-oil (pyrolysis oil). This bio-oil will then be upgraded to gasoline, jet and diesel fuels using catalytic hydroprocessing technology being developed by UOP.

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Airbus expanding fuel cell R&D with autonomous taxiing demonstrator, partnership with Parker Aerospace

July 06, 2011

A German Aerospace Center (DLR)-designed fuel cell technology demonstrator has been installed in the DLR-owned A320 fuel cell test aircraft at the Airbus site in Hamburg to explore the potential of fuel cell technology as supply for electric power in aircraft ground operation.

This is Airbus’s second fuel cell technology announcement within the space of a few weeks, the first coming in late June with the company’s partnering with Parker Aerospace on fuel cell R&D. Airbus says it considers fuel cell technology as a key contributor to meeting the ACARE (Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe) 2020 goals, which foresee the reduction of CO2 emissions by 50%, NOx emissions by 80% and noise by 50%. (Earlier post.)

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Virgin Australia, Dynamotive and partners developing renewable aviation biofuel from mallees trees using a fast pyrolysis pathway

Australia-based airline Virgin Australia is partnering with Renewable Oil Corporation (ROC), Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation and Future Farm Industries Co-operative Research Centre (FFI CRC) to develop a sustainable aviation biofuel that also has benefits for the Australian farming community and the environment.

The consortium plans to use fast pyrolysis and subsequent bio-oil upgrading technology developed by Dynamotive (earlier post) to process mallees, a type of eucalyptus that can be grown sustainably in many parts of Australia, into renewable jet fuel. The partnership brings together companies with special expertise in growing, harvesting and processing feedstock into aviation fuel to support the development of a full-scale commercial plant in Western Australia.

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ASTM aviation fuel standard now specifies bio-derived components

July 01, 2011

Renewable fuels can now be blended with conventional commercial and military jet (or gas turbine) fuel through requirements in the newly issued edition of ASTM D7566-11, Specification for Aviation Turbine Fuel Containing Synthesized Hydrocarbons. The revised standard was approved 1 July 2011. (Earlier post.)

Through the new provisions included in ASTM D7566, up to 50% bio-derived synthetic blending components can be added to conventional jet fuel. These renewable fuel components, called hydroprocessed esters and fatty acids (HEFA), are identical to hydrocarbons found in jet fuel, but come from vegetable oil-containing feedstocks such as algae, camelina or jatropha, or from animal fats called tallow. The standard already has criteria for fuel produced from coal, natural gas or biomass using Fischer-Tropsch synthesis.

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Gevo to proceed to jet engine testing of its renewable jet fuel from isobutanol with approval of ASTM alcohol-to-jet task force

June 29, 2011

Gevo, a renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company, recently announced that it had presented positive test results from fit-for-purpose testing of its renewable kerosene produced from isobutanol to ASTM’s alcohol to jet (ATJ) task force (D02J006 Alcohol to Jet TF).

The ATJ task force consists of technical experts from a wide stakeholder group including jet engine manufacturers, governmental bodies, fuel manufacturers, third-party testing laboratories, academics and airframe manufacturers investigating the requirements for a third major pathway to renewable drop-in jet fuel: the conversion of alcohols. Two first two synthetic fuel pathways approved by ASTM are gas-to-liquids and hydroprocessed oils. (Earlier post.)

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KLM launching regular commercial flights Amsterdam – Paris on biofuel blend in September; Dynamic Fuels producing the bio-kerosene (HRJ) from used cooking oil

June 26, 2011

Dynamic Fuels will useSyntroleum’s Bio-Synfiningprocess to hydrotreat the used cooking oil to produce renewable jet. Source: Syntroleum. Click to enlarge.

In September, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will launch more than 200 flights being operated on a bio-kerosene (hydroprocessed renewable jet, HRJ) blend between Amsterdam and Paris. The biofuel will beproduced from used cooking oil by Dynamic Fuels at its Geismar plant and supplied by SkyNRG, the consortium launched by KLM and North Sea Group and Spring Associates in 2009.

Dynamic Fuels is a 50:50 joint venture formed in 2007 between Syntroleum Corporation and Tyson Foods for the production of synthetic fuels from animal fats and greases. (Earlier post.) The plant usesSyntroleum’s Bio-Synfining Technology to produce the renewable fuels from feedstocks produced or procured by Tyson Foods.

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Neste Oil joins two research projects to scale up algae output for NExBTL renewable fuels; commits to 2020 targets for aviation biofuels

June 23, 2011

Neste Oil is continuing its research into the potential for using algae oil as a feedstock for producing NExBTL renewable diesel by taking part in two research projects starting this summer to test various methods for growing algae in outdoor conditions. The goal of the projects in the Netherlands and Australia will be to build up experience on the suitability of different types of algae for use in industrial-scale production under a variety of conditions.

