Owensboro Grain Biodiesel, LLC breaks grounds, receives checks

Owensboro Grain Biodiesel, LLC breaks grounds, receives checks
News-Democrat & Leader - Russellville,KY,USA
... director of the Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy presented two checks, on behalf of Governor Ernie Fletcher, to Owensboro Grain Biodiesel, LLC at a ...

Keith Rogers, executive director of the Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy presented two checks, on behalf of Governor Ernie Fletcher, to Owensboro Grain Biodiesel, LLC at a ground breaking ceremony in Owensboro, Ky. These funds were for the constructing and equipping of a biodiesel production facility that will have the capacity to generate as much as 45 million gallons of biodiesel annually.

The first check was for $1,151,250 from the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board, chaired by Governor Fletcher, and the second check was for $5 million from the Kentucky Agricultural Finance Corporation, chaired by Commissioner Richie Farmer.

The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board approved $1 million as a forgivable loan and $151,250 in county funds as a grant for Owensboro Grain Biodiesel, LLC. The counties providing funding to the project include: Allen County $1,000; Barren County $20,000; Breckinridge County $5,000; Franklin County $1,000; Grayson County $10,000; Hardin County $20,000; Hopkins County $1,000; Larue County $20,000; Shelby County $10,000; Simpson County $33,250; Spencer County $20,000; Todd County $10,000.

Rogers was in Logan County recently, having lunch at Roy's Bar-B-Q with State Representative Sheldon Baugh.

Every advancement in biodiesel and ethanol production in Kentucky is considered a plus for Logan County grain producers.

The Kentucky Agricultural Finance Corporation (KAFC) loaned Owensboro Grain Biodiesel, LLC $5 million. KAFC has been able to help with upfront capital so that once the facility is in production they will be able to take advantage of Federal excise rebates that are currently being offered to expand biodiesel production. As this facility starts receiving these rebates the funds will be repaid to KAFC, for future projects.

Owensboro Grain Company (OCG) is a family owned firm founded by Henry E. O'Bryan in 1906. OGC produces edible oils and soy products that include meal, hull, pellets, oil and lecithin. Its products are sold internationally. OGC purchases approximately 30 million bushels of soybeans annually of which 14 million bushels or 26% of total Kentucky production are supplied by thirty counties in Kentucky. Kentucky farmers will not only benefit from the market opportunity of producing soybeans for this facility, but they will also be able to earn rebates on purchases of biodiesel that originates from this facility.

“I applaud the Owensboro Grain Company for their leadership in making this facility a reality,” said Fletcher, “From my efforts in Washington to create incentives for renewable fuels to the assistance of my administration with the capital needs to construct this plant we are making great strides in creating value added markets for our farmers and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.”

Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer stated, “Biodiesel gives Kentucky soybean growers a new market for their products. They'll get more for their soybeans, and they'll spend some of that new income in their local communities. This plant will have far-reaching economic benefits for this area. I congratulate Owensboro Grain on this momentous occasion and pledge my support for this important project.”

“I applaud the leadership that Owensboro Grain has shown in helping further establish bio-fuels production in the Commonwealth. Through investment and efforts such as this, we will strike a blow for energy independence, promote an environmentally friendly renewable resource, and help put Kentucky in the forefront of an exciting new energy sector,” Secretary LaJuana Wilcher of the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet commented.

Kentucky continues to make great strides towards lessening Kentucky's dependence on tobacco production while revitalizing the farm economy by investing 50 percent of Kentucky's Master Settlement Agreement into the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund. Since the inception of the program in January 2001, the Agricultural Development Board has approved over 2,381 proposals committing over $201 million to an array of county, regional, and state projects designed to increase net farm income and create sustainable new farm-based business enterprises.

For more information on this project contact John Wright with Owensboro Grain Biodiesel, LLC at (270) 929-1465. To learn more about cost-share grant and loan programs available though the Agricultural Development Fund and the Kentucky Agricultural Finance Corporation contact the Governor's Office of Agricultural Policy at (502) 564-4627.

Ad-Hoc Meldungen, news in full

Ad-Hoc Meldungen
n-tv - Berlin,Germany
Fortune Management Inc. / Mergers - Acquisitions - Takeovers / - Fortune acquires majority in the Halle Biodiesel Plant - Subsidiary Global Alternative Energy ...
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09. 06. '06 11:50
Fortune Management Inc. / Mergers - Acquisitions - Takeovers / - Fortune acquires majority in the Halle Biodiesel Plant - Subsidiary Global Alternative Energy Germany GmbH takes operational control with immediate effectUSU026281027 euro adhoc: Fortune Management Inc. / Mergers - Acquisitions - Takeovers / - Fortune acquires majority in the Halle Biodiesel Plant - Subsidiary Global Alternative Energy Germany GmbH takes operational control with immediate effect Disclosure announcement transmitted by euro adhoc. The issuer is responsible for the content of this announcement. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 09.06.2006 Zug/Switzerland, 9 June 2006 - Global Alternative Energy S.a.r.L. ("GATE"), a 65 % subsidiary of Fortune Management Inc. (General Standard, ISIN USU026281027, SIN: A0BLYY) has, through a subsidiary, acquired 52 % of JC Neckermann Biodiesel GmbH in Halle ("Halle") from two former shareholders, evidenced by notarized contract as of 8th June 2006. The transfer of 10 % hereof is subject to a condition precedent. At the same time, the partners in GATE (Dieter Heisig, Marlene Neckermann, Philip Neckermann) have transferred their 48 % shareholding in Halle into GATE, which so far already owned the beneficial ownership interests. With immediate effect, GATE has assumed full operational responsibility for the refinery, which produces biodiesel at a capacity of 60.000 tonnes per year and pharmagycerin at 10.000 tonnes per year. Hence, Halle will be fully integrated into GATE and can be coordinated with the other refineries. The construction of the presently world’s largest integrated biodiesel refinery in Wittemberg is in full progress. The completion of these 200.000 tonns per year facility is being expected in the first quarter 2007. The same applies for the 100.000 tonns per year refinery in Enns, Austria. The negotiations about the further expansion of the GATE-production capacity throughout Europe are in advanced stage. Fortune recently placed a bond issue over Euro 70 million with Goldman Sachs International and further institutional investors, whereby the entire financing for this scheduled expansion was being secured. End of AdHoc message. René Müller, CEO of Fortune, comments the transaction as follows: "Taking over control of Halle is an important move in the execution of our strategy. It brings us one step closer to the defined objective of having production capacity until year-end 2006 of at least 800.000 tonnes per year under contract, under construction or in production." Dieter Heisig, CEO of GATE, said: "In order to achieve the necessary scaling effects it is critical to coordinate all of the GATE facilities centrally. Halle was the first plant that we built. Therefore, it takes an exemplarily role within the entire group. I thank Prinz Ysenburg and Jörg Richard Lemberg for their help at the time in realizing the project and I am convinced that the facility is now placed ideally within the Fortune/GATE group." Profile of Fortune Management Inc.: FORTUNE Management Inc., Zug/Switzerland, is an on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange listed private equity firm. Its two main activities Principal Investments and Private Equity Management operate from the same corporate platform. Principal Investments comprises of direct investments into different businesses, such as e.g. Wealth Management in Switzerland (Fortune Wealth Management Group Ltd.) or Biodiesel (GATE Global Alternative Energy S.a.r.L.). Fortune is generally seeking to acquire controlling interests in these investments for dividend income and capital gain. Under Private Equity Management, Fortune subsumes its investments in Private Equity Managers (General Partners and Advisors), such as Antarctic International Private Equity Fund S.A. in Chile. The focus in this segment lies in consolidating long-term recurring management and performance fee income. FORTUNE has subsidiaries in Zug, Zurich, Geneva, Vienna, Luxembourg, Wuerzburg, Santiago de Chile and Dubai. The company’s shares (ISIN: USU 026281027) are quoted on the Regulated Market (General Standard) at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the DIFX (Symbol: FMI1) in Dubai. end of announcement euro adhoc 09.06.2006 11:07:17 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ots Originaltext: Fortune Management Inc. Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de Further inquiry note: For more information: Fortune Management Inc. Mark Kübler Investor Relations Tel.: +41 41 727 10 40 Fax: +41 41 727 10 41 Email: ir@fortune-management.com Branche: Financial & Business Services ISIN: USU026281027 WKN: A0BLYY Börsen: Börse Berlin-Bremen / free trade Baden-Württembergische Wertpapierbörse / free trade Börse Düsseldorf / free trade Frankfurter Wertpapierbörse / regulated dealing/general standard

news in full
EEMS - Energy Efficient Motorsport - UK
... DaimlerChrysler working with Peter Cremer North America, a major producer of biodiesel, to enhance public awareness of biodiesel. ...

