Don Croft
08 May 2008 09:13
Subject: Cheap Fuel from Bacteria on Biomass
Thanks, Liz, for sending this. ~Don
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Researcher: Discovery could end energy crisis
Tifton (GA) Gazette ^ | 3/15/2008 | Jana Cone
Posted on 3/20/2008 3:35:26 AM by Neville72
A Tifton agricultural researcher says he has found the solution to the world’s energy crisis through genetic modification and cloning of bacterial organisms that can convert bio-mass into hydrocarbons on a grand scale. The local researcher believes his groundbreaking discovery could result in the production of 500 to 1,000 barrels of hydrocarbon fuel per day from the initial production facility. The hydrocarbon fuel — commonly known as oil or fossil fuel when drilled — will require no modification to automobiles, oil pipelines or refineries as they exist today and could forever end the United States’ dependence on foreign oil, he said.
J.C. Bell, who brought the world powdered peanut butter, has spent the last four years, identifying the bacteria that produces hydrocarbon and then finding a way to genetically alter it so that it could produce hydrocarbon in greater volume.
Bell cited a USDA study that projected it was possible to produce two billion tons of bio-mass that could be converted to hydrocarbon with some modification to agriculture and forestry practices.
Pamela Serino, Chief of the Department of Defense Energy Support Center at Fort Belvoir, Va., said she was very excited about Bell’s technology. “The DOD Energy Support Center is the energy purchasing arm of the defense logistics agency,� Serino said. She said she became acquainted with Bell when he met with a senator about his hydrocarbon research. “We give support to the Hill,� she said. “When he was briefing the senator, we were there to see if his technology was viable.� Serino said her job was to question the science behind the technology. “It looks good to me,� she said.
Serino said she envisions a near future where “we have multiple regional energy sources.� She said the growth in China and India makes the work in bio-energy more critical.
Now that his discoveries have been patented, his corporation formed — Bell Bio-Energy, Inc. — and his government communications established, Bell announced his discoveries to the local press on Friday morning.
“I have received a tremendous amount of support from the state and federal government,� Bell said. “I could not have gotten this far without the help of (U.S. Sen.) Saxby Chambliss, (U.S. Sen.) Johnny Isakson, (Rep.) Jim Marshall, (Rep.) Jack Kingston and Floyd Gabler, the deputy undersecretary of the USDA.� He said, “They have opened doors for me at the Department of Defense and the EPA and EPD.�
Bell said he never considered ethanol for his research. “He who burns his food goes hungry,� Bell said. “That’s an old Chinese proverb.� Instead he concentrated on bio-mass and hydrocarbons. “If it grows it’s bio-mass,� Bell said. Bio-mass is any living or recently dead biological material. Hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Decomposed organic matter provides an abundance of carbon and hydrogen and is naturally occurring in crude oil.
Sources for bio-mass to be converted to hydrocarbon fuel are the forestry industry, pulp plants, agriculture and waste derived from the construction and demolition industry.
“This is the ultimate recycling,� Bell said. “Environmentalists should rejoice. We are only using waste products.� Bell said his company would take all of the waste of the plants: The tree limbs and tree tops, husks and cob of the corn, wheat stubble and corn stover.
Bell said that with ethanol, “The United Stated would have to totally rebuild our infrastructure.� He said, “We wanted to make hydrocarbon that could immediately be pumped.�
Bell said the original idea came from observing cows expel gas. “That is natural gas,� Bell said. “Cows release methane gas.� He said the gas is created by bacteria in the cow’s rumen or stomach. “These bacterial organisms are responsible for biological conversion of bio-mass into hydrocarbons,� he said.
With his research complete, Bell is in the process of building his pilot plants and production facilities. At the pilot plants, the bio-mass will be tested to select bacterial strains, bacterial genetic modification will be tested, revision of production protocols will be established, and a determination will be made of the best method of bio-mass conversion.
“We are exploring several locations for our pilot plants and production facilities,� Bell said. “We have the opportunity to put our plants in several locations.�
He estimated the budget for the research facility to be at $60 million annually and the production facilities at $250 to $300 million a year. He anticipates being in full scale production by October 1, 2009.
“Wherever this is located, the community will reap tremendous economic benefit,� he said.
Bell cites a number of benefits of bio-mass conversion: The energy shortage issue can be effectively addressed, it is a totally renewable energy source, it calms global warming fears, utilizes industrial waste and supports the agriculture industry.
