April 2007

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Bioenergy > Bioenergy timeline > 2007 > April 2007

This page includes information on news and events in April 2007.

Events

• 1-4 April, 2007, Anaheim, California, USA: Alternative Fuels and Vehicles National Conference and Expo.
• 3-4 April 2007, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Biofuels Markets Americas.
• 3-4 April 2007, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Carbon Markets Americas.
• 4 April 2007, Washington, D.C., USA: Biomass Energy: Biorefineries by Resources for the Future. "The panel will address the potential of cellulosic biomass for producing energy and transport fuels." Presentation titles: "Biorefineries Integrated with Pulp Mills," "Improved Trees for Biomass Energy," and "Biomass Feedstock for Energy."[1]
• 11-12 April 2007, Singapore: A to Z of Ethanol.
• 15-17 April 2007, Chicago, Illinois, USA: Bioenergy North America 2007: Markets and finance for biofuels and biomass - Advertised as "An event for producers and users, electricity generators, buyers of renewable energy, national and local government officials, agriculture/forestry landowners, technology suppliers, project developers, bankers, venture capitalists, private equity investors, energy consultants and lawyers."[2]
• 17 April 2007, London, UK: Developing Biofuels Sustainably: Can it be Done?.
• 17-18 April 2007, Johannesburg, South Africa: Renewable Energy World.
• 17-20 April 2007, Melbourne, Australia: Ethanol 2007 Australia –developing Australia’s growing ethanol industry.
• 24 April 2007, New Zealand: EECA Biofuels Conference 2007: Coming to a pump near you.
• 24-25 April 2007, Boston, United States: Ceres Conference - Sustainable Prosperity.
• 24-25 April 2007, Amsterdam, The Netherlands: BioRefintec 2007.
• 25-27 April 2007, Washington, D.C., USA: The National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology - Energy and Environment Workgroup. Meeting to address how the Environmental Protection Agency should promote renewable fuels and ensure their sustainability. For more information, see NACEPT Final Biofuels Advice Letter (PDF file)
• 29 April - 2 May 2007, Terrigal, New South Wales, Australia: International Agrichar Initiative 2007 Conference.

