biodiesel
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Biodiesel can be harvested from leftover food, kids no longer have to clear their plates
The best dishes always contain 30 per cent fat minimum. This doesn't merely ensure a level of hearty satisfaction (Windows 7 Whopper anybody?), it also means the leftovers contain plenty of the greasy good stuff, which can be cleverly harvested and metamorphosed into biodiesel. The technology behind this process has been around for a while, but now British firm Greenergy claims it is ramping up commercial production. The firm's CEO reckons each of his new £50million ($80million) biodiesel plants will digest a sufficient volume of waste pies, fries and taramasalata to "fill out a cruise ship every year". Mmmm, pie.
Visualized: Planters gifts Mr. Peanut with a new biodiesel-fueled ride
While you may not realize it, Mr. Peanut's been cruising around in the same ride for decades. Maybe even centuries. Regardless of the specifics, one thing has become abundantly clear to the higher-ups at Planters -- dude needs a new ride, STAT. As the story goes, 2011 will be the year that the Nutmobile sees a much-needed revamp, with the refreshed model to be based around a 2011 Isuzu NPR diesel truck. Inside of the crunchy shell, it's been outfitted with five percent biodiesel, a smattering of solar panels and a wind turbine, not to mention a bank of batteries. Sickening as it may seem, Mr. Peanut will be murdering a few of his own just to get down the street, with "a small amount" of peanut oil being mixed in with a number of other vegetable and cooking oils. So much for that happy-go-lucky front, huh?
Shell Oil pulls the plug on its last algae biodiesel research project
Algae biodiesel has looked so promising (as in 100 times more fuel than corn or soy) that the U.S. Department of Energy gave $9 million to Cellana, a joint research venture between Shell Oil and HR Biopetroleum, specifically to look into the alternative energy source's prospects. It seems, however, that those prospects were no longer attractive to Shell, which has announced it will no longer pursue algae biodiesel, because it feels it doesn't have sufficient commercial viability. Partner HR Biopetroleum has stated it cannot continue the project on its own as Shell pursues other biofuel initiatives with other companies.
Philadelphia Eagles going self-sufficient on stadium energy from 2011, 30 percent of it renewable
Let's skip right past the cringe-worthy "Declaration of Energy Independence" slogan and look at what the Eagles are actually doing with their pro sports venue. The franchise that dresses in midnight green is aiming to smarten up its eco-green credentials with a new partnership with SolarBlue that will provide all of the Eagles' stadium energy needs for the next 20 years, after which point the team will be free to resell any surplus electricity back to the grid. 15 percent of the total output with be generated with spiral wind turbines erected around the top rim of Lincoln Financial Field, another 15 will come from 2,500 solar panels to be installed near the stadium, and the rest will be obtained from a biodiesel / natural gas plant. So it's not all renewable, but a nice step in the right direction, nonetheless.
AORA builds sci-fi-looking solar/hybrid plant in the Israeli desert
A company called AORA has developed a hybrid solar power plant in the Israeli desert. Comprised of a number of 100kWe base units, the operation is modular (additional units can be added) and it should be complete sometime in the next ten days. When operational, thirty mirrors will track the sun and direct its rays up to the 98.4 foot tall "flower," where the concentrated sunlight heats compressed air, which in turn drives an electric turbine. When the sun has set for the day (or if it's cloudy) the turbine can be run off of biodiesel, natural gas, or fossil fuels, allowing the plant to operate twenty-four hours. The only downside we can see is that the huge tower is sure to attract psychopaths like Lord Humungus and Wez -- so you'll want some weapons. More pics after the break.[Via Inhabitat]
Mercedes-Benz aiming to ditch petroleum by 2015?
While Audi is over there planning to produce an electric car within the next decade, Mercedes-Benz is hoping to be completely petro free within seven years. At least that's the word according to a recent report in The Sun. Dr. Herbert Kohler, who is responsible for Mercedes' advanced engineering, has reportedly suggested that "by 2015 motorists will have switched almost completely to alternative fuel cars." In order to make sure it's not left out, the automaker already has an electric car in the works for 2010 as well as plans to use its DiesOtto engine which will give motorists the ability to use biofuels should they choose. Still, aiming to phase petroleum completely out of its lineup by 2015 sounds overly ambitious from here, but we certainly won't complain if it achieves said goal.[Via AutoblogGreen, thanks Dan]
E-Fuel's Micro Fueler creates Ethanol from sugar in your backyard
Far from being the first at-home biofuel kit we've seen, E-Fuel is hoping to target consumers with a hankering for fueling up their vehicle with homegrown goodness. The Micro Fueler claims to be the first backyard Ethanol brewer made specifically for use at one's abode, and according to the outfit's CEO, the premise behind it is quite simple. By mixing water, sugar and yeast, individuals can receive E100 Ethanol in a matter of hours. More specifically, it's noted that a gallon of fuel can be derived from ten gallons of sugar, and while that may not sound like the most efficient conversion rate in the world, the company is quick to point out that costs can be lowered via federal, state and local credits along with carbon trading coupons. Those eager to start fueling up before they even leave the house can order one now for $9,995, though we're told not to expect shipments until Q4.
InnovaTek's hand-sized microreactor converts liquid fuel into hydrogen
While oil prices continue to soar to new heights, the gurus at InnovaTek are peering into the future. After years of work, said company is finally testing its hand-sized microreactor that can reportedly "convert virtually any liquid fuel into hydrogen, producing a portable hydrogen stream for use in adjoining fuel-cells." In a perfect world, the technology would come built-in to vehicles, where we'd bypass the dangerous act of transporting hydrogen and instead convert biodiesel (or similar) right within the confines of the car. As it stands, the outfit has already signed a half-million dollar joint development agreement with Chevron to "pursue fuel processing technology for hydrogen refueling stations," and while this stuff isn't apt to be an option on any showroom models next year, InnovaTek is still aiming to commercially license the microreactors by 2009.
FuelPod2 converts excess cooking oil into biodiesel
Engineering folks have long since been powering their automobiles with less than scrumptious liquids, but Green Fuels is hoping to make the usage of homegrown biodiesel entirely more common. The firm's FuelPod2 is aimed squarely at the domestic market and is capable of churning out 50-liters of fuel each day from waste cooking oil. Reportedly, the 140-centimeter high device utilizes external, thermostatically-controlled band heaters to pre-heat the oil, which ensures that the warming takes places prior to the addition of chemicals. Customers will also receive a "comprehensive operating manual" and can feel free to phone up a dedicated helpline in case of emergency, but truthfully, we'd expect nothing less from a system starting at £1,750 ($3,607).[Via UberReview]
Meet your new electric and biodiesel Harley
We love electric cars as much as the next guy; unfortunately most of them just don't have what we in the biz call "zazz", y'know? But an electric Harley-Davidson: now that's something special. Although it's not officially endorsed by the Milwaukee headquarters, that hasn't stopped Carl Vogel of Long Island from building a green-friendly hog by tearing out the usual gasoline motor from a stock Harley chassis and replacing it with an electric motor that can achieve 85 mph. But don't be ready to toss your classic Harley aside just yet, as the electric version only has a range of 60 miles traveling at 55 mph; to boost that distance, Vogel coverted a sidecar into a biodiesel engine that can recharge the batteries while he rides. Eyeing one? Vogel told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he'd be quitting his job as a teacher by 2007 to start making diesel motorcycles full-time at a retail price of $30,000 to $40,000, but he didn't mention if he's going to be selling the electric ones too. No word on whether Vogel's challenged Willie Nelson to a biodiesel drag race yet, though.[Via Treehugger, thanks Christine L.]
