China enlarges bio-ethanol fuel coverage

[Finer in China]

www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-04/01/content_6582660.htm

China enlarges bio-ethanol fuel coverage

(Xinhua)

Updated: 2008-04-01 14:29

 

NANNING -- South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region became the 10th Chinese locality to have replaced gasoline and diesel oil with bio-ethanol fuel on Tuesday out of environmental and energy efficiency concerns.

 

Petrol stations in all the 14 cities of Guangxi began to sell bio-ethanol fuel on Tuesday and in two weeks, traditional petrol and diesel oil will be phased out, said Fu Jian, an official in charge of transport with the regional government.

 

Fu said about 350,000 motor vehicles and more than 3 million motorbikes will have their tanks cleaned up for the fuel change.

 

Presently nine other Chinese provinces are using ethanol fuel including Jilin, Liaoning and Heilongjiang provinces in the northeast, Henan and Hebei provinces in the north, Anhui, Shandong and Jiangsu provinces in the east and the central Hubei Province.

 

Guangxi is the first Chinese locality to commercially produce ethanol fuel with cassava instead of grain. The region produces 7.8 million tonnes of cassava a year, more than 60 percent of China's total.

 

It is home to China's first bio-ethanol fuel production base that went into operation in December in the coastal city of Beihai. The base is designed to produce 200,000 tonnes of biofuel annually out of about 1.5 million tonnes of cassava.

 

China banned the use of grain for ethanol production last year to ensure sufficient food supplies, and biofuel manufacturers have since turned to sweet potatoes, sorghum and straw stalks instead.

 

Ethanol fuel is believed to help ease China's energy supply bottleneck. Customs statistics say China's net crude oil import climbed at least 12 percent year on year to reach 160 million tonnes in 2007, and the country's reliance on crude oil import is at least 46 percent.

 

It is also believed to help cut carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions, by around 30 percent and 10 percent respectively.

 

Chinese officials said the country's ethanol fuel sales will reach 30 million tonnes in 2010 to make up half of the total gasoline supplies.

Awesome! Edited April 3, 2008 by oscar (see edit history)

[griz326]

Wasn't there just a report debunking the environment claims of the bio-fuel industry? It seems to me it was just 2 or 3 weeks ago.

[Don]

Wasn't there just a report debunking the environment claims of the bio-fuel industry? It seems to me it was just 2 or 3 weeks ago.

 

I doubt the people driving biofuels really cares about the Carbon impact. Most of this is being driven by the desire to find a source of fuel that the middle east does not control. The driver is cost and National Security, we all want to find a way to produce fuel cheaper than oil from a local material. These early pilot programs are not expected to be cheaper, but to help develop the infrastructure needed to get to the point of having a cheaper alternative to oil. The cost are coming down, i have seen some very encouraging numbers on the cost side. Plus, do you really want the middle east to have so much power over everyones lives?

 

In a perfect process and raw materials and with the best results it might be possible to produce these fuels with a lower carbon footprint, but we are no where near that right now and many things still need to proven before i believe those claims.

[Finer in China]

Wasn't there just a report debunking the environment claims of the bio-fuel industry? It seems to me it was just 2 or 3 weeks ago.

Yeah, the one funded by EXXON.

[Randy W]

from Wikipedia:

In February 2008,[3] two articles were published in Science concluding that clearing land for biofuel production produce twice as much greenhouse gas than the U.N. IPCC had previously estimated.

[Don]

from Wikipedia:

In February 2008,[3] two articles were published in Science concluding that clearing land for biofuel production produce twice as much greenhouse gas than the U.N. IPCC had previously estimated.

 

The whole discussion on Carbon impact moves the focus from items that are probable more important.

 

SOx and NOx and particulate matter (ash).

 

Alcohol will be cleaner for all of these and that will help the country quite a bit. Now we just need to learn how to store carbon in ocean water and in the land, to finish the cleaning of the air after will deal with the more critical first three.

[Corbin]

Wasn't there just a report debunking the environment claims of the bio-fuel industry? It seems to me it was just 2 or 3 weeks ago.

 

I doubt the people driving biofuels really cares about the Carbon impact. Most of this is being driven by the desire to find a source of fuel that the middle east does not control. The driver is cost and National Security, we all want to find a way to produce fuel cheaper than oil from a local material. These early pilot programs are not expected to be cheaper, but to help develop the infrastructure needed to get to the point of having a cheaper alternative to oil. The cost are coming down, i have seen some very encouraging numbers on the cost side. Plus, do you really want the middle east to have so much power over everyones lives?

 

In a perfect process and raw materials and with the best results it might be possible to produce these fuels with a lower carbon footprint, but we are no where near that right now and many things still need to proven before i believe those claims.

Sugar Beets would be one of the choices due to its low impact on the areas it can be grown and that it would have the same type of impact on food supply chain.

