- They will carry out joint pilot projects in selected cities with differing mobility styles and needs.

Enel and the Piaggio Group, represented respectively by CEO and General Manager Fulvio Conti and Chairman and CEO Roberto Colaninno, signed an agreement to develop zero and low environmental impact mobility systems, with the aim of:

• analyzing the specific mobility and electric recharging needs of corporate fleet customers to provide innovative products and services;
• testing the interaction between Enel’s recharging infrastructure and Piaggio’s electric vehicles;
• studying the relationship between hybrid scooters and the recharging infrastructure.

Specifically, Piaggio will provide know-how, information and technical data on electric and hybrid engines, their performance and use and recharging requirements. The group will also make available the results of its research into managing zero and low environmental impact vehicles and supply the experimental projects with its hybrid/electric vehicles, namely the Piaggio Mp3 Hybrid scooter, the Porter Electric Power commercial vehicle and the Ape Calessino Electric Lithium three-wheeled vehicle.

Enel will contribute its innovative electric recharging infrastructure, assessing the results of the feasibility study to ensure compatibility with the technical characteristics and layout of the Piaggio Group vehicles. It will also share its knowledge in corporate fleet management with its partner in order to help identify the specific needs of electric vehicles.

The partnership also provides for the selection of cities or usage circumstances marked by different mobility styles and needs in which to carry out the joint pilot projects.

The two partners have been working in the sustainable mobility field for some time. The Piaggio Group – one of the world’s premier manufacturers of two-wheeled motorised vehicles and the absolute leader in zero/low environmental impact solutions in this segment – develops, manufactures and sells zero/low-environmental impact vehicles in Europe and international markets. The Group is gradually expanding its range of hybrid and electric vehicles, which supplement its offering of low emissions, high mileage two-wheeled and commercial internal-combustion vehicles.

Enel – with its strong commitment to protecting the environment and reducing polluting, climate-changing emissions – is active in this field through its “Enel Electric Mobility Project”, within which it is developing a “smart” electric vehicle recharging system and conducting pilot initiatives for the supply of energy and innovative services.

Both groups believe that the expansion of the hybrid and electric vehicle market represents a strategic opportunity, which aims to reduce emissions and achieve environmentally compatible industrial development.

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement that gives us the opportunity to develop our system for recharging fleets of electric vehicles”, stated Fulvio Conti, CEO and General Manager of Enel. “The partnership established today between these two major Italian companies will allow us to thoroughly study the needs of this type of mobility compared with those of the individual driver, for which we are already working on building an innovative “smart” recharging system, which represents the backbone infrastructure for the spread of electric vehicles across the country. I am sure that the agreement with the Piaggio Group, which has considerable experience in the field, will give a further boost to the expansion of electric mobility, something we firmly believe in.”

Roberto Colaninno, President and CEO of the Piaggio Group, remarked: “Our range of environmentally friendly vehicles, especially the Mp3 Hybrid scooter, the Porter Elettrico and the Ape Elettrico, is the result of an extraordinary technological development effort and substantial investments. It is also an innovative response to what the market is now demanding with increasing insistence: the reduction of polluting emissions and fuel consumption. The development of these technologies applied to sustainable urban mobility will generate new products and applications in the coming years. The partnership with Enel is an essential part of this because it meets the need to provide individual and corporate customers with infrastructure that can be integrated with the innovative features of our new vehicles”.

Washington, DC – U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the investment of nearly $80 million under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for advanced biofuels research and fueling infrastructure that will help support the development of a clean sustainable transportation sector.  The selections announced today – two biofuels consortia for up to $78 million to research algae-based– are part of the Department’s continued effort to spur the creation of the domestic bio-industry while creating jobs.

“Advanced biofuels are crucial to building a clean energy economy,” said Secretary Chu. “By harnessing the power of science and technology, we can bring new biofuels to the market and develop a cleaner and more sustainable transportation sector.   This investment will help spur the creation of the domestic bio-industry, while creating jobs and reducing our dependence on foreign oil.”

