BLUEFUELENERGY.COM: The Danish shipping giant, Maersk Tankers, has announced that it is prepared to enter the CO2 transportation market in a move that has implications not only for carbon capture and storage (CCS) but also the DME industry.
As reported in the March 13th issue of the Carbon Capture Journal, Maersk says it has examined the business case for entering into the CO2 transportation market and is optimistic about its prospects.
Another Maersk company, Maersk Oil, is also involved in the plan. Michael Engell-Jensen, senior vice president and head of Maersk Oil’s Carbon and Climate Department, said that: “Given our experience from the Danish underground in the North Sea and the high-level of knowledge we have gained from that, Maersk Oil is investigating CO2 mitigation technologies for the geological storage of CO2 to meet the expected demand.”
That a major global transportation and energy player like Maersk has a solid rationale for entering the CO2 transport and mitigation sectors not only helps validate the growing importance of the worldwide CCS industry, but also has significant implications for companies which plan to produce carbon-neutral DME.
Since, as Maersk says, "transporting CO2 by sea is cost-competitive and more flexible than pipelines on longer distances or in smaller quantities," companies interested in carbon-neutral fuel generation or CCS should now have wider access to CO2, which should mean greater flexibility in terms of both prices and geographical sourcing. Without such transportation options, carbon-neutral DME producers or enterprises involved in CCS would be forced to locate production or storage facilities closer to their CO2 sources and therefore have their production or storage limited by geography and not market or environmental demand.
Maerk's CO2 transportation initiative also allows CCS and Blue Fuel-producing companies to save on infrastructure investment (e.g., pipelines) and to implement their programs more rapidly.
Maersk has also correctly highlighted the importance of being able to purchase CO2 in smaller quantities and from multiple sources. With increased CO2 supply options, Blue Fuel producers or CCS companies can match supply with demand and tailor their capacities based on pricing, availability, timing, and quantity instead of just location.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Japan's DME Promotion Center organizes Tokyo BioDME Study Session
BLUEFUELENERGY.COM: Japan's DME Promotion Center, located in Tokyo, has organized a BioDME Study Session for Friday, April 24th, 2009.
The session, which takes places at the Sapia Tower Building in Chiyoda, Tokyo, is perhaps best described as a mini-conference and is intended as an information session and forum for exchanging ideas about DME, in general, and BioDME, in particular. Attendance is by application only (see below for application procedures).
Three presentations highlight the session and both presenters have connections with the BioDME project - a collaborative venture between Swedish and EU interests. Speaking first will be Henrik Landälv, head of environmental projects of BioDME project member, Volvo Powertrain, who will outline the BioDME Project. In a later session, Mr. Landälv will also describe and discuss road tests performed by large-scale Volvo trucks powered by BioDME.
The second speaker is Mr. Ingvar Landälv, Vice President of Technology at Chemrec AB, who will describe the production of BioDME from the gasification of black liquor from pulp mills.
Besides speaking at and participating in this study session, the European visitors will also tour a Japanese DME plant, completed last year, which has an annual production capacity of 80,000 tons of DME.
The deadline for applications to attend the Study Session is April 21, 2009 and can be done by contacting the Japan DME Promotion Center by e-mail (dpc@dmepc.jp) or by fax (+81-3-3834-2312).
The URL for the Japan DME Promotion Center is http://www.dmepc.jp/index.html but please note the site is in Japanese only.
The session, which takes places at the Sapia Tower Building in Chiyoda, Tokyo, is perhaps best described as a mini-conference and is intended as an information session and forum for exchanging ideas about DME, in general, and BioDME, in particular. Attendance is by application only (see below for application procedures).
Three presentations highlight the session and both presenters have connections with the BioDME project - a collaborative venture between Swedish and EU interests. Speaking first will be Henrik Landälv, head of environmental projects of BioDME project member, Volvo Powertrain, who will outline the BioDME Project. In a later session, Mr. Landälv will also describe and discuss road tests performed by large-scale Volvo trucks powered by BioDME.
The second speaker is Mr. Ingvar Landälv, Vice President of Technology at Chemrec AB, who will describe the production of BioDME from the gasification of black liquor from pulp mills.
Besides speaking at and participating in this study session, the European visitors will also tour a Japanese DME plant, completed last year, which has an annual production capacity of 80,000 tons of DME.
The deadline for applications to attend the Study Session is April 21, 2009 and can be done by contacting the Japan DME Promotion Center by e-mail (dpc@dmepc.jp) or by fax (+81-3-3834-2312).
