November 2011 News and Matters of Interest
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Honeywell and AliphaJet
Collaborate on Renewable Drop-In Jet Fuel Deployment
 Honeywell Process Solutions and AliphaJet, Inc announced a strategic collaboration at a recent dinner hosted by former
President Jimmy Carter, who endorsed the effort. "I am optimistic about the future
of renewable fuels now that breakthrough technologies available from Honeywell and AliphaJet promise to unlock
the use of renewable drop-in fuels," President Carter said. "Efforts like these fulfill the energy policies we
launched in the 1970s". The heart of the AliphaJet technology is its BoxCar™ oxygen de-coupling process: plant or animal oils are first
converted into fatty acids, then put through catalytic decarboxylation (CDC) for finish refining to jet fuel,
diesel, and green gasoline, with a glycerol bi-product. Honeywell will provide engineering services, controls
and instrumentation including its Experion® Process Knowledge System (PKS) and UniSim® process
simulators and field instrumentation. "We are very happy that Honeywell has joined our team and is investing in
the commercialization of this technology," said Jack Oswald, CEO of AliphaJet. "Honeywell's vote of confidence
aligns AliphaJet's and Honeywell's technologies in the lead position in this emerging field." AliphaJet, Inc is
a collaboration between SynGest Inc and Unitel Technologies, Inc. 11/30/2011
Amyris and Total Move from R&D to JV for Renewable Fuel Production
 California-based biofuels and biochemicals company Amyris announced expansion of its June 2010 agreement with the French oil, gas and alternative energy
giant Total S.A., increasing collaborative research and development,
expressing intent now to form a joint venture for production of alternative fuels and other products. Amyris'
core synthetic biology platform creates product-specific microbial strains,
and then scales the sugar feedstock fermentation process to commercial output and specifications. The oily
hydrocarbon farnesene is separated and refined to form proprietary Biofene®, a foundation chemical ready for
finishing to renewable diesel and jet fuel, lubricants, pharmaceuticals and home and health care products. Total
S.A. is an international oil and gas company with work in every part of the industry - exploration and
production of oil and natural gas, refining and marketing, gas and power, and trading. The original agreement included a 17% equity investment in Amyris by Total
as the only shareholder that is also an industry partner, and a strategic agreement for research and development
"…to jointly select molecules for our markets, optimize yeast strains for production, and then commercialize and
market them." The new 50-50 joint venture should be operational early next year, with exclusive rights to
produce and market renewable diesel and jet fuel worldwide, and non-exclusive rights to other renewable products
such as drilling fluids, solvents, polymers and specific bio-lubricants. John Melo, President & CEO of
Amyris: “With this expanded relationship and Total’s vast distribution network, as well as Total’s stated
commitment to invest in production units, we expect to be able to co-develop products and, ultimately, deliver a
global supply of sustainable renewable fuels at commercial scale. This is an ambitious undertaking ideally
suited for our two companies.” 11/30/2011
Emerging Markets Now Drive Renewables Investments
 United Kingdom based accountancy firm Ernst & Young (EY) has highlighted the Ukraine as one of the rapid-growth markets now driving
renewable energy investment in the global market. Since 2003, the think-tank has been developing and publishing
quarterly Country Attractiveness Indices (CAIs) that track and rank renewable energy markets in 40 countries.
For the current November issue, five new emerging markets are added to the indices:
Argentina, Hungary, Israel, Tunisia and the Ukraine. According to EY, "… the balance of power is shifting, with
Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, South-east Asia, and Latin America now representing renewable
energy’s future." Focusing on the Ukraine as a prime example, EY notes the county has demonstrated deep
commitments to generating 19% of energy from renewable sources by 2030. Implementation of the 2009 Green Tariff
Law and the National Energy Policy of 2010 benefits renewable development, compelling the state to purchase
green energy at a premium and ensuring grid inter-connection. Bioenergy represents more than two thirds of the
country's potential, given their traditional agricultural focus, yet only 0.5% of the national power is
currently being produced from biomass. EY estimates a ten-fold market increase potential for bioenergy
development. 11/30/2011
TGI Signs LOI to Acquire Eliho Assets for Waste Conversion to Energy
 New Jersey based TGI Solar Power Group, Inc took another step toward
implementation of advanced waste conversion, signing a letter of intent (LOI) to
acquire certain strategic assets from Eliho Energy Systems, Inc of Nevada. Eliho develops proprietary
pyrolysis gasification technology and specializes in waste to energy systems that are under 10 megawatts.
