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The article focuses on the significance of cofiring biomass with coal for energy resources in the U.S. The article informs that adapting coal-fired units to cofire biomass is a relatively low-cost method. It is stated that in circulating fluidized bed boilers, biomass is used. The relatively low energy density is one of the limitations of biomass and one pre-treatment option is palletizing it. It is mentioned that through a thermo-chemical process known as torrefaction, the properties of biomass can be further improved.

The article focuses on the conversion of coal-fired power station generators to run on biomass in Great Britain. Topics include the Drax coal-fired power station in Great Britain, challenge of safe storage of large amounts of wood pellets needed to fuel power stations, and new rail tracks and signal equipment at Drax.

The article discusses the emergence of biomass as fuel for power generation. With current and proposed government policies and requirements, the use of renewable fuels for power generation is seen to increase in the U.S. shortly. But as utilities shift to biomass to meet Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), the understanding of the issues related with the conversion and how biomass differs from coal, will be necessary.

The article reports on the development of an innovative energy recovery and resuse system by Greater Moncton Sewerage Commission (GMSC) in New Brunswick, Canada. The innovation is part of its new Biosolids Composting Facility that serves 95,000 people and is located in Riverview. The facility provides chemically-assisted primary treatment and incorporates sludge dewatering, alkaline treatment and handling facilities. The design of the facility is built to address the cold Canadian climate wherein it will be able to extract heat from the hot zone of the compost pile to melt the snow and ice, free the compost cover from the slab and preheat another pad as well as blower air.

The article explores the development of biorefineries. A diagram representing possible products and processing routes from biomass in a biorefinery is presented. Biorefineries require attractive long-term investments for international fuel and chemical firms. The introduction of biorefineries will increase the demand for biomass. The development of these refineries requires a means to combine economies of scale in production with the logistical and environmental issues of supplying sufficient feedstock.

The article discusses the implications of biomass liquid fuels on the petroleum industry around the world. The development of biomass energy as a substitute for petroleum gave birth to the concept of a post-petroleum era. To get prepared for the coming of the post-petroleum era, the U.S., Russia, Europe and Japan started to strengthen research on the utilization of nuclear energy, hydrogen energy, biomass energy and other renewable energies a long time ago.

The article details how Brazil has become a model and an ally for the United States in the pursuit of sustainable bioethanol, biodiesel and bioelectricity. A group of visionaries in Brazil has seen the potential for the combination of bioethanol and biodiesel. The article reports on the development of next-generation technologies for converting cellulosic biomass to fuels and chemicals.

The article provides information on the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) biosolid management program. The OCSD is a public agency responsible for collecting, treating and recycling wastewater and biosolids in Orange County, California. As part of its long-range biosolids management plan and request for proposal process, the district has partnered with EnerTech Environmental Inc. to manage one third of its biosolids production using SlurryCarb process at a facility in Rialto, California. The SlurryCarb process offers an innovative approach in treating and recycling biosolids into a fuel product at a significantly lower cost than conventional drying and burning.

The article focuses on the conversion of the town of Reynolds from a reliance on fossil fuels to biomass-based fuels in Indiana. With the implementation of BioTown USA, a template will be set that simultaneously promotes energy security, rural development, profitable agriculture and a green, thriving natural resource environment. Biomass energy technologies increase the utilization and conservation of energy by managing the unused energy in plant material. Building a biomass energy system requires knowledge of the available biomass materials or feedstocks.

The article discusses the possibility for the commercial and military aviation to become the industrial world's leader in shifting to non-petroleum-based fuels to reduce dependence on foreign suppliers and address persistent environmental issues, particularly the role carbon dioxide (CO2) plays in global warming. According to Pratt & Whitney Vice President Alan H. Epstein, the biofuels the company measure are showing a heat capacity of JP-7. It notes the effort of Europe to advance biofuel research.

The article discusses the application of an integrated system approach on sustainable development, biofuels and biorefineries. Sustainable development can be divided into two, sustainable development with respect to production and sustainable development with respect to consumption. Novel configurations and novel operational modes are vital to achieve sustainability and maximum production minimum pollution.

The article presents a corporate profile of Genesis Plant in Mead, Nebraska. The plant is built by E3 Biofuels and is the first closed-loop ethanol plant fueled largely by biogas derived from animal waste instead of natural gas. According to Dave Heineman, governor of Nebraska, the refinery sets a new standard for ethanol production in the country, and it produces 20 million gallons of ethanol every year. Dennis Langley, president and CEO of Genesis, stressed that the plant helps the government solve the water pollution problems, reduces the greenhouse gas effect and helps reduces the odor associated with feedlot operations.

