San Francisco will host it’s 25th annual “Treecycling” program which turns the unwanted decorative trees into biofuel.

The trees will be collected from residents in January in an effort to divert the fir trees from Bay Area landfills. They will be collected curbside, chipped and sold in to energy-generating facilities in Tracy and Woodland to be used as biomass, said Bob Besso, Recology’s waste reduction and recycling manager.

Over  514 tons of Christmas tree “fuel” was collected last year in San Francisco and hope to top that figure this new year.

Using the tree’s as a solid fuel is seen to be much more environmentally friendly than disposing to landfill. The rotting down of the trees releases methane gases which are more harmful than the burning of the biomas.

Savings available through biofuel vehicle ownership

We are all more than aware that fuel prices are starting to become untenable. A recently survey conducted by MoneySupermarket.com revealed that nearly one million motorists are now prepared to give up driving altogether due to rising fuel prices.

The problems with electric

Major car manufacturers such as Nissan have been quick to develop vehicles which do not rely on fossil fuels. It currently costs the average motorist about £1,870 per year in fuel costs alone to run a normal fossil fuel vehicle such as a Ford Focus. In comparison, it is believed that it would only cost £350 per year to charge up Nissan’s new all electric Leaf model using mains electricity in order to complete the same distance.

However, one of the major problems with such vehicles is the high initial purchase costs which are beyond the reach of the average motorists. The Nissan Leaf costs over £12,000 more to buy from new than a Ford Focus; an additional expenditure which would take almost 8 years to recoup in fuel costs alone before overall savings began to be experienced.

In addition to this they are also very impractical; with Nissan new electric Leaf model only capable of completing 100 miles between charges; with recharges taking multiple hours to complete. This problem is compounded by the lack of recharging stations which are currently in place throughout the country.

The biofuel alternative

One major manufacturer who is aware of these issues is General Motors (GM). GM’s vice Chairman Tom Stephens recently stated at the Renewable Fuel Association’s 15^th Annual National Ethanol Conference that while electric and potentially even hydrogen are the future of the automotive industry; they simply are not ready to become mainstream yet. In the interim, Stephens believes that bio-fuel vehicles are the ideal solution and is therefore calling on governments in developed countries to create initiatives to encourage the expansion of bio-fuel filling stations.

Biodiesel is currently the most popular bio-fuel on sale in theUKdue to it being readily available in a large number of petrol stations throughout the country. It is produced from oils and fats. Biodiesel mixtures featuring only 5% oil are commonly available in petrol stations across the country due to government support, but it is possible to either buy or even make bio-fuels at home which are completely devoid of diesel altogether.

The only problem with this potentially is that cooking oil can freeze in the winter, so mixtures of at least 50% with diesel are recommended. However, in the summer months it is theoretically possible to run diesel vehicles using only cooking fat. One man who has taken such a route is James Morfee fromSomersetwho produces his own bio-diesel from used cooking oil which he has purchased from local restaurants for 10p per litre. Once he gets it home, Mr Morfee strains the oil to remove loose debris and puts it into oil drums where it is heated along with other chemicals including sodium hydroxide for a period of time and finally left to calm for a week before it is used in Morfee’s diesel Saab. The exact recipe for Morfee’s biofuel mix is available upon request, but he claims that the total cost of the combination is only 18p per litre compared to £1.40 at his local petrol station. This therefore has the potential to save him £1,600 in fuel costs every single year.

Potential problems

Along with the potential problem of frozen fuel in the winter is the issue of warranties which could become void due to manufacturer warnings not to use bio-fuels of which only a small percentage is diesel. This could leave motorists seriously out of pocket in the event of a breakdown occurring; even if it has not been caused by their usage of bio-fuels. This is a potential loophole that car dealerships and manufacturers are more than happy to exploit.

There are also currently ethical problems associated with bio-fuel usage; with environmentalists warning that bio-fuel production is potentially a more profitable option for farmers than food production. This could not only be detrimental to the animals in terms of the land available for them, but could also push up the basic price of food at the shops for all consumers.

Which cars can use biodiesel?

Biodiesels will not work in all diesel vehicles because not all manufacturers have modified their diesel engine designs to accommodate the use of such fuels. Volkswagen diesel cars for example which were designed before 2004 have far less sensitive fuel injection systems than newer versions and will therefore be more likely to accommodate bio-fuels with a very low percentage of actual diesel in the mixture. Volkswagen recommends only using biofuel’s with a 5% blend on its modern machines; a mixture that is now commonly available in most refilling stations across the country due to government pressure.

Interesting to note is the fact that Vauxhall vehicles will not run on high blend bio-fuel’s unless modifications are made to the engine. This is despite GM’s support for such concepts. It is therefore recommended that you do not attempt to use bio-fuels before checking with your vehicle manufacturer first.

Agave plantations could pave the way for bofuel crops

A recent study has found that abandoned agave plantations in Mexico and Africa could be reclaimed for biofuel crops. The research suggests that the plants used to distil tequila could be used as an alternative crop source that does not compete for land used by food crops.