Eliho negotiated funding earlier this year to entitle
properties in Florida for construction of waste to energy generation projects under 10 megawatts, which are
exempt from a Florida state power and interconnect permit. TGI has reportedly agreed to purchase two waste conversion projects in Florida
from Eliho and is still completing financing. In early 2010, TGI signed a memorandum with the Ukrainian thermal systems
company Ekoplaz, in which Ekoplaz would grant TGI exclusive rights to use the technology in North and South
America, and Europe. TGI announced in June 2010 that it had formed a separate US company,
EKOPLAZ, Inc, to implement waste to energy projects using the Ekoplaz technology. EKOPLAZ entered into
a strategic alliance with Eliho Energy Systems in April
2011 for testing, sales, and installation of Ekoplaz equipment. The alliance included members of Eliho's
management joining TGI's advisory board. The Ekoplaz technology platform utilizes high-frequency microwave
energy to create a focused ionization and extreme temperatures that initiate a stabile plasma flame output
optimal for waste conversion to basic elements. The Ekoplaz system is modular and can be mobile, running either
per batch or continuously. Eliho's Edward Stanojev commented, "We are delighted to be working together with TGI
to move forward with our current projects. We believe that our proposed energy projects and services will be of
great value to our future customers in combination with TGI's Ekoplaz proprietary technology." TGI has been
described as a provider of solar and other alternative energy products and solutions, and more recently as a
diversified holding company. 11/29/2011
KTG Agrar Expands Biogas Production Beyond 20 MWe
 German integrated farming / renewable energy company KTG Agrar
AG announced that the mild European winter has
allow it to advance ahead of schedule for both production of biogas for combined heat and power, and
development of new anaerobic digestion facilities. KTG holds around 35,000 hectares in agricultural
production throughout Germany, with fully integrated operations in four industrial sectors: (1) Organic
farming of food crops, (2) Conventional farming of food crops, (3) Energy production/Biogas, and (4)
Complementary agricultural activities. Renewable energy generation from agriculturally-sourced biogas
production is now over 20 megawatt electrical (MWe) capacity, increasing almost 10% since mid-year, and is
expected to surpass 30 MWe during 2012. KTG's digesters are co-located with farming
operations to cut transport distance, allow on-site use of heat and power, and ensure a reliable self-grown
feedstock supply. In the past, biogas generation has primarily been from dedicated "energy maize", but the
company is increasingly able to utilize residues such as intercropped grass, cereal grain straw and food
processing wastes. Electric and thermal output in excess of on-farm use is sold to the local grid and/or at a
discounted rate to neighboring rural and urban customers. KTG's integrated farming and renewable energy
operations are already in full compliance with the up-coming German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG), to be in force in 2012. CEO of KTG,
Siegfried Hofreiter, notes, "We are optimistic about the future and will continue to invest in farmland and
biogas plants. As the compensation for the production of clean energy is guaranteed for 20 years under the EEG,
we can say already today that we will continue to increase both sales revenues and earnings in the coming
years." 11/29/2011
Mega-Scale Hong Kong Integrated Waste Management Facility Moves Forward
 California based global professional services firm AECOM Technology Corporation
has been awarded a consulting contract to provide professional management
services for Phase 1 of a new Integrated Waste Management Facility in Hong Kong. AECOM will provide
prequalification, tender services, construction management, and commissioning services to the Environmental
Protection Department (EPD) of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the new facility's
Design-Build-Operate contract. The "mega-scale" facility will include construction of an artificial island near
Shek Kwu Chau, a 3,000-tonne-per-day (tpd) moving grate advanced incineration plant with energy recovery and
power generation, a 200-tpd mechanical sorting and recycling plant, and an environmental education center. The
facility will serve approximately one third of Hong Kong's population when completed. The EPD has been
considering options for integrated waste management to serve the Hong Kong population for a decade; AECOM has
been engaged in the feasibility and preliminary engineering assessment since 2008. Phase 1 site selection narrowed to two locations, the Tsang Tsui Ash
Lagoons sites in Tuen Mun on the western edge of the country and the Shek Kwu Chau site south of Lantau Island,
along the southern border. The full Environmental Impact Assessment Report is available (in English and
Chinese) on-line. The second site at Shek Kwu Chau was ultimately selected “We are honored to be involved in
this project since its initial stage,” said Alex Kwan, Executive Vice President, Water & Urban Development,
Asia at AECOM. “This win exemplifies our global expertise in adopting modern incineration technology and our
commitment to creating a sustainable waste management facility to build a greener Hong Kong.”
