In another step forward for biofuels, a commercial jet took to the skies yesterday over New Zealand to test a new jet fuel blend that uses oil from the oily jatropha plant. Air New Zealand announced that a Boeing 747 plane flew for about two hours yesterday, running on a 50/50 blend of conventional jet fuel and biofuel. Jatropha—a weedy bush from Africa that produces seeds rich in oil—was selected because it is not a food crop and can be grown on land unsuitable for food production. The roughly three tons of liquid jatropha biofuel came from plants grown in India, Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania, the airline says [Scientific American].
Air New Zealand is the second airline to test-fly a jet plane powered by biofuel. The first was Virgin Atlantic Airways, which in February flew a Boeing 747-400 from London to Amsterdam with one of its four tanks filled with jet fuel containing a 20 percent blend of biofuel made of coconut and babbasu oil [Greentech Media]. Meanwhile, other airlines are developing jet fuels derived from algae or oilseed plants: Continental Airlines and Japan Airlines both have test flights scheduled for January.
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Genetically engineered bacteria can now produce long-chain alcohols that could be used as biofuel, scientists report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences [subscription required]. Remarkably, the researchers synthetically modified the bacteria’s metabolism to churn out a type of energy-rich alcohol not normally found in nature. “Previous metabolic engineering work typically produces compounds that already exist in nature,” says coauthor James Liao… “Our work here aims to produce compounds that are not synthesized in nature” [Science News].
In addition to ordinary genetic engineering, which involves taking genes from different species (in this case, genes from yeast and a cheese-making bacteria), the new study also required a third, custom-made artificial gene. The three genes were inserted into the genome of E. coli bacteria. The researchers designed the genes to extend E. coli‘s metabolic pathway so that toward the end, the precursor compounds that would normally get converted into amino acids instead turn into long-chain alcohols [Technology Review]. These long-chain alcohols string together six carbon atoms, packing in more potential energy per molecule. Ethanol has only two carbon atoms, and no other naturally-occurring alcohol contains more than five.
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If life gives you saltwater, grow salt-loving plants. That’s the cheerful prescription two ecologists have offered to cope with the salinization of coastal fresh water supplies that would likely occur if global warming causes sea levels to rise, bringing saltwater sloshing further inland. The scientists say that convincing farmers to grow edible salt-tolerant plants would prepare them for changing conditions, and would also allow them to utilize previously barren coastal deserts and degraded agricultural land.
Governments should begin to invest in “saltwater agriculture,” says coauthor Jelte Rozema. “We have limited amounts of freshwater – most of it is used for drinking water. Gradually it will be profitable to think of brackish water and sea water as a resource.” … The scientists suggest the best way forward is to domesticate wild plants, crossbreeding them to produce higher yields [BBC News]. Researchers points to edible plants like sea kale and samphire (sometimes called sea asparagus) as likely candidates for domestication, as both grow happily amid the sea spray. In the Netherlands, researchers have experimented with growing sea kale as a crop in coastal areas, and their results have been a hit at one island restaurant. “It has a stronger flavor than most vegetables but brings out very nice accents in food,” [restaurateur Jef] Schuur said. “Growing sea kale here shows that there are a lot more opportunities for local produce on low-lying islands affected by salt” [Bloomberg].
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A newly discovered tree fungus could be on its way to the gas station. The fungus, Gliocladium roseum, is able to turn plant matter into gaseous hydrocarbons that are almost chemically identical to diesel fuel. “This is the only organism that has ever been shown to produce such an important combination of fuel substances,” said researcher Gary Strobel from Montana State University. “The fungus can even make these diesel compounds from cellulose, which would make it a better source of biofuel than anything we use at the moment” [LiveScience].
The fungus grows inside trees in the rainforests of Patagonia, in the southern part of Argentina and Chile. After discovering the new fungus wedged between cells in a stem from an Ulmo tree (Eucryphia cordifolia), Strobel and colleagues cultured the organism, collected the gaseous compounds it produced, and ran the compounds through a mass spectrometer to identify them. When he saw the printout, Strobel says, “every hair on my body stood up.” The list included octane, 1-octene, heptane, 2-methyl, and hexadecane–all common components of diesel fuels [ScienceNOW]. The gaseous compound, dubbed “myco-diesel,” is thought to be used by G. roseum to poison other fungi.
