Tag Archives: whitlocktuesday

Researchers Focus On Switchgrass As A Renewable Fuel Source

Robin WhitlockTuesday, 10 September 2013 Fungi and bacteria could be made to act on switchgrass in order to reduce the cost of ethanol production for biofuel A research team from Clemson University in South Carolina is looking at switchgrass as a potential source of renewable biofuel, examining in particular the action of fungi and bacteria as a means of releasing vital carbohydrates, such as cellulose and xylan, that can then be used to make biofuel. Most plant-based ethanol derives from sugar and starch in corn and sugarcane since the process of producing fuel from biomass, the waste material from vegetation, is still too costly to be competitive with fossil fuels. In part this is because of the process of releasing cellulose and xylan from lignin, which binds cells and structures in woody plants. The removal of lignin is often an important pretreatment step in biofuel production which subsequently enables microbes to convert cellulose and xylan to glucose and xylose which are then fermented in order to obtain alcohol-based biofuel. The Clemson University team is engaged in studying how to free up carbohydrates in switchgrass and waste paper and microbiologist Mike Henson is looking at the bacteria and fungi that can break down the carbohydrates and xylans in order to release the plant sugars. The project, if successful, will help the environment, particularly with regard to improving atmospheric conditions, and promote a sustainable bio-economy based on renewable energy. “It’s not going to be just one organism or just one enzyme,” said Henson. The fungi and the bacteria work additively as a community. The enzyme will be more like an “enzyme cocktail.” Henson’s task involves working out how to trigger enzymes in a particular order so that each enzyme performs its function at a particular time, but in order to do that he has to find the right enzymes first. This process consists of four stages. First, the enzyme and keyed-to molecule have to find each other and then the enzyme should link to the molecule at a specific location termed the “active site. This produces catalysis which then sets off a change in the enzyme-linked molecule either breaking it down or enabling it to combine with another molecule and finally the enzyme delinks from the molecule ready to perform the whole act again. The overall aim is to reduce the expense involved in making ethanol from biomass with the ultimate objective being biofuel that is competitive with fossil fuels at $3 to $4 per gallon. Further information: Clemson University Clemson University Switchgrass website Continue reading →

Posted on September 10, 2013 by tsiadmin | Posted in Investment, investments, News, Property, Taylor Scott International, TSI, Uk | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Researchers Focus On Switchgrass As A Renewable Fuel Source

UK Biomass Tariff Cut Is Deeply Frustrating Says REA

Robin WhitlockTuesday, 04 June 2013 A cut in support for biomass can only undermine confidence in the sector according to the Renewable Energy Association (REA) The UK government has chosen to cut the mid-size heat tariff for biomass by 5 percent from 1st July despite the fact that the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is seriously under-performing. The scheme includes several ‘triggers’ which, once breached, lead to a degression in the tariff for new projects. These triggers are based on the deployment expected by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) for each band of each technology covered by the scheme. “The REA has always argued that the market should determine the relative proportions of different renewables contributing to the target, not the Government” said Gaynor Hartnell, REA Chief Executive. “Without the aid of a crystal ball, the Government is always going to get it wrong. Its aim is to control spending, but the end result is market distortion. It is not an easy task.” The REA’s Head of Policy, Paul Thompson, added that it is deeply frustrating that the government is about to cut the one technology that is actually delivering and that this can only undermine confidence in the biomass heat sector, with serious knock-on effects for other renewables. “There’s no suggestion that biomass tariffs are too high” continued Mr Thompson, “it’s just that the real world deployment has not matched DECC’s model. They should make their model fit reality rather than the other way round. To date, the RHI has paid out less than £12 million. It’s clear that Government should stop worrying about the risk of over-deployment and start worrying that the policy could fail to deliver by a wide margin.” The REA is, however, pleased at the publication of a new consultation which proposes an increase to the tariffs for a range of technologies in the non-domestic RHI. “We are pleased to see that DECC has responded positively to evidence from industry that a number of tariffs are too low” Paul Thompson added. “The increase to the large-scale biomass tariff is particularly welcome – even at the revised tariff it represents unbeatable value for money in terms of carbon savings and renewable energy. We also welcome the intention to use a broader range of evidence when setting tariffs, including direct experience from industry.” Continue reading →

Posted on June 4, 2013 by tsiadmin | Posted in Investment, investments, News, Property, Taylor Scott International, TSI, Uk | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on UK Biomass Tariff Cut Is Deeply Frustrating Says REA