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Biofuels are produced by converting organic matter into fuel for powering our society. These biofuels are an alternative energy source to the fossil fuels that we currently depend upon. The biofuels umbrella includes under its aegis ethanol and derivatives of plants such as sugar cane, as well aS vegetable and corn oils. However, not all ethanol products are designed to be used as a kind of gasoline. The International Energy Agency (IEA) tells us that ethanol could comprise up to 10 percent of the world's usable gasoline by 2025, and up to 30 percent by 2050. Today, the percentage figure is two percent.

However, we have a long way to go to refine and make economic and practical these biofuels that we are researching. A study by Oregon State University proves this. We have yet to develop biofuels that are as energy efficient as gasoline made from petroleum. Energy efficiency is the measure of how much usable energy for our needed purposes is derived from a certain amount of input energy. (Nothing that mankind has ever used has derived more energy from output than from what the needed input was. What has always been important is the conversion—the end-product energy is what is useful for our needs, while the input energy is just the effort it takes to produce the end-product.) The OSU study found corn-derived ethanol to be only 20% energy efficient (gasoline made from petroleum is 75% energy efficient). Biodiesel fuel was recorded at 69% energy efficiency. However, the study did turn up one positive: cellulose-derived ethanol was charted at 85% efficiency, which is even higher than that of the fantastically efficient nuclear energy.

Recently, oil futures have been down on the New York Stock Exchange, as analysts from several different countries are predicting a surge in biofuel availability which would offset the value of oil, dropping crude oil prices on the international market to $40 per barrel or thereabouts. The Chicago Stock Exchange has a grain futures market which is starting to “steal” investment activity away from the oil futures in NY, as investors are definitely expecting better profitability to start coming from biofuels. Indeed, it is predicted by a consensus of analysts that biofuels shall be supplying seven percent of the entire world's transportation fuels by the year 2030. One certain energy markets analyst has said, growth in demand for diesel and gasoline may slow down dramatically, if the government subsidizes firms distributing biofuels and further pushes to promote the use of eco-friendly fuel.

There are several nations which are seriously involved in the development of biofuels.

There is Brazil, which happens to be the world's biggest producer of ethanols derived from sugars. It produces approximately three and a half billion gallons of ethanol per year.

The United States, while being the world's greatest oil-guzzler, is already the second largest producer of biofuels behind Brazil.

The European Union's biodiesel production capacity is now in excess of four million (British) tonnes. 80 percent of the EU's biodiesel fuels are derived from rapeseed oil; soybean oil and a marginal quantity of palm oil comprise the other 20 percent.

Read more about Biomass to Biofuels Market Potential

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Vertical growing algae, biofuel of the future? - Eco-technology to provide energy efficient replacement for fossil fuels. Sweet sorghum promoted as smart biofuel - A corn-like plant that can grow as high as an elephant's eye on some of Earth's driest farmland shows promise as a "smart" biofuel that won't cut into world food supplies, an agriculture expert said on Monday. Sweet sorghum, used in the … Biofuel debate heats up - … Radia DesMoinesRegister.com May 12, 2008 Iowa agriculture is booming now, but disaster looms on the horizon. An anti-ethanol media storm threatens to further destabilize commodities markets by undermining political support for biofuels. Let Them Eat Biofuel? - Gas prices are rising and this could be great news. Even though it seems lousy in the short run. The truth is higher gas prices are already forcing people to drive less, skip trips, rethink vacations, and reject SUVs—part of a whole … Biofuel Comparison Chart - The article does a nice job of running through the (many) problems associated with biofuels, citing two studies by The Nature Conservancy and a team of US scientists. As the article implies, biofuels […] Fuels gold: Big risks of the biofuel revolution - Are biofuels really the greenhouse-busting answer to our energy woes? It’s not that simple, says Fred Pearce. [Slashdot] [Digg] [Reddit] [del.icio.us] [Facebook] [Technorati] [Google] [StumbleUpon] Abundant source of biofuel … right under our feet! - I have a suggestion for another source of biofuel which would have no impact on food, and alleviate several other problems: Kudzu! Kudzu grows anywhere it is allowed to in the southern United States, and is a pest plant that has caused …

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Energy Business Reports has just released its latest research report: "Unconventional Gas Outlook: Resources, Economics, and Technologies." Energy Business Reports is an energy industry think tank and leading source for industry information and research products. See full details at http://EnergyBusinessReports.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=781&affillink=EBL20080408

Natural gas has come a long way from the days when it was largely a waste byproduct sent to the flare. Today, natural gas meets more than 20% of the world’s primary energy requirements, and due to technological advances and favorable gas prices, many previously marginal economic gas resources are now economically viable.