11/28/2011
University of Salford Installs Owl Power's Vegawatt Generator for CHP
 The University of Salford Manchester, United Kingdom (UK), has announced successful installation of a Vegawatt™ combined heat and power (CHP) generation unit that will run
on waste kitchen grease from campus cafeterias, and provide power and hot water for Faraday House. The project
is only one of many campus-wide sustainability efforts as the University seeks energy cost savings, a reduced
carbon footprint and achieving Fairtrade status. Estimates for this small modular unit indicate £2,000 annually
with a carbon dioxide emissions reduction of 36 tonnes. Massachusetts-based Owl Power Company equips its
turn-key CHP modules with fully automated grease filtering and
cleaning, to fuel the integrated industrial compression ignition engine for power generation and heat recovery
for hot water production. The waste vegetable oil (WVO) upgrading does not require further chemical treatment as
it is not converted to biodiesel, but simply used as fuel for the engine-generator set (genset). The
cafeteria-scaled modules are optimized to operate best with the WVO from three to five deep fryers, running on
30 to 120 gallons a week. A WVO fueled Vegawatt module will release 642 grams of CO2 for each kilowatt of
electricity generated, compared to 670 grams per kilowatt from a natural gas fired module. The "plug-and-play"
format comes with all necessary hot and cold water feeds and returns, power condition, and electrical panel
integration elements. Rebecca Bennett, Environmental and Sustainability Officer for the University, said,
“Vegawatt is a first for a UK university and we’re very pleased to have it powering Faraday House in time for
winter. By adding up a large number of initiatives like this we can make a sizeable dent in our carbon
footprint. We just have to make sure our students keep using the canteen!” 11/28/2011
EU Plans Development of Composting and Biochar Standards by 2013
 At the beginning of October 2011, the European Union (EU) Commission
launched REFERTIL, a funded 7th Framework Programme (FP7) for the collaborative
development of EU27 composting and biochar standards by 2013. The intent is to reduce the cost and resource
destruction associated with the disposal of agricultural and urban sourced organic wastes, replacing these
too-common practices with conversion to high-value agricultural products from income generating industry. The
program's focus is on ecologically sound, economical closed-loop nutrient recycling, utilizing advanced organics
management technologies including precision aerobic composting and/or thermal decomposition by pyrolytic
conversion to biochar. The initial recovery and conversion target scale is set at 150 million tonnes per year.
This work follows on extensive technical and agricultural use trials over the past two years, converting and
successfully using organics including pyrolytic production of bone meal, as an element of the Commission's
food, agriculture, fisheries and biotechnology European Bio-Based Economy and the over-arching planning for post-2013
reform of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP reform). A comprehensive set of regulatory proposals accompanied
by a thorough impact assessment was presented mid-October 2011 by EU Commissioner Ciolos; the European
Parliament and the Council have now begun review for approval and implementation expected to reach completion by
the end of 2013. During this time, the REFERTIL FP7 Programme seeks international industrial, institutional and
agency stakeholder participation. Interested parties should contact the REFERTIL program director, Edward
Someus, by completing and submitting the Stakeholder Invitation on-line form for the EU FP7 Project,
“Improvement of comprehensive bio-waste transformation and nutrient recovery treatment processes for production
of combined natural products" (REFERTIL) (KBBE-2011-5 289785). 11/27/2011
LanzaTech and Global Bioenergies Explore CO to Isobutene Feasibility
 France's Global Bioenergies S.A has announced collaboration with New Zealand-based LanzaTech Ltd to determine the feasibility of integrating Global's
isobutene biorefinery pathway with LanzaTech's well-tested technology platform for conversion of carbon monoxide to biofuel. Both
companies have significant genetic engineering capabilities and utilize proprietary microbes for fermentative
production of biofuels. Global Bioenergies' fermentation platform is the first to convert a variety of hydrocarbon
sources to the foundation gas isobutene (also called isobutylene or methylpropene: C4H8), a high-value commodity critical
for manufacture of butyl rubber, many plastics and diverse gasoline, diesel and jet fuel bio-alternatives.
