Biodiesel From Sewage Sludge

MTorrice writes "Scientists have developed a way to convert lipids from sewage sludge into biodiesel. The low cost and high yield of the sludge process may make it economically feasible as a source of biofuel, the researchers say. Today, biofuel producers use lipids in vegetable oils to derive biodiesel, a mixture of fatty-acid-like molecules. Biodiesel is compatible with existing diesel engines, burns with less pollution than petroleum-derived diesel does, and comes from renewable resources. But current biodiesel feedstocks are expensive, limiting the fuel's widespread use. The researchers from South Korea found that sewage sludge, the semisolid material left over from wastewater treatment, can yield 2,200 times more lipids than soybeans and costs 96% less to process. To turn the sludge lipids into biodiesel, the researchers heated them with methanol."

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Problem.

[Tastecicles]

BP p.l.c., Chevron Corporation, ExxonMobil Corporation, Royal Dutch Shell plc, Total S.A.., ConocoPhillips Company and the OPEC Cartel would all have some very strong opinions against biodiesel - as they have already done so resulting in what should be a 1% cost-per-Watt-at-the-pump fuel source compared with fossil oil, costing almost the same if not *more*.

Such is the political environment where those with declared interests in those companies that lobby TPTATB (The Powers That Appear To Be) to protect their interests are those lobbied! I'm looking at YOU, Dubya! It's not all bombing Iraq to the Stone Age (I swear I just heard Achmed The Dead Terrorist yelp "Ooh! Upgrade!"), it's oil interests that have held back high efficiency solar plant, wind/tide farms, offshore biomass for fuel and food (kelp!), and better hybrids (I don't know of any that meet Obama's 54.5 target for whenever it is (2015?), among many other innovations that have the potential to save stupid amounts of money for individuals and put paid to war over fossil fuel.