Experts involved with the Sustainable Energy or SusEn research program of the Academy of Finland are considering the possibilities of processing biogas and biobutanol to become alternative transport fuels.

The primary source of biobutanol will be the by-products of the paper industry, pulp, and food industry. Biogas on the other hand can be a good source of methane which has a great potential to be a fuel substitute.

Ulla Lassi who works as a professor in the University of Oulu is looking at the production process using microbiological techniques so raw materials can be turned into sugars first then fermented to become butanol. The project of Lassi also involves using chemical syntheis using catalyst materials to promote the conversion of methanol, ethanol, or glycerol into pentanol, butanol, and other alcohol mixes. The outcome of the microbiological and chemical processes are good as substitutes to liquid fuels. For example, glycerol, when used, is very cost effective since it is a biodiesel by-product.

There are several hindrances in the process of making butanol thru microbiological means. One big challenge is the raw material digestion to make it a fermentable form of sugars. The fermentation process is another issue since it is a very complicated process. Experts are already looking into solutions to address these challenges.

The biogas project is also looking into it as a good alternative transport fuel. With experts from Finland and Chile working together, they are looking into the process f making gas from landfill as fuel.

Methane from biogas is one alternative fuel option which has a good chain for sustainability. It also meets the standards set by the European Union as a sustainable biofuel.

Renault recently unveiled the demo unit of their electric vehicle Kangoo be bop ZE. Unlike other demo units splashed all over the internet, the EV from Renault will served as a test vehicle to let people know of the technology involved in this new generation of vehicles.

The Kangoo be bop ZE is an improvement of the basic be bop. ZE stands for the zero emissions of the car. At first glance, it looks like it is a twin sibling of the Nissan EV-02 but it can be explained by the collaboration of Renault with the Japanese car maker.

The performance of the be bop ZE is very impressive. Its 60 horsepower engine can maximize the lithium-ion batteries and travel a distance of 100 kilometers or 62 miles in a single charge.

The test drive of the vehicle is limited to the confines of the city where it is also seen as a major contributor in reducing noise and air pollution. Electric vehicles may help make mode of transport a lot cheaper and decrease the dependence to petrol by as much as 90%.

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Toshiba Corporation and Volkswagen AG are set to team up on three major projects: the production of electric drive units, the development of power electronics for Volkswagen’s new line of vehicles, and the manufacturing of high-specific density batteries for the new generation electric-powered vehicles.

These three efforts are supposed to work towards Volkswagen’s goal this year, which is to produce safe, affordable, and emission-free large-scale electric vehicles. This was reported by Volkswagen’s Chairman of the Board of Management, Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn.

Eventually, Volkswagen will be producing lithium-ion power technology hand-in-hand with Toshiba Corporation. Based on the direction of the three projects, the Volkwagen AG is aiming for long-term plans that are bound to find their own niches in the production of affordable hybrid and electric vehicles a few years from now.

Toshiba is one of the world’s leaders in electronics and battery production, with their recent Super Charge ion Battery (SCiB) lithium-ion batteries. The SCiB is pegged to be used in hybrid and electric cars very soon. The battery line has only recently been commercialized in Japan.

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The US Department of Energy has issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) worth $300 million for helping out the expansion of researches and practical use of alternative fueled engines and advanced technology vehicles.

The latest FOA has four areas of interest:
1. Refueling Infrastructure for alternative fuels
2. Additional costs of alternative fuel vehicles
3. Outreach an educational programs for reduction of petroleum fuels and technologies
4. Pilot Programs for Alternative Fuel and Advanced Technology Vehicles

The funding program may support up to 30 geographically distributed projects. The recipients may include local and state governments, and transportation administrations, provided that they are affiliated with a committed Clean Cities Coalition(s).

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