Biofuels Consortia

Two cross-functional groups will seek to break down critical barriers to the commercialization of algae-based and other advanced biofuels such as green aviation fuels, diesel, and gasoline that can be transported and sold using today’s existing fueling infrastructure. The selected projects consist of leading scientists and engineers from universities, private industry, and government, and will facilitate sharing expertise and technologies.

The two consortia selected for funding are:

National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts (NAABB) ($44 million)—Led by the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center (St. Louis, MO), NAABB will develop a systems approach for sustainable commercialization of algal biofuel (such as renewable gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel) and bioproducts. NAABB will integrate resources from companies, universities, and national laboratories to overcome the critical barriers of cost, resource use and efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, and commercial viability. It will develop and demonstrate the science and technology necessary to significantly increase production of algal biomass and lipids, efficiently harvest and extract algae and algal products, and establish valuable certified co-products that scale with renewable fuel production. Co-products include animal feed, industrial feedstocks, and additional energy generation. Multiple test sites will cover diverse environmental regions to facilitate broad deployment.

National Advanced Biofuels Consortium (NABC) (up to $33.8 million)—Led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, NABC will conduct cutting-edge research to develop infrastructure compatible, biomass-based hydrocarbon fuels. The result will be a sustainable, cost-effective production process that maximizes the use of existing refining and distribution infrastructure. NABC will investigate a variety of process strategies and down select to those closest to larger scale demonstration. The NABC plans to further develop these strategies to deliver a pilot-ready process, with full lifecycle analysis to measure the environmental benefits.

Collectively, these consortia will be matched by private and non-federal cost-share funds of more than $19 million for total project investments of over $97 million.

Secretary Chu also announced today the selection of eight infrastructure projects to receive up to $1.6 million to support expanded fueling infrastructure for ethanol blends.  The projects announced today will expand ethanol blends infrastructure at existing retail fueling locations in nine states: Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Missouri, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.  The projects plan to install E85 pumps, retrofit existing pumps to dispense E85, and install blender pumps that offer ethanol blends up to 85 percent at over 60 stations. Collectively, the projects propose creating at least 45 E85 dispensers and 16 blender pumps along key driving corridors and areas with higher concentrations of flexible fuel vehicles.

The infrastructure projects will be matched with $3.9 million in non-federal cost-share funds, for total projects investments of $5.5 million.

View the complete list and project descriptions of awards announced today.

Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) has awarded a project led by SunOpta BioProcess Inc. up to $5.5M in funding for the construction of a facility to demonstrate its integrated process that aims to produce both food grade xylitol ? a healthy sugar substitute ? and fuel grade cellulosic ethanol.

“Next-generation biofuel technologies are generating even greater environmental benefits and are also providing new economic opportunities through innovative co-products,” said the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Natural Resources. “The Government of Canada is pleased to support companies like SunOpta that are helping advance clean energy technology and provide a healthier environment for Canadians.”

“The generation of valuable co-products advances the economic opportunity created by the production of biofuels,” said SDTC President and CEO Vicky Sharpe. “Technologies like SunOpta’s that have both environmental and economic benefits help Canada achieve its biofuels objectives and build a bio-based economic sector, adding value to the agriculture and forestry industries.”

Using wood chips as feedstock, SunOpta’s technology is projected to decrease process water consumption by up to 75% compared to producing corn ethanol while retaining all of the life-cycle carbon benefits inherent to cellulosic ethanol. The proposed project involves the construction of a demonstration plant with a capacity to produce up to 620 tonnes of xylitol and two million litres of cellulosic ethanol per year.

“Successful commercialization of biofuel production technology relies upon capturing value from all of the major components in biomass feedstock. The SDTC funding will allow SunOpta BioProcess Inc. to demonstrate its integrated process technology to produce biofuels from cellulose, bioenergy from lignin, and xylitol, a natural alternative sweetener and value-added product produced from xylan,” commented SunOpta BioProcess Inc. President Murray Burke. “We are excited about the prospects of the integrated biorefinery technology, and believe that this strategy will lead to rapid commercialization of economically and environmentally sustainable biofuel operations, with concomitant benefits for Canadian economic vitality, environmental sustainability and energy security.”

