Water + Sun = biofuel as a laboratory in California chases dream

LOS ANGELES: it sounds like magic, Schiffler fiction, a California dream. Serious scientists are hard at work on a new Alchemy: brewery fuel for cars - synthetic gasoline - from little more than water and sunshine.
Imitating the manner to convert plants sunlight and carbon dioxide in the air into energy and oxygen, is the Joint Centre for artificial photosynthesis at the California Institute of technology in a race to nature and the slow warming of trump. Nate Lewis, Caltech Professor and solar energy research star, has a plan, fuel remake, as we know it.

"If we get to do this, we would make it," Lewis said in an interview last month.
The effort is U.S. Energy Department funds with $122 million, and combines the talents of 120 scientists at Caltech; Stanford University; the University of California Berkeley, Irvine and San Diego campuses; and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Electric motors, vehicles, the self and other disorder of the global automobile industry, which dates back to the 19th century is rented by the hour, cars.
A few years ago seemed also fantastic all-electric cars. Tesla Motors Inc., which only battery-powered vehicles, now has a higher market value than some labour-intensive car manufacturers, such as Suzuki Motor Corp. and Fiat SpA.

Two jumps
Lewis has a two-stage plan to revolutionize fuel. Really, it is two jumps.

Initially, the coalition aims at a system to make large quantities of hydrogen as a fuel with inexpensive solar-panel-like devices. Liquid or gaseous hydrogen, which can drive up super clean fuel cell cars, is required for chemical plants and refineries.
Then comes the second jump: assign the same research a system that can mix the hydrogen fuel with carbon dioxide from the air, as a plant for liquid fuels, heavy makes cars, trucks, boats or aircraft.

Synthetic, CO2 free gasoline is not easy, quick or cheap.
Research laboratories are racing around the world to find renewable alternatives to oil. Some are private enterprises; others are State-funded. While attempting some fuel from algae, corn or other crops, Lewis, argued that such solutions require to much water or soil, which are needed for food production.

Innovation racing
Research projects such as JCAP luxury without to meet short-term receivables to investors have, said Pavel Molchanov, an analyst based in Houston for Raymond James & Associates Inc.

"Companies, which ought to be commercially within the next three years on private capital, also venture capital, in most cases", said Molchanov, who follows biofuel company. "If we what private developer of bio-fuels to consider now, none of them have a commercialization roadmap that goes by 2025."
Startups like KiOR Inc., Solazyme Inc., Ceres Inc., Gevo Inc. and Amyris Inc. have an advantage over JCAP, because they already are commercialization of biofuel alternatives to oil and ethanol from grain.

What has JCAP is the Department of energy, the apply as an energy innovation hub, one of three Manhattan project-like efforts. Others are to make to the improvement of nuclear power plants and building more energy-efficient. Lewis can with the Government financing, methodically searching for a breakthrough.
Wright brothers

"The first five years of JCAP, our goal is to show that this can happen He said the parts, components, to an artificial photosynthetic system rebuild to make". This prototype is "not commercializable aircraft was the Wright brothers in the same way a 747." We have to show to the people first, is there a there. "
About five years later, with "better, faster, cheaper" nuclear fuel may license its system technology, JCAP oil and energy companies, said Lewis.

The program is to help in talks with potential partners from the industry, to expand its analysis of the "Earth abundant" materials needed promising for their solar fuel distillery. Lewis went on certain companies to identify. JCAP technicians are looking for the perfect recipe for low-cost, light-absorbing materials and hydrogen generating hundreds of combinations of metal salts and alloys needed for catalysts, tested.
Increasing the urgency of a low-carbon energy sources was intensified as extreme weather adds to concerns that heat-trapping gases in the Earth's atmosphere make less hospitable planet.

