12 Days of Xmas - 8 fuels combusting
by Catherine LaineJanuary 2nd, 2008
We’re doing the 12 days of Christmas appropriate technology style.
Day 8: 8 fuels combusting
Today we’ve got a whole lot of biodiesel, pellet stoves, algae to make biofuels and more.
1. Brazil’s biodiesel mandate comes into effect - data show success of ‘Social Fuel Program’ from Biopact
All diesel sold in Brazil’s 35,000 fuel stations will contain 2% biodiesel from today onwards. The B2 blend announces the start of president Lula’s Pro-Biodiesel Program, which tries to replicate the success of the country’s much feted Pro-Alcool Program, but which also aims to bring social and rural development to the poor.
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According ANP, the B2 blend - the first step of the Programa Nacional de Produção e Uso de Biodiesel (PNPB, ‘Pro-Biodiesel’) - will mean savings of around US$410 million per annum and a reduction of Brazil’s dependency on imported diesel from 7 to 5%.
2.
Massachusetts Looks at Using Biofuel in Home Heating Oil from NYTimes
BOSTON, Nov. 5 — Gov. Deval L. Patrick and legislative leaders proposed a bill on Monday to require all home heating oil and diesel fuel to contain at least 5 percent biofuel by 2013.
Massachusetts would be the first state to require that home heating oil contain renewable fuels, a significant issue in a state where 36 percent of homes use home heating oil, according to Census figures. That compares with the 8 percent national average.
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Three companies plan to build biofuel plants in Massachusetts, Mr. Patrick said. He estimated that the plants, additional research and development companies, and the use of local farms would generate 3,000 jobs and $320 million in economic activity by 2016.
Info on Bioheat (a biodiesel, heating oil blend)
3.Biodiesel for beginners / Biodiesel 101
Duration: 8min 15min
A nice explanation of a biodiesel appleseed reactor for making biodiesel.
4. Biodiesel Man on the Discovery Channel
Duration: 5min 28sec
Duration: 2min 44sec
One of the commenters on the video: “that is the largest personal biodiesel processor i have ever seen!!!”
5. Algae as a Sustainable Biofuels Feedstock: Glen Kertz Interview from ScribeMedia
Duration: 27min 32sec
An interview with Glen Kertz concerning his Vertigro bioreactor system and the promise that algae brings to the sustainable biofuels table.
6. Pellet stoves for heating
Two New Englanders put in their 2 cents on wood pellets as a biomass fuel source for home heating.
From oil to wood pellets: New England’s home heating future from Jon Udell
Our future fuel is biomass, in the form of sawdust and other recycled wood waste compressed into pellets that look like rabbit food. They burn cleanly and efficiently in airtight stoves that use augurs to feed the pellets slowly and steadily from hoppers into surprisingly small combustion pots.
As the Wood Burns: The Top 3 BioMass Heating Sources Revealed from Wise Bread
CNN predicted a 22% increase in the cost of heating oil this year. Boston was named by Forbes.com as this year’s “Most Expensive Place to Heat a Home.” Everywhere you look, there’s just more bad news on how expensive it will be to heat your home, and frustrated homeowners are turning to alternative heating fuels to help ease the burden of their heating bills. As we look to reduce our independence on fossil fuels and save money at the same time, biomass fuel is appearing more commonly in commercial markets everywhere.
7. 10 Khosla Biofuel Bets from Earth 2 Tech
Vinod Khosla, the 52-year venture capitalist and founder of Khosla Ventures and Sun Microsystems, is leading Silicon Valley’s biofuel gold rush. Controversial to some (corn ethanol critics) and put on a pedestal by others (venture investors that follow his lead), he’s made at least 10 biofuel bets in recent years.
8. Video: Human Waste Powers Streetlights from National Geographic via Slash Gear
A bio-gas plant in an Indian town generates 3,000 watts of electricity a day—from human waste.
Related Posts:
The Issue with Biofuels…
Biofuels: Think Outside The Barrel (Google Video)
King Corn Trailer [YouTube]
The Ethanol Effect and Global Hunger [Graphic]
July 28th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
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September 17th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
That is a great article. Thank you for sharing it.