The SDTC funding for SunOpta’s project will be leveraged with funding from members of its consortium, including Xylitol Canada and Emerald Forest Sugars Inc.

About SDTC

Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) is an arm’s-length foundation created by the Government of Canada which has received $1.05 billion as part of the Government’s commitment to create a healthy environment and a high quality of life for all Canadians. SDTC operates two funds aimed at the development and demonstration of innovative technological solutions. The $550 million SD Tech Fund™ supports projects that address climate change, air quality, clean water, and clean soil. The $500 million NextGen Biofuels Fund™ supports the establishment of first-of-kind large demonstration-scale facilities for the production of next-generation renewable fuels. SDTC operates as a not-for-profit corporation and has been working with the public and private sector including industry, academia, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the financial community and all levels of government to achieve this mandate. For more information, please visit www.sdtc.ca.

About SunOpta BioProcess Inc.

SunOpta BioProcess Inc. (SBI) is a leader in the design, construction and optimization of biomass conversion process technologies, equipment and facilities. With over 30 years experience in delivering biomass solutions worldwide, SBI combines its applications expertise with innovative, patented, and proprietary technologies to design and build equipment and processes to produce cellulosic ethanol, cellulosic butanol, xylitol, and other value-added products derived from lignocellulosic biomass. The company is currently supplying equipment and process technology to pilot and commercial demonstration cellulosic ethanol projects worldwide. SBI is an 86% owned subsidiary of SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ: STKL; TSX: SOY).

Currently, the transportation sector accounts for 28 percent of total U.S. energy use. As these vehicle technologies are adopted broadly across the country, they could save more than 100 million gallons of gasoline and diesel per day, and reduce carbon emissions from on-road vehicles by 20 percent by 2030.

“By investing Recovery dollars in next generation fuel efficient trucks here at home, we’re not only creating new job opportunities now, but helping lay a new foundation to keep American auto manufacturers competitive in the 21st century global marketplace,” said Vice President Biden. “Through strategic public-private investments like these, the Recovery Act is helping lay the groundwork for an expansion of our clean energy economy.”

“Improving the efficiency of our vehicles is critical to reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil and addressing climate change,” said Secretary Chu.  “Today’s awards will help demonstrate the potential benefits for long-haul trucks and passenger vehicles and will play an important role in building a more sustainable transportation system for the country.”

Three projects will focus on cost-effective measures to improve the efficiency of Class 8 long-haul freight trucks by 50 percent.  These projects will receive more than $115 million in funding to develop and demonstrate systems-level fuel efficiency technologies by 2015, including improved aerodynamics, reducing engine idling technologies, waste heat recovery to increase engine efficiency, advanced combustion techniques, and powertrain hybridization.

The remaining six projects totaling more than $71 million will support efforts to increase the fuel economy for passenger vehicle engines and powertrain systems.  The goal is to develop engine technologies that will improve the fuel economy of passenger vehicles by 25-40 percent by 2015 using an engine-only approach.

The following projects have been selected for awards under two topic areas:

Systems Level Technology Development, Integration, and Demonstration for Efficient Class 8 Trucks (SuperTrucks)

• Cummins Inc. – $38,831,115 – Columbus, Indiana – Develop and demonstrate a highly efficient and clean diesel engine, an advanced waste heat recovery system, an aerodynamic Peterbilt tractor and trailer combination, and a fuel cell auxiliary power unit to reduce engine idling.
• Daimler Trucks North America, LLC – $39,559,868 – Portland, Oregon – Develop and demonstrate technologies including engine downsizing, electrification of auxiliary systems such as oil and water pumps, waste heat recovery, improved aerodynamics and hybridization.
• Navistar, Inc. – $37,328,933 – Fort Wayne, Indiana – Develop and demonstrate technologies to improve truck and trailer aerodynamics, combustion efficiency, waste heat recovery, hybridization, idle reduction, and reduced rolling resistance tires.

