ROYAL DUTCH SHELL has become the world’s largest distributor of biofuels. Shell is also a leader in the development of next generation biofuels, using non-food bio materials, alternative processes and high performance fuels. That’s according to a recent media release from the corportaion. It also states that:
“Royal Dutch Shell plc and Codexis, Inc. today announced an expanded agreement to develop better enzymes that could accelerate commercialisation of next generation biofuels. Shell also increased its equity stake in Codexis and will take an additional seat on the company’s board.
“As part of the agreement, Codexis will work closely with Shell and Iogen Energy Corporation to enhance the efficiency of enzymes used in the Iogen cellulosic ethanol production process. The world-leading Iogen demonstration plant in Ottawa, Canada currently produces hundreds of thousands of litres of cellulosic ethanol from agricultural residue, such as wheat straw.
“The research programme with Codexis aims to enhance the Iogen process and shorten the timeline to its full-scale commercial deployment. Iogen’s technology uses enzymes to break down the cellulose in agricultural fibre and convert it to sugars, which are then fermented and distilled into ethanol.
“The new Shell-Codexis deal also continues the collaboration announced in November 2007 to investigate other biofuels, researching new enzymes to convert biomass directly into components similar to gasoline and diesel. Codexis will expand research at a centre in the US and at a new centre in Budapest, Hungary.
“The expert Codexis team will make a real difference in the race toward full-scale commercial production of biofuel from non-food sources,” said Graeme Sweeney, Shell Executive Vice President, Future Fuels and CO2. “Better enzymes will improve efficiency and help lower costs.”
“In just over two years, our biofuels collaboration with Shell has grown from a pilot project to a significant multifaceted programme to create commercial-scale biofuels from non-food sources,” said Alan Shaw, Ph.D, Codexis President and CEO. “Codexis has complemented its advanced directed evolution platform with world class technologies ranging from systems biology to large scale enzyme production. We are very pleased to attract such significant private equity investment.”
[End Media Statement]
*****************
Notes
Codexis, Inc. is a clean technology company. The company develops industrial biocatalysts, including enzymes and microbes. Codexis technology is used in the energy industry to enable next generation non-food biofuels and by global pharmaceutical companies for cost-effective manufacturing of human therapeutics. Future commercial applications include carbon management, water treatment and chemical manufacturing. For more information, visit www.codexis.com and www.shell.com
Shell dumps wind, solar and hydro power in favour of biofuels. Tim Webb. The Guardian. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/mar/17/royaldutchshell-energy
Jennifer Marohasy BSc PhD is a critical thinker with expertise in the scientific method.
Wind, Solar and Hydro just ain’t a proposition! Well, who’d ‘a’ thought?
If biofuels weren’t subsidised they would be a lot better, like made from algae grown on rinsed flue gas from coal fired ps etc.
If greenpeace and the bleeding hearts hadn’t made it so difficult and expensive, big oil would be building gen 4 NRs and providing cheap energy at a good profit and curing the world’s ills at the same time.
Solar actually works – it does produce power. The modern panels will output up to 300W. I lived on it for 5 years.
Unfortunately that’s not the problem.
The problem is storing it. If some one could come up with a better battery solar could have a future.
“Solar actually works – it does produce power. The modern panels will output up to 300W. I lived on it for 5 years.”
janama, did you live on it without being hooked up to the grid? Without backup?
As you say, you need big batteries, big panels [and a small apetite].
I use it in my caravan, or out at sea. But I have backup.
You wouldn’t want to cook on it or run the fridge.
Wind power is a similar story.
I wasn’t hooked up to the grid – I was too far from it. I had around 800W of panels and a set of 2V batteries running a 24V system through an inverter. I had a gas fridge and stove and my hot water was solar. I pumped my water up from the creek with a Ram Pump.
It was a beautiful timber home with high raked ceilings and a location high up on the north side of Mt Warning surrounded by world heritage park. It was low range 4WD up a 4km track to get there.
Sounds great but that’s about the best you can do without huge battery storage.
I lived at Portland Roads for a while where the trades blow 40 knots on a calm day and wind worked well there however out west with big banks of those same 2v batteries I always needed backup.
The net result is that it is expensive energy and there are infinitely better [in cost, efficiency and ecology] ways than crazily covering our beautiful world with turbines, PVs and giant mirrors.