Last week's main buzz (and continuing this week) is the survival of the Cash for Clunkers program. From my previous post about this, it seems that the Frost & Sullivan consultant was right regarding his doubts on the program's success because of limited funding available.
The House has already approved another $2bn infusion to the program and the Senate is debating today whether to pass the $2bn extension as well. Right now, confusion reigns especially for auto dealers whether they will still be able to be reimbursed under the program or not. We will see how it goes but for now, here are this week's news roundup:
Green gasoline plant coming soon
Terrabon has produced high-octane "green gasoline" made from non-food biomass using its licensed MixAlco(TM) technology. The company plans to build and operate a 1.3 million gal/year of the green gasoline at Valero Energy Corporation's Texas refinery. Construction is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2010 with operations to start in the second half of 2011.
REG opens Fats/Oils R&D lab
Renewable Energy Group (REG) opened its new research facility in Ames, Iowa, dedicated to feedstock research and commercialization, REG network biodiesel production support and oil and fats analysis.
New glycerine facility in California
Crimson Renewable Energy has started California's largest biodiesel and glycerin production facility (claimed by the company) with a capacity of 30 million gal/year of biodiesel and 50 million pounds/year crude glycerin.
New Carbon Capture pilot plant
Babcock & Wilcox
Power Generation Group has begun pilot-scale testing of carbon dioxide
(CO2) control technology at its Regenerable Solvent Absorption
Technology (RSATTM) facility in Barberton, Ohio. The facility was
designed to test various regenerable, solvent-based absorption systems
that will be utilized to affordably and reliably capture CO2 emissions
from coal-fired power plants.
Fuel cell for US army
DuPont and SFC Smart Fuel Cell have received a follow-up order from the U.S. Army for the development of the M-25 fuel cell
-- a small, lightweight, portable power supply that can extend soldier
mission times to 72 hours or more. The project cost is approximately $3
million.
Lithium-ion battery for Nissan
EnerDel and the Nissan Motor Co. of Japan have teamed up
to research a new generation of electrical conductive material - a
viscous liquid new electrolyte that serves as the essential conductive
material between battery electrodes intended to reduce cost and improve
the performance of electric and hybrid vehicle batteries.
And in ICIS news (Requires subscription):
An insight from ICIS Washington Editor Joe Kamalick: Are proposals before congress for carbon capture and sequestration pipe dream, or is the US digging itself into a hole?
BASF reduced emissions at its Freeport site in Texas by 14% last year compared with 2007, the company said.
Climate change policy being considered by the US Congress could damage the fertilizer industry, farmers and the US food supply, a fertilizer trade group said.
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