JAPAN: Tony Blair Urges `Revolutionary' Carbon Emission Cuts

Former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair urged the U.S., Japan and European nations to make ``revolutionary'' cuts to greenhouse gases responsible for global warming.

``Since poorer nations will see their emissions rise as they industrialize, and since the world population may well grow from 6 to 9 billion, emissions in the richer nations will have to fall close to zero,'' Blair said at energy and environmental talks in Chiba City near Tokyo.

Ministers of the Group of Eight industrialized nations and representatives from 12 other countries discussed how to finance technological efforts to tackle climate change, and the basis for a successor to the Kyoto Protocol that expires in 2012.

U.S. emissions of greenhouse gases total 20 tons a year per person, twice as much as in Europe and Japan, Blair said. The world's average emission level may need to fall to as low as 2 tons per person to halve global output of the harmful gases by 2050, he said.

``If the average person in the U.S. is to emit, per capita, one-10th of what they do today and those in the U.K. or Japan by one-fifth, we're not talking adjustment, we're talking about a revolution,'' Blair said.

Green Technology

Japan will propose developing 21 emission-fighting technologies by 2030 at the three-day meeting, dubbed the ``G-8 Gleneagles Dialogue on Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development.''

The technologies include coal- and gas-fired power plants that emit almost no carbon dioxide, steelmaking processes using hydrogen, and a system to store carbon underground.

The conference serves as a prelude to another climate change summit this July, on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido.

The Kyoto Protocol requires 37 nations to cut emissions by a combined 5.2 percent from 1990 levels by 2012. The accord was never designed to solve global warming, and a new treaty must set targets to restrict temperature gains, Robert Watson, former chairman of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said March 11 at the Oceanology International conference in London.

The 1997 treaty limiting emissions for developed countries expires in 2012. The U.S. never ratified the accord. A new treaty is expected to be signed in Copenhagen next year.

Global Fund

The U.S., the largest emitter of greenhouse gases among industrialized nations, will seek to increase a proposed $10 billion clean technology fund, Daniel Price, an international economic affairs adviser to President George W. Bush, said yesterday.

The size of the fund, to be raised by the U.S., U.K., Japan and the World Bank, ``is insufficient to address the cost of the challenge,'' Price said. ``We are focused now on expanding the universe of donors for this fund.''

Price attended a meeting on energy security and climate change in Chiba before the G-20 ministerial talks.

China, the world's second-biggest emitter of carbon dioxide, said on March 5 developed nations should provide financial support of 0.5 percent of their annual gross domestic product to help it and other developing nations remedy the effects of climate change.

China's Plea
The Chinese proposal was among 26 submissions published on the Web site of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which aims to craft a successor agreement to the Kyoto Protocol.

``The incentives will be there to make environmental technology a massive new industrial opportunity, equivalent to the Industrial Revolution of the 19th Century,'' Blair said. ``The call to action is loud and clear.''

Source: Bloomberg| by Shigeru Sato & Yuji Okada

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UNITED STATES: Assessing The Feasability Of A Dedicated Ethanol Pipeline

Magellan Midstream Partners and Buckeye Partners have announced they have begun a joint assessment to determine the feasibility of constructing a dedicated ethanol pipeline. The proposed ethanol pipeline system would safely and efficiently deliver renewable fuel ethanol from the Midwest to distribution terminals in the northeastern United States.

The proposed pipeline could have the capacity to supply more than 10 million gallons of ethanol per day, enough to meet the needs of millions of northeastern motorists who purchase 10% ethanol blended gasoline or higher ethanol blends such as E85.

The pipeline would gather ethanol from production facilities in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and South Dakota to serve terminals in major markets such as Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and the New York harbor. The project, which preliminarily has been estimated to cost in excess of $3 billion, would span approximately 1,700 miles and would take several years to complete.

"The most promising liquid fuel alternative to conventional gasoline today is ethanol. But without an efficient means to transport ethanol from the Midwest to other markets, its benefits are limited," said Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry and a leader in promoting ethanol pipelines.

"Having a dedicated ethanol pipeline running from the Midwest to the eastern markets will help bridge the gap between the Midwest and the East, aiding America's energy security. So I applaud these two companies' efforts and I look forward to working in Congress to support the development of such pipelines."

"We believe the proposed pipeline is a unique and innovative solution to meeting the growing need for renewable fuels in the Northeast," said Don Wellendorf, Magellan's President and Chief Executive Officer. "Pipelines have consistently been chosen over the years as the safest, most reliable and cost effective method for moving liquid fuels. The potential project would be a major step in bringing ethanol into the traditional petroleum infrastructure system."

"Buckeye and Magellan are leaders in the pipeline industry and can play an important role in developing the infrastructure needed to efficiently meet the renewable fuels requirements of the recently enacted Energy Bill," said Eric Gustafson, Buckeye's Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

"This feasibility study will evaluate the possible use of existing right-of-ways and workforces as well as other synergies and resources that our companies have. Our goal is to develop a cost effective project that could deliver ethanol from the production hubs in the Midwest to the high demand areas in the Northeast."

