The buzz last week was the adoption of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS)
regulation by California Air Resources Board. The LCFS targets
reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transportation fuels
to 16m tonnes/year in the state by 2020. The standards are also
expected to be a template for federal policy makers as they seek to
implement national renewable fuel standards.
Unfortunately for current biofuel producers, the state will measure not only a fuel's direct greenhouse gas emissions, but also life cycle and indirect land use emissions related to its production. With the standards, California aims to drive faster development and use of next generation biofuels made from cellulose, biomass, algae, waste, etc. as well as drive the availability of plug-in hybrid, battery electric and fuel-cell powered cars and promote investment in electric charging stations and hydrogen fueling stations.
Pros and cons comments for the LCFS can be read here. But before you click that, here are last week's news roundup:
More sunshine for Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart is expanding its solar power program in California with new 10 to 20 additional solar panels in several Wal-Mart facilities within the next 18 months. Wal-mart said the projects will create about 130 (temporary???) jobs, including engineering, design, and installer technician jobs. Smaller numbers of workers will be engaged during the periods leading up to and following peak construction.
NatureWorks opens lab
NatureWorks invested $1 million to transform its former pilot plant in Savage, Minn., into an Ingeo™ bioresin applications lab capable of commercial grade compounding, sheet extrusion, thermoforming, injection molding and fiber spinning. The lab has formed cooperative research relationships with the University of Minnesota, Hennepin Technical College and Interpoll Laboratory.
Unfortunately for current biofuel producers, the state will measure not only a fuel's direct greenhouse gas emissions, but also life cycle and indirect land use emissions related to its production. With the standards, California aims to drive faster development and use of next generation biofuels made from cellulose, biomass, algae, waste, etc. as well as drive the availability of plug-in hybrid, battery electric and fuel-cell powered cars and promote investment in electric charging stations and hydrogen fueling stations.
Pros and cons comments for the LCFS can be read here. But before you click that, here are last week's news roundup:
More sunshine for Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart is expanding its solar power program in California with new 10 to 20 additional solar panels in several Wal-Mart facilities within the next 18 months. Wal-mart said the projects will create about 130 (temporary???) jobs, including engineering, design, and installer technician jobs. Smaller numbers of workers will be engaged during the periods leading up to and following peak construction.
NatureWorks opens lab
NatureWorks invested $1 million to transform its former pilot plant in Savage, Minn., into an Ingeo™ bioresin applications lab capable of commercial grade compounding, sheet extrusion, thermoforming, injection molding and fiber spinning. The lab has formed cooperative research relationships with the University of Minnesota, Hennepin Technical College and Interpoll Laboratory.
Green plastic additive JV
Braskem and Cromex sign a partnership to develop additives and colors for Braskem's new green polyethylene. Cromex will develop a series of colors and additives that will add characteristics to the green plastic like an anti-blocking barrier for UV rays, antistatic and anti-fog features, respecting the products fundamental sustainability properties.
Green solvent starts up
FutureFuel Chemical Company started-up its FUTURESOL® DEM (diethoxymethane) production facility at its Batesville, AR manufacturing site. Produced from bioethanol and formaldehyde, the solvent is used for commercial production of organometallic reagents.
Lanxess' India green zone
Specialty chemicals company LANXESS India today announced the creation of a Green Zone at its Jhagadia site in Gujarat, India. The site will have 3000 newly planted trees
And in ICIS News (requires subscription):
The UK government has launched a scrappage incentive scheme where the government will offer starting May 2009 a £1,000 (€1,140, $1,470) incentive to be matched by participating vehicle manufacturers when scrapping a car or van at least 10 years old.
Shell has reached a $5.8m settlement along with agreeing to extensive emission reductions and upgrades with environmental groups Environment Texas and Sierra Club over alleged US Clean Air Act violations at the company's site in Deer Park, Texas.
The US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) said that the investigation into last August's deadly explosion at the Bayer CropScience plant near Charleston, West Virginia could yield a recommendation for alternative methods of producing and storing methyl isocyanate.
Braskem and Cromex sign a partnership to develop additives and colors for Braskem's new green polyethylene. Cromex will develop a series of colors and additives that will add characteristics to the green plastic like an anti-blocking barrier for UV rays, antistatic and anti-fog features, respecting the products fundamental sustainability properties.
Green solvent starts up
FutureFuel Chemical Company started-up its FUTURESOL® DEM (diethoxymethane) production facility at its Batesville, AR manufacturing site. Produced from bioethanol and formaldehyde, the solvent is used for commercial production of organometallic reagents.
Lanxess' India green zone
Specialty chemicals company LANXESS India today announced the creation of a Green Zone at its Jhagadia site in Gujarat, India. The site will have 3000 newly planted trees
And in ICIS News (requires subscription):
The UK government has launched a scrappage incentive scheme where the government will offer starting May 2009 a £1,000 (€1,140, $1,470) incentive to be matched by participating vehicle manufacturers when scrapping a car or van at least 10 years old.
Shell has reached a $5.8m settlement along with agreeing to extensive emission reductions and upgrades with environmental groups Environment Texas and Sierra Club over alleged US Clean Air Act violations at the company's site in Deer Park, Texas.
The US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) said that the investigation into last August's deadly explosion at the Bayer CropScience plant near Charleston, West Virginia could yield a recommendation for alternative methods of producing and storing methyl isocyanate.
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