DOE Offers Up to $4 Million for Biomass to Biofuel Research
DOE released a solicitation last week that offers up to $4 million for university research into cost-effective, environmentally friendly ways to convert biomass into biofuel, which creating biomass jobs. 12 U.S. universities will be selected for funding, and each of them will contribute a minimum of 20% of the cost share, resulting in about $4.8 million being invested in these projects. The Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) seeks projects that improve the conversion of biomass to advanced biofuels through biochemical, thermochemical, and chemical processes and is focused on lowering production costs and increasing yields and productivity. While the FOA is mainly focused on conventional biomass sources, it also includes the enhanced production of oils from algae. Applications are due on June 2. See the DOE press release and the full solicitation on Grants.gov.
Oil Companies, Universities Investigate Alternate Paths to Biofuels
Shell and Virent Energy Systems, Inc. have made public their joint research and development effort to convert plant sugars directly into "biogasoline," avoiding the fermentation process used to produce ethanol in today’s biorefineries. Virent, a biofuels company, has developed a catalytic process to convert sugars into hydrocarbons, the chemicals found in petroleum. This "BioForming" technology creates "biogasoline" molecules that have a higher energy content than ethanol, yielding improved fuel efficiency.
After working together for a year, the companies report that the BioForming technology has advanced rapidly, exceeding milestones for yield, product composition, and cost, but the companies intend to further improve the technology before scaling it up for commercial production. According to Virent, the biogasoline matches petroleum gasoline in functionality and performance. See the Shell press release.
Shell and Virent also note that their biogasoline has a higher energy content than butanol, which is the biobased fuel being developed by BP and DuPont. Back in February, those companies announced that their biobased butanol, or biobutanol, can be mixed with gasoline to form blends with more than 10% biobutanol without compromising performance. Butanol is a four-carbon molecule with mostly hydrogen atoms bonded to the carbon atoms, except for one alcohol group (an oxygen and hydrogen atom).
DuPont and BP have been developing catalysts to produce 1-butanol (a four-carbon chain with the alcohol group at one end), 2-butanol (a four-carbon chain with the alcohol group bonded to a carbon atom in the middle of the chain), and isobutanol (a branched chain with the alcohol group on one end). Isobutanol and 2-butanol have higher octane ratings, making them better fuels, and the companies have found that gasoline blends containing 16% high-octane butanols deliver fuel performance similar to blends with 10% ethanol (E10). BP and DuPont also claim that the 16% biobutanol blend has other characteristics that make it preferable to E10. See the DuPont press release.
Meanwhile, university researchers have found catalytic methods of converting plant materials to biofuels, similar to the path being investigated by Shell and Virent. Last week, engineers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst published their research into a one-step process for converting biomass such as wood into a gasoline substitute.
The process involves the rapid heating and cooling of the biomass in the presence of a catalyst, producing "gasoline range hydrocarbons" in a minute or less. The researchers have garnered a $30,000 grant from the university to develop the process, as well as a $400,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. Researchers at the University of Madison-Wisconsin have employed a similar process to produce the chemical components of jet fuel. See the press releases from UMass Amherst and UW-Madison.
Vehicle Built by High School Achieves 2,843.4 Miles per Gallon
The team from Mater Dei High School of Evansville, Indiana, has won the Shell Eco-marathon Americas with a fuel economy of 2,843.4 miles per gallon (mpg). The Shell Eco-marathon Americas challenges 
student teams from across the Americas to design and build the most fuel-efficient vehicle. Now in its second year, the event drew 32 teams from Canada, Mexico, and the United States, including four high-school teams and 23 university teams, including such prestigious schools as California Polytechnic Institute.
And even though some teams took a high-tech approach with hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles, the Mater Dei achieved the top fuel efficiency using a small internal combustion engine. Mater Dei’s achievement is particularly notable given the fact that the school does not offer a shop class, so all the work on the car is done outside of school. See the Shell press release and Eco-marathon Americas Web site, as well as the Mater Dei Supermileage Team Web site.
While the Shell Eco-marathon is relatively new to the Americas, the Shell Eco-marathon Europe has been held annually since 1985. The event has become so popular that Shell has had to limit entries to 200 teams for this year’s event, forcing its selection committee to winnow down a list of more than 300 applicants.