Separately, the company committed itself to a European Aviation Biofuels Flightpath introduced in Paris aimed at increasing the use of aviation biofuels to 2 million tons annually by 2020. (Earlier post.)

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Siemens and partners build first aircraft with series hybrid electric drive

Siemens Drive Technologies Division supplied the integrated drive train for the first series-hybrid electric aircraft. Source: Siemens. Click to enlarge.

Siemens, Diamond Aircraft and EADS have built an aircraft equipped with a series hybrid electric drive system. The partners are presenting the two-seater motor glider DA36 E-Star at the Paris Air Show Le Bourget 2011 (until 26 June) in daily flight shows. The aircraft was built to test the hybrid electric drive concept.

The technology, which is intended for later use also in large-scale aircraft, will cut fuel consumption and emissions by 25%, compared to today’s most efficient aircraft drives, according to Siemens.

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European Commission, Airbus, airlines and biofuel producers launch initiative targeting 2M tonnes of aviation biofuel annually by 2020

The European Commission’s services, in close coordination with Airbus, leading European airlines (Lufthansa, Air France/KLM, & British Airways) and key European biofuel producers (Choren Industries,Neste Oil, Biomass Technology Group and UOP), have launched a new industry-wide initiative to try to speed up the commercialization of aviation biofuels in Europe. Labelled “Biofuel Flightpath”, the initiative is a roadmap with clear milestones which targets an annual production of two million tonnes of sustainably produced biofuel for aviation by 2020.

The biofuel will be produced in Europe from European sourced feedstock material and has the backing of The European Commissioner, Günther Oettinger, Airbus CEO Tom Enders, major European airlines, and a number of advanced biofuel producers. Lufthansa and British Airways from the airlines; and Neste Oil and UOP/Honeywell from the biofuel producers were members of the core team that developed the Biofuel Flightpath.

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American Airlines to be launch customer for Boeing ecoDemonstrator program; flight testing a range of new technologies to reduce fuel consumption, emissions and noise

June 22, 2011

American Airlines will be the launch customer for Boeing’s evolutionary ecoDemonstrator Program, in which a Boeing Next-Generation 737-800 aircraft will be used to flight test and accelerate the market readiness of emerging technologies to help reduce fuel consumption, carbon emissions and community noise.

The American Airlines 737-800, and a twin-aisle airplane that will be announced at a later date, are serving as the flight test component for the US Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Continuous Lower Energy Emissions Noise (CLEEN) program, along with other technologies developed by Boeing and other industry partners.

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7 airlines sign letters of intent to negotiate purchase of biomass-derived jet fuel from Solena Fuels; up to 16M gallons of fuel per year

June 20, 2011

A core group of airlines has signed letters of intent with Solena Fuels, LLC for a future supply of jet fuel derived exclusively from biomass to be produced in northern California. Solena’s “GreenSky California” biomass-to-liquids (BTL) facility in Northern California (Santa Clara County) will utilize post-recycled urban and agricultural wastes to produce up to 16 million gallons of neat jet fuel (as well as 14 million gallon equivalents of other energy products) per year by 2015 to support airline operations at Oakland (OAK), San Francisco (SFO) and/or San Jose (SJC). (Earlier post.)

The project will divert approximately 550,000 metric tons of waste that otherwise would go to a landfill while producing jet fuel with lower emissions of greenhouse gases and local pollutants than petroleum-based fuels.

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Boeing forecasts $4T global market for 33,500 new airplanes over next 20 years; Asia Pacific represents largest market by value

June 16, 2011

Boeing sees the Asia Pacific region dominating travel growth. Source: Boeing. Click to enlarge.

Boeing forecasts a $4-trillion market for new aircraft over the next 20 years with a significant increase in forecasted deliveries. That’s according to the Boeing 2011 Current Market Outlook (CMO) released in Paris. The company’s annual commercial aviation market analysis foresees a market for 33,500 new passenger airplanes and freighters between 2011 and 2030.

Passenger traffic is expected to grow at 5.1% annual rate over the long-term and the world fleet is expected to double by 2030. The single-aisle market will continue to see strong demand around the world and is expected to increase its share of the market, according to Boeing. Fleet composition will change significantly by 2030 with single-aisle jets making up 70% of the total, up from 62% in 2010.

