Syntec biomass-to-alcohol process continues to improve yield

Syntec Biofuel Inc., the Canadian company developing biomass to fuel conversion technologies, has announced that it has achieved a yield of 105 gallons of alcohol (ethanol, methanol, n- butanol and n-propanol) per ton of biomass. This is not far short of their target is 113 US gallons per ton of biomass.

Butanol could supersede ethanol

The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) has published an article explaining why biobutanol is a much better fuel than ethanol and how the technology to produce it biologically is advancing.

Syntec acquires ethanol catalyst technology to convert biomass to alcohol

Canadian company, Syntec Biofuel Inc. (Syntec). Syntec has acquired ethanol catalyst technology which has been developed to convert biomass into ethanol, butanol, methanol and propanol. Biogas and syngas from wood waste, organic waste, corn stover, sugar bagasse, switch grass, poplar etc. is becoming economically viable for some producers so Syntec are starting to test their catalysts in an industrial environment in order to quantify the life of the catalysts prior to commercialization.

Call for sustainable fuel certification

Envirofuel proposes an independent global not-for-profit organisation be set up to develop a certification system for sustainable fuels. All fuels, not just biofuels. This certification system needs to be realistic and unbiased in its assessment of any fuel and it needs to assess the complete life-cycle of the fuel including its impact on people as well as the environment.

D1 Oils asks for help in promoting sustainable biodiesel

Speaking at the Climate Change Summit in Bali, Karl Watkin MBE, founder of D1 Oils, called on the development non-governmental organisations (NGOs) present at the conference to stop their generic criticism of biodiesel.

Jatropha and biobutanol form the basis of BP’s biofuels strategy

Reuters have reported that BP is focusing on developing jatropha and biobutanol for future sustainable biofuel production. Their head of biofuels, Philip New, has said that although BP are major users of ethanol, there is now scope to use biobutanol which can be made from biomass. He also confirmed that BP was counting on jatropha as a sustainable biofuel.

Biobutanol to get a tax break in the UK

In their 2007 pre-budget report Delloite are saying that biobutanol will soon benefit from an excise reduction.

BP to sell biobutanol blend fuel in the UK this year

As reported earlier, BP and DuPont formed a partnership to develop biobutanol as a transport fuel. DuPont are now publicising the fact that biobutanol will make its debut later this year in the United Kingdom. BP will distribute and market biobutanol mixed with petrol in a mixture that DuPont believes is likely to be around [...]

US scientists working on cellulosic biobutanol

Scientists from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are experimenting with a way to convert cellulosic biomass into biobutanol. Biobutanol can become an important renewable transportation fuel because it has a higher energy content than ethanol. It can be used in the existing gasoline supply and distribution lines, has higher octane number, and can be mixed with gasoline in any proportion.

BP and DuPont teaming to create advanced biofuels

DuPont and BP are teaming to bring advanced biofuels to market. Biobutanol is the first advanced biofuel being developed by DuPont in partnership with BP.