The URL for the Japan DME Promotion Center is http://www.dmepc.jp/index.html but please note the site is in Japanese only.
Friday, April 10, 2009
New approach to liberating hydrogen from water
BLUEFUELENERGY.COM: Starting in the 15th century and continuing into the 17th, Europeans spread their wings and sailed the seven seas in search of knowledge and trading partners, a period that came to be known as the Age of Discovery. Using new sailing technologies and new maps, they made the world a smaller place. Today, as a result of further advances in mobility technology, the world has become smaller still. Much smaller. And we now know the shockingly limited dimensions of the troposphere, the layer of atmosphere enveloping our planet that contains 75% of the atmosphere's mass and 99% of its water vapor is: a mere 8km at the poles and up to 16km over the equator.
This thin, vulnerable lens sustains life on Earth, but by pumping ever-growing amounts of greenhouse gases into it, we compromise its capacity to do so. Governments the world over understand the consequences of greenhouse gas emissions and have expressed their determination to solve the problem. Let's hope this leads us to a new Age of Discovery, one in which we look not outward, but inward as we search for answers that will help us save civilization and ecosystems as we know them.
Time is of the essence, which means that, while perfecting end-game solutions such as hydrogen and nuclear fusion, we must concurrently implement strategies based on existing technologies that mitigate climate change. The production of carbon-neutral DME—Blue Fuel—is Blue Fuel Energy's strategy for mitigating climate change. And its one that we fervently hope other companies will adopt because all the technology to implement it are off-the-shelf. At the heart of our production process is the electrolysis of water to separate the H2 from the O in H2O. Electrolysis is a proven process, but it does require large amounts of electricity. Here in British Columbia, we will tap into our vast renewable energy resource base by generating electricity for electrolysis with hydro and wind.
Blue Fuel Energy is preparing to conduct electrolysis with electricity generated by hydro and wind because we know that this approach works and we can order all the electrolyzers we need to set up large-scale electrolysis plants. And as we unroll our project, research on other approaches to electrolysis will continue apace. One such approach is that being developed by a team of scientists led by Professor David Milstein at the Weizmann Institute in Israel. As the institute states in a recent press release:
"The new approach that the Weizmann team has recently devised is divided into a sequence of reactions, which leads to the liberation of hydrogen and oxygen in consecutive thermal- and light-driven steps, mediated by a unique ingredient – a special metal complex that Milstein’s team designed in previous studies. Moreover, the one that they designed – a metal complex of the element ruthenium – is a ‘smart’ complex in which the metal center and the organic part attached to it cooperate in the cleavage of the water molecule."
The team is only at a very preliminary stage of investigation that could lead to commercialization of their process, but what they have achieved so far is very promising. The press release goes on to say:
"Discovery of an efficient artificial catalyst for the sunlight-driven splitting of water into oxygen and hydrogen is a major goal of renewable clean energy research. So far, Milstein’s team has demonstrated a mechanism for the formation of hydrogen and oxygen from water, without the need for sacrificial chemical agents, through individual steps, using light. For their next study, they plan to combine these stages to create an efficient catalytic system, bringing those in the field of alternative energy an important step closer to realizing this goal."
The full report of their findings can be found in the April 3, 2009 issue of Science. We look forward to hearing more about this new approach to producing hydrogen as their research progresses. It just may be an important piece in the climate change puzzle that's at the heart of the new Age of Discovery.
This thin, vulnerable lens sustains life on Earth, but by pumping ever-growing amounts of greenhouse gases into it, we compromise its capacity to do so. Governments the world over understand the consequences of greenhouse gas emissions and have expressed their determination to solve the problem. Let's hope this leads us to a new Age of Discovery, one in which we look not outward, but inward as we search for answers that will help us save civilization and ecosystems as we know them.
Time is of the essence, which means that, while perfecting end-game solutions such as hydrogen and nuclear fusion, we must concurrently implement strategies based on existing technologies that mitigate climate change. The production of carbon-neutral DME—Blue Fuel—is Blue Fuel Energy's strategy for mitigating climate change. And its one that we fervently hope other companies will adopt because all the technology to implement it are off-the-shelf. At the heart of our production process is the electrolysis of water to separate the H2 from the O in H2O. Electrolysis is a proven process, but it does require large amounts of electricity. Here in British Columbia, we will tap into our vast renewable energy resource base by generating electricity for electrolysis with hydro and wind.