Sources of natural gas that are more difficult and costly to extract (usually because of immature technology) are collectively known as unconventional natural gas resources (UCG). These unconventional gas sources are the focus of a comprehensive report recently published by Energy Business Reports.

Unconventional gas has become economically viable: The natural gas business model has changed drastically in the last decade. Deregulation and restructuring of the industry opened up new markets for natural gas, while, at the same time, new environmental legislation affected fuel demand patterns and led producers to reconsider the role of UCG in their exploration and development portfolios. Concurrent with these developments, recovery innovations significantly raised the recovery rate for unconventional gas reserves, and new technology advanced the monetization of remote gas and gas produced in marginal fields.

This ‘perfect storm’ of influences opened the door of opportunity for development and exploitation of UCG, and the unconventional natural gas sector is expected to see double-digit growth in the near term. During the next five years, demand for unconventional gas will increase at an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 10.7%.

Worldwide demand for UCG is growing: Technological advancements, together with natural gas’ environmental benefits, have made natural gas a vitally important component of the world's primary energy supply. In fact, natural gas is becoming a preferred fuel in the industrialized world, especially North America. In 2004, total world natural gas consumption reached 259.5 bcf per day, growing at 10.28% annually from 235.3 bcf per day in 2000.

Natural gas from unconventional reservoirs is being targeted to contribute a greater share of the world's natural gas supply in the next two decades. Independent producers are helping develop many of the new technologies and well-site strategies necessary to ensure that as much unconventional gas as possible will be available by 2025, when it will amount to about 44% of US domestic gas production. The objectives of technologies being used in unconventional reservoirs include enhanced productivity through increased exposure of the reservoir to the well bore; improved fluid-handling and disposal; reduced process-cycle times; declining materials and services costs; and better management of environmental risks and compliance.

Although UCG resources exceed conventional resources by several multiples, the technology necessary to recover tight sands and CBM economically has not yet been developed. Converting the remaining resources into reserves requires a combination of technological improvement, an appropriate regulatory environment, and a high level of industry-government cooperation.

The economics of UCG production: Although unconventional gas resources are abundant, they are costly to recover. UCG production was boosted in the late 1980s and early 1990s with the successful implementation of tax incentives designed to encourage their development. Since then, technological advancement has sustained production growth even in the absence of tax incentives, and increased production from unconventional gas resources has offset a decline in conventional gas production.

The drive to greater reliance on natural gas will be based in part on economics. However, government regulatory and taxation policy will also affect the viability of certain energy commodities, such as gas hydrate. In the recent past, government subsidies for unconventional gas resources such as CBM bolstered their technical and economic viability. Similar forms of government support could have a significant impact on the resource viability of gas hydrates.

Another non-economic factor that will likely affect the resource potential of gas hydrates relates to concerns about national security and dependence on foreign energy resources. The governments of many countries, including the US, often express concern over the heavy reliance on imported energy resources. Most certainly the international gas hydrate research programs of Japan, India, and South Korea have been established in part to address these issues.

Barriers and challenges remain: Worldwide development potential for unconventional gas resources can be realized in the near term, but several obstacles remain. The biggest challenge is the lack of a comprehensive policy that encourages development of unconventional gas fields using present technology. Also missing are policies and funding to encourage new approaches, exploration of areas with favorable permeability, and industry R&D. Other challenges facing the UCG industry include compliance with the Kyoto Protocol, management of carbon dioxide emissions, and the problem of water pollution associated with CBM and gas shales.

The Unconventional Gas Outlook report also includes a breakdown of UCG potential by geographic regions, a review of existing UCG projects, an overview of industry initiatives, and a comprehensive list of major players in the UCG industry.

About the Publisher: "Unconventional Gas Outlook: Resources, Economics, and Technologies" is published by Energy Business Reports (www.EnergyBusinessReports.com), an energy industry think tank and leading source for energy industry information and research products. This report can be ordered at http://EnergyBusinessReports.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=781&affillink=EBL20080408

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The industrial revolution spurred tremendous advances in science and technology that had the effect of exacerbating the world’s energy dependence. Over the past five decades, as the demand for energy has escalated and the consumption of fossil fuels has accelerated, people have sought renewable sources as an alternative way to meet growing energy requirements.

One promising and virtually inexhaustible source of energy is the sun. Solar energy enables vegetation to grow, and it can also be used to produce electricity by way of photovoltaic systems. Photovoltaic (PV) systems convert sunlight into electricity by means of photovoltaic - or solar - cells. When sunlight shines on photovoltaic cells, it is absorbed and converted directly into electricity without any moving parts. Although each cell produces only a small amount of electricity, cells can be linked together into solar arrays until the electrical output need is met.