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A green technology company that turns pond scum into biofuel has announced plans to build the first commercial-scale algae farm, a $92 million complex of greenhouses that are expected to eventually cover 247 acres. The company, GreenFuel Technologies, wants to recycle carbon dioxide from factories and power plants, and will use that gas plus sunshine to nourish its algae fields. The process provides two environmental benefits in one, as it simultaneously absorbs carbon dioxide emissions and provides a renewable source of fuel.
As prices for vegetable oils used to make biofuels has remained high, algae advocates have looked upon the slime as a possible savior. After all, algae are oily and could potentially produce more oil per acre than palm or other oil-yielding crops. Companies haven’t yet succeeded in producing algae affordably and at significant volumes in spite of years of research and development, but a number of venture-backed companies cropped up to take on the challenge [Greentech Media]. While the companies Sapphire Energy and Solazyme have also garnered attention and funding, GreenFuel Technologies seems to have beat the competition to the punch on commercializing its technology.
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Look, up in the sky: It’s a biofuel-powered jet! It’s a hydrogen-powered plane! In fact, you can expect to see both of these alternative energy aircraft in the sky in coming years. The aviation industry is rushing to innovate as fuel prices continue to take their toll and as the public questions the impact air travel has on climate change.
In North Dakota, an engineering team working with DARPA has created a soybean and canola oil biofuel for jets that they say is indistinguishable from conventional jet fuel, with a similar density and freezing point. The research team is currently in the process of producing 25 gallons (95 liters) of the bio–jet fuel for ground testing in a jet engine as early as next month. “The thing that needs to happen is a purchase order to come through from the Air Force so we can get [the] investment to build that first plant,” [engineer Chad] Wocken says. “We could get a plant operational in two to five years if there were a commitment to buy the fuel” [Scientific American].
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A “sustainable chemical” company called Genomatica has developed a way to use sugar and genetically engineered bacteria to produce a common industrial chemical that’s usually produced using petroleum, and which is found in everything from Spandex to car bumpers. By using sugar from sugar cane as a feedstock, industrial chemical companies can get a cheaper alternative to petroleum-derived chemicals, while investing in processes that are less polluting and nontoxic, said Genomatica CEO Chris Gann [CNET].
Genomatica produces the chemical, 1,4-butanediol (BDO), by feeding pure glucose derived from sugarcane to E. coli bacteria, which has been engineered to produce BDO. “We have engineered the organism such that it has to secrete that product in order for it to grow,” says [company president] Christophe Schilling…. “The interests of the organism are aligned with our interests: It grows faster when it produces more” [Scientific American].
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A green technology company has created a jet fuel from algae and announced yesterday that the new product meets vigorous aviation standards. The California-based company, Solazyme, said it’s near to creating cost-competitive fuels: “The end goal is to be at or less than the cost of fossil fuel and my best guess is we’ll be at that point within 24 to 36 months,” Jonathan Wolfson, the company’s chief executive, said [Reuters]. The company’s technology uses genetically modified algae, which convert the cellulose from materials like wood chips, switchgrass, or sawdust into oil.
Solazyme had its new fuel tested by an independent company to ensure that its product has the same density, thickness, and freezing point as conventional jet fuels. “This is not like conventional biodiesel, where you can take french fry grease from McDonald’s and turn it into oil in your garage,” said [company president] Harrison Dillon…. “Planes will fall out of the sky if you don’t have a high-quality fuel that meets strict standards. … What Solazyme has done is demonstrate the first-ever manufacture of high-quality jet fuel from algae” [San Francisco Chronicle].
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A new batch of genetically engineered bacteria may be able to slash the cost of producing ethanol from tough materials like wood chips and switchgrass, pushing the young ethanol industry closer to its goal of creating commercially competitive alternative fuel from the waste products of farming and forestry. Ethanol from cellulose, the kind of sugar in the likes of cornstalks and sawdust, is being promoted as an environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuels, with the advantage that it does not use food crops such as corn as raw materials [Reuters].
