All Entries Tagged With: "CO2"

Challenges Associated with Recovering CO2 from Flue Gas, vs. Concentrated Sources Such as Ethanol: a Biofuels Digest special report

By Biofuels Digest special correspondent Sam Rushing

BACKGROUND

Flue gas is the most prevalent source of CO2 off-gas from all processes globally; among the lion’s share of this flue gas is the ever – present electric power plant, primarily fueled by coal, and then secondly, natural gas. The CO2 found in coal fired power [...]

Today in Biofuels Opinion: “Terrestrial ecosystems and the oceans have a much greater capacity to absorb CO2 than previously expected.”

Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis: “A recently-published study by the U.S. Geological Services found steady or declining levels of pesticide in Corn Belt waterways from 1996 to 2006, despite record increases in per-acre yields.  With increasing frequency, farmers are using advanced practices to reduce runoff and protect water supplies. This report shows that each year [...]

Fuel from Thin Air? Joule reports direct microbial conversion of CO2 into hydrocarbons; no biomass, no extraction, no refinement

In Hawaii, at the BIO Pacific Rim Summit, Joule Biotechnologies announced that it has achieved direct microbial conversion of CO2 into hydrocarbons via engineered organisms, powered by solar energy.
Joule’s Helioculture process mixes sunlight and CO2 with highly engineered photo synthetic organisms, which are designed to secrete ethanol, diesel or other products.
However, unlike algae and other current biomass-derived [...]

Forests sequester half the CO2 emissions previously predicted

In the Netherlands, a study published in Forest Ecology and Management concluded that Earth System Models that predict the sequestration of CO2 by forests are overestimating future absorption capacity by as much as 100 percent.
Researchers at Wageningen University and Alterra have concluded that low availability of nitrogen, and to a lesser extent calcium and magnesium, [...]

Murkowski attempts to derail EPA regulation of CO2 as flurry of amendments hit agency appropriations bill

In Washington, Senator Murkowski of Alaska has proposed an amendment to the 2010 Interior and environment appropriations bill that would that would prevent the EPA from regulating carbon dioxide at power plants and industrial facilities. The move, which would allow EPA to continue to regulate CO2 emissions from mobile sources, such as cars, was widely [...]

US Clean Energy Act, Carbon Sequestration and CO2 merchant market utilization: a Biofuels Digest special report

BACKGROUND
The ongoing debate in terms carbon dioxide management via cap and trade, outright taxation, etc, remains underway; and this subject should further be considered in terms of sequestration, cap and trade, or like programs v. market utilization.
In terms of a bill being passed containing carbon management within the Clean Energy Act of 2009, remains an [...]

DOE’s $100 million fund for “innovative concepts for CO2″ attracts OriginOil-led consortium

In California, OriginOil reports that it is leading a consortium including the Idaho National Laboratory, two US universities and the materials technology firm Media & Process Technology in an effort to secure funding under the DOE’s DE-FOA-0000015, for “Carbon Capture and Sequestration from Industrial Sources and Innovative Concepts for Beneficial CO2 Use”.
The FOA is expected [...]

New US initiatives regarding CO2 and its impact on ethanol and allied industries

By Biofuels Digest special correspondent Sam Rushing
It is well known that the long–standing argument with respect to rising global temperatures has been whether it is caused by natural factors beyond our control, and not due to human activity; or rising greenhouse gases in the atmosphere due to all human activities, primarily driven by generation of [...]

Carbon Sciences develops new process to extend enzyme life, reduce biocatalytic costs

In California, Carbon Sciences announced that it has developed a process that increases the functional life of key enzymes used in the company’s biocatalytic CO2 to fuel process.
According to CTO Naveed Aslam, the company has encapsulated the enzymes in a protective shell that increases the activity and enzyme functional lifespan.  The commercial viability of any [...]

QD Sciences announces technology to reduce recovery cost of pure CO2 from flue gas to $5 per ton

In North Carolina, QD Sciences annoucned that it has developed a low-cost method for the CO2 extraction and purification of flue gas for use in algae farms and other ventures that require CO2.
The company said that it had reduced the recovery cost for CO2 to $5 per ton. 2.1 pounds of CO2 are generally required [...]