ACFO ‘dismayed’ by DfT decision on low carbon car grants

The Association of Car Fleet Operators (ACFO), has called the Government’s decision to abandon financial incentives for the purchase of low carbon vehicles a ‘major disappointment’.

With fleets being the major driving force behind the purchase of low carbon dioxide-emitting vehicles, ACFO has condemned the Department for Transport’s decision not to replace the PowerShift low carbon car and van funding programme, which ended 15 months ago, and the length of time it has taken to announce the complete abandonment of financial support towards the acquisition of ‘clean’ vehicles.

ACFO director Stewart Whyte said: “This week’s decision has removed one of the key measures - financial assistance - behind fleet operators and companies introducing low emission vehicles.

“With financial assistance to offset the additional acquisition cost of low carbon vehicles, fleets were able to make significant operational savings, including on fuel budgets, and drivers were able to benefit from lower company car tax bills.

‘Now, ACFO fears that without cash help available companies may not look to introduce low carbon vehicles to their fleets as a priority, except in a small minority of cases where corporate social responsibility outweighs all other business decisions.”



JJ&A to publish 2006 biodiesel market study next month

In July, Jim Jordan & Associates, LLP, a Texas-based biofuels research specialist, will publish a market study of the U.S. and international markets for biodiesel and the prospects for development over the next five years.

The study will contain supply and demand information for diesel and biodiesel. Detail will be included on technology, feedstocks, production economics and logistics, as well as regulatory developments. The disposition of potential by-product glycerin will also be addressed.

Jim Jordan & Associates is a market analysis and intelligence provider to the global methanol, ethanol & transportation fuels industries.

(www.jordan-associates.com/)



Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers members invest in alternative fuel partnerships

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers in the USA reports that its member companies are involved in more than 25 distinctive partnership programmes with fuel providers to expand the alternative fuelling infrastructure, conduct research and development, and to get more alternative fueling pumps installed across the USA.

Some of the the partnerships include:

- BMW Group working with Air Products and the University of California-Irvine to build a liquid hydrogen station on the UCI campus.

- Ford working with VeraSun Energy to develop a Midwest Ethanol Corridor, and the first phase will convert about 40 gas pumps in Illinois and Missouri to E-85.

- DaimlerChrysler working with Peter Cremer North America, a major producer of biodiesel, to enhance public awareness of biodiesel.

- General Motors is working with Meijer and CleanFUEL USA in Michigan to add approximately 20 new E-85 fuelling sites in the state.

- Toyota is working with ExxonMobil on advanced fuels, combustion research and future energy demand, and with Shell and Air Products on hydrogen infrastructure development.

- Volkswagen, Shell and Iogen Corporation are conducting a joint study to assess the economic feasibility of producing ethanol from materials such as straw.

(www.DiscoverAlternatives.com)

GreenShift Announces $22 Million Commitment by Cornell Capital ...

GreenShift Announces $22 Million Commitment by Cornell Capital ...
Business Wire (press release) - San Francisco,CA,USA
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 8, 2006--GreenShift Corporation (OTCBB: GSHF) today announced the execution of agreements by GreenShift's new AgriFuels division ...

GreenShift Announces $22 Million Commitment by Cornell Capital Partners for New AgriFuels Division; Company To Build 45 Million Gallon Per Year Biodiesel Production Facility

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 8, 2006--GreenShift Corporation (OTCBB: GSHF) today announced the execution of agreements by GreenShift's new AgriFuels division, GS AgriFuels, for a $22 million investment by Cornell Capital Partners.

GS AgriFuels will use the investment to build a 45 million gallon per year biodiesel production facility and to provide working capital for the facility's initial operations.

"Cornell Capital is a great supporter of biofuels and renewable energy in general," said Kevin Kreisler, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GreenShift. "Cornell Capital's serious approach to supporting companies on the cutting edge of biofuels production reflects its overall vision and commitment to the clean energy sector," said Kreisler.

"Both innovative and sustainable, we see the GS AgriFuels business model as one that will thrive in the biofuels marketplace," said Troy Rillo, Managing Director of Cornell Capital. "We are proud to be a part of GS AgriFuels' development and look forward to being a part of its future."

This investment follows the closing yesterday of the sale by GreenShift of its wholly-owned subsidiary, Mean Green BioFuels, Inc., to another GreenShift subsidiary, Hugo International Telecom, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: HGOT) Hugo is an 80% owned subsidiary of GreenShift that has been inactive to date. Hugo will be re-named "GS AgriFuels Corporation" early next quarter in connection with these transactions.

Under the investment agreements, Cornell Capital will purchase 5% debentures in GS AgriFuels (Hugo) totaling $22 million that are convertible into GS AgriFuels (Hugo) common stock at a price of $3.00 per share. Cornell Capital provided an initial $5,500,000 of this amount at the closing, and will provide the balance of the investment in a series of tranches tied to GS AgriFuels' satisfaction of key benchmarks in its development schedule.

About GS AgriFuels Corporation

GS AgriFuels intends to finance, build and operate several biodiesel production facilities in the U.S. The feedstock for these facilities will include corn oil derived from ethanol facilities, soybean oil, and animal fats. The first planned biodiesel production facility will produce 45 million gallons per year and will be expandable to accommodate growth. Each GS AgriFuels biodiesel facility is expected to utilize traditional esterification and transesterification methods as well as proprietary processes.

GS AgriFuels is party to a strategic alliance with GreenShift's clean technology subsidiary, Veridium Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: VRDM) pursuant to which GS AgriFuels has the right of first refusal to purchase Veridium's various biodiesel feedstocks, including the high grade corn oil that Veridium extracts from an ethanol by-product called distillers dried grain ("DDG") with Veridium's patent-pending Corn Oil Extraction System(TM).

Veridium's is developing a captive supply of DDG by providing its turn-key systems to ethanol facilities for no up-front cost in exchange for long-term corn oil purchase agreements that will afford Veridium a fixed discount to prevailing corn oil market prices. Veridium intends to purchase and sell its extracted corn oil as a high grade corn oil product until GS AgriFuels' first biodiesel production facility commences operations, at which point GS AgriFuels will purchase the corn oil from Veridium based on a fixed discount to prevailing fuel prices.

About GreenShift Corporation

GreenShift Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: GSHF) develops and supports clean technologies and companies that facilitate the efficient use of natural resources and catalyze transformational environmental gains.

GreenShift focuses on supporting incremental advances in technologies and business practices that enable increased and sustainable profits on relatively small infrastructure investments while contributing to the resolution of compelling environmental challenges.

GreenShift's ambition is to catalyze the rapid realization of disruptive environmental gains by enabling and then leveraging the collective actions of a great many people and companies by showing them how to save money or to be more profitable.

GreenShift's operating companies have combined annualized revenues of about $30 million with EBITDA margins in excess of about 10%. GreenShift's companies also own over a dozen proprietary clean technologies.

Additional information regarding GreenShift is available online at www.greenshift.com.