Ethanol from corn and sugarcane is relatively easy to produce, because yeast convert the readily accessible sugars and starches into ethanol. Cellulose presents a stiffer challenge. Cellulose fibers contain longer polysaccharide chains than those found in starches and surround them with lignin and hemicelluose, which hold the fibers together and provide strength. This makes them tough—tough enough to hold up a tree—but it also makes the sugars within very hard to access [Ars Technica].
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Ask and you shall not receive: The Environmental Protection Agency has refused a request by Texas Gov. Perry to temporarily suspend the rules that require a minimum amount of ethanol to be mixed into U.S. gasoline.
In April, the governor asked the EPA to halve this year’s ethanol requirement for the nation from 9 billion gallons to 4.5 billion. Perry said the waiver was needed because rising U.S. ethanol output is inflating corn prices, wreaking havoc on the state’s massive livestock industry and boosting grocery bills for American families. But on Thursday, EPA Administrator Stephen Johnson said Perry’s request had not proved the Renewable Fuel Standard, which sets ethanol quotas, is causing “severe economic harm,” a requirement needed to justify a waiver [Houston Chronicle].
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Orangutans, which some scientists believe are second only to humans in intelligence, could be the first great ape to go extinct if swift action isn’t taken to conserve their rainforest habitat and protect them from poachers, according to a new survey.
The orange-furred primates live in the wild on only two islands, Sumatra and Borneo. The survey, which was conducted by the Great Ape Trust and will be published this month in the journal Oryx [subscription required], alarmed researchers because it showed that orangutan populations have plummeted in just the last few years. It found that the number of orang-utans on Sumatra island in Indonesia has fallen by 14 per cent since 2004 to only 6,600 animals…. In Malaysia’s Borneo island, the largest home of the species, numbers fell by 10 per cent in the same period to 49,600 apes [Telegraph].
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A European Union panel has incited a new round of sturm und drang as it debates the role that biofuels should play in the continent’s quest for clean energy. Adding to the high-octane dialog, a report leaked to a British newspaper raises the possibility that the demand for biofuels bears the brunt of responsibility for rising food prices around the world.
In a twist that might have seemed unlikely just a couple of years ago, environmentalists and liberal politicians in Europe are turning against the renewable fuel, saying that ethanol derived from corn, sugar cane, and other crops causes more problems than it solves. Previously, the European Union (EU) had proposed deriving 10 percent of road transport fuel from renewable sources such as biofuels by 2020, but the target has been attacked by environmentalists, who say it contributes to rising food prices and deforestation [Reuters].
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The jatropha plant has traditionally been considered a weed, and it sure grows like one–it can thrive in marginal soil, requires very little water, and needs no fertilizers or pesticides. But it’s currently one of the most hyped and desired weeds on the planet, as governments and companies all clamor over its potential as a renewable energy source.
Attention focuses on the shrub’s poisonous seeds, which are about 40 percent oil. New Zealand’s biggest airline became jatropha’s latest champion yesterday when it announced its intention of processing the seed oil into diesel fuel for its jumbo jets.
Air New Zealand is hoping for a test flight in August or September, when it would fill one of the four engines of a 747 with the weed-derived fuel. Eventually, the company wants to get 10 percent of its total fuel from jatropha.
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It looks like we really can’t have everything.
Western nations may have been feeling environmentally optimistic lately because of their embrace of biofuels made from corn or sugarcane — a clean-burning, renewable energy source. But as ethanol producers have snapped up corn reserves, food prices around the world have spiraled up, causing scattered riots from Mexico to Haiti to Somalia.
At a hastily organized summit meeting of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization, officials warned that the present unrest could develop into a “global catastrophe.” The statistics tell a serious story: The recent crisis is believed to have pushed 100 million people into hunger worldwide. Poorer countries are faced with a 40% increase in their food imports bill this year, and experts say some countries’ food bills have doubled in the past year [BBC News].
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