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Alternative Fuels

  • Out Of Thin Air

    Fuel from carbon dioxide could solve the power and pollution problem Imagine thinking out of the box, on steroids. Like, why not have a system where one could effortlessly extract all the emitted carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

  • Virgin's first biofuel flight takes off from Heathrow

    Billed as a green fuel breakthrough in the aviation sector, the world's first flight by a commercial airline partly powered by biofuel touched down in Amsterdam today after a three-hour journey from Heathrow airport here. Virgin Atlantic's Boeing 747 had one of its four engines connected to an independent biofuel tank that it said would provide 20 per cent of the engine's power. The flight did not carry passengers. According to Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson, using technology to develop greener fuel options will not only lower emissions but will also allow for other global warming issues to be tackled. "It's not necessarily going to be the silver bullet for the long-term future but it will prove that a fuel like this can fly at 30,000 feet,' he was quoted as saying by BBC. "The demonstration flight will give us crucial knowledge that we can use to dramatically reduce our carbon footprint,' he said. The biofuel was derived from a mixture of babassu nuts and coconuts. The three other engines were capable of powering the plane on conventional fuel had there been a problem. Earlier this month, Airbus used the world's largest passenger jet, the A380, to test another alternative fuel

  • CDGK to use solar energy

    In a bid to explore alternative sources of energy under the public-private initiative, the city government has decided to use solar energy for spot lights installed in parks and on the streets etc. The decision has been taken in view of a looming energy crisis in the country. In this regard, the CDGK's Enterprise and Investment Promotion Department has invited expressions of interest (EoIs) from prominent local and foreign firms having experience in the field of solar energy by March 5. The offers must be in accordance with the required health and safety international standards. Before entering into an agreement, such projects completed by the bidding firms at home or abroad will also be inspected to ascertain their capability and expertise. Under the agreement, the successful bidder will be bound to provide and successfully operate streetlights, lamp poles, spot lights, wall-mounted lights, landscape lights etc and hand over the same to the city government within the stipulated period.

  • Plans to convert C02 into gasoline

    If two scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory are correct, people will still be driving gasoline-powered cars 50 years from now, churning out heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

  • Scientists to turn CO2 into gasoline

    If two scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory are correct, people will still be driving gasolinepowered cars 50 years from now, churning out heat-trapping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere

  • $100 million Swiss ethanol plant project in jeopardy

    A Swiss company's $100 million plan for setting up maize-based ethanol generation plant near Port Qasim has been jeopardised due to poor law and order situation in the country. Sources in Sindh Environment and Alternative Energy Department told Business Recorder on Friday that the poor law and order and political instability have put the project in doldrums as the company is reluctant to invest in the country in present scenario. Without naming the Swiss firm, sources said that a high-level delegation of the firm has called on Mohammadmian Soomro some six months back in Islamabad, when he was Senate Chairman to brief him about the project. Soomro had asked the delegation to work jointly with Board of Investment and Planning Commission to remove the financial and legal hitches in the plan. Later, the Alternative Energy Development Board was asked to see the possibility of setting up the plant near Port Qasim, the sources said, adding that the AEDB had also started feasibility study of the project in collaboration with Swiss firm. Sources said the firm was also intending to invest in large-scale projects in oil and gas sector. Sindh Alternative Energy department had also announced setting up of a $110 million ethanol plant on which AEDB was working but this project was also in doldrums owing to indifference of the officials concerned. Copyright Business Recorder, 2008

  • $100 million Swiss ethanol plant project in jeopardy

    A Swiss company's $100 million plan for setting up maize-based ethanol generation plant near Port Qasim has been jeopardised due to poor law and order situation in the country. Sources in Sindh Environment and Alternative Energy Department told Business Recorder on Friday that the poor law and order and political instability have put the project in doldrums as the company is reluctant to invest in the country in present scenario. Without naming the Swiss firm, sources said that a high-level delegation of the firm has called on Mohammadmian Soomro some six months back in Islamabad, when he was Senate Chairman to brief him about the project. Soomro had asked the delegation to work jointly with Board of Investment and Planning Commission to remove the financial and legal hitches in the plan. Later, the Alternative Energy Development Board was asked to see the possibility of setting up the plant near Port Qasim, the sources said, adding that the AEDB had also started feasibility study of the project in collaboration with Swiss firm. Sources said the firm was also intending to invest in large-scale projects in oil and gas sector. Sindh Alternative Energy department had also announced setting up of a $110 million ethanol plant on which AEDB was working but this project was also in doldrums owing to indifference of the officials concerned. Copyright Business Recorder, 2008

  • Is India ready for CTL fuels? (editorial)

    Faced with high oil prices and increasing oil imports to meet the country's rising demand for transportation fuels, there is now a perception that India's energy security is threatened. In addition to securing overseas oil fields, alternative options include biomass-based fuels and coal-to-liquid (CTL) fuels. While the production of biodiesel has now become a national mission, CTL fuels are also gaining currency as a commercially attractive proposition because of the potentially cleaner characteristics.

  • Transportation fuels for the future

    Transportation fuels are the major component of the energy portfolio. Of the 20 million barrels of petroleum consumed each day in the United States, 68 percent is used in the transportation sector. The Western states are in position to become key producers and beneficiaries in the emerging alternative-fuels economy.

  • First ethanol plant unveiled in UK

    The uk officially opened its first ethanol plant on November 23. The plant, which actually started functioning in September this year, has the potential to produce 70 million litres of ethanol a

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