About Cornell Capital

Cornell Capital is managed by Yorkville Advisors. Founded in 2001, Yorkville Advisors LLC is a private investment firm that specializes in structured finance and, according to Knobias Pipe Trac, was one of the most active investors in the U.S. in terms of the number of structured equity financings in 2005. Knobias also reported that Yorkville has structured over $1 billion in committed equity capital in over 100 transactions within the last 12 months. Headquartered in Jersey City, NJ, Yorkville has offices in London, San Diego, Jupiter and Aventura, Florida.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of GreenShift Corporation, and members of their management as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Important factors currently known to management that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-statements include fluctuation of operating results, the ability to compete successfully and the ability to complete before-mentioned transactions. The company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results.

 

High oil propels biofuels into global mainstream, Cheaper Gas Prices?

High oil propels biofuels into global mainstream
Reuters - USA
... Biofuels are plant-based fuels, either ethanol made from sugar or grains, which can be added to gasoline and biodiesel derived from oilseeds or palm oil and ...
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PARIS (Reuters) - Record high oil prices have propelled biofuels from niche player to the multi-billion dollar commodity mainstream, causing an explosion in new ventures and investor interest that has fired up global agricultural markets.

From the sugar plantations of Brazil to the rapeseed fields of France, and the U.S. corn belt to Malaysia's palm forests, a search for what's been dubbed the new "green gold" is under way.
Biofuels are plant-based fuels, either ethanol made from sugar or grains, which can be added to gasoline and biodiesel derived from oilseeds or palm oil and added to diesel.

While governments see a way to cut their dependence on imported oil, curb greenhouse gas emissions and boost local agriculture, demand from these new technologies has sparked tensions on traditional food-based commodity markets.

"A victim of its own success, we've seen the first tensions appear on Brazilian and American biofuel markets as prices have risen," the Paris-based Cyclope commodity analysts said.

"The management of these tensions will show whether ethanol has really entered a new golden age and if it can be defined as a 'strategic commodity'," they said in their 2006 report.

So, which regions of the world are best placed to harness biofuel's potential and which crops will ultimately win out?

BRAZILIAN POWERHOUSE

Brazil has long been a biofuel powerhouse, using its vast sugar cane industry to make ethanol. Some industry experts say it could become a "Saudi Arabia" of biofuels.

"Under current technology, the most efficient biofuel is ethanol from sugar cane and so any countries which are natural sugar can producers have an opportunity," Lawrence Eagles, head of oil industry and markets at the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA), told Reuters.
The cane-based ethanol industry in Brazil is the world's biggest, with domestic consumption running at around 13 billion liters a year and exports at more than two billion.

Some forecasts have put the growth in exports as high as 10 billion liters within a few years. Brazil's agriculture ministry has put the cane crop at 423 million tonnes this season with just over half going into sugar and the rest into ethanol.

A new ethanol distillery is built every month in Brazil.

The increasing use of bioenergy would benefit mainly the earth's tropical zones as they have the best conditions to grow crops that can be turned into biofuels, said Angelo Bressan, director of the farm ministry's cane and agroenergy department.

"It's necessary to have natural conditions to produce biomass energy and in general these areas are concentrated in parts of Latin America and Africa", he said.

Corn has been the biggest winner in the United States, the world's largest energy consumer. The country has 97 ethanol plants producing the additive and 33 more are being built.

Chicago Board of Trade corn futures recently hit 10-month highs, fueled in part by demand from the ethanol industry. The CBOT has launched electronic trading of ethanol futures.

"Some of the limited net energy gains from producing biofuels from grain has the potential to tighten these markets," the IEA's Lawrence said.

FOCUS ON BIODEISEL IN EUROPE

Europe has concentrated its efforts on biodiesel, mostly made from rapeseed but also sunseed and palm oil. The EU-25 produced 3.2 million tonnes of biodiesel in 2005, up 65 percent on 2004 and making it the biggest biodiesel maker in the world.

The European Commission has set a 5.75 percent inclusion share for all biofuels by 2010 and EU members have the freedom to grant tax incentives to promote biofuels. Some countries, such as France, have announced their own more ambitious targets.

"For the time being, biodiesel is certainly a long-lasting profitable investment in Europe, to the extent the car pool is mainly made up of diesel engines and that the production of oils remains limited," French analyst Agritel said.

Biofuels are also hitting agricultural markets here too. French rapeseed futures have recently hit record highs as the prospect of more demand from the biofuel industry.

But Europe's biofuel push has been patchy. EU officials have recently said their targets for 2010 are unlikely to be met and are now considering making them compulsory.

And Europe does not have unlimited land to devote to biofuels, raising the prospect of cheaper imports.

Asia will increasingly see more palm oil used for biodiesel as key palm growers, such as Malaysia, ready new plants.

Industry officials say more corn will get diverted in China for ethanol, despite efforts by Beijing to curb it and prevent food and feed prices from rising. China will also look at importing more cassava from Thailand for ethanol production.

"For biofuel in Asia, it will be mainly palm oil. For ethanol, it will be crops like cassava and corn in China," said Sunny Verghese, chief executive officer of Olam International Ltd , a Singapore-listed commodities supplier.

In China, the world's third-largest ethanol fuel produce, ethanol plants are being built or expanded at a rapid pace in the top corn-growing province of Jilin.

Analysts say China would also increasingly look at non-grain raw materials -- such as sweet sorghum or cassava, also known as tapioca -- to make ethanol.

And in Thailand, industry officials expect 13 ethanol plants to be running by the end of 2007, compared with just two now.

As a result, Thailand's demand for cassava could surge to three million tonnes next year from one million this year.

Industry officials say Australia's ethanol industry is growing rapidly and could boost the use of wheat, cutting its availability for exports. The Grains Council of Australia estimates that the country's ethanol industry would grow to consume around 1 million tonnes of grain a year as feedstock.

SECOND GENERATION BIOFUELS

But there is a new technology that promises to end the battle between food and biofuel for the world's limited crops.

Scientists are making progress on new ways of extracting ethanol from plant waste -- using the stalks to produce fuel and leaving the food component alone.

Peter Tulej, head of the renewable unit at the IEA, said the production costs for these types of biofuel could be as low as 25 U.S. cents a liter, making them extremely competitive.

"The message is we must invest in these second generation technologies. They stand a chance of becoming competitive in the long-run with petroleum-based fuels," he said.

Cheaper Gas Prices?
Today's THV - Little Rock,AR,USA
They're considered one way to control America's destiny when it comes to gas prices. We're talking about biodiesel and ethanol. ...
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They're considered one way to control America's destiny when it comes to gas prices. We're talking about biodiesel and ethanol. They are now being blended here in Arkansas.

These products are made from farm-grown ingredients and then blended with either petroleum or diesel. The purpose is to lessen our country's dependence on foreign oil supplies.

Fuel being blended and pumped in North Little Rock could mean cheaper gas prices in the future. An Illinois-based oil company held a news conference Thursday announcing their capabilities to blend and distribute both bio diesel and ethanol.

Matt Schrimpf with HWRT Oil Co. says, "What we're doing is automating a blend system to allow trucks 24-hour, seven-day-a-week access to pick up biodiesel and ethanol blends."

Experts say the prices, at least for now, are almost comparable to current diesel and gas prices. However, as the petroleum continues to spike and climb, biodiesel and ethanol prices will stay stable because some of the ingredients are homegrown.

Gary McDonald of Eastman Chemical Co. says, "Instead of being made from petroleum, it's made from vegetable oil, cotton seed oil or animal fat, like chicken fat or pork lard."

You can currently buy biodiesel at gas stations in Conway, England and Stuttgart.

