World's first Ethanol Power Plant opens in Brazil

Juiz de Fora the world's first ethanol-fuelled power plant with capacity of 87MW went on stream  in Brazil.  The  plant’s two turbines, one of which has been modified by GE  run on sugarcane-based ethanol and can  switch instantly between running on natural gas and ethanol. It will now take five months of trial operations to check the running of the ethanol turbines and ensure that the plant's emissions are in line with expectations, before going into full scale commercial operation later this year. Brazil primarily relies on hydroelectric power but is currently investigating alternative generation technologies as a means of providing back-up power during the dry season.

Brazil is the world's second largest producer of bioethanol, producing 26.9 billion litres in 2008 for using primarily in vehicles. The success of the new plant will pave the way for more  ethanol powered facilities and  the viability and economy of generating electricity from  alternative feedstock to fossil fuels.  GE is also considering a wider rollout of the technology and already has about 770 turbines in operation similar to those used in the Juiz de Fora plant that could be converted to run on ethanol.

Clean energy drive to turn UK into giant forest 

Fast-growing trees, such as eucalyptus and willow, are being planted on moorland, hillsides, and  former industrial areas in  lands owned by conservation bodies such as the National Trust in UK. These trees will be turned into pellets and used to generate electricity in the rapidly growing number of biomass power stations. These trees are going to play a key role in reducing Britain’s emissions of carbon dioxide because trees absorb it as they grow.

The new forests would be cut down and replanted in a continuous cycle and WHO? believes that up to 10 per cent of Britain’s land area, or 2.4 million hectares, could be converted into areas for growing trees and tall grasses for biofuel. This strategy will also improve forest cover in Britain as it is the least-forested country in Europe with trees covering only 12 per cent of the land. Britain already imports more than five times as much wood in all forms, including paper, as it produces. According to recent estimates the amount of foreign-grown timber consumed in UK is growing by 150 per cent because of plans for 16 large new biomass plants.

Many of the biomass power plants are being built at ports to enable easy access to wood imported from Canada, Brazil, Russia, South Korea and Scandinavia. The biofuel crops could deliver a net reduction in carbon emissions by being burnt in power stations equipped with carbon capture and storage systems and help to lower the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere back to a safe level.

First seaweed-based biofuel plant goes ahead in Chile

The Chilean Economic Development Corporation (CORFO) announced an investment of 7 million US dollars towards a seaweed-based bio-ethanol project spearheaded by Chile and US. scientists. The ugly swarms of algae that plague  Chile’s beaches can be exploited as an alternative energy. The seaweed-based bio-fuel can be directly added to the petrol used in cars without motor modification. In comparison with  sugar or corn-based ethanol, seaweed is cheaper to produce and much less amounts are  required to make biofuel, thus  making it  an ideal option for large-scale production of alternative and clean energies.

The project's ambitious goal is to produce 165 million litres of bio-fuel an equivalent to 5% of Chile's petrol consumption in one year. The project is a joint undertaking between a US company, Chile’s ENAP while Universidad de Los Lagos helps to exploit seaweed.

Bio Architecture Lab (BAL) was the first company to introduce the concept of  algae-production potential in Chile in 2009 when CORFO offered to help fund development and research of algae-based bio-fuel. This project will greatly increase Chile's capacity for clean energy alternatives and eco-friendly production.  

Continue ...