HP Editorial Comment: Alternative energy?
Alternative energy is a point-of-reference term. Natural gas is an alternative energy resource for transportation fuels. As more natural gas resources are developed, natural gas is displacing coal as ..
Alternative energy is a point-of-reference term. Natural gas is an alternative energy resource for transportation fuels. As more natural gas resources are developed, natural gas is displacing coal as the primary energy source for electrical power generation.
As illustrated in Fig. 1, global energy resources are a mix of hydrocarbons, renewables, hydro and nuclear resources. Finding and applying domestic resources for energy is quite logical: Use what is local and supplement through imports to meet national energy needs. These are logical courses to pursue to expand domestic economic growth.
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Fig. 1. Shares of primary
energy by source:
1965 to 2035.
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Change is a constant
Environmental legislation has been a determining factor in future fuel and energy programs. Preserving the environment has initiated replacing fossil fuels with alternatives such as solar, wind and renewables. It has taken time for alternative energy resources to be developed. Progress is materializing. Here are some recent notable developments:
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The BioTfueL project is constructing two demonstration facilities at Sofiprotéol in Venette, France, and at a TOTAL site in Dunkirk, France. BioTfueL is a thermoconversion process that converts second-generation biomass into biodiesel and biojet fuel. Partners of BioTfueL include IFP Energies nouvelles (30%), Axens (3%), Sofiprotéol (12%), ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions (19%), the CEA (5%) and TOTAL (31%). The partners have committed €180 MM to the project. Almost €110 MM will be invested to construct the TOTAL Dunkirk demonstration unit.
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Neste Jacobs and SunPine plan to construct a Tall Oil Rosin facility in Pitea, Sweden. The Tall Oil Rosin process is a second-generation renewable fuel. The facility will produce raw tall diesel (a feedstock used in renewable diesel), rosin and tall oil pitch (an energy product for the paper industry). The facility is expected to be operational by the second half of 2015.
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Gevo Inc. has licensed its renewable isobutanol process to Highlands EnviroFuels LLC. The facility will use a “Brazilian-style” syrup mill to produce 200,000 metric tpy of fermentable sugars for Gevo’s isobutanol process.
Other notables
The Institute of Chemical Engineers awarded recognition to various companies for their achievements in chemical engineering. The award categories also included innovations in renewable and bioprocessing methods:
BP’s Hummingbird (bio)ethanol-to-ethylene process received the Bioprocessing Award sponsored by Newcastle University, UK. The process received a highly commended recognition for the Chemical Engineering Project of the Year Award.
Johnson Matthey Davey Technologies received the Sustainable Technology Award sponsored by ABB Consulting for its biodiesel-from-waste-oils process. HP
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