JJ&A to publish 2006 biodiesel market study next month
EEMS - Energy Efficient Motorsport - UK
... Jim Jordan & Associates, LLP, a Texas-based biofuels research specialist, will publish a market study of the US and international markets for biodiesel and the ...
See all stories on this topic

City buses will soon run on biodiesel

City buses will soon run on biodiesel
In-Forum (subscription) - Fargo,ND,USA
Fargo’s fleet of buses will start burning biodiesel in about two weeks on a trial basis, City Commissioner Mike Williams said Thursday after a meeting of the ...

Fargo’s fleet of buses will start burning biodiesel in about two weeks on a trial basis, City Commissioner Mike Williams said Thursday after a meeting of the city’s Energy and Conservation Committee.

City buses will run on a blend of 20 percent soybean oil and 80 percent diesel fuel for at least two months as the city analyzes mileage and soot output, Williams said.

The average city bus gets about 4½ miles per gallon, and officials hope the additional lubricity of biodiesel will improve mileage, he said.

Some people may notice an exhaust smell similar to French fries while the buses are burning biodiesel, he said.

CM’s biodiesel dream hits roadblock

CM’s biodiesel dream hits roadblock
Expressindia.com - New Delhi,India
Ahmedabad, June 8: WHEN Chief Minister Narendra Modi announced on the Gujarat Day last year that the State would be a leading producer of biodiesel, little did ...

WV agency selling biodiesel in Eastern Panhandle

WV agency selling biodiesel in Eastern Panhandle
Daily Press - Newport News,VA,USA
... For $3.89 cents a gallon, patrons of the Inwood farmers market can purchase soy-based biodiesel from the Department of Agriculture. ...

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A state-run farmers market in the Eastern Panhandle is giving customers a chance to top off their tanks with an alternative fuel while shopping for produce and other goods.

For $3.89 cents a gallon, patrons of the Inwood farmers market can purchase soy-based biodiesel from the Department of Agriculture. The fuel is sold by the gallon, or in 55-gallon drums, agency spokesman Buddy Davidson said Thursday.

"It's just a convenience for folks in that area," he said. "It's a domestically produced, renewable, cleaner-burning-better-on-your-engine fuel."

The only catch is motorists have to own a diesel-powered vehicle that has been modified to take advantage of the fuel.

Davidson said the agency has sold 1,000 gallons of the fuel since April. The fuel is purchased from a plant in Richmond, Va.

Biodiesel consumption has increased since 1999 to about 75 million gallons last year, the agency said.

The fuel is used to power farm machinery and school buses in West Virginia. At least 13 counties use a biodiesel mixture to operate their school buses.

The Inwood market is one of three operated by the department in West Virginia. Davidson said he is not sure if biodiesel sales will be expanded to markets in Charleston and Logan.

"This is kind of a pilot project at this point to see how it goes," he said.

Something to get your teeth into, No short term fix for gas prices, but long term solutions will ...

Something to get your teeth into
The Australian - Sydney,Australia
... IS that the din of stampeding bulls from the biodiesel sector we hear? ... Criterion believes biodiesel remains an attractive sector, but needs to prove itself. ...

Something to get your teeth intoCRITERIONTim Boreham
June 09, 2006
Capitol Health (CAJ) 20c
1300 Smiles (ONT) $1.80
AS with many professional species, herding dentists under the one banner is like coralling tumbleweeds. While dentists flock to the same end-of-tax-year alpaca schemes and Caribbean conferences, they prefer to drill and fill as individuals.
Despite the oral and fiscal privations inflicted on them, clients are remarkably loyal. Indeed, Criterion frequented his childhood dentist well into adulthood, before realising the (literally) painful truth that the ageing practitioner's hands weren't quite as steady with the drill as 20 years previously.
Given this, we note Capitol Health's listing today with a degree of trepidation normally reserved for dental visitations.
Professional consolidation plays don't have a good reputation and some - such as the Harts' accountants round up - were outright disasters.
But the Perth-based group has a reasonable rationale and may even benefit from the earlier mistakes of others.
Capitol is raising a modest $1.8million to buy a dental practice at Booragoon in Perth, adding to its existing Fremantle surgery.
Capitol plans to buy up to 50 practices nationally within the next one to two years, based on stumping up 30-40 per cent equity, with debt funding the rest.
It sounds like Capitol aspires to be the Jim's Mowing of dentistry, but chief executive Andrew Harrison says the model won't seek to extinguish the individual dentists' mojo.
Under the model, Capitol buys the surgery from the dentist - typically an ageing baby boomer - and contracts their services for another two to five years.
The dentist, who retains his business identity, also commits to mentoring a newcomer so the practice can continue into the next generation.
As most dental victims, er, clients have suspected, margins are healthy. On Capitol's prospectus numbers, the Fremantle practice produced a net profit of $434,000 in 2004-05, on billings of $1.6million.
Harrison says dentistry is conducive to consolidation because it is more material and equipment-intensive than most other branches of medicine.
"Suppliers are dealing with small dentists who have little or no negotiating power," he says. "We think it's reasonable to expect savings of 5 to 10 per cent on the direct cost of inputs."
Harrison estimates there are more than 5000 stand-alone dentists in Australia. Most have experienced more than enough plaque and halitosis and want to get out, but the market for used practices is illiquid.
The newbie dentists don't want to shell out for the (ever increasing) costs of founding a surgery, hence the attraction of the Capitol offering.
The raising represents only 16 per cent of the listed shares on offer and was easily oversubscribed. Many of the takers were Hay Street groupies who followed Harrison from his previous incarnation at underwater welder Neptune Marine (ASX code NMS).
Dental revenues are pretty reliable, but Capitol's success is not exactly guaranteed.
Harrison acknowledges that a private WA operation, Life Care, came a cropper when it tried to expand from physiotherapy to dental consolidation.
There are more promising precedents as well: the listed Vision Group (VGH) is doing OK by rounding up ophthalmologists and has surfed the laser surgery boom.
Capitol's model is similar to that of the cheesily-monikered 1300 Smiles (ONT), which runs half a dozen practices in northern Queensland.
ONT's charter is also to acquire other practices, but it hasn't been active to date.
ONT reported first-half net earnings of $944,000 on revenue of $3.078 million, a similar earnings profile to Capitol Health's. ONT doesn't give earnings forecasts but looks to be trading on a PE of around 18 times. Founder Daryl Holmes owns 80 per cent of the shares, so it's barely liquid and best AVOIDED for that reason.
Capitol looks a cheaper prospect at the nominal 20c a share listing price, so we rate the stock a SPECULATIVE BUY. But if it lists at a ridiculous premium today, look for something else to get your teeth into it.
Australian Renewable Fuels (ARW) $1.92
IS that the din of stampeding bulls from the biodiesel sector we hear? In recent days some share price sanity has been restored to the red-hot sector, although the broader market's sick as well.
The reason for the pullback is ARW's (well) after-market announcement on Tuesday, 'fessing up to a current year profit downgrade because of commissioning problems at its Adelaide and Perth plants.
The bottom line is that ARW's envisaged $7.1 million profit - as per current year prospectus forecast - will probably be replaced by red ink.
As ARW's release explains, delays in ramping up Adelaide have flowed on to delays at commissioning the less-developed Perth (Picton) plant.
ARW chief Darryl Butcher describes the problems as "relatively niggling": ancillary instrumentation problems and the like. The setback does not relate to ARW's Energea process technology, used at both plants.
"Obviously I am not happy about (the problems) but we will get over it and the business model is still sound," Butcher says.
He says Adelaide has moved into production as planned, but isn't producing as much as it should. ARW aims to become a 45 million litre a year producer from both Adelaide and Perth.
A side-effect of the delay is that ARW isn't yet producing enough to be able to bring a $7.15 million federal grant to account. Grant payments were to have made up most of the now vanished current year profit.
ARW shares have lost 33c, or 15 per cent since the announcement, but are still almost double the listing price. Newcomers to the register such as the Myer family - who bought in at $1.20 in late April are still well ahead.
We suspect ARW shares will be subject to further weakness and rate the stock an AVOID. We last had them as a HOLD at $1.88 on April 20.
We note finance director Max Ger sold his holding of 20,000 shares at $2.25, on May 22. In retrospect, he was ringing the bell for other investors.
Rightly or wrongly, ARW's setback has affected the whole sector. Shares in Australian Biodiesel Group (ABJ) have retreated 10 per cent and Mission Biofuels (MBT) stock is down 6.9 per cent.
Criterion believes biodiesel remains an attractive sector, but needs to prove itself.
Also, there's been too many fuzzy pronouncements about environmental benefits and not enough about biodiesel's price advantage relative to traditional diesel.
borehamt@theaustralian.com.au
The Australian accepts no responsibility for stock recommendations. Readers should contact a licensed financial adviser. The author does not hold shares in the above securities.