“We can reduce the waste stream by 70 percent,� he said.
For more information e-mail questions to marketing [at] bellplantation [dot] com.
To contact reporter Jana Cone, call 382-4321, ext. 208.
TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: energy
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1 posted on 3/20/2008 3:35:27 AM by Neville72
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To: Neville72; Red Badger
Bump!
2 posted on 3/20/2008 3:45:59 AM by roaddog727 (BS does not get bridges built – the funk you see is the funk you do)
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To: Neville72
" Dainbramage said recycling My dead body would power a aircraft carrier for 10 years"
3 posted on 3/20/2008 3:54:35 AM by DainBramage
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To: Neville72
“Bell said the original idea came from observing cows expel gas.�
Not quite as romantic as Newton watching an apple fall. Unfortunately, I predict that this won’t be as far-reaching either. I’m sure Bell is not the only one who’s thought of modifying bacteria so that they can produce a fuel. Whether it works is the key. I’ll reserve my judgment until I see the product.
4 posted on 3/20/2008 3:55:09 AM by Brilliant
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To: Neville72
Excellent! I will keep my big bore V-8 Tundra!
5 posted on 3/20/2008 3:57:05 AM by mosaicwolf (Strength and Honor)
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To: Neville72
bring it on – it will be immense fun wtching those russian thugs devolve back into the third world status they deserve.
6 posted on 3/20/2008 4:01:02 AM by spanalot
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To: Neville72
Dang is Tifton great or what? First, heat resistant bentgrass greens and now this!
I hope it is true. I would love to see the Arabs cutoff at the knees.
7 posted on 3/20/2008 4:01:09 AM by doodad
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To: Brilliant; neverdem; Congressman Billybob; patton; theDentist
Then again, I’m waiting for an enviro-eco-freak to claim that “If this is released it will get out of control and consume ALL living matter in an uncontrollable exponential growth and the world will end as an oil-filled swamp …
8 posted on 3/20/2008 4:02:36 AM by Robert A. Cook, PE (I can only donate monthly, but Hillary’s ABBCNNBCBS continue to lie every day!)
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To: doodad
No doubt Exxon Mobile will be at his door step today with a buy out to bury this program
9 posted on 3/20/2008 4:03:29 AM by BubbaJunebug
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To: Neville72
I’m in.
Certainly would be nice to get oil self dependent, and out of the Mid-East Hell hole.
10 posted on 3/20/2008 4:05:50 AM by G.Mason (Duty, Honor, Country)
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To: spanalot
Please, God, before the ME takes over the globe.
11 posted on 3/20/2008 4:09:42 AM by txflake
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To: Robert A. Cook, PE
The final product is a gas, so our vehicles would all run on a propane-like gas?
Cows also leave a certain amount of physical residue after they process their bio-mass. What happens to the residue? Is it all consumed by bacteria?
12 posted on 3/20/2008 4:15:51 AM by Rennes Templar ( Never underestimate the difficulty of changing false beliefs by facts.)
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To: Neville72
Not this BS again. There was a thread on this topic yesterday that was joined by JC Bell (mentioned in the article). After a few technical questions Mr Bell fled the field.
13 posted on 3/20/2008 4:16:30 AM by Hacklehead (Crush the liberals, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of the hippies.)
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To: Neville72
This is almost as Martians pissing gasoline. ain’t it?
14 posted on 3/20/2008 4:17:56 AM by Waco
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To: Neville72
… can convert bio-mass into hydrocarbons on a grand scale. The local researcher believes his groundbreaking discovery could result in the production of 500 to 1,000 barrels of hydrocarbon fuel per day from the initial production facility.
If that,s real, big oil will make shure this thing will never see light of the day, you can bet your house on it.
Look at the hybrid cars scam, it takes very little to upgrade a hybrid car to a PHEV (plug in hybrid) which is basically an electric car with combustion engine back-up, yet no car manufacturer dares to produce one (you can buy a conversion kit though making your hybrid into a PHEV).
No car manufacturer dares to produce a PHEV cause they all are all in bed with oil companies.
After being patriotic (and stupid) for 30 years driving American cars I finally woke up like millions of Americans and now I am driving a Toyota.
GM, Ford and Chrysler will go bankrupt soon anyway.