Blue Fuel Energy is preparing to conduct electrolysis with electricity generated by hydro and wind because we know that this approach works and we can order all the electrolyzers we need to set up large-scale electrolysis plants. And as we unroll our project, research on other approaches to electrolysis will continue apace. One such approach is that being developed by a team of scientists led by Professor David Milstein at the Weizmann Institute in Israel. As the institute states in a recent press release:
"The new approach that the Weizmann team has recently devised is divided into a sequence of reactions, which leads to the liberation of hydrogen and oxygen in consecutive thermal- and light-driven steps, mediated by a unique ingredient – a special metal complex that Milstein’s team designed in previous studies. Moreover, the one that they designed – a metal complex of the element ruthenium – is a ‘smart’ complex in which the metal center and the organic part attached to it cooperate in the cleavage of the water molecule."
The team is only at a very preliminary stage of investigation that could lead to commercialization of their process, but what they have achieved so far is very promising. The press release goes on to say:
"Discovery of an efficient artificial catalyst for the sunlight-driven splitting of water into oxygen and hydrogen is a major goal of renewable clean energy research. So far, Milstein’s team has demonstrated a mechanism for the formation of hydrogen and oxygen from water, without the need for sacrificial chemical agents, through individual steps, using light. For their next study, they plan to combine these stages to create an efficient catalytic system, bringing those in the field of alternative energy an important step closer to realizing this goal."
The full report of their findings can be found in the April 3, 2009 issue of Science. We look forward to hearing more about this new approach to producing hydrogen as their research progresses. It just may be an important piece in the climate change puzzle that's at the heart of the new Age of Discovery.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Chemrec appoints American CEO
BLUEFUELENERGY.COM: As reported recently on MSNBC, The Swedish BioDME project member, Chemrec AB, has shown its commitment to the American market for DME by appointing as its CEO, Richard J. LeBlanc.
Chemrec recently made the news by forming an American subsidiary and, at first glance, it seemed that Mr. LeBlanc's appointment was as head of this newly formed American branch. Instead, although Mr. LeBlanc will be based primarily in Deerfield, Illinois, north of Chicago, he will be responsible for Chemrec's worldwide operations with a focus on building the company's North American and Asia-Pacific markets.
Mr. LeBlanc is 57 and was most recently a senior executive with Siemens AG, USA. According to Marketwire and Chemrec's own press release, "Mr. LeBlanc brings to Chemrec USA extensive general management experience growing high-tech companies, commercialization of innovative technologies and building world-class management teams. During his career with Siemens, he directed product development, manufacturing and distribution for the company's broad range of building control products for the North American, Asian-Pacific and Latin American markets. He holds an MBA from Northwestern University and a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Toronto. He is a Professional Engineer in both Canada and the U.S. and holds LEED AP certification from the U.S. Green Building Council."
Chemrec also announced that Jonas Rudberg, long-standing leader of Chemrec, has been appointed chief operating officer. In the new organization Mr. Rudberg will focus his attention on overseeing the execution of feasibility studies, pre-project and implementation projects. He will also continue developing relations with European customers and other stakeholders.
Chemrec recently made the news by forming an American subsidiary and, at first glance, it seemed that Mr. LeBlanc's appointment was as head of this newly formed American branch. Instead, although Mr. LeBlanc will be based primarily in Deerfield, Illinois, north of Chicago, he will be responsible for Chemrec's worldwide operations with a focus on building the company's North American and Asia-Pacific markets.
Mr. LeBlanc is 57 and was most recently a senior executive with Siemens AG, USA. According to Marketwire and Chemrec's own press release, "Mr. LeBlanc brings to Chemrec USA extensive general management experience growing high-tech companies, commercialization of innovative technologies and building world-class management teams. During his career with Siemens, he directed product development, manufacturing and distribution for the company's broad range of building control products for the North American, Asian-Pacific and Latin American markets. He holds an MBA from Northwestern University and a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Toronto. He is a Professional Engineer in both Canada and the U.S. and holds LEED AP certification from the U.S. Green Building Council."
Chemrec also announced that Jonas Rudberg, long-standing leader of Chemrec, has been appointed chief operating officer. In the new organization Mr. Rudberg will focus his attention on overseeing the execution of feasibility studies, pre-project and implementation projects. He will also continue developing relations with European customers and other stakeholders.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Face of the new, green economy
BLUEFUELENERGY.COM: People love to talk about the new, green economy, often in broad, sweeping terms, such as how it can help mitigate global warming and thus prevent ocean levels from rising, or plant and animal species from disappearing. Big picture stuff.