[Sebastian]

SugarBeets! acre for acre, compared to CORN and soybeans, makes MORE ethanol. No need to clear cut anything, just plant SUGARBEETS !

[Don]

SugarBeets! acre for acre, compared to CORN and soybeans, makes MORE ethanol. No need to clear cut anything, just plant SUGARBEETS !

 

 

 

Corbin, you probable know that Bay City was talking about a sugar beet facility. I think they wanted to use the sugar beet waste and the actual beets both to make the ethanol. So a celluose and a normal sugar process. Plus, they might be able to burn some of the beet waste for fuel.

[Sebastian]

SugarBeets! acre for acre, compared to CORN and soybeans, makes MORE ethanol. No need to clear cut anything, just plant SUGARBEETS !

 

 

 

Corbin, you probable know that Bay City was talking about a sugar beet facility. I think they wanted to use the sugar beet waste and the actual beets both to make the ethanol. So a celluose and a normal sugar process. Plus, they might be able to burn some of the beet waste for fuel.

 

One thing that them ethanol boys forget -

SUGARBEETS can be grown hydroponically.

 

So - You Gots a WasteWater Treatment Plant ? Redirect yer 'flow' to a section o sugarbeets, use that sh|t-filled water to yer own advantage (yes, past the bacteriophage-drying segment, surely).

Edited April 4, 2008 by Darnell (see edit history)

[Don]

SugarBeets! acre for acre, compared to CORN and soybeans, makes MORE ethanol. No need to clear cut anything, just plant SUGARBEETS !

 

 

 

Corbin, you probable know that Bay City was talking about a sugar beet facility. I think they wanted to use the sugar beet waste and the actual beets both to make the ethanol. So a celluose and a normal sugar process. Plus, they might be able to burn some of the beet waste for fuel.

 

One thing that them ethanol boys forget -

SUGARBEETS can be grown hydroponically.

 

So - You Gots a WasteWater Treatment Plant ? Redirect yer 'flow' to a section o sugarbeets, use that sh|t-filled water to yer own advantage (yes, past the bacteriophage-dying segment, surely).

 

 

So Bay City can use the water from the Dow facility!

[Sebastian]

Don - I'm sorry, I had that concept stuck in my mind about sugar beets, hydroponics, and double the outcome.

 

Here's an older study about 'double the outcome'

http://www.organicconsumers.org/politics/b...dcorn070105.cfm

Placing greater emphasis on land efficiency yield per acre corn has broad political support as a feedstock in the United States, it is

one of the least efficient sources of ethanol. For example, ethanol yields

per acre for French sugar beets and Brazilian sugarcane are roughly double

those for American corn.

 

and hydroponics for sugar beets, is already proven technology.

I think my spin for 'making flow segment into waste-water treatment facility' is quite unique , and just came out of left field (ie - my idea, spontaneously spewed). As I think about it more and more, I see economic feasibilty. Soooooooooo - I'll be gone for a bit, raising VC funds for this enterprise.. Have a good one !

Edited April 4, 2008 by Darnell (see edit history)

[Corbin]

SugarBeets! acre for acre, compared to CORN and soybeans, makes MORE ethanol. No need to clear cut anything, just plant SUGARBEETS !

 

 

 

Corbin, you probable know that Bay City was talking about a sugar beet facility. I think they wanted to use the sugar beet waste and the actual beets both to make the ethanol. So a celluose and a normal sugar process. Plus, they might be able to burn some of the beet waste for fuel.

No this is news to me and I do hope that they move forward with that because Michigan could use a boost in the job field.

[Don]

SugarBeets! acre for acre, compared to CORN and soybeans, makes MORE ethanol. No need to clear cut anything, just plant SUGARBEETS !

 

 

 

Corbin, you probable know that Bay City was talking about a sugar beet facility. I think they wanted to use the sugar beet waste and the actual beets both to make the ethanol. So a celluose and a normal sugar process. Plus, they might be able to burn some of the beet waste for fuel.

No this is news to me and I do hope that they move forward with that because Michigan could use a boost in the job field.

 

Plus, those large piles of Sugar Beet waste really smell, so a use for them will help.

[Corbin]

SugarBeets! acre for acre, compared to CORN and soybeans, makes MORE ethanol. No need to clear cut anything, just plant SUGARBEETS !

 

 

 

Corbin, you probable know that Bay City was talking about a sugar beet facility. I think they wanted to use the sugar beet waste and the actual beets both to make the ethanol. So a celluose and a normal sugar process. Plus, they might be able to burn some of the beet waste for fuel.

No this is news to me and I do hope that they move forward with that because Michigan could use a boost in the job field.

 

Plus, those large piles of Sugar Beet waste really smell, so a use for them will help.

So does that rotting fruit up in the Travers City area..........