E-Energy Market: Latest News http://www.e-energymarket.com/ Latest News en E-Energy Market: Latest News http://www.e-energymarket.com/fileadmin/template/tt_news/pink-box-icon.gif http://www.e-energymarket.com/ Latest News TYPO3 - get.content.right http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:16:00 +0100 EU drafts warn of biofuels' link to hunger http://www.e-energymarket.com/news/single-view/link//d8398fd5b3/article//eu-drafts-warn-of-biofuels-link-to-hunger.html The European Union's promotion of plant-based biofuels will raise EU farm incomes and agricultural... The European Union's promotion of plant-based biofuels will raise EU farm incomes and agricultural commodity prices, but could create food shortages for the world's poorest consumers, draft EU reports show.

The EU has a legal target to get a tenth of its road transport fuels from renewable sources such as biofuels by 2020. For EU farmers hit by falling incomes, Europe's 5 billion euros-per-year ($6.84 billion) biofuels market is coveted as a source of new revenues.

Source: in.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idINLDE6241EO20100305

]]> Biomass other than pellets European Community Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:08:00 +0100 The biofuel era - not on horizon - yet http://www.e-energymarket.com/news/single-view/link//e5e60ac4e0/article//the-biofuel-era-not-on-horizon-yet.html The world, it is said, belongs to those with the most energy. And the search for alternative... The world, it is said, belongs to those with the most energy. And the search for alternative energy, for a number of reasons - from political to environmental - continues. The price spike in 2008, preceding the recession the world is now desperately endeavoring to climb out - gave a fillip to the pursuit.

In his State of the Union address in January 2007, former US President Bush emphasized developing biofuels, so as to reduce the American dependence on oil. And then on Jan. 24, while speaking at a DuPont plant, Bush said he was particularly encouraged by the possibility of producing ethanol from switch grass, wood chips and agricultural waste.

Source: arabnews.com/economy/article26771.ece

]]> Biomass other than pellets USA Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:04:00 +0100 Demand for biofuels to increase crop prices – JRC http://www.e-energymarket.com/news/single-view/link//d8f81f631f/article//demand-for-biofuels-to-increase-crop-prices-jrc.html Biofuel policy could lead to a 6.5% increase in crop prices in Europe, assuming a 7% share of... Biofuel policy could lead to a 6.5% increase in crop prices in Europe, assuming a 7% share of biofuels in transport by 2020, according to a draft report from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC). Ethanol prices would increase by 8%.

EU prices for oilseeds and plant oils would increase by 7 and 30% respectively, and 21% for soft wheat and sugar. The draft JRC report was obtained through a freedom of information request by green transport group T&E and seen by ENDS.

Source: www.endseurope.com/23446

]]> Bioethanol European Community Vegetable oil Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:00:00 +0100 EPA to Raise Biofuel Limits? http://www.e-energymarket.com/news/single-view/link//9c5664a4af/article//epa-to-raise-biofuel-limits.html The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States is carefully considering whether or... The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the United States is carefully considering whether or not to allow higher blends of ethanol to be mixed in with standard petrol. This decision will not specifically mandate that ethanol must be blended with petroleum based fuels, however it would allow for the current limit of a 10% blend to be increased to a 15% blend – effectively giving a 50% demand boost to the currently suffering biofuel market within the US.

The current primary concern of the EPA lies not with the source of the fuel itself but with the actual effects the fuel blends may have on car engines and what the overall environmental impact might be.

Source: www.biofuelswatch.com/epa-to-raise-biofuel-limits/

]]> Bioethanol USA Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:55:00 +0100 Big carbon permit sell-off unlikely this year http://www.e-energymarket.com/news/single-view/link//81652dc9aa/article//big-carbon-permit-sell-off-unlikely-this-year.html Companies with excess carbon permits are stock-piling them rather than selling them off in... Companies with excess carbon permits are stock-piling them rather than selling them off in anticipation of tighter emissions caps and higher carbon prices from 2013, industrial firms and utilities said on Tuesday.

Many investors in the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) have been concerned that industrial users such as steel and cement firms would dump the rest of their surplus permits for 2009 in the first half of this year, causing prices to crash.

Source: www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6213C720100302

]]> Carbon capture European Community Mon, 08 Mar 2010 07:58:00 +0100 An Inconvenient Truth: Biofuels Have a Carbon Footprint http://www.e-energymarket.com/news/single-view/link//ef365398bd/article//an-inconvenient-truth-biofuels-have-a-carbon-footprint.html One of the biggest controversies within the biofuels industry is whether first-generation biofuels... One of the biggest controversies within the biofuels industry is whether first-generation biofuels have a more substantial carbon footprint than petroleum.