PV is an increasingly important energy technology. Deriving energy from the sun offers numerous environmental benefits. It is an extremely clean energy source, and few other power-generating technologies have as little environmental impact as photovoltaics. As it quietly generates electricity from light, PV produces no air pollution or hazardous waste. Moreover, it does not require liquid or gaseous fuels to be transported or combusted. Also, because its energy source, sunlight, is free and abundant, PV systems can offer virtually guaranteed access to electric power.

However, this technology faces several large obstacles, most notably the costs relating to power generation and transmission as well as difficulties in obtaining funding for the development of advanced technology. Research is underway for development of so-called second generation - or thin-film - PV technologies to bring down the costs associated with PV energy.

A new report by Energy Business Reports examines this emerging technology and focuses on various technical, economic, and commercial aspects of solar photovoltaics. Beginning with an overview of PV technology, including its advantages, various types of PV, and its applications, the report goes on to explore the PV market dynamics including current and future market size, market growth and development, major trends, and barriers to the growth of PV technology. A detailed PEST analysis and cost analysis for the commercialization of PV technology compliments this overview. The report also includes an in-depth analysis of leading players, countries as well as companies, and several case studies. “Solar Photovoltaic Market Potential” provides a comprehensive assessment of the state of solar photovoltaic technology and the potential for this market.

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"And What YOU Need to Know to Profit Massively by this Alternative Energy Mega Trend!"

The last few decades have seen rapid growth in the use of the fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and coal. Production, on the other hand, has not increased to match the rise in consumption.

Due to limited availability of these resources, political instability in the Middle East, and recent catastrophic hurricanes… The situation only gets worse and energy prices only go up.
Industrialized nations are now at the mercy of rouge and politically unstable nations in order to continue their economic prosperity.

And with global warming becoming more and more frightening, along with the environmental concerns of greenhouse gases, and health problems caused by fossil fuel emissions; oil, gas, and coal are fast becoming less and less attractive energy sources.

As a result…
Global governments along with the energy industry have stepped up its funding and support for the development of alternative energy sources, such as Cellulose Ethanol.

Canada, United Kingdom, Spain, and China have also jumped on board the cellulose ethanol bandwagon and are investing billions of dollars in process technology and production.

Cellulose ethanol has the potential to be the alternative fuel the world has been looking for to supplement or replace fossil fuels.

Recent technological developments are not only improving yields but also driving down production cost, bringing us nearer to the day when cellulosic ethanol could replace expensive, imported "black gold" with a sustainable, domestically produced biofuel.

While chemically identical to ethanol produced from corn or soybeans, cellulose ethanol exhibits a net energy content three times higher than corn ethanol and emits a low net level of greenhouse gases. And biorefinery plant investment is increasing, bringing the costs down even more.
And…

The raw material is plentiful. Cellulose is present in every plant, in the form of straw, grass, and wood. Most of these "biomass" products are currently discarded.

How much money could you make if you invested
in the solution to the worlds growing energy demands?

It is estimated that 323 million tons of cellulose containing raw materials that could be used to create ethanol are thrown away each year.
If you're going to be one of the many who make a killing in cellulose ethanol market then you must read this report on Cellulose Ethanol Market Potential

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Brazil is a global leader in the use of renewable fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel. The National Alcohol Program (Proalcool), adopted in 1975, was the largest fossil fuel substitution program in the world, mandating the use of ethanol made from sugarcane to power automotive vehicles. Despite the collapse of mandated use, ethanol has remained an integral part of the Brazilian fuels matrix. Ethanol accounted for about 40% of passenger car fuel use in 2005 and 15% of total motor-vehicle fuels use.

Beyond the use of ethanol for passenger cars, Brazil is also a leader in the generation of electricity from renewable sources. Over 80% of Brazil’s electricity is produced via sustainable technology, mainly through the harnessing of hydroelectric power (77% of all generation). According to the Brazilian Ministry of Energy and Mines, taken as a whole, energy derived from biomass and hydroelectric plants account for 45% of the entire Brazilian energy matrix.

Other Topics covered in this report include:

Analysis of Ethanol By-Products in Brazil;

Impacts of Institutions on the Biofuel Market in Brazil;

U.S.-Brazil Memorandum of Understanding on Biofuels; and

Major Companies in the Brazil Biofuel Industry.

Details on this report can be found at:

http://energybusinessreports.com/shop/item.asp?itemid=1525&affillink=EBL20070303

biodiesel Biofuel Biomass brazil ethanol hydroelectric renewable

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