Agricultural giant Tyson Foods Inc. and fuel developer Syntroleum Corp. will announce Monday that they have successfully opened a plant that makes diesel from chicken fat and leftover food grease.

But they say their new venture won’t survive unless Congress gives them a hefty tax break, an argument that many other alternative energy projects are also making.

A raw-materials check at the Tyson-Syntroleum alternative-diesel plant.

Tyson and Syntroleum say they’ve begun in recent weeks to make diesel and jet fuel from chicken fat, beef tallow and a range of greases and oils at a plant they’ve built in Geismar, La., south of Baton Rouge. The raw materials are leftovers from Tyson’s meat-processing plants and other food-processing factories and restaurants. Leer más »

Skies may be filled with algae.Bilal Bomani and salicornia in the Green Lab at NASA Glenn Research Center  In The Region: Scientists at NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland may have tied the future of space exploration to sub-aquatic life. 

When it comes to energy, there’s always something new under the sun.  Except for solar power, which has always been under the sun.  NASA Glenn Researcher Bilal Bomani has been working on a process to use biofuel as an alternative energy source for commercial aviation. Leer más »

Production. The industry of the ethanol produces 1.050.000 liters of fuel alcohol per day and plans to produce near 320 million liters of alcohol in the 2009 to supply 75% of the market.Â

The ethanol industry produces 1.050.000 liters of alcohol fuel per day and plans to produce near 320 million liters of alcohol in the 2009 to supply 75% of the market. Â

Measure that forces to have new cars that use 85% of ethanol was rejected by different sectors.Â

The decision of the National Government “to accelerate” the overcrowding of the ethanol use starting from January 1st of 2012 started a sharp polemic among different sectors of the industry. Â

The National Association of Managers, Andi, said that although he supports the use of the Flex-Fuel technology (that allows a bigger mixture of ethanol with gasoline in the motors of the cars), to force the Colombians to use it as specifies the Ordinance 1135 of March 31 of 2009 “it is an extreme measure.” Leer más »