The feasibility of this project is dependent upon the successful outcome of ongoing studies addressing technical and economic issues associated with the transportation of ethanol via pipeline. Congressional support and assistance is necessary for a project of this nature given the changing federal policies associated with renewable fuels.

In addition to assessing governmental support, financing and technical issues, Magellan and Buckeye stated that the feasibility study would also review construction requirements, construction costs, project economics, regulatory issues and other matters. The technical and feasibility studies could be complete in the latter half of 2008.

However, the necessary governmental support, the timing of which is unknown at this time, is critical for the partnerships to make a decision on proceeding with construction of the proposed ethanol pipeline. Pursuit of the proposed project also is conditioned on changes to federal tax laws to ensure that transportation of ethanol by pipeline will be treated the same as the transportation of natural resources, such as refined petroleum products, by pipeline.

Although there are many hurdles to overcome to make this ethanol pipeline project a reality, the two partnerships are hopeful that the obvious need for a pipeline to deliver ethanol from the Midwest to distribution terminals in the northeastern United States will lead to a viable and successful project.

Both companies have extensive experience handling ethanol at their respective terminal locations. Magellan already blends ethanol at 36 of its petroleum products terminals and is currently investing in six new ethanol blending systems at its terminals in the Midwest and southeastern states. Buckeye currently has 24 terminals with ethanol blending capabilities and is in the process of investing in two new ethanol blending systems at its terminals in the Northeast.

Source: SPX

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UNITED STATES: Coal Gasification and CO2

There is a growing consensus that increased demand for electricity will cement coal's place in the energy portfolio for years to come. In fact, more than half of the electricity produced in the United States comes from coal. With demand for electricity expected to double by 2050 and renewable resources still years away from offsetting increased demand, it is clear -- coal is here to stay.

But can 'dirty' coal be used cleanly?" The answer may be a resounding yes if gasification becomes common place, researchers said today at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in Boston.

"Coal gasification offers one of the most versatile and clean ways to convert coal into electricity, hydrogen and other valuable energy products," said George Muntean, staff scientist at the Deparent of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, during his presentation at the AAAS symposium entitled "Coal Gasification, Myths, Challenges and Opportunities."

PNNL scientists organized the symposium to provide an overview of how coal gasification can help meet the growing demand for clean energy.

"Gasification provides significant economic and environmental benefits to conventional coal power plants," Muntean said. Rather than burning coal directly, gasification breaks down coal into its basic chemical constituents using high temperature and pressure. Because of this, carbon dioxide can be captured from a gas stream far more easily than from the smokestacks of a conventional coal plant.

"If we plan to use our domestic supply of coal to produce energy, and do so in a way that does not intensify aospheric CO2 concentrations, gasification is critical," Muntean said. "It has the potential to enable carbon capture and sequestration technologies and play an important role in securing domestic sources of transportation fuels."

Many experts predict that coal gasification will be at the heart of clean coal technology if current lifespan and economic challenges are addressed. One significant challenge is the historically short lifespan of refractories, which are used to line and protect the inside of a gasifier. Currently, refractories have a lifespan of 12 to 16 months. The relining of a gasifier costs approximately $1 million and requires three to six weeks of downtime.

"Gasification happens in an extreme environment so the lifespan of refractories is historically low," said S.K. Sundaram, PNNL staff scientist. "Refractory lifespan must be increased before we can realize the promise of clean coal."

During the symposium, S.K Sundaram highlighted two advanced gasifier models developed at PNNL that provide a scientific understanding on when and why refractories fail at such high rates. The data collected from these models could enable advanced or alternative gasification technologies to be produced. Use of these models could extend refractory lifespans by 3 years.

"Advances in modeling will help us better understand some of the key challenges associated with coal gasification - refractory durability and lifespan," Sundaram said. "This will help reduce the capital costs of operating a coal gasifier."

During the symposium, researchers at PNNL also highlighted advances in millimeter wave technology that could be used for real-time measurement of critical parameters (temperature, slag viscosity, refractory corrosion) inside a gasifier. The millimeter wave technology, developed at PNNL, has been used for a number of different applications, from airport security to custom fit clothing.

Although in the early stages of development for this application, the technology shows promise to increase the efficiency and safety of coal gasifiers.

"Advances in gasification will help us meet demand for clean energy worldwide," Sundaram said. "Science and technology are paving the way for cleaner coal for future generations."

Source: SPX

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UNITED STATES: Solar Cell Directly Splits Water For Hydrogen

Plants, trees and algae do it. Even some bacteria and moss do it, but scientists have had a difficult time developing methods to turn sunlight into useful fuel. Now, Penn State researchers have a proof-of-concept device that can split water and produce recoverable hydrogen.

"This is a proof-of-concept system that is very inefficient. But ultimately, catalytic systems with 10 to 15 percent solar conversion efficiency might be achievable," says Thomas E. Mallouk, the DuPont Professor of Materials Chemistry and Physics. "If this could be realized, water photolysis would provide a clean source of hydrogen fuel from water and sunlight."

