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