No short term fix for gas prices, but long term solutions will ...
The Prairie Star - Great Falls,MT,USA
... straw. What was once discarded as waste can now be turned into energy. Biodiesel is also becoming more viable. Genetically improved ...

No short term fix for gas prices, but long term solutions will benefit Montana
By U.S. Senator Conrad Burns
Wednesday, June 7, 2006 2:56 PM MDT


As I travel around Montana, I have talked with many folks about the high price of gas. Increased energy costs are impacting every aspect of our day-to-day lives. Crude oil is a worldwide commodity that is driven by emerging economies as well as our own demand for transportation fuels. Our demand has simply outstripped our ability to produce enough gasoline and diesel for today's market.

I tell my colleagues that in Montana we are producing more oil than ever in the history of our state. But the infrastructure we need to move and refine oil has simply not kept pace with demand. We have not built a pipeline in many years and have not built a new refinery in the United States in over 30 years. These factors have created a perfect storm to increase gas prices as the summer driving season approaches.

But American ingenuity will rise to this challenge. These high gas prices will drive us in the direction of alternative fuels and renewable energy, which holds great potential for Montana. We are currently producing ethanol and developing technology for cellulosic ethanol using things like wheat straw and barley straw. What was once discarded as waste can now be turned into energy. Biodiesel is also becoming more viable. Genetically improved oilseeds are being produced and can be turned into a cleaner diesel. Nationally, we have seen increased research from the U.S. Department of Energy providing up to $160 million for the construction of biorefinery demonstration projects, which use biomass feedstocks, including ethanol and biodiesel.

We must also get serious about domestic energy production. We need to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to environmentally sensitive exploration and utilize opportunities for offshore drilling as well as increased production on our public lands. We have the necessary resources available, and we need to be able to access them.

In order to fully benefit from increased domestic exploration, we need to address the serious infrastructure problem with our pipelines and refinery capacity. Even if we produce more oil domestically, we cannot refine it into gasoline because we do not have enough refinery capacity. The process for permitting and citing a refinery has made it undesirable as a business venture - we need to change that. We need to provide incentives for increasing pipeline capacity, upgrading existing refineries and new refinery construction.

There is no silver bullet to bring down gas prices in the short term. We have to look towards the future. Americawill have to increase domestic exploration and refinery capacity. Alternative and renewable fuels are also an important part of our country's energy portfolio. I believe that America's innovation and imagination will allow us to find sustainable and practical solutions to fuel our every day lives.


(Senator Burns is a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and is serving his third term in the Senate.)

JJ&A to Publish 2006 Biodiesel Market Study

JJ&A to Publish 2006 Biodiesel Market Study
PR Newswire (press release) - New York,NY,USA
HOUSTON, June 8 /PRNewswire/ -- In July, Jim Jordan & Associates, LLP will publish a comprehensive market study on biodiesel. This ...

HOUSTON, June 8 /PRNewswire/ -- In July, Jim Jordan & Associates, LLP will publish a comprehensive market study on biodiesel. This study will provide JJ&A's best current understanding of the U.S. and international markets for biodiesel and the prospects for development over the next five years. Biodiesel enjoys broad-based appeal among farmers, producers, refiners, distributors, marketers, investors, politicians and consumers. The purpose of this study is to provide the various interest groups with impartial, accurate information across a number of targeted topic categories. The study will contain the latest up-to-date supply and demand information for diesel and biodiesel. Significant detail will be included concerning technology, feedstocks, production economics and logistics, as well as the regulatory developments that are proving to be such an important driver for the worldwide biodiesel markets. The disposition of potential by-product glycerin will also be addressed. Jim Jordan & Associates is a leading market analysis and intelligence provider to the Global Methanol, Ethanol & Transportation Fuels Industries providing a range of products and services including: -- Weekly market reports -- Multi-client studies -- Single-client studies -- Global product trade flow -- Market strategy development -- Global supply/demand analysis -- Individual telephone consultation For more information, please visit the JJ&A website at http://www.jordan-associates.com or contact: Darla McBryde Jim Jordan & Associates, LLP 12941 I-45 North Freeway, Suite 226 Houston, TX 77060 USA Tel: 281-877-7009 Fax: 281-877-7267 E-mail: jja@jordan-associates.com

Other Energy Alternatives

Other Energy Alternatives
Hartford Courant - United States
... June 5: More residents are finding biodiesel a viable, clean-burning fuel. June 6: Heating your house with corn is no joke. It really works. ...

Today marks the end of our energy series taking a look at Connecticut residents who have found practical, effective alternative energy sources. Read all the stories in the series at www.courant.com/stayingpower:

June 4: The Fostini family of Cheshire has a 100-foot tall windmill that turns a breeze into electricity.

June 5: More residents are finding biodiesel a viable, clean-burning fuel.

June 6: Heating your house with corn is no joke. It really works.

June 7: Old Saybrook resident David Brown lives without electricity or running water in a house made partly of hay, doing his part to protect the environment

June 8: One family in East Haddam has found a geothermal heating system is the way to go.

New biodiesel startup wins top prize at PSVC event, Biodiesel finds home in back yards, fueling stations alike, Biofuels have risks if not managed rig

New biodiesel startup wins top prize at PSVC event
Seattle Post Intelligencer - USA
He also tells me that a new Seattle biodiesel startup by the name of Planetary Fuels beat out three presenting companies to win the top prize at the well ...

New biodiesel startup wins top prize at PSVC event
Tim Reha at Venture All Stars was nice enough to pass on some photos from the Puget Sound Venture Club's 20th anniversary celebration at The Museum of Flight last night. Looked like a fun time.

He also tells me that a new Seattle biodiesel startup by the name of Planetary Fuels beat out three presenting companies to win the top prize at the well attended event.

I just got off the phone with Planetary Fuels Founder Ophir Ronen, who interestingly co-founded Internap Network Services with Tony Naughtin and others back in 1996. That seems like ancient history now.

Ronen started Planetary Fuels five months ago and while he doesn't have a production facility in operation yet, he says one should be up and running later this year. The idea behind the company, which employs six, is to build small scale production plants (two million to eight million gallons per year) that rely on crops from local farmers.

That's a slightly different approach from Imperium Renewables -- the Paul Allen-backed company formerly known as Seattle Biodiesel. Last month, it announced a new biodiesel facility in Grays Harbor County capable of producing 100 million gallons per year.

Still, Ronen said there is so much demand in the industry that "there is enough room for everybody."

"It is really exciting to see a groundswell of support for biodiesel," he said.

There sure is a lot of interest in the investment community right now about alternative energy -- something Ronen said he has seen firsthand in his recent pitches to investors. He's talking to angel investors and venture capitalists and hopes to close a round later this month. "It is moving pretty fast," he said.

Biodiesel finds home in back yards, fueling stations alike
News-Reporter - Washington,GA,USA
The Biodiesel topic is hitting the lips of those working in places ranging from labs to government regulations offices. As fuel ...

The Biodiesel topic is hitting the lips of those working in places ranging from labs to government regulations offices. As fuel prices continue to mount, many Americans have started hunting ways to make transportation more economical.