President Barack Obama, whose managing JCAP financed, signaled in June that US measures to curb CO2 emissions of new steps from such pollution from power plants, will intensify the largest source of CO2 emissions according to the US Environmental Protection Agency pare.
Transport fuels

Secondly, the use of oil is-based fuel in the transport sector. Engines in cars, trucks, planes and ships produced 28 percent the 6.7 million tons of trailing by the United States in 2011, according to the EPA, issued, only electricity production by 33 percent. Obama put a plan 2011 double vehicle fuel economy up to the year 2025 cut carbon pollution.
Automakers are strengthening, with small, high-output engines vehicle efficiency Actuator supplied by batteries; and even hydrogen fuel cells.

A big hurdle for vehicles with fuel cells, such as those developed by Toyota Motor Corp. and Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, is the lack of a clean source of hydrogen as a fuel. The first part of the Lewis plan it should be more plentiful and produce so much cleaner than is traditionally the case.
2020 JCAP technology for chemical plants and refineries, needed hydrogen could deliver, said William Royea, JCAP Deputy Director for strategy. Both use large amounts of gas - and the main source of industrial emit large amounts of CO2, for obtaining hydrogen from natural gas.

"If produced from this process is burnt gasoline-like fuel, back is that originally used the same CO2," said Lewis. "It is completely CO2-neutral."
Copyright 2013 Bloomberg

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Hydro power has great potential; Many critics

Hydropower is climate friendly, but it remains a controversial energy source. It is not always the case, the renewable energy has a positive impact on the environment, such as some large dam projects have proven.

People have used for more than 2,000 years of water generated energy. Today electricity from water produces 15 percent of global electricity production - accounts for more than nuclear energy. Other renewable energy sources such as wind and solar energy, making only 4 percent.

Potential of water, however, is exhausted, and it is an attractive alternative to energy to CO2 levels.

Studies show that water power could meet almost all the planet energy. But that's not likely.

"Cost benefit only, according to André Böhling Greenpeace Germany doesn't". "Water as a renewable energy has on in the differentiated form - be considered on a case by case basis."

The different results of large dam projects illustrate the Böhling.

Old dam, new energy

Such a project in Honduras called the Esperanza provides hydroelectric plant an example of ideal as water and can be used effectively. The system draws on existing dam structures, takes a minimum amount of space, and the positive effects of energy production constantly are obvious.

Canadian businessman Ron Turner directs the project, which clean energy award has been nominated for the world. The plant is the first project in the world to sell its carbon offsets under the Kyoto Protocol of 1997.

But many large dam projects in environmental, economic and social disasters, to develop always much too intrusive on nature and society.

The Indian Sardar Sarovar dam and the three Gorges Dam in China symbolize environmental destruction and disregard for human rights instead of environmental progress.

Dams, flooding forests are particularly problematic. Over the years let the rotting plants, they leave large amounts of methane - a gas, has the worse effects on the climate than carbon dioxide.

Despite their dubious record, continue to large dams are built in India, China and South America.

Discussions to end

In much of the West, such projects are no longer possible.

"The debate on major new projects in Germany past", Harald Uphoff said by Germany's National Association of hydropower plants.

The growth opportunities that remain, likely on new methods and technologies. Experts test currently special buoys that can be hung up in rivers with little environmental impact.

Another focus is the often more than 50-year-old modernisation plants to generate more power, and the project in Honduras offered an example of how this can work.

Potential for Germany?

Accounting for 3.5 percent of Germany's electricity, hydropower is the country of the second largest form of renewable energy after wind. But the economic and ecological sense more water power facilities is a separating theme.

"In the long term, people not significant increases in water-power production, should expect," said Andre Böhling.

Others disagree with, as Uphoff, who argues that "such attitudes lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy."

Industry power argue that water at least might provide a third more power in Germany. Their hopes lie largely with miniature plants - small, decentralized systems with outputs up to five megawatts. Are responsible for 20 percent of hydropower in Germany.

"Such facilities are often enough provide energy for small communities", Uphoff said.

15,000 unused Web sites

The Federal Government supported a study 2008 used by German rivers and streams, the discovery of 15,000 embankments and barrages for power generation. Industry wants water to see facilities account for so much energy production as nuclear power plants, but ecological concerns stand in the way.