Advanced Technology Powertrains for Light-Duty Vehicles (ATP-LD)

• Chrysler Group LLC – $14,458,572 – Auburn Hills, Michigan – Develop a flexible combustion system for their minivan platform based on a downsized, turbocharged engine that uses direct gasoline injection, recirculation of exhaust gases, and flexible intake air control to reduce emissions.
• Cummins Inc. – $15,000,000 – Columbus, Indiana – Develop a fuel-efficient, low emissions diesel engine that achieves a 40 percent fuel economy improvement over conventional gasoline technology and significantly exceeds 2010 EPA emissions requirements.
• Delphi Automotive Systems LLC – $7,480,572 – Troy, Michigan – Develop a novel low-temperature combustion system, coupled with technologies such as continuously variable valve control and engine downspeeding, to improve fuel economy by at least 25 percent.
• Ford Motor Company – $15,000,000 – Dearborn, Michigan – Achieve a 25 percent fuel economy improvement with a gasoline engine in a 2010 mid- to large-size sedan using technologies including engine downsizing, turbo-charging, direct injection, and a novel exhaust aftertreatment system.
• General Motors Co. – $7,705,862 – Pontiac, Michigan – Develop an engine that uses lean combustion and active heat management, as well as a novel emissions control system, to improve the fuel economy of a 2010 Malibu demonstration vehicle by 25 percent.
• Robert Bosch – $11,953,786 – Farmington Hills, Michigan – Demonstrate a high compression, turbo-charged engine based on homogenous charge compression ignition technology (a combustion technology that allows for lower emissions and higher efficiency)  to achieve up to 30 percent fuel economy improvement in a gasoline-fueled light-duty vehicle.

The lead applicant on each proposal is listed above.  The final details of each award contract will be finalized in negotiations between DOE and the grantee.

The HyWays project has created a roadmap based on country-specific analysis of the situation in Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom, together with an action plan detailing the steps necessary to move towards greater use of hydrogen.

Hydrogen is one of the most realistic options for environmental and economic sustainability in the transport sector, in particular passenger transport, light duty vehicles and city buses. However, its introduction requires gradual changes throughout the entire energy system and thus careful planning at this early stage. The transitional period offers Europe the opportunity to take the lead in developing hydrogen and fuel cell technology and its applications in transport and energy supply. The challenges are high and the right steps have to be taken quickly if Europe is not to count the cost of late market entry.

The costs of hydrogen end-use applications, especially for road transport, need to be reduced considerably to become competitive. At the same time deployment support schemes for hydrogen end-use technologies and infrastructure build-up are required. Comparing the spending for hydrogen production, supply and vehicles with the savings to be gained from replacing conventional fuel and conventional vehicles over time, the extensive and high-quality simulations of the project predict that the break-even point would be most likely reached between 2025 and 2035. The HyWays Roadmap estimates that in 2030 there will be 16 million hydrogen cars and the total cumulative investment for infrastructure build-up will amount to €60 billion.

The study examined the different ways in which hydrogen can be produced and found differing attitudes across the EU. All countries represented chose the production of hydrogen from natural gas, biomass and wind energy. Nuclear energy was seen as an option in France, Finland, Spain, Poland and the United Kingdom, whereas the use of coal was excluded in Finland, France and Norway. The report showed that the production of hydrogen from fossil fuels using carbon capture and storage could make a significant contribution to reducing CO₂ emissions. Furthermore, the introduction of hydrogen into the energy system offers the opportunity to increase the ratio of renewable energy, and help the large-scale introduction of intermittent resources such as wind energy through its use as a temporary energy storage option.

Competitiveness ministers of the 27 Member States are today expected to discuss and give the green light to a European Commission proposal for a public/private research partnership (“Joint Technology Initiative”) to develop Fuel Cell and Hydrogen technology. This industry-led integrated programme of research, technology development and demonstration activities will receive € 470 million of funding from the EU’s research programme over the next six years, an amount to be matched by the private sector. At the same meeting, ministers will discuss the Strategic Energy Technology Plan, which mentions this initiative as an example for future European actions to develop new energy technologies.

