Public Address | Cafe | Southerly: New Zealand Biofuels, Part 2 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/ en-us Copyright (c) 2026 Public Address insider outsider https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20511#post20511 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20511#post20511 My wife also prefers joules.

Ah but David, I am a consumer, and I am interested in the case as it affects me not the business case for a potential producer or energy balance modeller. When you invent a water powered car, then the cost of water might be relevant.…

]]> Tue, 12 Jun 2007 11:50:54 +1200 Andrew Stevenson https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20496#post20496 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20496#post20496 David, first off best of luck with your other bio based production/genetic engineering experiment

I did read your conclusion and agree with it as far as it goes. What I was trying to communicate (and obviously failing) was that it appears premature to talk about preparing a roadmap for the…

]]> Tue, 12 Jun 2007 10:26:00 +1200 David Haywood https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20494#post20494 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20494#post20494 Yeah Andrew, you're talking crap about doing energy cost calculations on a per joule basis. It doesn't matter how much energy actually costs, it only matters how much the litres will cost you.

That's why water is such a good fuel — the litres cost you hardly anything!

[insider outsider:…

]]> Tue, 12 Jun 2007 10:09:40 +1200 insider outsider https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20492#post20492 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20492#post20492 Andrew

I'm not confused at all. When I buy my fuel by the joule and put it in an ethanol specific vehicle, then you might have a point. Unfortunately I buy it by the litre and that new car is a long way off for the vast majority, so the…

]]> Tue, 12 Jun 2007 09:47:00 +1200 David Haywood https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20468#post20468 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20468#post20468 Apparently I'm still at my computer tonight...

Andrew Stevenson wrote:

It seems a bit early to be saying we can use wood based ethanol to replace tranport hydrocarbons when they have not got wood based ethanol working yet...

Just to clarify, I certainly wasn't saying that. To quote my conclusion:…

]]> Mon, 11 Jun 2007 23:56:28 +1200 Andrew Stevenson https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20437#post20437 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20437#post20437 The Genesis willow operation raised some issues besides the production of ethanol from woody biomass.
In the UK, where they do coppice willow for biofuel (direct combustion, not ethanol), they mix species in order to reduce potential damage from bugs/fungus and other biological nasties as chemical control is too expensive…

]]> Mon, 11 Jun 2007 16:31:27 +1200 insider outsider https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20426#post20426 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20426#post20426 Andrew is pretty much right. Jim Watson from Genesis Bio has been banging on about this kind of thing with willows – it only needs a bit more money he keeps saying and we could be 100% self sufficient. There are still major hurdles.

They are usually a bit quieter…

]]> Mon, 11 Jun 2007 14:59:00 +1200 Michael Fitzgerald https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20414#post20414 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20414#post20414 I'm sure almost anything is better but what of the pollutants from the process & end product – any ideas on that?

NZ sustainable energy on the horizon that's fantastic

]]> Mon, 11 Jun 2007 13:29:31 +1200 Andrew Stevenson https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20401#post20401 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20401#post20401 Diversa Press release
Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical are "forward-looking" and involve a high degree of risk and uncertainty. These include statements related to...Diversa's ability to discover and develop enzymes designed for cost-effective wood biomass conversion. Such statements are only predictions, and the actual…
]]> Mon, 11 Jun 2007 11:55:37 +1200 David Haywood https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20349#post20349 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20349#post20349 Rich:

Yes, I have done so (along with other scenarios). I don't have the figures to hand, but the conclusion is exactly as you would expect — it's much better to burn the wood directly if you want to produce electricity.

The point is, however, that NZ can't use unmodified…

]]> Sun, 10 Jun 2007 22:53:16 +1200 Rich of Observationz https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20337#post20337 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20337#post20337 Here's a question:
– has anyone looked at the efficiency difference between making biofuel from wood and simply burning the wood in a power station?

]]> Sun, 10 Jun 2007 17:30:19 +1200 Public Address https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20336#post20336 https://publicaddress.net/system/cafe/southerly-new-zealand-biofuels-part-2/?p=20336#post20336 Discussion from blog post.

]]> Sun, 10 Jun 2007 17:30:19 +1200