On the surface, this seems to be a no-brainer.  According to the Department of Energy, a gallon of gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel emits between 18.4-21.1 pounds of C02 upon burning. Transportation sources accounted for 29% of total U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2006 and are the fastest-growing source of GHGs in the U.S., accounting for 47% of the net increase in total U.S. emissions since 1990.  These estimates of transportation GHGs do not include emissions from additional life-cycle processes, such as the extraction and refining of fuel, transporting the petroleum to and from the refinery, the manufacture of vehicles, and a whole slew of other variables that make petroleum production and consumption an environmental catastrophe.

Source: www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/an-inconvenient-truth-biofuels-have-a-carbon-footprint/

]]> Carbon capture USA Sun, 07 Mar 2010 10:12:00 +0100 Bumpy ride with biofuels http://www.e-energymarket.com/news/single-view/link//0bb96b24f0/article//bumpy-ride-with-biofuels.html Biofuel and synthetic fuel stocks have languished on the Australian stock exchange. As this was... Biofuel and synthetic fuel stocks have languished on the Australian stock exchange. As this was being written, Altus Renewable was struggling to get away a $12 million initial public offering.

The company's plan sounds environmentally friendly. It aims to produce biofuel at a plant to be located beside the country's largest sawmill, at Maryborough, Queensland. Using waste from the plantation timber, Altus will initially produce fuel pellets and then build a power plant.

Source: www.theaustralian.com.au/news/bumpy-ride-with-biofuels/story-e6frg6xf-1225836896293

]]> Vehicles using biofuels Finance and Investments Liquid biofuel blends (E85 B80) Biodiesel Bioethanol Sun, 07 Mar 2010 09:04:00 +0100 Biolubes: The pressure is on http://www.e-energymarket.com/news/single-view/link//9c5c69976a/article//biolubes-the-pressure-is-on.html Lubricants serve primarily to reduce friction between, and prevent wear of, contacting surfaces as... Lubricants serve primarily to reduce friction between, and prevent wear of, contacting surfaces as they move past each other. Lubes must do this under varying loads, speeds, temperatures and contamination levels. Typical lubricants consist of more than 90% of a base fluid, with various additives such as corrosion inhibitors and extreme-pressure (EP) wear protectants to upgrade functional properties or stabilize the base fluid against degradation.

The federal government defines biolubes, or bio-based lubricants, as “composed, in whole or in significant part, of biological materials or renewable domestic agricultural materials (including plant, animal and marine materials) or forestry materials.” These lubricants are considered more environmentally responsible than those based on mineral oil derived from the fossil sources of crude oil or coal; their use is meant to reduce the carbon footprint.

Source: www.plantservices.com/articles/2010/03Biolubes.html

]]> Biochemistry Biomass other than pellets European Community Sat, 06 Mar 2010 08:08:00 +0100 U.S. lagging in clean energy http://www.e-energymarket.com/news/single-view/link//67f41186b2/article//us-lagging-in-clean-energy.html The demand for energy products is gravitating toward the developing world and the bulk of new... The demand for energy products is gravitating toward the developing world and the bulk of new clean-energy business risks going along with it, said General Electric CEO Jeffrey Immelt.

Immelt gave a talk at the ARPA-E Summit here on Tuesday where he focused on the importance of energy in the context of global economic competitiveness. The conference, meant to showcase disruptive energy technologies, has attracted energy technology entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers.

Source: news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10462182-54.html

]]> Biomass other than pellets USA Sat, 06 Mar 2010 06:36:00 +0100 Danger of biofuels http://www.e-energymarket.com/news/single-view/link//d72f94516c/article//danger-of-biofuels.html The science on biofuels is indeed incomplete but studies clearly show that the environmental... The science on biofuels is indeed incomplete but studies clearly show that the environmental impacts of indirect land use change are hugely damaging. Wherever biofuel crops displace food crops then that food production may be recouped through clearing rainforest and draining wetlands. We do not have adequate policy tools, globally, to prevent such unintended but devastating consequences. Leaked documents from the European Commission’s own investigation into biofuels confirm how disastrous biofuels would be for wildlife and the climate.

Source: www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/letters/article7050148.ece

]]> Biomass other than pellets European Community Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:08:00 +0100