For more information:

HyWays and the report:

http://ec.europa.eu/research/energy/nn/nn_pu/hyways/article_0001_en.htm

Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Technology Initiative: IP/07/1468, MEMO/07/404

Strategic Energy Technology Plan: IP/07/1750

The Econic NGT 1828 offers CO₂ emissions that are 20% lower when measured against a comparable diesel-powered vehicle, CO₂-neutral performance if regenerative biogas is used, far less particulate matter discharge and a substantial reduction in noise levels.

Full Article – Source : ©GreenCarCongress.com

The bio-crude oil can be used to produce high value chemicals and biofuels, including both petrol and diesel replacement fuels.

“By making changes to the chemical process, we’ve been able to create a concentrated bio-crude which is much more stable than that achieved elsewhere in the world,” says Dr Steven Loffler of CSIRO Forest Biosciences.

“This makes it practical and economical to produce bio-crude in local areas for transport to a central refinery, overcoming the high costs and greenhouse gas emissions otherwise involved in transporting bulky green wastes over long distances.”

The process uses low value waste such as forest thinnings, crop residues, waste paper and garden waste, significant amounts of which are currently dumped in landfill or burned.

“By using waste, our Furafuel technology overcomes the food versus fuel debate which surrounds biofuels generated from grains, corn and sugar,” says Dr Loffler.

“The project forms part of CSIRO’s commitment to delivering cleaner energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by improving technologies for converting waste biomass to transport fuels.”

The plant wastes being targeted for conversion into biofuels contain chemicals known as lignocellulose, which is increasingly favoured around the world as a raw material for the next generation of bio-ethanol.

Lignocellulose is both renewable and potentially greenhouse gas neutral. It is predominantly found in trees and is made up of cellulose; lignin, a natural plastic; and hemicellulose.

CSIRO and Monash University will apply to patent the chemical processes underpinning the conversion of green wastes to bio-crude oil once final laboratory trials are completed.

The research to date is supported by funding from CSIRO’s Energy Transformed Flagship program, Monash University, Circa Group and Forest Wood Products Australia.

National Research Flagships

CSIRO initiated the National Research Flagships to provide science-based solutions in response to Australia’s major research challenges and opportunities. The nine Flagships form multidisciplinary teams with industry and the research community to deliver impact and benefits for Australia.

Download image at: Bio-crude turns cheap waste into valuable fuel.

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From the top of the Greenergy refinery in Immingham you can see across the Humber estuary to Hull. A hum of equipment fills the air, along with a curious smell. Popcorn.

Greenergy processes vegetable oil. It takes the gloopy juice squeezed from inside rape seeds harvested on surrounding Lincolnshire fields, strips out the waste and chemically tweaks the leftovers to make it easier to burn. Greenergy pipes almost 100,000 tonnes a year of its veggie option to ConocoPhillips and Texaco, just across the road, which mix it with their diesel fuel.

Until recently, the operation was viewed as a good thing. Because the oilseed rape plants absorb carbon dioxide, the company says the carbon emissions of the mixed fuel are lower, which helps the fight against global warming. And because oil companies that supply the blend pay less tax, everybody wins. Greenergy is expanding and similar facilities are going up elsewhere.[...]

Full article – Via : ©guardian.co.uk

A small but growing number of toll agencies around the world are giving discounts to owners of some alternative-power vehicles. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced last November that it would offer a $2 E-ZPass discount to the owners of three hybrid models, following the example of the New York State Thruway Authority, which introduced 10 percent E-ZPass discounts on those cars in 2006.

Under both plans, owners of vehicles that get 45 miles a gallon on the highway and meet low emission standards can receive the discounts. The only vehicles that qualify are the Toyota Prius, the Honda Civic Hybrid and the Honda Insight models from 2000 to 2004 — only because later versions of the Insight don’t meet the emission standards.

Existing E-ZPass customers who have an account with either agency can apply for the discount by mail by including a copy of their registration. Owners who qualify will receive a green E-ZPass transponder.[...]

Read article – Via : ©nytimes.com