But an economy is a human construct. It’s created by humans and propelled by humans. And it’s composed of countless human faces. Renewable energy—fundamental to the new, green economy—is now generating countless jobs, each of which has a face. One of those faces is that of Troy Galloway, who now makes wind turbine components. Troy’s story puts a face on the new, green economy and reminds us that using renewables such as wind to produce Blue Fuel/DME does more than prevent ice caps from melting or enhance air quality. It also generates jobs that enrich people’s lives and bring communities back to life. We hope you enjoy this little movie.
But an economy is a human construct. It’s created by humans and propelled by humans. And it’s composed of countless human faces. Renewable energy—fundamental to the new, green economy—is now generating countless jobs, each of which has a face. One of those faces is that of Troy Galloway, who now makes wind turbine components. Troy’s story puts a face on the new, green economy and reminds us that using renewables such as wind to produce Blue Fuel/DME does more than prevent ice caps from melting or enhance air quality. It also generates jobs that enrich people’s lives and bring communities back to life. We hope you enjoy this little movie.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Government of Canada funds carbon capture projects
BLUEFUELENERGY.COM: Fundamental to the production of Blue Fuel using renewables and waste carbon dioxide is the capturing of waste carbon dioxide from the flue gases of various industrial operations. For Blue Fuel Energy and other companies in Canada considering doing just this, a recent announcement by the Government of Canada that it will contribute funding to eight carbon capture projects is a most positive development.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Helijet joins Pacific Carbon Trust and goes carbon-neutral
BLUEFUELENERGY.COM: Being based in British Columbia, Canada, we at Blue Fuel Energy take particular pride in sharing local news that we feel has a global impact for the environment. This is just such a story.
The Climate Action Plan was initiated by the Government of British Columbia in 2007. This plan lays out a framework that will help the province achieve 73% of its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 33% by 2020.
Pacific Carbon Trust was subsequently created as a Crown corporation in 2008 by the Government of British Columbia as a part of the Climate Action Plan. The goal of Pacific Carbon Trust is to facilitate the provision of carbon offsets to help the public sector attain its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2010 and to aid British Columbia companies in meeting their carbon reduction goals.
Helijet International Inc. is North America's largest scheduled helicopter service and they have become the first private-sector customer of Pacific Carbon Trust. They will pay $1.37 to the trust for every passenger ticket sold. In this way they will offset 4000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gases for a total cost of approximately $100,000 annually, based on the trust's price of $25 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent removed or reduced from the atmosphere. For more details, visit: http://www.helijet.com/
We congratulate Helijet for making this bold step. And we thank the Government of British Columbia for having the foresight to set up Pacific Carbon Trust. For not only does the trust allow companies like Helijet to go carbon-neutral, it will use the funds it receives from companies like Helijet to help finance projects in British Columbia that produce renewable energy, that conserve energy and that capture or store carbon from the atmosphere, according to the B.C. Minister of the Environment Barry Penner.
And of course we see an opportunity for companies like Blue Fuel Energy and other renewable energy companies in British Columbia to provide the carbon offsets that companies like Helijet will be purchasing to help propel British Columbia into a global leadership role in the offset industry.
For more information, visit: www.pacificcarbontrust.ca
The Climate Action Plan was initiated by the Government of British Columbia in 2007. This plan lays out a framework that will help the province achieve 73% of its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 33% by 2020.
Pacific Carbon Trust was subsequently created as a Crown corporation in 2008 by the Government of British Columbia as a part of the Climate Action Plan. The goal of Pacific Carbon Trust is to facilitate the provision of carbon offsets to help the public sector attain its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2010 and to aid British Columbia companies in meeting their carbon reduction goals.
Helijet International Inc. is North America's largest scheduled helicopter service and they have become the first private-sector customer of Pacific Carbon Trust. They will pay $1.37 to the trust for every passenger ticket sold. In this way they will offset 4000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gases for a total cost of approximately $100,000 annually, based on the trust's price of $25 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent removed or reduced from the atmosphere. For more details, visit: http://www.helijet.com/
We congratulate Helijet for making this bold step. And we thank the Government of British Columbia for having the foresight to set up Pacific Carbon Trust. For not only does the trust allow companies like Helijet to go carbon-neutral, it will use the funds it receives from companies like Helijet to help finance projects in British Columbia that produce renewable energy, that conserve energy and that capture or store carbon from the atmosphere, according to the B.C. Minister of the Environment Barry Penner.
And of course we see an opportunity for companies like Blue Fuel Energy and other renewable energy companies in British Columbia to provide the carbon offsets that companies like Helijet will be purchasing to help propel British Columbia into a global leadership role in the offset industry.
For more information, visit: www.pacificcarbontrust.ca
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