And that includes the production of Biodiesel.

"Biodiesel has true scale-ability," said Rob Del Bueno of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. "It can be made in a multi-million gallon tank or in a two-liter bottle in a kitchen if done carefully."
Del Bueno knows this firsthand. After college, he promoted a band that played gigs wherever they could get them. To save money, they converted the tour van to run on vegetable oil taken straight from the fryers at the bars where they played.

Del Bueno was hooked, not on the band, but on the fuel they used. He started tearing apart engines, making his own Biodiesel and running his car on it. He then started making it for his friends. After an article in a local newspaper, the Environmental Projection Agency and the Internal Revenue Service also got interested, and he was audited and slammed with fees.

From the curious to the Georgia legislature, interest in Biodiesel is picking up steam.

According to Ryan Adolphson, director of the University of Georgia's Biomass Processing Pilot Plant Facilities, from 1995 to 2005, four Georgia bills on biomass were introduced. In 2006 alone, at least eight bills came before the state legislature pertaining to biomass energy in general with six bills directly targeting Biodiesel.

In fact, Georgia Senate Bill 636 that passed in 2006 makes it illegal for someone to produce Biodiesel for resale if that Biodiesel does not meet standard specifications. And testing for those specifications is expensive.

A license for a small Biodiesel producer, who is someone who produces less than 250,000 gallons a year, costs $2,500 per year. That doesn't include the costs for extensive tests to make sure the product is engine and road-ready.

"It's really easy to make Biodiesel. To make it right is really hard," said Dan Gellar, who is on the UGA engineering department faculty and has been researching Biodiesel for the past 10 years.
According to Dan Walsh of National Tribology Services Inc., those hoping to produce Biodiesel for resale should expect to ask for a loan between $1 million and $2.5 million just to cover startup costs, and then expect to pay between $800 and $1,300 for each complete test a lab runs on each sample from each batch they produce.

IS ETHANOL THAT EFFICIENT TO MAKE?
Free Market News Network - Pompano Beach,FL,USA
Fire up the fryer, it’s Biodiesel Day. But will biodiesel and other “green” energies really help us come down from our fossil fuel trip? ...
See all stories on this topic

Biofuels have risks if not managed right - report
NDTV.com - New Delhi,India
... The market for biofuels, which include ethanol and biodiesel, is small but growing rapidly. Between 2000 and 2005, ethanol production doubled. ...
See all stories on this topic

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Biofuels have the potential to replace growing amounts of oil, but can cause agricultural and ecological damage if not not developed carefully, a report released on Wednesday said.

The market for biofuels, which include ethanol and biodiesel, is small but growing rapidly. Between 2000 and 2005, ethanol production doubled. In the same period, biodiesel output quadrupled, though it started from a smaller production base.

Still, in 2005 the global ethanol supply fueled a little less than 1 percent of the distance traveled by the world's transport vehicles.

Soon biofuels could replace more oil, new supplies of which are becoming harder to find and produce. Biofuels could provide 37 percent of U.S. transport fuel within the next 25 years, according to the report, Biofuels for Transportation.

In the European Union, biofuels could replace 20 to 30 percent of oil-based fuel during the same time frame, said the report, published by the Worldwatch Institute, a Washington-based advocacy group, and commissioned by a German agricultural agency.

Biofuels could mitigate some of the environmental risks of the drilling and burning of oil, but can spur ecological risks of their own, if not managed well, the report said.

In Brazil and Asia, fields of soybeans and palm, whose oils have the potential to become significant sources of biodiesel, are encroaching on tropical forests, which hold great wealths of biodiversity, the report said.

"The most problematic and serious risk (of biofuels) is of spreading into wild areas and impacting biodiversity," Christopher Flavin, president of Worldwatch, said in a telephone interview. "That is going to require more stringent laws than currently exist in most countries," he added.

In addition, growth of biofuels could drive up food prices by diverting crop yields to produce fuel, which could make it more difficult to feed urban poor, according to the report.

Traditional ethanol crops, such as corn in the United States and sugar in Brazil, could also increase erosion and deplete aquifers.

And, if biofuels are produced from crops that take high inputs of products derived from fossil fuel, such as fertilizer, the process of growing, making and burning the fuel could create more greenhouse gas emissions than oil does, the report said.

Stricter land-use laws, particularly in countries with tropical forests, are needed to mitigate potential damage and reap the benefits from biofuels, it said.

In addition, no-till crop techniques and the use of advanced biofuels, such as cellulosic ethanol, can cut carbon dioxide emissions below those from fossil fuels.

Cellulosic ethanol uses microbes to break down the woody bits of plants. The advanced biofuel can be made from low-imput perennial crops, such as switchgrass, that grow on marginal lands.

The cellulosic ethanol industry is in its infancy, however. Currently there is only one such plant in North America, run by private Canadian company Iogen, with investments from Royal Dutch Shell and Goldman Sachs & Co.

Biofuels are also a source of jobs. The ethanol industry provides 200,000 jobs in the United States and 500,000 jobs in Brazil, which produces slightly more ethanol than the United States, the report said.

GREENSHIFT: Frost & Sullivan Recognizes GreenShift Corporation for Innovation in the Field of Electronic Waste Recycling

(PRN) - NAVTEQ Maps Power Multiple Winners at BREW 2006 Developer ...
Bolsamania.com - Madrid,Madrid,Spain
... [+]. (PRN) - Frost & Sullivan Recognizes GreenShift Corporation for Innovation in the Field of Electronic Waste Recycling ... [+. ...

 

Frost & Sullivan Recognizes GreenShift Corporation for Innovation ...
Yahoo! News (press release) - USA
PALO ALTO, Calif., June 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan has recognized GreenShift Corporation with the 2006 Product Innovation Award in the field of ...
See all stories on this topic

 PALO ALTO, Calif., June 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan has recognized GreenShift Corporation with the 2006 Product Innovation Award in the field of electronic waste recycling.

GreenShift receives this Award for developing an innovative and advanced electronic waste recycling solution called the Tornado Generator(TM). Based on the principle of the tornado, the Tornado Generator(TM) is capable of drastically reducing the volume of waste materials (segregated stream of metals and plastics in case of electronics recycling). What makes this innovation truly noteworthy is that the product can effectively reduce the volume of the input waste material stream to about 90 percent by pulverizing it into micrometer-sized particles.

With directives such as waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) coming into effect from 2006 in Europe, electronic waste recycling is increasingly receiving a major thrust. European nations and countries such as Japan, United States and China are also adopting a number of initiatives to recycle electronic waste. The prime intention of such directives is to not only bring about the efficient recovery of useful components, but to also safeguard the environment from harmful toxic substances such as lead, arsenic, hexavalent chromium, and other flame-retardants that are present in electronic waste.

"The process of electronic waste recycling involves a continuous chain of different operations such as conventional grinding and separation into plastic and metal streams, removal of hazardous components from these streams, pulverizing the plastic and metal streams, selective separation of high-value metals and plastics, and finally energy conversion of residual organics," notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Hari Ramamoorthy. "In this regard, the Tornado Generator(TM) represents a notable accomplishment as it can be employed in the critical step of pulverization of plastic and metal streams, enabling the increased availability of high-value metals in the process flow and also facilitates efficient reaction of the qualified plastics into energy and/or clean fuels such as ethanol or synthetic diesel."

The operation of the Tornado Generator(TM) is simple yet elegant. It employs a stream of compressed air that is accelerated to high supersonic speeds in a closed cyclonic chamber, resulting in the formation of a powerful air vortex or a 'tornado'. This tornado grinds materials that are fed into it to micrometer-sized particles. Air is introduced at the bottom of the system and proceeds upwards, while the material, after grinding, is collected at the bottom of the system.