The article deals with the backlash against biofuels and its impact on the palm oil industry. Increasing food prices, concerns surrounding sustainability, and energy-equation challenges have resulted to a backlash against the use of some biofuels. Some people view the expansion of sustainable biofuel as a way of meeting the power requirements and environmental concerns. Producers of palm oil remain optimistic that their operations can be sustainable.

The article reports on the development of a multiphase public/private partnership between Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio (SWACO), Acrion Technologies Inc. and FirmGreen Energy Inc. in the U.S. The said partnership has been aimed to transform the gas produced by the Franklin County landfill into biofuels and other high-value end products for the reduction of methane and carbon dioxide emissions. The energy recovery system is incorporated with several phases which is found to be significant to the operation. The Phase I involves methane compression processes, Phase II involves installation of two carbon dioxide Wash units, and Phase III involves the utilization of pure carbon dioxide from the wash process.

The article focuses on the multiphase research project conducted by the Center for Energy and Environment in Minneapolis, Minnesota that would assess the feasibility and cost effectiveness of regional biomass generated electricity projects that tap into local feedstock. The said project has received almost $400,000 in grant monies from the Renewable Development Fund and has formulated several studies that focuses on the different areas concerning biomass assessment. One of the study shows that biomass processing generally involves three steps such as drying, sizing, and cleaning.

The article features the American Property Experts Inc. of Wilmington, North Carolina, owned and manage by Jason Thompson. The company recycled wood and green wastes and offers land clearing services where it transports its grinders and processes the cleared materials on-site. It focused primarily on materials processing and marketing, in which the bulk is biomass or boiler fuel production, supplying four or five mills with biomass fuel across the state. The company receives $15 to $20/ton for ground wood that meets the specifications of every mill.

The article presents overviews of several technologies providing insights into the effect of the quality of landfill and anaerobic digester gas on equipment to generate electricity. The author points out that opportunities to produce electricity from methane are being improved as manufacturers introduce new upgraded equipment to address market needs and varying characteristics of raw biogas. The author stresses that in the renewable energy from organic recycling, the two types of electricity generation equipment are microturbines and reciprocating gas engines.

The article reflects on the 6th Annual Harvesting Clean Energy Conference in Spokane, Washington. It states that biofuels and other forms of agriculturally-generated have reached the point that sets them on a path to become 21st century energy sources. Tom Dorr, USDA Undersecretary for Rural Development declares that the energy economy is going to shift its way to offer extraordinary opportunity for rural America. It tells that rural economic opportunities in providing energy will regulate the need for new energy resources to cater the increasing oil problem.

The article informs that commercial production of next generation of biofuels has started. It has been informed that production of advanced biofuel has joined the first generation of biofuels to reduce foreign energy imports of the U.S. It has been stated that few advanced biofuel refineries are in production or in the construction phase in the U.S.

The article discusses the efforts of PBE Bioenergy, a co-operative of crop growers in Pembrokeshire, Wales, to fuel a boiler at the Bluestone Holiday Village. It examines the learning curve experienced by the farmers in starting the collaboration as admitted by farmer Graham Perkins. It provides details on how Perkins and Bluestone farmer Paul Ratcliffe developed and garnered funding for the project. It explains the approach taken by PBE in processing and burning fuel.

In this article, the author discusses some of the biggest problems the U.S. is facing. He highlights the contrary views of the U.S. political parties on the latest health care bill and investigates why people don't support government's health reform bill. It discusses the need of saving energy and suggests to produce energy from natural and renewable resources including sun energy and forest residue which can be converted into biofuel.

The article announces the partnership between Shell and Virent Energy Systems Inc. for a joint research and development effort in Madison, Wisconsin. Both companies will formulate ways to convert plant sugars directly into gasoline and gasoline blend components, rather than ethanol. Such move could pave the way for the availability of new biofuels that could be used at high blend rates in standard gasoline engines and could eliminate the need for specialized infrastructure, new engine designs and blending equipment.

The article reports on the interest of research and venture capital funds into microbial fuel cells (MFC) despite the increase in oil prices. Environmentalists, scientists and economists in North America and Europe is calling for the development of biofuels which do not undermine biodiversity and endanger food resources. According to the article, one major application of MFCs would be as a means of energy recovery in wastewater treatment plants.

