EnviroCar

Big Oil

Big Oil has a vested interest in not developing alternatives, lest they contol the alternatives. This is the reason Shell and BP are heavily researching renewable energy sources such as hydrogen and biofuels.

Shell already blends of biofuels like ethanol into vehicle fuel and is currently developing a biomass-to-liquid processes, in which a woody feedstock is first gasified and then converted into high-quality diesel fuel components. Through a partnership with CHOREN Industries who has developed its patented Carbo-V biomass-gasification process, Shell is creating ultra clean tar-free synthetic gas to be used as an advanced bio-component for use in diesel fuel.

Shell is also working on the development of fuel cell vehicles through a partnership with automakers in California. The California Fuel Cell Partnership as it is called includes automakers like GM, Ford, Honda and DaimlerChrysler and others but also includes BP, Chevron and Ballard Power Systems, one of the leading developers in fuel cell technology.

Aside from working toward developing fuel cells, BP is also looking to diversify on its energy supply. The company has been investing heavily in solar power and plans to continue harnessing the sun's energy over the next three years. In a field where technology improvements and higher productivity are causing costs to decline, BP currently has 10 percent of the global market which is growing at 30 percent a year, faster than any other form of renewable energy.

Building on the success of BP Solar, BP started its own Alternative Energy initiative last year which will manage an investment program in solar, wind, hydrogen and combined-cycle-gas-turbine (CCGT) power generation.

posted by Eric @ 5:54 PM