Norway to Make Biofuel From Wood Chips

Norwegian utility Statkraft has found a way to produce biofuel from wood chippings and other solid organic waste, which it says replicates in minutes a process that made crude oil underground over millions of years. Using high temperatures and pressure, Statkraft's "hydro thermal liquefaction" process turns wood and organic waste into diesel, producing what it says is a second-generation biofuel that is carbon neutral. It emits the same amount of carbon when burned that was originally absorbed by the organic feedstock, Reuters reported. By using wood and other waste, Statkraft may avoid criticism directed at other biofuels that rely on vast tracts of farmland. The firm also says it wants to create a green fuel for aviation and other areas where a liquid is needed. The focus is mainly on planes, shipping and trucking, which are likely to require high-energy liquid fuels for the foreseeable future.