The article examines the potential of future biofuel technologies. It notes that research institutes and energy, agricultural and biotechnology companies in North America, Europe and Japan are taking advantage of large amounts of public money given to R&D on cellulose-derived energy. It states that there is a possibility that North America and Europe and elsewhere in the world are likely to developed large biorefineries which will be able to make bioethanol, biodiesel and a range of high-value products like chemicals.

The article considers the future and limitations of biofuels. The increasing use of bioethanol and biodiesel is aided by their compatibility with existing fuel distribution systems and vehicle fleets. The reduction of atmospheric carbon emissions is driving the demand for biofuels. Successful development of second generation biofuel technologies will need a combination of benefits including enhanced production volumes.

The article discusses the evaluation on the sustainable farming impact of biofuels for transportation based on the study sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture. The research assesses opportunities and risks with large-scale development of biofuels based on the studies on biofuel use in Brazil, China, Germany, India and Tanzania. Suzanne Hunt, Worldwatch Biofuels project manager, said that it is important that government incentives be used to minimize competition between food and fuel crops and to discourage expansion onto economically valuable lands.

The article reports on various issues related to the future of farming in Great Britain. British agriculture could benefit from the combination of rising energy price and increased world energy demand. Opinion is split as to whether rape biodiesel, and ethanol from wheat or sugar beet, can compete with energy from biomass crops such as miscanthus and willow.

The article offers a look on how Farm2000 and Treco cut fuel costs. Farm2000 uses grain burners to cut costs. Burners for granular materials are auger-fed automatically, according to demand. Air is force-fed to the combustion area for a rapid primary burn. Some 50 percent of biomass energy is held in the resulting volatile gases, which are burnt simultaneously in a secondary air supply to release the remaining heat and prevent smoke and soot formation. On the other hand, Treco sells and installs Italian-produced grain boilers. The company is convinced that this is the hassle-free way to use biomass energy.

The article presents news briefs related to the farming industry as of April 28, 2006. Scientists claim that developing new detection, identification and monitoring systems by 2015 would almost eliminate the need for mass culling in the event of a new foot-and-mouth outbreak. DEFRA appears to have backtracked on its plans to ban immediately the burning of tallow as a biofuel.

The article reports on the lose of the British electrical power generation company, Drax Group PLC after launching legal proceedings against the government's decision to withdraw subsidies for energy conversion from coal-power units into biomass-fuelled generators. It states that the Herbert Smith Freehills (HSF) law firm has secured a win for Drax Group PLC in the subsidy battle. It notes that the power plant will qualify for the old system of the renewable energy scheme.

The article offers information on the recent patenting activity in biofuels for transportation. It informs about basic processes for converting cellulosic biomass to transportation fuels are already in widespread commercial use. It further highlights about research and development (R&D) interest involves using algae as a feedstock for biofuels.

The article discusses the developments in advanced biofuels technology. It focuses on the algal biofuels or 'green crude,' which is the biggest type of next generation of advanced biofuels technology. According to the European Biofuels Technology Platform, algae could produce more biomass and oils per hectare than terrestrial biomass.

The article presents the author's view on biomass energy and the utilization of carbon dioxide emission from waste disposal facilities. The author discusses the role of carbon dioxide to the environment and depicting it as non-hazardous if properly utilized. He elaborates the importance of carbon dioxide which should be converted to energy fuel and as biomass energy.

The article discusses an algae platform being set up by Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany which aims to develop algal biofuels using two research programmes. A closed photobioreactor with vertically-arranged plates of algae is being developed by a team at the Institute of Life Science Engineering while another team at the Institute for Pulsed Power and Microwave Technology is working on the extraction of valuable constituents from algal biomass using electrical cell disruption.

The article reports on the potential use of glycerol as a biofuel as researchers at Oxford University have developed a process to turn it into a commercial technology. It states that the process feeds the glycerol into a reactor at 100 degrees Celsius with 20bar of hydrogen pressure and uses a precious metal catalyst to isolate the methanol.

The article reports on the initiative of China, Japan and Korea on establishing a cooperation of science and technology for solar energy, wind energy and biomass energy. With this, there are three sides cooperation that will present a desirable prospect and this cooperation should start from demonstrative projects in specific sectors. They focus on their common needs and complementary cooperation basis in the development of technologies for renewable energies and new energies.

El artículo se centra en la posible conversión natural de biomasa cruda en biodiesel. El ingeniero y científico Dr. Christian Koch logró simular la conversión natural de biomasa cruda, denominado la Tecnología KDV. Las plantas KDV son autosostenibles; el 10% del combustible producido se utiliza en la generación de energía para el funcionamiento de la planta misma.