The European event also holds the world record for fuel economy, as a hydrogen-fueled vehicle achieved the equivalent of 12,665 mpg back in 2005. This year’s event runs from May 22-24 at the Nogaro Motor Circuit in France and features teams from 25 countries. See the Shell Eco-marathon Europe Web site and the article from this newsletter on the record-setting fuel economy.
Boeing Flies First Fuel-Cell-Powered Manned Aircraft
Boeing made aviation history in February and March by achieving the first manned flight of a fuel-cell-powered aircraft. The two-seat motorized glider combines a fuel cell with a lithium-ion battery to power a motor, which turns the propeller.
During the flights, the pilot of the experimental airplane climbed to 3,300 feet above sea level using a combination of battery power and power generated by hydrogen fuel cells. After reaching the cruise altitude and disconnecting the batteries, the pilot flew straight and level at a cruising speed of 62 miles per hour for about 20 minutes, using power generated solely by the fuel cells.
UQM Technologies, Inc. provided the aircraft’s motor and announced the Boeing achievement. According to UQM, Boeing does not envision that fuel cells will ever provide primary power for large passenger airplanes, but the company will continue to investigate their potential, as well as other sustainable alternative fuel and energy sources that improve environmental performance. See the UQM press release and Boeing’s announcement of its preparations for the flight last year.
Boeing is also teaming up with GE Aviation and Continental Airlines to demonstrate the use of biofuels in commercial aircraft. Early next year, one of Continental’s commercial aircraft, a Boeing Next-Generation 737, will be fueled with a blend of biofuel and jet fuel and flown on a demonstration flight. To prepare for that flight, the companies will first perform laboratory and ground-based jet engine performance testing to ensure compliance with stringent aviation fuel performance and safety requirements.
In the months leading up to the flight, Continental, Boeing, and GE will work together and with an undisclosed fuel provider to identify sustainable fuel sources that can be produced in sufficient quantities to meet the needs for both the pre-flight testing and the demonstration flight. Virgin Atlantic flew a biofuel demonstration flight of a Boeing 747-400 in February. See the press releases from GE Aviation and Virgin Atlantic.
As noted in the GE Aviation press release, Continental Airlines has been streamlining its operations and shifting to more fuel-efficient aircraft, achieving a 35% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption per mainline revenue passenger mile flown over the past 10 years.
High fuel costs are pushing all airlines to take similar measures; last month, United Airlines announced plans to retire 15-20 older, less fuel-efficient aircraft by year’s end. The fuel crunch has inspired Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. to create a new aircraft company that will start selling a new fuel-efficient regional jet in 2013. The jet will feature 70-90 seats and will incorporate efficient engines, lightweight composite materials, and advanced aerodynamics. Meanwhile, Boeing’s large-scale version of the same approach, the 250-seat 787-8 Dreamliner, has been delayed again. Boeing now plans to take the Dreamliner on its first flight late this year, with the first deliveries starting late in 2009. See the press releases from United, Mitsubishi, and Boeing.
Labor and Environmental Groups Launch a Green Jobs Campaign
The United Steelworkers (USW), the Sierra Club, and the Natural Resources Defense Council launched a national campaign last week to promote renewable energy jobs. The Green Jobs for America campaign will highlight the potential to create more than 820,000 new jobs throughout the U.S. through a greater commitment to renewable energy.
In addition to encouraging renewable investments from the private sector, the campaign will also emphasize the kinds of policies that are needed to fight global warming and expand clean energy production. The Blue Green Alliance, a strategic partnership formed by the USW and the Sierra Club in 2006, is also participating in the campaign.
The Green Jobs for America campaign will run through mid-September, focusing on 12 states – Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin – that stand to gain nearly 170,000 new manufacturing jobs in wind turbine manufacturing as well as nearly 93,000 new manufacturing jobs making the parts for solar power equipment. Teams of organizers from the participating organizations will undertake grassroots organizing activities, conduct a series of public events, gather signatures on petitions, and release independent studies highlighting the potential for tens of thousands of new green jobs in each state. See the Sierra Club press release.
