Biofuels seen as pivotal to energy independence (biorefineries and more)

[jpak]

http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/3160702.shtml

BANGOR -- Scott Christiansen believes plans to build the first fully integrated biorefinery in Maine could be announced within a year.

Similar in concept to an oil refinery, it would turn waste wood into liquid fuel along with high-value chemicals.

Unlike oil refineries, however, the biorefinery would use a product grown in Maine to provide jobs here.

It is an idea that is economically, technologically and environmentally feasible right now, said Christiansen, executive director of the Fractionation Development Center in Rumford.

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[Chemical Bill]

1. Let's hope.

And let's hope UNH gets algae biodiesel up and running soon.

http://www.unh.edu/p2/biodiesel/article_alge.html

Bill

[JohnWxy]

2. Thanks for this post. There doesn't seem to be much discussion

(or AS MUCH as there should be) of bio-diesel - leading to a dearth of info on it.


It's too bad there isn't a REAL commitment by the Government to accelerate resaearch and development of all bio-fuels. We have so far just scratched the surface of this energy source. Jpac recently posted about a whole new approach to making ethanol that dramatically reduces the use of water in the production process. these kind of things do happen when people set their minds to investigating making new technologies work and work better.

OF course, the really sad thing is many of the source materials for bio-diesel are now treated as waste and we are spending millions of dollars and devoting land to treating and burying this waste!


ONe would think the urgency of our situation re Global Warming would be enough to do it, but also we are in an increasingly vulnerable position regards supply of fossil fuels which makes it a national security issue. this too should stimulate leaders (if we had any - instead of lobbyists for the oil and gas industry) to mount an agressive program to develop renewable fuels as fast as possible. the R&D expenditures would be recovered in the better efficiencies gained from bio-fuels (remember gas from petroleum is a 19% LOSER in terms of net energy balance).

[JohnWxy]

3. This is why we need a actual nationaal renewable energy initiative

"It is an idea that is economically, technologically and environmentally feasible right now, said Christiansen, executive director of the Fractionation Development Center in Rumford.

That is, it is viable so long as the price of oil stays high."

In the short run we may see oil prices drop as friends of the admin keep prices down for the election but in the long run with China and India growing the demand is going to outstrip the supply and run the prices inexhorably upward. lettin efforts at developing renewables stop and start again prevents us from getting prepared for the inevitable.