The article reports on the failure of more than 80% of biofuels to hit eco-standard targets on deforestation, wildlife protection, pollution and water contamination in Great Britain. According to the first monthly report by the Renewable Fuels Agency, the country of origin for the crops used to make the fuels is only known 57% of the time. It also revealed that the level of biofuels in fuel sold in the country was 2.14%, some way short of the target of 2.5%.

The article reports that the researchers at the Iowa State University has found that ethanol production has caused retail gasoline prices to increase in Iowa. The findings echo the assessment of Merrill Lynch commodity strategist Francisco Blanch. He says oil and gasoline prices would be about 15% higher if biofuel producers were not increasing their output.

The article reports that the Union of Concerned Scientists announced that vehicle emissions must be reduced in an effort to stem global warming. The organization called for increased fuel efficiency, a reduction in travel, and a move towards fuels that produce fewer carbon emissions. Biofuels were heralded as being an easily adapted source of sustainable energy.

The author speculates on future developments in the field of biomass energy. He considers the difference between the organic soil amendments and biomass energy markets. He addresses the scarcity of waste carbon. He believes there is a symbiotic role for nonenergy technologies to be nested within the bioenergy conversion technologies.

The article reports that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has appropriated $1 billion for multiyear biofuels and research and development projects in the fiscal year 2007. The DOE has announced four biofuels research projects worth $7.7 million which are designed to demonstrate technology for gasification-based thermochemical conversion processes that convert plant materials such as corn stover and grasses into biofuels.

The article focuses on the price value of carbon source based on energy content. The author emphasizes that the water quality evaluation of carbon is measured in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD), a measure of bacterial growth potential. In addition, it showed the exploration of new energy revenues of landfills, wastewater treatment plants and power plants through the biofuels, anaerobic digesters and algae production. The conversion of energy equivalents which is based on the British Thermal Units (BTU) is also discussed.

The article reports that the initiatives from staff at the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) projects are becoming potentially large-impacts realities. According to Michael Sparby, AURI project director, they have been developing the industry-wide initiatives and find them helpful in examining trends that have the potential to use commodities in a new way or develop a new use that has not been identified. The previous initiatives yielding valuable information include using liquid leftovers from ethanol production for fertilizers and determining economic realities of pelleting biomass for energy. AURI executive director Teresa Spaeth also stated that AURI was created to be proactive and a large portion of their project portfolio allows them to set trends on a broadscale.

The highlights the Ontario Biogas Systems Financial Assistance Program, a $9 million investment, that will assist farmers and rural businesses develop systems that produce clean energy from farm wastes. Agriculture Minister Leona Dombrowsky stresses that developing renewable energy in the agri-food and rural sectors is a significant part of the government's climate change initiative. The program has two phases: Phase I funding will cover up to 70 percent of the eligible cost for a feasibility study to a maximum of $35,000 and Phase II funding will cover up to 40 percent of eligible implementation costs.

The article reports on the issues concerning the energy supply shortage that has led to v vigorous development of corn-based fuel alcohol. It has given rise to worries over both the sustainable supply of corn as a raw material and the safety of the grain supply. With this, the expansion of new substitute biomass resources has become a key to the development of the biological fuel alcohol sector.

The article reports on the production of algae as a source of biodiesel in Netherlands. BioKing Green Energy NV has developed photo-bioreactors to grow algae that can be converted into biofuels. The firm estimates its process can produce biodiesel at a cost of less than 10 cents a liter. Greater use of biofuels could reduce the amount of fossil fuel-derived carbon dioxide emissions entering the atmosphere.

The article reports on the impact of combining renewable biofuels with vehicle fuels on motors and on the environment According to Peter Barlow, environment health and safety adviser for the Retail Motor Industry Federation, biofuels will cause problems in the process supply chain and in car engines. A test conducted on 10 percent fatty acid methyl ester revealed problems with injector fouling and power loss with Euro 5 engine technology.

The article reports that chemical engineers at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, are developing a hybrid biofuels production process which could be more efficient and suppress the formation of carbon dioxide. The hybrid hydrogen-carbon process is expected to yield three times the volume of biofuel from the same amount of biomass as established processes, according to Rakesh Agrawal, chemical engineering professor at Purdue.

The article reports on the partnership between universities, the U.S. government and industry to create the Colorado Center for Biorefining and Biofuels, touted to be the major player in the conversion of biomass into fuels and other products. It is the latest in the academic-industry collaboration to pursue alternative energy and raw materials. Research can be sponsored by companies in exchange for exclusive rights. Among the founding corporate members are Dow Chemical and Chevron.