A 2009 adopted German legislators with incentives for electricity production in environmentally friendly ways. Those who are their small hydropower facilities with environmentally sound measures, such as the Fischtreppen, equip get more money for each Watt, which contribute to the power supply.

Fracking waste water recycling is not a panacea

Drilling for natural gas started climbing sharply 10 years ago, energy companies faced criticism about an extraction process of pumping million litres of water in the soil for each well installation, and can be significant amounts of hazardous contaminants in the water, which comes back to the surface. Thus began in a movement", hailed by industry as a major turning point, drilling companies reuse and recycling of waste water."Water recycling a win-win situation ", says a drilling company, resources on your site.""It reduces fresh water demand and eliminates the need to dispose of the water."But the win-win situation comes with significant Sternchen.Z. B. in Pennsylvania recycling less than half of the waste water which you produced in the 18 months, in December, ended natural gas companies, State records according to.Still, recycling has environmental and health risks. Some methods can leave salts or mud focused with radioactive materials and other contaminants that can be dangerous people to aquatic life, if you get in waterways.Some good operators are lack of supervision also sell their waste rather than to use numbers. Because so salty you ready buyers have found it in communities that need on the roads in the winter salt to spread and for dust suppression in the summer. When ice melts or is rain, the waste can run off road and at the end of the drinking Versorgung.Dennoch remains in Pennsylvania, where the number of authorisations for gas wells drilling is partially jumped significantly in the past few years, because of the State to a large underground gas formation, known as the Marcellus shale is to spread this waste of federal and supervision, also when converted into salts, and on the streets.When Pennsylvania regulators strengthen government control tried, how drilling waste water is tracked, an industry Coalition argued vehemently against it. Three of the top officials in the session state - k. Scott Roy, Barbara Sexton and j. Scott Roberts - have left since the Government for the natural gas industry."An Executive at a drilling waste water recycling company said that for all the benefits of recycling, it was not a panacea.""No one wants to admit it, but at some point, also with reuse of water, you've got to make the issue", said Brent Halldorson, Chief Operating Officer of Aqua-pure/wells quail-water management, added, having the waste water of barium, strontium and radioactive elements, which must be removed. His company is based in Roanoke in the suburb of Dallas.Halldorson stressed that he had not seen, readings in the factory, which he operates in Williamsport, Pa.More than 90 percent of the good operators in Pennsylvania use radioactivity you known this procedure as Hydrofracking, To produce well. 10 To 40 percent of the water in each well injected appears in the first weeks of Prozesses.Viele States send your drilling to injection wells for underground storage. But due to the geological formations in Pennsylvania, there are some injection wells, and other alternatives are expensive. So, for the recycling of natural gas, as well as operators have turned into the State.Defence of work "which technical breakthroughs, which lead us to the nation in water recycling a combination of onsite and offsite treatment, allows a carefully orchestrated water management system, which depending on are complemented by specific geography and economics," said Kathryn Klaber, President of the Marcellus slate Coalition, an industry trade Group.Staat and company records show that recycling reports at least 320 million gallons in the year and a half, which ended in December, well operators. But at least 260 million litres waste water plants, which treated her in the rivers, made of more than 680 million gallons of sewage waste, according to state data posted Tuesday sent. One that would extend from those of New York City to Richmond line would fill more than 28,800 tanker truck, the 260 million gallons, Va.Practice increases, while the total amount of recycling that nowhere in the State close to the 90 percent, which the industry has been claimed in the last year, the practice was certainly on the rise in recent months. The reported amount is produced about 65 percent of all recycling in the past six months, up by about 20 percent during the 12 months before. Records.Das is at least 50 million additional gallons of waste water untreated, according to State fate more wastewater is unknown due to industry lobbying. In 2009, as regulatory authorities attempted to strengthen, steadfast against the Marcellus slate Coalition the effort the supervision of the industry's practices for the disposal of their waste.

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