| Environment consciousness has been growing steadily | | | | that there is an efficient process in converting biomass |
| all over the world and different industries are taking | | | | into renewable fuels. Their chosen biomass is black |
| steps to decrease their dependency on the | | | | liquor which is a residual product from the pulp industry. |
| fast-depleting fossil fuel reserves. Steps are also taken | | | | The common practice to recover the chemicals from |
| to decrease the harmful emissions especially those | | | | this waste is to burn it up on soda furnaces. However, |
| from cars. | | | | a disadvantage of this is that the recovered chemicals |
| Automotive companies are also developing ways to | | | | have a low efficiency rating. |
| further clean the emissions produced by their cars and | | | | But Chemrec has developed a technology that instead |
| not only to comply with government standards but to | | | | gasifies the black liquor from which comes out |
| also help protect the environment. Different alternative | | | | different by-products including synthesis gas which has |
| sources of energy or fuel is being studied. Volvo is one | | | | a higher efficiency rating. From this, alternative fuels |
| of these companies which have taken steps to help in | | | | can be extracted with already developed techniques |
| saving the environment from destruction. Their | | | | to get vehicle fuels such as bio-diesel, hydrogen gas, |
| FlexiFuel system that is already used in three of their | | | | synthetic diesel and DME which are all cleaner burning |
| car models and such a system allows a vehicle to use | | | | fuels compared to pure gasoline or diesel. |
| bio ethanol for fuel. This is indeed showing their | | | | The investment of Volvo on the Swedish company |
| dedication not only in producing safe cars but clean | | | | does not mean though that the company has a plan to |
| cars as well. | | | | become a fuel supplier, but they are working on ways |
| Volvo's studies on renewable and cleaner fuels do not | | | | to utilize the technology in the development of newer |
| start and end with their development and subsequent | | | | and cleaner engines. This move on the part of the |
| employment of their FlexiFuel system. The company | | | | Volvo group shows its dedication to not only protect |
| announced that they are investing in Chemrec AB. This | | | | its consumers via their safe cars but also help to |
| Swedish company has developed a technology in | | | | protect the environment through the development of |
| producing synthesis gas which is an important | | | | cleaner and renewable vehicle fuels. While this |
| component in the production of various types of | | | | development cannot wipe away the world's |
| alternative fuels. The technology that Chemrec has | | | | dependency on fossil fuels like a Volvo wiper blade |
| developed is the first step in extracting alternative fuels | | | | can efficiently wipe raindrops from a windshield, but |
| from biomass. This renewable source of energy if | | | | this is certainly a step forward in the right direction. |
| further developed will help not only the company but | | | | Whether this technology will be employed in the near |
| the whole industry to lower its dependency on fossil | | | | future to replace the pure gasoline fuel employed by |
| fuels. The study in this field has been underway for | | | | cars still remains to be seen. But with the dedication of |
| more than fifteen years and this breakthrough brings | | | | Volvo to help in the development of new processes |
| the company closer to producing alternative fuels that | | | | for the production of alternative fuels and companies |
| will have less damaging effects on the environment | | | | such as Chemrec, a cleaner future is quite possible. A |
| compared to currently employed fossil fuel based | | | | future that would see us not totally dependent on fossil |
| products. | | | | fuels for our energy demand, while this may seem far |
| With the development of the technology to extract | | | | off, the automotive industry is making a good step |
| synthesis gases from biomass, Chemrec has shown | | | | forward. |