Our network

range fuels

Grading My Predictions for 2011

December 26, 2011 by Robert Rapier
with 135 views
0

 In my list of Top 10 Energy Related Stories of 2010, I made three predictions for 2011. Those predictions were:  I believe high oil prices will continue to put a strain on the economies of oil-importing nations. I expect that we will see oil prices once again head above $100 per barrel, although I expect the annual average... [read more]

Range Fuels Bankruptcy Harms Biofuels Industry

December 19, 2011 by Robert Rapier
with 648 views
0

Recently it was announced that Range Fuels has gone into foreclosure, thus marking the official end of their story. For all practical purposes, the company has been finished since early 2011, but the foreclosure puts an end to the notion that they will yet rise triumphant from the ashes. Last week, Heather Duncan — a reporter for The... [read more]

What Happened at Choren?

July 9, 2011 by Robert Rapier
with 835 views
6

If you have not heard by now, Choren Industries has begun bankruptcy proceedings. For those who don’t know, since 2009 I have worked as the technology advisor for the major investor and primary funding source for Choren. I have just returned from a visit to their plant in Freiberg, Germany. Due to the nature of my relationships with my... [read more]

The Media’s Role in the Range Fuels Fiasco

February 17, 2011 by Robert Rapier
with 572 views
0

Join the forum discussion on this post  Now that it seems that the mainstream media has finally caught on to the fact that something went terribly awry at Range Fuels, it is time for me to close the book on them. This will be my last Range Fuels story, but I think there is a lesson to be learned here. Waiting Until The Fat Lady... [read more]

Range Fuels Out of Money?

January 12, 2011 by Robert Rapier
with 847 views
0

It is no secret that I have been a critic of Range Fuels — not necessarily of their technology but of their approach. I won’t rehash all of the issues I have had with the company; in a nutshell I felt they like were making claims that were very unreasonable, and taking in a lot of taxpayer money based on those claims. As a taxpayer and... [read more]

Range Fuels’ Number One Critic

June 22, 2010 by Robert Rapier
with 752 views
0

That title appears to be reserved for me, even though I did not set out to earn it. It all started with the first story I wrote on Range Fuels in which I pointed out that their progress does not remotely align with their early promises. Since that initial story was published I have been frequently contacted to provide a skeptical side... [read more]

Range Responds

March 2, 2010 by Robert Rapier
with 184 views
0

I just became aware that BiofuelsDigest wrote a story on my recent blog on Range Fuels, and got some comments back from Range Fuels' CEO David Aldous: Battle of the Falling Timbers Aldous said pretty much what I would expect the CEO of Range Fuels to say. He defended his company, and complained that the funding includes money for... [read more]

A Day Late on the Bloom Box

March 1, 2010 by Robert Rapier
with 192 views
1

I wasn't going to write anything on the Bloom Box, but people keep writing to ask what I think. My initial reactions were "What a lot of hype" and "I have seen this all before." I also wondered why it is that people keep falling for these kinds of stories. But fuel cells aren't my specialty, and as such I won't weigh in on the relative... [read more]

Broken Promises from Range Fuels

February 23, 2010 by Robert Rapier
with 706 views
0

When I first began my career, a wise old-timer gave me a piece of advice that I took to heart. He said "When you are planning and executing a project, it is important for you to do what you say you are going to do. People are going to make investment decisions on the basis of the numbers you project. So don't over-promise and under-... [read more]

Cellulosic Ethanol Falling Short

October 1, 2009 by Robert Rapier
with 226 views
0

The reason I spend time debunking wild claims is that I think they damage the entire bioenergy sector in the long run. People who issue press releases claiming they can produce fuel for $1/gallon - and by the way we can do it next year if you give us the money - may attract some funding, but in the long run if they can't deliver,... [read more]