Although solar cells can now produce electricity from visible light at efficiencies of greater than 10 percent, solar hydrogen cells - like those developed by Craig Grimes, professor of electrical engineering at Penn State - have been limited by the poor spectral response of the semiconductors used.

In principle, molecular light absorbers can use more of the visible spectrum in a process that is mimetic of natural photosynthesis. Photosynthesis uses chlorophyll and other dye molecules to absorb visible light.

So far, experiments with natural and synthetic dye molecules have produced either hydrogen or oxygen-using chemicals consumed in the process, but have not yet created an ongoing, continuous process. Those processes also generally would cost more than splitting water with electricity. One reason for the difficulty is that once produced, hydrogen and oxygen easily recombine. The catalysts that have been used to study the oxygen and hydrogen half-reactions are also good catalysts for the recombination reaction.

Mallouk and W. Justin Youngblood, postdoctoral fellow in chemistry, together with collaborators at Arizona State University, developed a catalyst system that, combined with a dye, can mimic the electron transfer and water oxidation processes that occur in plants during photosynthesis.

The key to their process is a tiny complex of molecules with a center catalyst of iridium oxide molecules surrounded by orange-red dye molecules. These clusters are about 2 nanometers in diameter with the catalyst and dye components approximately the same size. The researchers chose orange-red dye because it absorbs sunlight in the blue range, which has the most energy. The dye used has also been thoroughly studied in previous artificial photosynthesis experiments.

They space the dye molecules around the center core leaving surface area on the catalyst for the reaction. When visible light strikes the dye, the energy excites electrons in the dye, which, with the help of the catalyst, can split the water molecule, creating free oxygen.

"Each surface iridium atom can cycle through the water oxidation reaction about 50 times per second," says Mallouk. "That is about three orders of magnitude faster than the next best synthetic catalysts, and comparable to the turnover rate of Photosystem II in green plant photosynthesis." Photosystem II is the protein complex in plants that oxidizes water and starts the photosynthetic process.

The researchers impregnated a titanium dioxide electrode with the catalyst complex for the anode and used a platinum cathode. They immersed the electrodes in a salt solution, but separated them from each other to avoid the problem of the hydrogen and oxygen recombining. Light need only shine on the dye-sensitized titanium dioxide anode for the system to work.

This type of cell is similar to those that produce electricity, but the addition of the catalyst allows the reaction to split the water into its component gases.

The water splitting requires 1.23 volts, and the current experimental configuration cannot quite achieve that level so the researchers add about 0.3 volts from an outside source. Their current system achieves an efficiency of about 0.3 percent.

"Nature is only 1 to 3 percent efficient with photosynthesis," says Mallouk. "Which is why you can not expect the clippings from your lawn to power your house and your car. We would like not to have to use all the land area that is used for agriculture to get the energy we need from solar cells."

The researchers have a variety of approaches to improve the process. They plan to investigate improving the efficiency of the dye, improving the catalyst and adjusting the general geometry of the system. Rather than spherical dye catalyst complexes, a different geometry that keeps more of the reacting area available to the sun and the reactants might be better. Improvements to the overall geometry may also help.

"At every branch in the process, there is a choice," says Mallouk. "The question is how to get the electrons to stay in the proper path and not, for example, release their energy and go down to ground state without doing any work."

The distance between molecules is important in controlling the rate of electron transfer and getting the electrons where they need to go. By shortening some of the distances and making others longer, more of the electrons would take the proper path and put their energy to work splitting water and producing hydrogen.

Source: SPX

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UNITED STATES: The Future Of Biofuels

High oil prices, energy security considerations and fears about global warming have helped revive interest in renewable energy sources like biofuels, which burn cleanly and can be produced from plants.

But there are a few catches, particularly regarding biofuels like corn-based ethanol: the more corn is used in ethanol production, the less is available for food-a reality that partly accounts for the recent run-up in world food prices. Moreover, most of the 6 billion gallons of ethanol produced annually in the United States comes from corn, but there's not enough corn available to make it a viable long-term source.

MIT Professor Gregory Stephanopoulos lead a discussion of the various ways scientists and energy policymakers are seeking to overcome these limitations and make biofuels from renewable biomass feedstocks a significant part of the U.S. energy supply during a symposium.

The symposium, "Biomass to Biofuels Conversion: Technical and Policy Perspectives," explored two aspects of biofuels: The first half covered biofuels policy and the second focussed on technical issues in converting biomass to fuel.

Stephanopoulos, the Willard Henry Dow Professor of Chemical Engineering, discussed his own research, which involves bioengineering yeast. He and colleagues have developed a new way to engineer the genome of yeast to produce desirable traits-specifically, the ability to tolerate high levels of ethanol, which is normally toxic to yeast. The technique holds promise for the development of other traits that would make yeast more-efficient ethanol producers.

He also touched on other lines of biofuel research, including using plant materials to produce ethanol. To replace corn, scientists are turning to cellulose found in grasses and agricultural wastes.

"The technology to produce cellulosic ethanol is not there yet," Stephanopoulos said. However, he estimates that large-scale, economically feasible production of ethanol from cellulose could happen within 10 years.

Source: SPX| by Anne Trafton

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