15 posted on 3/20/2008 4:25:02 AM by Anticommie
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To: Neville72
Oil company sharpshooters have already been deployed.
16 posted on 3/20/2008 4:25:28 AM by PBRSTREETGANG
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To: Neville72
Seems to me that what is described here is theoretically possible. What remains to be seen of course is if this is the real thing.
As someone else pointed out, were it to be accurate, the enviro-tards will most surely attempt to derail it.
17 posted on 3/20/2008 4:28:16 AM by ChildOfThe60s (If you can remember the 60s………you weren’t really there)
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To: PBRSTREETGANG
Don’t be so sure. If this produces oil, it will have to be produced, refined and distributed to the existing gas stations. This will fall to the existing refineries, distribution systems, and retail outlets. The oil companies would be the natural choice to get into this business, and they could make the same profits without having to deal with the dictators and OPEC members to do it. I think they would love to see this work.
18 posted on 3/20/2008 4:30:51 AM by deaconjim (Because He lives…)
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To: Neville72
Well Hot Dang!
This is from the Agriculture station that is right next to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, aka ABAC.
Gee, Haw, Whoa, Back.
Give 'em Hell ABAC!
19 posted on 3/20/2008 4:35:59 AM by N. Theknow (Kennedys: Can’t drive, can’t fly, can’t ski, can’t skipper a boat; but they know what’s best for us)
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To: Rennes Templar
Cows also leave a certain amount of physical residue after they process their bio-mass. What happens to the residue? Is it all consumed by bacteria?
The Democrat National Committee gathers it and dispenses it to their members for use in their speeches.
20 posted on 3/20/2008 4:37:59 AM by N. Theknow (Kennedys: Can’t drive, can’t fly, can’t ski, can’t skipper a boat; but they know what’s best for us)
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To: Neville72
…bacterial organisms that can convert bio-mass into hydrocarbons…
One downside is that they eat you too.
21 posted on 3/20/2008 4:41:03 AM by decimon
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To: Neville72
I believe there is already a similar plant in operation. I saw a TV show about it. It converts primarily turkey waste. The article didn’t discuss the economics of this plant so it’s hard to say whether or not it’s cost effective. The fact that he sites nothing but govt officials and agencies raises the BS flag for me.
22 posted on 3/20/2008 4:43:16 AM by saganite
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To: Neville72
Give this guy a raise!
23 posted on 3/20/2008 4:44:46 AM by vladimir998 (Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. St. Jerome)
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To: Rennes Templar
“What happens to the residue?�
COMPOST
24 posted on 3/20/2008 4:46:31 AM by wolfcreek (I see miles and miles of Texas….let’s keep it that way.)
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To: decimon; All
“One downside is that they eat you too.�
Thinking the same.
I saw this B-rated Sci-Fi movie about a company making tiny nano-robots to eat oil spills. They escaped and started eating the world.
25 posted on 3/20/2008 4:49:12 AM by wolfcreek (I see miles and miles of Texas….let’s keep it that way.)
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To: Rennes Templar
What happens to the residue?
Soylent brown.
26 posted on 3/20/2008 4:54:37 AM by Fresh Wind (Vaclav Klaus on global warming skeptics: “a whip of political correctness strangles their voice”)
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To: Hacklehead
After a few technical questions Mr Bell fled the field.
27 posted on 3/20/2008 4:54:41 AM by johnny7
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To: Neville72
Sounds promising….
28 posted on 3/20/2008 4:57:11 AM by theDentist (Qwerty ergo typo : I type, therefore I misspelll.)
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To: Hacklehead
I think Mr. Bell’s bacteria farm is located in a tunnel next to his perpetual motion machine.
29 posted on 3/20/2008 5:00:29 AM by BRL
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To: Anticommie
Does your toyota burn rice or gasoline?
30 posted on 3/20/2008 5:00:46 AM by omega4179 (Boycott Olympics of tyrrany!)
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To: Neville72
Sounds good, but won’t the hateful politicians block any idea that would lessen their power and monies grab? And since the majority of Americans believe the lying politicians and continue to elect liars and thieves, why would they do the right thing if they can get away with doing the wrong things all the time.
31 posted on 3/20/2008 5:02:37 AM by kindred (He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.)