The found that agave derived ethanol could produce good crop yields on hot, arid land and with relatively little environmental impact. The agave plant consists of large rosettes of fleshy leaves, it produces high levels of sugar, ideal for converting to alcohol for use as a fuel.

Much of the biofuel crops of the US is produced using corn which has been blamed to record corn grain prices.

Andrew Smith, a member of the research team and scientist at the University of Oxford said: “The characteristics of the agave suit it well to bioenergy production, but also reveal its potential as a crop that is adaptable to future climate change. In a world where arable land and water resources are increasingly scarce, these are key attributes in the food versus fuel argument, which is likely to intensify given the expected large-scale growth in biofuel production.”

Interjet Biofuel flight completed successfully

Mexican airline Interjet have successfully completed a commercial flight partially fuelled by biofue. The flight between Mexico City and Tuxtla Gutierrez on 21 July is the first biofuel powered flight in Latin America.

Using a blend of 27% jatropha biofuel, the Airbus A320 consumed a total of 12,716 litres (3,360USgal) of fuel for its maiden voyage. The biofuel crop was produced using jatropha ugrown in the Chiapas region of Mexico.

Mexico aima to produce 700m litres of biofuel by the year, representing 15% of domestic demand.

Virgin Group are collaboration of biofuels

Airlines in the Virgin Group are collaborating to see if they could develop and share aviation biofuels at their common port of Los Angeles International airport.

The airlines – V Australia, Virgin America and Virgin Atlantic – have significant stage length operations at Los Angeles that would permit them to maximise bio-derived jet fuel deployment at a single, shared location.

“We’re working with the other Virgin airlines – Virgin America and Virgin Atlantic – to look at what we can do in LA,” said David White, the sustainability and climate change manager for Virgin Australia, which includes long-haul affiliate V Australia.

“That’s one synergy which we’re concentrating on because we’re all flying into LA. We’re checking out ‘What can we do there?’”

Collaboration with other airlines or biofuel consortia are also options for Virgin Group, he said.

Shell Biofuel Joint venture

Shell and ethanol producer Cosan have launched a multi-billion-dollar joint venture that will become a leading ethanol producer. It is the first time that Shell, a fuel distributor, will move into production. Named Raízen, the company will operate in Brazil, one of the world’s fastest-growing markets for biofuel. Raízen will produce and sell over two billion litres a year of ethanol made from Brazilian sugar cane, which it said is the lowest-carbon biofuel commercially available.

Raízen will distribute biofuels and over 20 billion litres of other industrial and transport fuels annually through a combined network of nearly 4,500 Shell-branded service stations. It will become the third largest fuel company in Brazil, with plans to extend ethanol exports to other key markets in the future. Raízen’s 24 mills can process up to 62 million tonnes of cane into sugar or ethanol each year, with the flexibility to adapt to market demand. Biofuels make up more than 20 per cent of Brazil’s current transport fuel mix, four per cent of transport fuel in Europe, and three per cent in the U.S. Global biofuels currently meet around three per cent of road transport fuel demand, but Shell expects this to rise by about nine per cent by 2030. Brazil’s fuel mixture is expected to be 40 per cent biofuel by 2030. Raízen’s current annual production capacity will be enough to meet nearly nine per cent of Brazil’s current ethanol demand.

Microalgae to biofuel project set to generate new energy

Nine partners from seven countries have joined in an innovative project to show that ethanol, biodiesel and other bio-products can be produced from algae on a large scale.

The BIOfuel From Algae Technologies (BIOFAT) project, largely funded by the European Commission’s seventh framework programme, aims to demonstrate that biofuels made from microalgae can offer energy efficiency, economic viability and environmental sustainability.

The microalgae-to-biofuel demonstration project aims to integrate the entire value chain in the production of ethanol and biodiesel. The process will begin with strain selection and continue through biological optimisation of the culture media, monitoring algae cultivation, low energy harvesting and technology integration.

The development team will train on existing prototypes in Israel, Portugal and Italy, before scaling up the process to a 10-hectare demonstration plant.

Algae’s potential for providing high-energy-yield products with low greenhouse gas emissions is well known, but the downsides are less clear. Hence, the BIOFAT partners say they will be seeking to maximise the benefits while minimising environmental impacts.

Along the way, the project partners say they will be introducing the planet to the algorefinery, a facility that can produce high-value co-products in addition to biofuels.

The project is being undertaken by a transnational consortium drawn from the academic, industrial and public sectors. It includes the University of Florence (IT), A4F-AlgaFuel, Ben-Gurion University, Fotosintetica & Microbiologica, Evodos, AlgoSource Technologies, IN SRL and Hart Energy.

The project is expected to last four years, and produce about 900 tons of algae annually on the 10-hectare plant.

German motorists avoiding biofuels

The Germans have a famous passion for automobiles, but it has run smack into European Union directives to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. So rather than ask German drivers to give up those highly tuned Mercedes or BMWs, the government is offering them “E10″ — gas mixed with 10 percent ethanol, produced from corn and wheat.

But there are two problems: German car lovers are refusing to buy it and environmentalists say it’s no greener than regular gas.