Significantly, the Tornado Generator(TM) incorporates the ability to dehydrate and atomize both solid as well as liquid wastes. The generator is robust in operation and appears to be able to provide cost-effective processing of a wide variety of wastes. Considering all this, such a solution could help meet the electronics recycling industry's need for an effective grinding solution for high fracture materials such as glass, coal, concrete, aluminum, and hard plastics. Moreover, the solution is flexible and can be adapted to a variety of industrial applications such as desalination, food processing, treatment of waste such as sludge, municipal solid waste, poultry waste, consumer waste, and so on.

"GreenShift plans to use its Tornado Generator(TM) along with other proprietary technologies such as the company's patented plastics separation process, which was developed by Argonne National Laboratory under a contract with the U.S. Department of Energy, to screen out chlorinated and brominated plastics and to fine-tune the overall electronic recycling process," says Ramamoorthy.

Kevin Kreisler, GreenShift's chairman and chief executive officer added that "Smaller particles equate to better reaction kinetics. This helps to make downstream processes that are designed to extract the highest value out of the commodities in electronic waste streams much more efficient. We believe that the Tornado Generator(TM) technology will provide a significant contribution to the electronic waste recycling industry and we are proud and excited to have received this Award."

Each year Frost & Sullivan presents this Award to a company that has demonstrated excellence in new products and technologies within their industry. The recipient company has shown innovation by launching a broad line of emerging products and technologies.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.

About GreenShift Corporation

GreenShift's (OTC Bulletin Board: GSHF - News) mission is to develop and support clean technologies and companies that facilitate the efficient use of natural resources and catalyze transformational environmental gains. Additional information regarding GreenShift is available online at http://www.greenshift.com .

The exclusive rights to the Tornado Generator(TM) technology for this and many other applications are held by GreenShift's majority-owned clean technology subsidiary, Veridium Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: VRDM - News). Veridium provides applied engineering and industrial design services based on clean technology and process innovations that enhance manufacturing efficiencies, improve resource utilization and minimize waste.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company's industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost & Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the investment community, by providing comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics. For more information, visit http://www.awards.frost.com or http://www.electronics.frost.com

    Contact:

    Stacie Jones

    210.247.2450

    Stacie.jones@frost.com

 

Carlo's Car Care Corner BY CARLO BERRO

Carlo's Car Care Corner BY CARLO BERRO
Hesperia Star - Victorville,CA,USA
... foreign oil. Alternative fuels such as biodiesel, ethanol and methanol, have been produced and used on a small scale for decades. They ...

Here in the High Desert, we tend to put a lot of miles on our vehicles. We have to travel a good distance in and around Hesperia and many of us commute down the hill as well. We are all feeling the crunch in our wallets as gas prices are at an all-time high. There is a lot of talk these days about “alternative fuels.” But just what are these alternative fuels, and why is everyone so excited about them?

Though they may seem revolutionary to modern consumers, alternative fuels are nothing new. Early tractors ran on kerosene; Henry Ford’s Model T ran on both gasoline and ethanol. But with the environmental, economic and political concerns reaching a fevered pitch and with over a billion in government backing, alternative fuel vehicles are making a comeback.

In the simplest terms, an alternative fuel is any fuel other than gasoline or diesel. Since many alternative fuels are also renewable — and can be produced here in the U.S. — they could reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
Alternative fuels such as biodiesel, ethanol and methanol, have been produced and used on a small scale for decades. They are now being rediscovered due to the rising cost of oil and the instability of world politics.

Before we get to the specifics, let’s clear up a related point. There is a big difference between “energy” and “fuel,” even though the terms are used interchangeably. While it is often said that we are in an “energy crisis,” this isn’t accurate. Energy exists all around us in many different forms. The problem is that energy needs to be stored and transported as fuel. So, technically speaking, we should talk about a “fuel shortage,” not an “energy crisis.”

To help you better understand this developing area of technology, we’ve put together a list of the most commonly mentioned alternative types of fuel and given a brief description of each one.

Biodiesel is used to refer to renewable fuels that can be burned in a diesel engine. Biodiesel is most often made from the oil extracted from a variety of plants, such as peanuts or soybeans, although it can also be made from animal fats. Vegetable oil needs treatment before it can be burned in a diesel engine. Biodiesel can be used at 100 percent strength or blended with petroleum-based diesel fuel, and is used in diesel engines without any modification to the engine. It is both non-toxic and biodegradable. It is nearly free of sulfur and carcinogenic benzene — two of the components of petroleum diesel that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state emissions boards have issued regulations on because of environmental and health concerns. The main drawback to biodiesel is that it is not widely available yet. However, in Hesperia it IS now available.

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) is widely used for heating, cooking and cooling. When it is compressed and stored in a fuel tank, it can be used as a very clean-burning fuel for cars and trucks. Gas-burning engines can easily be modified to run on CNG, but there may only be one or two cars available to the public that uses this fuel at this time. Currently, natural gas is a cheaper form of fuel for cars than gasoline, but CNG pumps are hard to find and CNG cars don’t go as far on a tank of fuel as gasoline-powered vehicles. Most CNG vehicles are part of commercial fleets (taxicabs, municipal buses, etc.) that have their own pumps on-site for convenient refueling.

Electric cars run on electrical power stored in batteries. These cars produce no emissions. However, the power plants that generate electricity are often fueled by coal, which does produce emissions that have an adverse effect on the environment. No pure electric cars are currently for sale (except for small golf cartlike vehicles with top speeds of about 25 mph), but some existing cars have been adapted to run on electric power. Hybrid vehicles use regenerative braking systems to charge electric batteries and, as such, are partly electric. Hybrid vehicles are becoming increasingly popular and are offered from several manufacturers now, such as Toyota and Honda. On the average, these vehicles may be a little more expensive to buy, but in the long run you may make up the savings in gasoline.
Ethanol is a form of alcohol often produced from corn or sugar cane, and has a higher octane rating than gasoline. Like other alcohols, ethanol can be used as a fuel in gasoline engines. Ethanol is blended with gasoline and used in cars with little or no modification of the engine. Gasohol is a mixture of about 10-percent ethanol and 90-percent gasoline and will run in an unmodified car. In fact, when you fuel up at a gas station in many U.S. states, this is exactly what you’re buying. E85 is 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline and can used in a (FFV) flexible fuel vehicle — a vehicle with a motor set up to run on gasoline or blends of gasoline and ethanol. There is a heated debate about the economics of producing ethanol.

Fuel-cell cars are often found on lists of alternative-energy vehicles. These cars have been in development for years and use a sophisticated electrochemical energy conversion device similar to a battery. The power is then put to the wheels via an electric motor. The core source of energy is hydrogen, which is sometimes extracted from water. Despite the appeal of fuel-cell cars, an affordable, commercially available model is not on the horizon.

Methanol is another alcohol derived from a variety of sources such as oil shale, coal, natural gas or agricultural waste. Like ethanol, it is clean-burning and will blend with gasoline. For years, straight methanol has been used in racecars because it has a high octane rating, making it a good fuel for high-compression engines.

Woodgas is a less commonly known alternative fuel produced from wood or “biomass” (agricultural byproducts). Woodgas-powered vehicles operated during World War II by putting a wood burner in the trunk, or trailer, and piping the gases into the carburetor. Scientists are studying ways to run generators and even vehicles on more sophisticated “gasifiers.” By the way, don’t attempt to try this on your own vehicle!

As you can see there are many forms of alternative fuels, they are even working with a cleaner diesel that will be easier on the lungs and environment. I will devote some attention to that in an article to come. As we pay more at the pump right now, it is hard to realize it, but in our future there will be an increasing number of alternatives that will be commercially available to us.

Carlo Berro was a former racecar driver and racecar engineer. He is the proud owner of DreamCars Auto Repair in Hesperia. You can write to Carlo at carlocarcare@aol.com

RTC launches 30 biodiesel buses, Oil exec says Europe needs biodiesel, not ethanol

RTC launches 30 biodiesel buses
Business Standard - India
Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) has launched 30 biodiesel buses to mark the World Environment Day on Monday. ...