The Blue Green Alliance has also teamed up with the Alliance for Climate Protection, Al Gore’s nonprofit organization, in an effort to educate the 850,000 members of the USW about climate change. The program will be the first of its kind to build a blue collar constituency for climate change solutions, highlighting the opportunities for high-paying domestic green jobs in renewable energy, clean technology, and green manufacturing, while also explaining the environmental and economic risks associated with climate change.
The effort is part of the "We Campaign," launched by the Alliance for Climate Protection to emphasize the potential for renewable energy and energy efficiency to help mitigate climate change. See the Blue Green Alliance press release (PDF 160 KB) and the We Campaign Web site.
First Large Building-Integrated Wind Turbines Spin in Bahrain
Three 225-kilowatt wind turbines mounted on the newly built Bahrain World Trade Center spun in 
unison for the first time on April 8. The achievement was a milestone for the world’s first integration of utility-scale wind turbines into a building.
The turbines are mounted on heavy bridges that span the gap between two sail-shaped buildings, which are meant to help funnel the wind into the turbines. Each blade is about 95 feet in diameter, and once fully operational, the wind turbines are expected to operate roughly half of the time, generating 11%-15% of the building’s energy needs. Atkins designed the building and Norwin, a Danish company, supplied the wind turbines. During the coming months, the turbines will undergo detailed analysis and optimization by Norwin to determine their actual generating potential. See the Atkins press release and Web page on the project, as well as the Norwin and Bahrain World Trade Center Web sites.
Most building-integrated wind turbines have been smaller wind turbines mounted on the roofs of buildings. One current example is at the Boston Logan International Airport, which will soon feature 20 wind turbines mounted on the roof of the Logan Office Center. The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) is working with AeroVironment and Groom Energy Solutions to install the wind turbines, which are each six feet in diameter. Each wind turbine can generate 1 kilowatt of power, for a total of 20 kilowatts. The wind turbines are expected to supply about 2% of the building’s energy needs. See the Massport press release and AeroVironment Web site.
A European study published in 2005 examined the potential for such building-integrated wind turbines in the United Kingdom. The study recommended further research on the wind regime in urban areas and around isolated buildings; the structural and noise implications of mounting wind turbines onto a building; and the optimal design for building-integrated wind turbines. The report also reviewed the experience with building-integrated wind turbines. At the time of that report, the largest such project involved the installation of three 16.4-foot wind turbines on the roof of a building. In contrast, the wind turbines in the Bahrain World Trade Center are much larger and are fully integrated into the design of the buildings. See the 118-page U.K. report (PDF 4 MB).
Two Proposals Aim to Pipe Natural Gas from Alaska
After years of legal wrangling, two proposals for an Alaska natural gas pipeline are now moving forward, promising to bring new supplies of natural gas to the continental U.S. and Canada. The State of Alaska has established the Alaska Gasline Inducement Act (AGIA), which provides financial incentives for an Alaska natural gas pipeline.
Proposals were submitted last year, and in January, Governor Sarah Palin announced that only one proposal, from TransCanada Corp., met the state’s requirements. TransCanada is proposing a pipeline that would run from Prudhoe Bay in Alaska to Alberta, Canada, where it would connect to a grid of pipelines supplying Canada and the continental United States. TransCanada intends to begin operating the pipeline in late 2017, delivering 4.5 billion cubic feet per day to North American markets. While that proposal is still under review, for now it is the only contender for state funds. See the governor’s AGIA Web site and TransCanada’s Alaska Pipeline Project Web page.
Last week, BP and ConocoPhilips announced that they are moving ahead on their own natural gas pipeline project, independent of the state funds. The two companies plan to spend $600 million by the end of 2010 to develop the project, at which point they will seek to establish long-term natural gas supply contracts to account for the capacity of the pipeline, which will be 4 billion cubic feet per day.
Called "Denali – The Alaska Gas Pipeline," the pipeline will follow a route similar to the TransCanada proposal, connecting Prudhoe Bay to the pipelines in Alberta. Of course, the announcement adds an element of confusion for Alaska, which must now decide whether to proceed with the TransCanada project. See the BP and ConocoPhilips press release on the Denali – The Alaska Gas Pipeline Web site.
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Kevin Eber is the Editor of EREE Network News, a weekly publication of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
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