At a gas station in Berlin, Franziska Muller fills up her Volkswagen Polo on her way home from work. Its shiny, waxed finish mirrors her immaculately put-together business attire. And even though it’s cheaper, the 32-year-old says there’s no way she is going to risk putting the new 10 percent ethanol gas into her car.

“You bet I’m worried about my car — most of all about the motor,” Muller says. “Nobody can guarantee that it won’t get damaged. Of course, it means I pay a bit more for gas, but for now there’s no way I’m touching the stuff.”

Muller is hardly alone. The German Automobile Association says that some 85 percent of Germans are refusing to buy the biofuel, despite the fact that it is about 8 percent cheaper by the gallon than ordinary super unleaded gasoline.

“Anybody who wants to introduce a new fuel in Germany will always have a problem because Germans are car crazy,” says Frank Bruhning with the German Biofuels Association.

Bruhning insists the public’s extreme lack of enthusiasm has mainly been a problem of marketing and that the biofuel is, in fact, compatible with finely tuned German engines.

“There is no problem whatsoever with using E10 in your car,” he says. “It’s safe to use biofuels. It’s good for the environment because it reduces CO2 emissions, and it replaces fossil fuels, of which we have less and less in the world.”

Concerns About E10

But German consumers are not convinced. They say there are no guarantees the gas won’t harm engines. Germany’s attempt to up the amount of ethanol in fuel from 5 percent to 10 percent has proven such a tremendous commercial flop that gas companies in Germany have already drastically reduced production and distribution of E10.

The fuel was introduced as a measure to meet the EU’s energy directive — which stipulates that 10 percent of transport fuel must come from renewable sources by the year 2020 as part of the bid to reduce overall energy consumption.

Meanwhile, environmental groups say ecological damage is another reason to steer clear of E10. They say the energy used to make and transport the fuel — as well as the pesticides and water used in the production of crops for ethanol — are just as damaging to the environment as filling up with regular.

Werner Reh, a traffic expert with Friends of the Earth Germany, charges that crop-derived fuels are also boosting global food prices.

“Why should we invest in biomass to grow for the tank instead of the plate?” Reh asks. “If people are hungry, we can’t really afford — and we don’t think it’s ethical — to do that.”

But Germany still needs to find a way to meet the EU’s clean-energy directive. The German Green Party is calling for the wider introduction of wind farms and electric cars, but as the biofuel industry’s Bruhning points out, the alternatives are not yet available in sufficient numbers.

“Right now, the only alternative that’s existing is biofuels,” he says. “And the German government hopes that [by] 2020 we’ll have 1 million electric cars. But in total we have 50 million cars, so it’s just one fiftieth.”

In the wake of Japan’s nuclear crisis, more and more Germans have joined the long-active chorus of citizens calling for the country to phase out its nuclear power plants by at least 2021. So with more Germans saying no thanks both to nuclear power and biofuels, carbon dioxide emissions are likely to increase in Europe’s largest economy before they decrease.

In fact, German companies are now building several new coal-fired power plants to help meet energy demand.

Air Force Thunderbirds to perform using biofuel

The twists and turns performed by the Air Force Thunderbirds this week may pale in comparison with what’s going on inside the planes.

A fuel blend that includes a biofuel made from the camelina flower will power two of the six jets as they perform their aerial stunts Friday and Saturday at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

The aerial demonstration team will fly for about 45 minutes on the fuel, which is domestically made.

The Air Force has been testing and evaluating biofuels made from the blooms, as well as mixtures involving beef tallow and waste oils and greases. Its goal is to derive half of its domestic aviation fuel from alternative sources by 2016 and to have all its aircraft certified to use biofuels by 2013.

The Air Force uses billions of gallons of jet fuel each year.

The camelina blend has also made an appearance in the A-10 Thunderbolt II, known as the Warthog. Last month, three of four F-15 fighter jets that flew over a Philadelphia baseball game used a similar biofuel mix.

North Yorkshire hare's tracked in Hull biofuel project ‎

Experts from the University of Hull are investigating the impact biofuel crops has on farmland and hares.

The research based in North Yorkshire will monitor how planting a biofuel crop will affect the hares behaviour. Elephant grass will be planted and the hares tracked to see whether they select or avoid the crop. Dr Phil Wheeler said the affects of agricultural change need to be understood to ensure it results in “sustainable management” of farmland.

He said: “As the elephant grass grows up, it’ll get taller and it will start to shade out some of the potential hare forage crops, certainly as it grows up it will also provide increasingly good cover for them and the extent they use if for cover and for food will probably change.

“What we’re interested in is how the balance between those two things affect hares and how hares use this landscape.”

Biofuel is made from living things or from the waste they produce helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in comparison to conventional fuels.

The government is currently subsidising farmers to plant biofuel crops to help meet renewable energy targets.

Dr Silviu Petrovan said: “It’s extremely important we don’t make the same mistakes as we have done in the past where land transformation has resulted in huge and profound changes and losses in our bio-diversity.

“There is a very good chance that if we get this right we might even get some benefit.”