News

• Family sees hot promise in pellets, 30 April 2007 from the Times Leader. A family company will produce a portable machine to create biomass pellets from switchgrass. The pellets can be used as a substitute for heating oil.
• Bad news for biodiesel, 23 April 2007 by scenta, reported that "EU legislation which promotes the adoption of biodiesel will not make a difference to global warming, according to a new study" by the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI). The study "compared the emissions of greenhouse gases by the two fuels across their overall life cycles from production to combustion in cars," and found that "biodiesel derived from rapeseed grown on dedicated farmland emits nearly the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions (defined as CO₂ equivalents) per kilometre driven as conventional diesel does."
• Surging crude palm oil prices: Malaysian biodiesel plans in jeopardy, 25 April 2007 by AFP in the Daily Times (Pakistan), reports that "Surging crude palm oil prices have put a dent in Malaysian ventures to manufacture biodiesel, with licencees dragging their feet to set up factories;" currently, only six of 90 licenced firms are producing palm oil-based biodiesel, as high demand and raw material prices have threatened the financial viability of ventures, especially smaller ones.
• Farmers eye oilseed plants for biodiesel, 25 April 2007, by Associated Press, reports that farmers in California are investigating growing crops for biofuel, such as canola "on unproductive land that can't support higher-value produce" or "as a cover crop that might improve soil quality between more profitable plantings of berries or leafy greens."
  • Even if successful, however, the economic benefit may be limited, as the article stated: "A typical biodiesel crop could earn California growers a maximum of $200 an acre each year — far less than their current average annual yield of $2,000 an acre, said Robert Van Buskirk, a scientist with the U.S. Department of Energy."
• Researchers propose Green Biofuels Index, 24 April 2007 from Biopact. Researchers have proposed a "Green Biofuels Index" that would rank biofuels according to environmental and sustainability criteria. The index would be used to create a market for sustainable biofuels. They have also proposed a range of policy options for using the Index, ranging from a pure free-market approach to more aggressive taxation and other measures.
• Carbon Gas Is Explored as a Source of Ethanol, 24 April 2007 from the New York Times. LanzaTech, a New Zealand company, has recieved financing from Vinod Khosla to commercialize a technology to produce ethanol from carbon monoxide (CO)gas. Bacteria consume the gas and produce ethanol. Carbon monoxide is produced as a by-product of many industrial processes, including steel production.
• A New Biofuel: Propane, 19 April 2007 from Technologyreview.com. MIT scientists have developed a new technique for producing biopropane from sugars and starches, like sugarcane or corn. They are incorporating a start-up to commercialize the process. The technique uses "supercritical water--water at a very high temperature and pressure" and does not require a catalyst or enzyme.
• Biofuel plantations fuel strife in Uganda, 19 April 2007 from Newscientist.com. Plans to turn over 25% of one of Uganda's last preserved forest to a sugarcane company have sparked riots resulting in several deaths.
• Biofuels makes sense but only if they are sustainable, 18 April 2007 from www.biofuelreview.com. A statement by the UK Transportation Minister on sustainability and the Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation, in which he argues that while in the long run only sustainable biofuels should be supported by the government, the current system of mandatory reporting on social, environmental and GHG impacts is the best option.
• Venezuela to increase ethanol production, despite criticism of US-Brazil deal, 14 April 2007 from Biopact. Despite their strong attacks on US biofuel policy, both Venezuela and Cuba are going ahead with agreements to develop their own ethanol industry from sugarcane.
• Venezuela to host South American energy summit, 13 April 2007 from Yahoo News. South American leaders are gathering in Venezuela to discuss energy issues. Biofuels will be an important topic as Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Cuba's Fidel Castro have recently criticized US ethanol policy but have shied away from attacking Brazil's ethanol initiatives directly.
• CASP agreement to benefit biofuel producers in Mekong, 11 April 2007 from Biofuelreview.com. Agriculture ministers from 6 countries, Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam have endorsed the Core Agricultural Support Program, which will work toward increasing trade and investment in agriculture in the Greater Mekong Subregion. A major focus will be helping farmers reap the benefits of new energy crops and related technologies.
• Strong land use policy is key to developing South African biofuels, 10 April 2007 from biofuelreview.com. South Africa is considering a variety of feedstocks for biofuels, including corn, sugarcane, and jatropha. However, many are concerned over finding the right balance between food and fuel, while protecting the land.
• India plans new biofuel mission, 11 April 2007 from Monstersandcritics.com. India is planning a new biofuel plan with a focus on jatropha and karanj. The first phase would cover 400,000 ha and the second 11.2 million ha of land. There are challenges to implementation, including the reluctance of farmers to invest in a crop like jatropha that doesn't yield seeds until the third year.
• Malaysian company claims 6.48 billion liter ethanol output from Nypa palm in 2009, 10 April 2007 from Greencarcongress.com. A Malaysian company claims that it will be able to produce 6.48 billion liters (1.7 billion gallons) of ethanol from nypa palm sap when its refinery opens in 2009. The company has obtained rights to harvest the sap from 10,000 hectares of palms. Nypa palm has a very high yield of sugar-rich sap, which some studies claim may be able to produce 2-3 times more ethanol/acre then sugarcane.
• A Plastic Wrapper Today Could Be Fuel Tomorrow, 9 April 2007 from the New York Times. The US Department of Defense has given $2.34 million to a researcher to develop “fuel-latent plastic”. The bio-plastic is made from plant oils, and when shredded and mixed with water and a small amount of enzyme, transforms into biodiesel, which can be used for generating electricity.
• Algae biofuel company's claims questioned, 3 April 2007 from Biopact.com. A report has questioned South African company De Beers Fuel claims of having produced large quantities of biodiesel from algae.
• Namibia: There's Power in the Bush, 2 April 2007 from Allafrica.com. A project to transform "invader bush", a generic term for fast-growing invasive species that are taking over Namibia's farmland, into electricity is being planned. "Namibia's bush-to-electricity energy potential in bush-infested areas lies in using available electricity-generating technologies and applying ecological management principles that can generate between 0.5 and 2.5 MWh per hectares per year. At a sustainable yield of 2 MWh per hectare, some 1.5 million ha of bush harvested each year would ensure that Namibia's entire annual electricity consumption of 3 000 GWh is generated."
• Pricier corn is good for the US 5 April 2007 from Agobservatory.org. An editorial arguing that the increase in corn prices due to the ramping up of ethanol production is good for the United States. Corn prices have been below the cost of production for years, creating major distortions in world markets and rewarding a handful of grain processing companies. Higher prices will help farmers and make healthier food more competitive with corn-driven junk food, like cheap hamburgers and high-fructose corn syrup.
• Eco-friendly palm oil could help alleviate poverty in Indonesia Palm oil is not a failure as a biofuel 4 April, 2007 from Mongabay.com. An editorial arguing that while palm oil as currently produced is causing deforestation and other environmental damage, it is possible to do palm oil right, by moving production to degraded lands and away from virgin forests. Creation of a market for "green" palm oil produced with clear sustainability standards will also help.
• How Biofuels Could Starve the Poor, 4 April 2007 by C. Ford Runge and Benjamin Senauer, from Foreign Affairs, May/June 2007. Biofuels made from staple foods like corn and cassava could cause an increase in hunger. Every 1% increase in the real prices of staple foods could increase the number of food-insecure people in the world by over 16 million.
• Brazil assessing 10x increase in ethanol production; 10% of Global Gasoline in 18 years, 1 April 2007 from Tierramerica.net. A government group led by the Interdisciplinary Group for Energy Planning of Campinas University concluded that Brazil could produce 205 billion liters of ethanol by 2025, which is about 10% of projected gasoline demand. This could be done "without sacrificing forests, protected areas or food cultivation". One of the key assumptions of the group is the development of cellulosic ethanol technologies that can use bagasse, the main by-product of sugar ethanol production.

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