Oil exec says Europe needs biodiesel, not ethanol
Autoblog - Santa Monica,CA,USA
In an interview with Reuters, the head of agricultural development for oil company Total flatly stated that Europe needs more biodiesel production rather than ...
See all stories on this topic

RM1.9b biodiesel projects approved this year, Europe urged to boost biodiesel production - 6th June 2006, RM1.90 Bln Biodiesel Projects Approved As At

RM1.9b biodiesel projects approved this year
The Edge Daily - Malaysia
The government has approved a total of 20 biodiesel projects with proposed investments to the tune of RM1.9 billion this year, Deputy International Trade and ...

Europe urged to boost biodiesel production - 6th June 2006
Platinum today - UK
A major oil supplier has urged Europe to increase its production of biodiesel in order to better cope with higher diesel demand. ...
See all stories on this topic

RM1.90 Bln Biodiesel Projects Approved As At June 1, 2006
Bernama - Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, June 7 (Bernama) -- The Government has approved 20 biodiesel projects with investments of RM1.90 billion as at June 1, 2006, says Deputy ...

FOREIGN: Angara bats for energy independence through utilization of ..., Govt looking into diversified energy sourcing amid oil crisis

Angara bats for energy independence through utilization of ...
Visayan Daily Star - Dumaguete City,Philippines
... Bio-fuels are crop based transport fuels such as biodiesel and ethanol, Angara said, and in the Philippines, the same can be produced from coconuts and ...
See all stories on this topic

Senator Edgardo Angara is pushing for the country's energy independence which, he said, is his main motivation in supporting the proposed Biofuel Acts of 2006.
The Philippine Fuel Ethanol Alliance said in a press release that at the recent hearing on the bill, Angara cited statistics showing the economic impacts of overdependence on foreign oil, a fact that makes the use of alternative sources of fuel an imperative.
The senator endorsed the use of biofuels, saying crop-based fuels offer the best option to lessen or stop dependence on oil.
He noted that the Philippines imports 94 percent of its annual oil requirements, making the country vulnerable to constant world price increases.
He said that an increase of $1 in world oil prices translates into about $1.26 million in added foreign exchange requirements for the Philippines.
Bio-fuels are crop based transport fuels such as biodiesel and ethanol, Angara said, and in the Philippines, the same can be produced from coconuts and Jatropha while ethanol, from sugarcane, corn and cassava.
He pointed out that unlike petroleum-based fuels, ethanol is cleaner and emits less carbon dioxide.
Angara urged his fellow senators to support measures to accelerate exploration, development and utilization of indigenous energy sources; intensify renewable energy development, and increase use of alternative fuels. He said that the Biofuels Act of 2006 shall serve as the official policy for alternative sources of energy in the transport sector.*

Govt looking into diversified energy sourcing amid oil crisis
Jakarta Post - Jakarta,Indonesia
... In Germany, for example, biodiesel blends are used to power trains and electricity plants. ... Malaysia has long produced biodiesel from palm oil. ...
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Benget Simbolon Tnb., The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A growing awareness around the world that the era of cheap oil is over appears to be finally sinking in.
This awareness has been strengthened by the fact that oil prices are continuing to increase, and currently stand at over US$70 per barrel on the international market.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported last year that the world was facing "a permanent oil shock", and predicted that high oil prices would persist for the next two decades.
Government leaders, industrialists and even individuals all now seem to realize that serious efforts are required to develop alternative sources of energy to make up for the hydrocarbon deficit.
The Chevron Oil Company in Wales, the U.K., launched a public community involvement initiative last year to start addressing the urgent energy problem on the Internet and European newspapers:
"The era of easy oil is over. What we all do next will determine how well we meet the energy needs of the entire world in this century and beyond ... Many of the world's oil and gas fields are maturing. And new energy discoveries are mainly occurring in places where resources are difficult to extract physically, technically, economically and politically. We call upon scientists and educators, politicians and policy makers, environmentalists, leaders of industries and each one of you to be part of reshaping the next era of energy."
George W. Bush, the president of the United States, the world's largest consumer of oil, said that his country must develop policies to make it less dependent on oil and other fossil fuels, imports of which account for about 60 percent of the country's total consumption.
He has proposed a series of energy initiatives to diversify energy sources away from the dominance of fossil fuels.
"And in the years ahead, technology will allow us to create entirely new sources of energy in ways earlier generations could never dream," he said.
So far, the U.S. ethanol industry produces about 15 billion liters a year.
Meanwhile, the European Union has called for new action to develop biofuels, warning that soaring oil prices and a recent gas spat with Russia highlighted the risks of relying on traditional power sources.
Its executive arm, the European Commission, urged EU governments to take measures to expand large-scale consumer use of alternative energy sources by developing "second generation" fuels that were more efficient and cheaper than those currently available.
EU Farm and Rural Development Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel noted that now was the best time to push the case for biofuels.
"Crude oil prices remain high. We face stringent targets under the Kyoto Protocol. And the recent controversy over imports of Russian gas has underlined the importance of increasing Europe's energy self-sufficiency," she said.
In many European countries, biofuels have been used as a way of diversifying energy sources and cleaning up the environment. In Germany, for example, biodiesel blends are used to power trains and electricity plants.
Australia, a major agricultural producer, has announced that it will promote the use of ethanol and other biofuels as they are environmentally friendly and will boost demand for its farm produce.
Japan, one of the world's largest oil consumers, has set itself the ambitious goal of replacing a fifth of its oil needs with biofuels or gas-to-liquid (GTL) fuels by 2030.
The country's energy agency has been working for more than two years to iron out long-term energy policy guidelines aimed at enhancing national security for the resource-poor country.
So far the government has focused on limiting Japan's dependence on crude oil -- almost all of which is imported -- to 40 percent of total energy needs from about 50 percent currently.
Japan has signed biofuel deals with Brazil, the world's leader in biofuel production and use, and Malaysia, the world's largest producer of palm oil, which can be used to produce biodiesel.
Japan will import ethanol and biodiesel from Brazil, and will help Malaysia to develop its palm oil-based biofuel industry.
In Brazil, which has been developing its biofuel industry since the 1970s, bio-ethanol now accounts for 40 percent of the fuel used in the country.
Malaysia has long produced biodiesel from palm oil. Currently, it is building a number of palm oil refineries in Europe to process its palm oil before it is sold to biodiesel production plants.
China, the world's third biggest biofuel producer, is a leader in the production of gasohol -- a mix of gasoline and ethanol -- with farmers in some areas being required to expand their production of wheat, corn, sugarcane and potatoes to feed the ethanol plants.
Thailand, which has been promoting the use of gasohol for the last two years, has seen its gasohol use increase to a quarter of premium petrol consumption due to the fact that it is much cheaper.
There have also been efforts to develop new technologies that would allow the industrial and transportation sectors to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels.
Automaker Volkswagon has created the fuel efficient, diesel-powered VW Lupo, which is lightweight and has a 1.2 liter (turbocharged) engine that switches off automatically when stopped for longer than four seconds and automatically restarts when the driver's foot is taken off the brake.
Other major automakers, such as Daimler Chrysler, Honda, Mazda, Nissan, Peugeot, Suzuki, and Toyota, have also been producing gasoline-electric hybrid cars.
In the U.S., where almost half of the world's total of 500 million cars are to be found, an organization called CalCars is working on a project to produce batteries that can be recharged for hybrid cars.
In the U.K., engineering firm IMP Ltd in Wales claims to have invented a revolutionary new electric engine, and believes that these engines can be used as the sole driving force for all-electric cars.
Thus, all the indicators suggest that the world is now moving away from an economy firmly based on hydrocarbons to an economy based on widely-diversified energy sources.