Feature 3
Six biofuel agreements for Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc has announced six new biofuel research agreements
with academic experts at worldwide institutions.
he collaborations between Shell Algae are rich
and the academic institutions in vegetable oil,
Tinvolved help to meet Shell’s a base for new
corporate strategy to meet UK government biofuels, and grow
and EU mandates and incentives for at any time of year
biofuels. Royal Dutch Shell is considered in freshwater and
one of the world’s largest distributors waste (credit: Dr
of biofuels. The company is currently Sara Marsham).
working with biofuel manufacturers to
secure cost-eff ective supply and press for
social and environmental safeguards.
However, one of the downsides in
the creation of biotechnology is that
conventional biofuels use food crops as
their base, which creates sustainability
issues. Some of the raw materials that have
been considered as a base for biofuels are
lignocellulose, tough molecules that make ethanol or fatty acid methyl esters; the Brazil in line with government
up the cell walls of plants; and droplets of common products of fermentation and policy there.
oil, or lipids, found in oily plants such as transesterifi cation processes respectively. Working alongside Canadian Iogen
algae and jatropha. Ethanol absorbs water, which can cause Corp, and German Choren Industries
In a presentation given at the end of engine corrosion, and fatty acid methyl GmbH, Shell has been developing
2007, Shell forecasted that between now esters have a tendency to freeze in cellulosic ethanol with a reduction in CO
2
and 2050 the worldwide output of energy harsh conditions. emissions that is purported to be around
supply will need to be double its current According to the Shell report, they have the 90% mark. With government fi nancial
level whilst at the same time halving developed expertise in trading, storage, incentives for reducing carbon emissions
its C0 emissions. One of the problems handling, blending and distribution of from fuel, some may argue that the move
2
with conventional biofuels is that current ethanol, as they have experience of buying toward alternative fuel technology is a
engines are not designed to use pure and supplying ethanol for customers in timely one. OMT
Catching the breeze
European off shore event ONS 2008 attracted a record number of visitors. Th e
focus of the event was ‘energy for one world’, with environmentally-friendly
solutions such as renewable energy at the heart of the show.
his is the first time that ONS power generated energy. foundation installation management
has showcased a dedicated On that subject, global offshore on the Thanet Offshore Wind Farm
Trenewable energy park at the engineering and marine consultancy Project. The project is slated to be the
event. During the various conferences firm, Noble Denton, has secured a £15 UK’s largest offshore wind farm site
and at the stands in the renewable million (US$25.9 million) contract from when it has been constructed.
energy park a subject that generated Thanet Offshore Wind Limited (TOW) Due to commence delivering power
much discussion was that of wind to carry out project management and in 2009, it will provide power for up
Offshore Marine Technology 4th Quarter 2008 25
OOMT_4Q08_p24+25+26.indd Sec1:25MT_4Q08_p24+25+26.indd Sec1:25 110/20/08 2:32:02 PM0/20/08 2:32:02 PM
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