Seaweed At The Pump: nations looking at alternatives for ethanol production

The development of alternative energy sources - in particular, improvements or replacements to fossil fuel-based gasoline - has been slow, to say the least. Ethanol additives are controversial as they are not necessarily cost effective. The price of processing corn into ethanol can exceed what would be a reasonable price at the pump and what it provides in emission reductions is overshadowed by the emissions generated as part of the production process. However, there are alternatives.

Researchers have been looking into the benefits of using other organic materials that contain similar sugars which can be used to produce ethanol or suitable derivatives. Sugarcane and switchgrass are two and besides being more economical to produce, they also do not divert an important food crop like corn towards energy production. Add to the list another promising candidate: seaweed.

Several nations, including the U.S., are looking at producing ethanol derivatives using seaweed. There are strains of brown seaweed, an inedible variety, that can be used to provide similar organic sugars necessary to produce isobutanol, a gasoline additive that is more effective than ethanol in reducing fossil-fuel emissions. Whereas corn and sugarcane provide sugar through the use of lignin, one of the plants building blocks; seaweed offers a similar-acting compound called alginate.

The statistics are in seaweed's favor. It can assist in the production of 1,200 to 1,500 gallons of ethanol per acre, as opposed to 900 to 1,000 gallons per acre for sugarcane, and does not require fertilizer, fresh water, or land. However, it does have its challenges. A substantial aquaculture industry would need to be developed to generate enough product to make it worthwhile and that means seaweed farms that could impinge on other commercial and even recreational ocean activities, ranging from commercial fishing to aquaculture for food to offshore energy systems like wind turbines. Energy company Royal Dutch Shell has estimated that it would require 3 percent of the world's coasts where kelp ( a type of brown algae) grows to make enough ethanol to replace 60 billion gallons of fossil fuel, which would amount to about 4 percent of global transportation fuel demand.

"I think it's definitely worth looking at," said Jonathan Burbaum, director of biofuels for the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). "There's nothing at this point that's a showstopper. We've got a situation where it would require the development of an offshore aquaculture industry for there to be enough feedstock to really compete with things like corn and cellulose. But it's the sort of thing, where if it's successful, it will be a game changer, so that fits what ARPA-E looks for."

So, a silver bullet it isn't. And that's one of the most challenging aspects regarding the entire alternative energy debate: one alternative will not entirely replace the fossil fuel (oil and coal) that society has come to depend on. In the end, if we are to succeed, it will be through a combination of technologies that collectively replace or, at least, drastically reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

"It's [Seaweed is] no more far-fetched than the notion of using algae or any other material," said Matt Hartwig of the U.S. ethanol trade group Renewable Fuels Association. "The biofuels industry is in a constant state of innovation."

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/01/19/3379882/seaweed-in-the-tank-company-turns.html#storylink=cpy

Currently, the U.S., Chile and Norway are actively researching seaweed's potential as an alternative energy source. Let's hope their work produces commercially viable results; I'm not sure just how long Earth can hold its breath in anticipation.

Source: Kansas City Star

California: sets a new standard for clean fuels

California took a solid step today in dealing with reducing the state's carbon footprint with the state Air Resources Board voting 9-1 in favor of adopting new regulations for greenhouse gas emissions from fuel.

The regulation requires producers, refiners and importers of gasoline and diesel to reduce the carbon intensity of their fuel by 10% over the next decade. And it launches the state on an ambitious path toward ratcheting down its overall heat-trapping emissions by 80% by mid-century — a level that scientists deem necessary to avoid drastic global climate disruption.

This is a first for any U.S. state and could set the standard worldwide. Regulations like this promote the development of alternative fuels, nudging the major energy companies to invest in greener alternatives like cellulosic ethanol made from trash, as opposed to the popular corn ethanol that is, in many ways, no better than petroleum-based fuels.

The regulation also is a positive step for entrepreneurs who are looking for new opportunities in alternative fuels. California will soon have its first cellulosic ethanol plant in Southern California's upper desert. The facility will process 170 tons of garbage a day to produce 3.7 million gallons of ethanol a year. Estimated cost per gallon: about $2, according to Arnold Klann of BlueFire Ethanol Fuels.

"California's low-carbon fuel standard is going to set the standard for the U.S. and, I expect, the standard globally," said Graeme S.S. Sweeney, a Shell executive vice president. "There will be a series of commercial-sized plants in the next five years. There will be different technologies. It will be good to see competition."

And that coming from one of the major energy/oil companies! I've always said that for energy companies to fully embrace a paradigm shift to alternative fuels, they will need to see the commercial advantage in it. Apparently, they are getting the message . . . and planet Earth should be the better for it.