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To: Brilliant
32 posted on 3/20/2008 5:02:54 AM by vietvet67
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To: roaddog727; Uncledave; sully777; vigl; Cagey; Abathar; A. Patriot; B Knotts; getsoutalive; …
Rest In Peace, old friend, your work is finished……
If you want ON or OFF the DIESEL â€?KnOcKâ€? LIST just FReepmail me……
This is a fairly HIGH VOLUME ping list on some days……
33 posted on 3/20/2008 5:03:05 AM by Red Badger ( We don’t have science, but we do have consensus…….)
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To: Anticommie
I don’t know who is more paranoid about “big oilâ€?….the folks and DU and KOS or in this thread, lol.
34 posted on 3/20/2008 5:03:34 AM by RedOhioan
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To: doodad
DITTO!!!
35 posted on 3/20/2008 5:08:51 AM by deuteronlmy232 (I do not have a political correct bone in my body. Thank God!)
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To: N. Theknow
Gee, Haw, Whoa, Back.
You realize, of course, that only a select minority here understand the meaning of “gee” and “haw.”
36 posted on 3/20/2008 5:11:32 AM by Texas Mulerider
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To: saganite
Here’s the company that does that:
http://www.changingworldtech.com
37 posted on 3/20/2008 5:15:40 AM by Normandy
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To: BubbaJunebug
You need to adjust your tin-hat, halfwit. Why don’t you carry your but over to your like-minded friends on DU.
Shell Tries to Turn Algae into Fuel
Last week, the oil company Royal Dutch Shell announced plans to build an algae biodiesel plant in Hawaii. The project will progress in stages: first, the company will build a small research plant, with hopes to build a full-scale commercial plant within two years. Algae is an incredibly tantalizing yet frustrating potential fuel source, as PopSci’s Elizabeth Svoboda found out earlier this year when writing the tale of an algae biodiesel startup in Colorado. The microbes can create enormous amounts of oil from very little in the way of nutrients and land, but extracting the oil and converting it to biodiesel remains extremely difficult.
Shell is partnering with Hawaii-based HR Biopetroleum on their project, and hopes to produce 8.5 million barrels of biodiesel a year at the commercial plant.—Michael Moyer
http://popsci.typepad.com/popsci/2007/1 … es-to.html
You probably still believe in those “magic” carburetors and perpetual motion machines as well.
BWAAHAAHAAHAAHAA! Go take your meds. Let those with rational minds take care of the heavy lifting. “Big Oil” companies have invested $Billions in alternative sources.
38 posted on 3/20/2008 5:17:43 AM by Sudetenland (I (heart) “Big Oil!”)
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To: BubbaJunebug
Are you kidding? A source like this would secure petroleum type hydrocarbons as our fuel. The collection, processing, storage, distribution and retail sales are already in place with companies like ExxonMobil. Today, ExxonMobil buys more oil than they produce themselves and they have to buy it from countries that allow greater production than we do here in the US.
This would secure their business and knock down alternative fuels.
39 posted on 3/20/2008 5:18:36 AM by thackney (life is fragile, handle with prayer)
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To: Anticommie
GM, Ford and Chrysler will go bankrupt soon anyway.
No they will adapt to change. If their car public demands it. So long as they don’t run to the closest rice burning farm and buy Toyota’s and make the economy stronger for them instead of us.
40 posted on 3/20/2008 5:21:44 AM by Wavrnr10 (Eagles soar but weasels don’t get sucked in jet engines)
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To: Anticommie
If that,s real, big oil will make shure this thing will never see light of the day, you can bet your house on it.
Why? They buy oil, expend lots of money finding and drilling for it, and they do still need to refine this bio-mass derived oilh, they won’t go out of business, and they’re smart enough, or should be anyway, to know that political realities and the public anger at high gas prices will cause the people to hang them if they try to quash such things.
41 posted on 3/20/2008 5:23:17 AM by AFreeBird
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To: RedOhioan
We definitely have our share of tin-hat DU wannabes. “Big Oil” ooh, doesn’t the name scare you?
I guess some of the “Conservatives” here are poseurs who don’t believe in free-enterprise and capitalism any more than the socialists over at DK and DU.
42 posted on 3/20/2008 5:23:26 AM by Sudetenland (I (heart) “Big Oil!”)
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To: BRL
“I think Mr. Bell’s bacteria farm is located in a tunnel next to his perpetual motion machine.�
I can say with virtual certainty that Mr Bell is at best mistaken, or at worst, a fraud and huckster. This is the bio-energy equivalent of Cold Fusion.