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ASTM committee votes to approve biojet fuel in blends up to 50%; final issuance of spec expected by August

June 10, 2011

An ASTM committee has voted to approve the addition of a new bio-derived jet fuel annex to the alternative jet fuel specification D7566 (Standard Specification for Aviation Turbine Fuel Containing Synthesized Hydrocarbons). The new annex details the fuel properties and criteria necessary to control the manufacture and quality of this new fuel, now referred to as “Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids” (HEFA) fuel, to ensure safe aviation use.

With the approval of the alternative jet fuel specification for HEFA—sometimes referred to as “hydroprocessed renewable jet” (HRJ) fuel—hydroprocessing of plant oils becomes another pathway for production of alternative jet fuels. Once issued by ASTM, the revised specification will enable use of HEFA fuels from biomass feedstocks such as camelina, jatropha or algae, in combination with conventional jet fuel up to a 50% blend.

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Study details viable pathway to develop sustainable aviation biofuels industry in Pacific Northwest; hydroprocessing of natural oils seen as the most immediate opportunity

May 25, 2011

Biomass resources of the US, with the Northwest circled. Source: SAFN report, via NREL. Click to enlarge.

The Pacific Northwest has the diverse feedstocks, fuel-delivery infrastructure and political will needed to create a viable biofuels industry capable of reducing greenhouse gases and meeting the future fuel demands of the aviation industry, according to a newly-released study by Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest (SAFN). Creating an aviation biofuels industry, however, will depend upon securing early government policy support to prioritize the aviation industry in US biofuel development, the report continues.

Noting that no single feedstock or technology pathway is likely to provide sustainable aviation fuel at the scale or speed needed to achieve industry goals, the report focuses on a portfolio of options, including different conversion technologies and sources of potentially sustainable biomass, including oilseeds, forest residues, solid waste, and algae.

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CSIRO report concludes that sustainable biojet fuel industry is achievable for Australia/New Zealand

Possible e biomass to liquid fuel refining process pathways. Source: CSIRO. Click to enlarge.

Establishing an economically and environmentally beneficial, bio-derived Australian and New Zealand aviation fuels industry is a viable proposition, according to a report compiled by CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Australia’s national science agency) in collaboration with the region’s major aviation industry players.

The report, “Flight Path to Sustainable Aviation”, examines a road map scenario under which the Australian and New Zealand aviation sectors achieve a 5% bio-derived jet fuel share in their fuel use by 2020, expanding that amount to 40% of their total fuel use by 2050. This development further enables the stabilization of aviation industry emissions from 2020 and assists in reducing emissions from 2030.

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Avjet Biotech negotiating strategic relationship with BioJet international for distributed refineries for drop-in renewable aviation fuel

April 28, 2011

Avjet Biotech, Inc. (ABI), a developer of small distributive refining systems in the 10 to 15 million gallon per year range and parent company of drop-in biofuel company Red Wolf Refining (RWR), is in negotiation for a strategic relationship with BioJet International Ltd, an international supply chain integrator, for renewable (bio) jet fuel and related co-products.

Under the agreement with ABI, BioJet will use the patented RWR System (earlier post) to build refineries that will produce drop-in renewable aviation biofuels from native feedstocks at locations around the globe.

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Gevo contracts with Mustang Engineering for the conversion of Gevo’s renewable isobutanol to biojet fuel

April 26, 2011

High-level process schematic for hydrocarbons from isobutanol. Source: Gevo. Click to enlarge.

Gevo, Inc., a renewable chemicals and advanced biofuels company, signed an engineering and consulting agreement with Mustang Engineering, LP for the conversion of Gevo’s renewable isobutanol to biojet fuel. This effort will focus on the downstream processing of isobutanol to paraffinic kerosene (jet fuel) for jet engine testing, airline suitability flights and advancing commercial deployment. (Earlier post.)

Gevo also announced that its “fit for purpose” testing at the Air Force Research Laboratory continues with a final report expected in June. Once completed successfully, the company will initiate jet engine testing with engine manufacturers.

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Start-up commercializing NC State technology for drop-in biofuels; full commercial production targeted for 2016

April 25, 2011

Avjet Biotech, Inc. (ABI), a developer of small distributive refining systems in the 10 to 15 million gallon per year range and parent company of Red Wolf Refining, has licensed exclusive rights to a technology portfolio developed at North Carolina State University (NCSU) for producing drop-in diesel, jet and gasoline hydrocarbon fuels from triglycerides (fats), and for producing products from genetically modified marine microalgae (earlier post).

NCSU had earlier licensed the technology to Diversified Energy (earlier post). Diversified Energy’s license agreement was terminated, according to Dr. Terry Bray at NCSU’s Office of Technology Transfer.

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