SkyNRG announces its first major feedstock project in South Africa based on the Solaris technology. Solaris is a nicotine-free energy tobacco crop that has been developed by the Italian company Sunchem. SkyNRG and Sunchem SA have teamed up to roll out Solaris in Southern Africa at large scale to help power local sustainable jet fuel production. Both South African Airways (SAA) and Boeing will provide active support in securing further project … [Read more...]
New study: Debate on biofuels distracts from root causes of agricultural commodity price volatility
The German Bioethanol Industry Association (Bundesverband der deutschen Bioethanolwirtschaft - BDBe) commissioned a scholarly study to investigate claims that biofuels have been the main culprit behind rising agricultural prices and land-use conflicts. The public debate of the pros and cons of biofuels is dominated by issues related to the impact of biofuel production on the prices of agricultural commodities, food security and natural … [Read more...]
Interview Shell strategist Jeremy Bentham: “Future organisations will have to cross boundaries”
What will Shell’s role be in an increasingly carbon-constrained, and increasingly electrified world? Clearly the company sees its natural gas business as becoming central to its operations, gradually overtaking its oil business. But beyond that, the future is uncertain. Jeremy Bentham, Vice-President of Global Business Environment and head of the Shell Scenarios team, sees Shell evolving into a company that provides flexibility and resilience and … [Read more...]
More than a fifth of global power production now comes from renewables
Global renewable electricity energy capacity rose to a new record level last year — more than 1,560 gigawatts (GW), up 8% from 2012. More than 22 % of the world’s power production now comes from renewable sources. Renewables currently meet almost one-fifth of world final energy consumption. That is one of the conclusion of the new Renewables Global Status Report published by REN21, "the global renewable energy policy multi-stakeholder … [Read more...]
Biomass: the hidden face of the Energiewende
When people think about the “energy transition” in Germany and elsewhere, they tend to think of the success of solar and wind power. However, of all forms of renewable energy it is biomass that has seen the largest absolute growth and supplies by far the most renewable energy, writes Robert Wilson. In Germany biomass has grown three times as much as wind and solar combined. 17% of the country’s arable land (6% of total land) is now devoted to … [Read more...]
Who is winning the clean energy race? (It’s not Europe)
For the past five years, Pew Charitable Trusts has tracked investment and finance trends in the world’s leading economies. Over that period, the clean energy industry has been buffeted by a global recession, broad changes in energy markets, and uncertainty surrounding international policies on clean energy and climate change. Despite these challenges, the clean energy sector is now an annual $250 billion component of the world economy. In a … [Read more...]
Exclusive report – Boeing reveals “the biggest breakthrough in biofuels ever”
Oil companies watch out. Biofuels are on the verge of a breakthrough that will transform the oil market. Not only that: it will also green the planet. In an exclusive interview with CleanTechnica.com and Energy Post, Darrin L. Morgan, Director Sustainable Aviation Fuels and Environmental Strategy at Boeing, reveals that researchers at the Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi, funded by Boeing, Honeywell and Etihad Airways, may have achieved "the biggest … [Read more...]
Global clean energy investment falls for second consecutive year
Clean Energy Pipeline, the online daily financial news and data service dedicated to the clean energy sector, on 16 January released its preliminary analysis of venture capital, private equity, project finance, mergers and acquisitions and public markets activity during 4Q13 and 2013. New investment in the global clean energy sector totalled $58.2 billion in 4Q13, a 15% increase on the $50.7 billion invested in 3Q13 but a 21% decrease on the … [Read more...]
EU energy ministers unable to agree on biofuels policy
Ministers in the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council on 12 December held an in-depth discussion on a revised version of the draft text, which aims to minimise the impact of land use change on greenhouse gas emissions. The draft indirect land use (ILUC) directive aims to promote the move towards biofuels while limiting the possibility of increased greenhouse gas emissions due to increased biofuels production. It will amend the … [Read more...]
Paper industry presents breakthrough decarbonisation technology
The European pulp and paper industry has found a breakthrough decarbonisation technology called “deep eutectic solvents”. It is a brand new technology which, at low temperatures, breaks biomass down into constituent parts which can then be used in the paper and pulp industries. “If utilised at scale this technology could radically change pulp and paper production around the world and replace some of the most energy intensive parts of the current … [Read more...]
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