43 posted on 3/20/2008 5:23:56 AM by Hacklehead (Crush the liberals, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of the hippies.)
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To: Neville72
I wish well this invention if only to reduce landfill waste. However, this is still hydrocarbon fuel. Our energy issue in not lack of resources, it is lack of production. Environmental wackos will fight this because it still burns carbon.
44 posted on 3/20/2008 5:26:32 AM by 11th Commandment (Elect Conservatives- if you don’t vote for McCain, at least work to elect conservatives!)
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To: spanalot
Makes my head spin to see people buying gas at Lukoil.
45 posted on 3/20/2008 5:31:40 AM by Ghost of Philip Marlowe (If Hillary is elected, her legacy will be telling the American people: Better put some ice on that.)
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To: Anticommie
If that,s real, big oil will make shure this thing will never see light of the day, you can bet your house on it. Look at the hybrid cars scam, it takes very little to upgrade a hybrid car to a PHEV (plug in hybrid)
True; however, the government is against plug ins because electrical generation capacity. Californika can’t produce enough electricity for air conditioners which cost LIVES, you think the government want dead old people in hot houses while people are plugging in their cars?
(PHEV)which is basically an electric car with combustion engine back-up, yet no car manufacturer dares to produce one (you can buy a conversion kit though making your hybrid into a PHEV).
A little off basis. Current Hybrid are parallel systems in which the gas and electric work in unison. Series system like the Chevy Volt are as how you describe. The problem is battery technology. Lithium Ion batteries are still in development for large size motors. No car manufacturer dares to produce a PHEV cause they all are all in bed with oil companies.
Wrong, GM has said that its electric platform is the future of the company.
46 posted on 3/20/2008 5:36:44 AM by 11th Commandment (Elect Conservatives- if you don’t vote for McCain, at least work to elect conservatives!)
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To: deaconjim
Don’t be so sure. If this produces oil, it will have to be produced, refined and distributed to the existing gas stations. This will fall to the existing refineries, distribution systems, and retail outlets. The oil companies would be the natural choice to get into this business, and they could make the same profits without having to deal with the dictators and OPEC members to do it. I think they would love to see this work.
Considering that crude oil prices are (roughly) half the cost of gasoline, and crude is artificially priced higher due to OPEC, the oil companies could essentially change nothing in their operations and make the same profits, if not more. Beyond that, there are no exploration or extraction costs for this crude and the feedstocks are of nearly unlimited supply. Plus, I would assume bio-based crude would not have the nasty impurities (like sulphur) that have to be removed.
Only downside I can see is that we still won’t have enough refinery capacity…
47 posted on 3/20/2008 5:39:11 AM by chrisser (Obama: panem et circenses)
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To: Hacklehead
Seems that lately there is a crop of scientwists coming up with miracles, sucking money for “research� and then oooops! Sheeet dont work!
Investors get snowed in, not understanding the reality, but “impressed� with perpetuum mobile or whatever.
Seen this in the miraculous antenna design field, claims of science being wrong or stooopid for years, …now here it is miracle (for HD TV reception, etc.)
48 posted on 3/20/2008 5:45:04 AM by Leo Carpathian (fffffFRrrreeeeepppeeee!)
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To: Texas Mulerider
Yea! just us oldtimers who have actually plowed a row or two behind one of these gas passers.
49 posted on 3/20/2008 5:48:55 AM by ontap (Just another backstabbing conservative)
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To: Hacklehead
“I can say with virtual certainty that Mr Bell is at best mistaken, or at worst, a fraud and huckster. This is the bio-energy equivalent of Cold Fusion.�
You know, if this turns out to be true, his simple observation about methane production in the gut of cattle is on a par with Alexander Fleming’s observation that the Penicillium mold contaminating his bacterial culture plates was inhibiting the bacterial growth. I would have looked at the plates and said, what’s this cr@p?� And then, I would have tossed them out.
Don’t be so quick to dismiss this: who would have predicted in the 1930’s that within 10-15 years we would be setting up huge fermentation vats on an industrial scale to produce life-saving drugs called “antibiotics�?
In fact, the biotechnology has been established for 50 years – waiting for the right combination of observation, inspiration, and need.
As Pasteur said: “In the fields of observation chance favors only the prepared mind.�
50 posted on 3/20/2008 5:53:59 AM by paterfamilias
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