LanzaTech follows its fermentation stage with liquids separation for product refinement; isobutene is a volatile
gas that may be drawn off above fermentation, simplifying product upgrading. Global Bioenergies has to date
converted fermentation substrates such as glucose; LanzaTech has successfully produced ethanol from conversion
of non-food carbon sources including steel mill emissions, synthesis gas (syngas) from biomass and coal gasification and steam-reformed methane and is currently expanding to produce other fuels and building-block
chemicals. The feasibility study will explore whether Global Bioenergies’ metabolic pathway for production of
isobutene can be expressed in LanzaTech’s carbon monoxide consuming microbe. LanzaTech’s chief executive Dr
Jennifer Holmgren said, “LanzaTech’s strategy is to diversify its product portfolio beyond ethanol to key
chemical intermediates and drop in aviation fuels through developing key technology partnerships. Global
Biotechnologies’ technology could contribute to this strategy as isobutene can be directly converted to polymers
and jet fuel relevant C-12 molecules. This work is a natural extension of the Global Biotechnologies and
LanzaTech technology platforms.” 11/25/2011
Novozymes Opens Enzyme R&D Lab Facility in Brazil
 Danish enzyme development company Novozymes is celebrating the opening this week of its new research and development
(R&D) facility in Araucária, a city near Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil. The center's initial focus will be on
bioenergy, supporting Brazil's plans to double the country's ethanol biofuel production by 2020. Novozymes own
assessment indicates use of its enzymatics to hydrolyze agricultural residues, especially sugarcane bagasse and
straw, can reach this goal without increasing the agricultural land acreage. Novozymes already has a strong base
for collaboration in Latin America, working with Dedini, Cetrel, CTC (Centro de Technologicia Canavieria) and Petrobras, the largest
company in Latin America - to pursue research and commercialization of advanced biofuels in Brazil. With a
global network of eight major R&D sites in the US, England, Denmark, India, China and Japan, the new
Brazilian research center becomes part of the well-funded, global corporate network. “Our new facilities and
expanded research capacity will promote the growth of advanced biofuels in Brazil, an industry that creates
jobs, fosters development of new technology, provides new export opportunities for Brazil and Latin America, and
creates sustainable solutions essential to the world,” says Pedro Luiz Fernandes, Regional President of
Novozymes in Latin America. 11/23/2011
Rentricity Recognized by GCCA for Turning Waste Water Pressure to Energy
 New York based kinetic energy specialist Rentricity has
been recognized as "Best in Water" as a Later Stage Global Top 10
company for 2011 by the Global Cleantech Cluster Association (GCCA). The company was selected from a field of 4,000
applicants. Rentricity utilizes small in-flow hydro-turbines to recover hydrokinetic energy for generation of 20
to 300 kilowatts of electricity energy per module. The hydrokinetic energy results from pressure reduction of
water and other liquids in the pipes of water, wastewater, and industrial infrastructure for sale to the
electric grid or as distributed energy to be used on-site. The company's Flow-to-Wiresm turbines
are integrated with its Renflowsm secure internet data management system to maximize overall
efficiency and provide remote and automated control. Rentricity was formed in 2003 and became a self-funded
commercial company in 2008, joined the New York City Accelerator for a Clean and Renewable Economy
(NYC ACRE) in 2009, and has since completed commercial projects
for both the New England Waste Water Treatment Plantand
the Pennsylvania Water Authority. "Our Top 10 winners are truly the
best in class and companies to watch," said Ben Taube, chairman of the GCCA. "In each category, these companies
are making both broad strides in their global industries as well as working closely with their regional
cleantech clusters to build sustainable green economies and jobs. We are thrilled to name Rentricity among the
GCCA Global Top 10 for 2011." 11/23/2011
Sundrop Fuels Selects Louisiana Site for First Commercial Drop-in Biofuel Plant
 Colorado's Sundrop Fuels has announced an agreement to purchase 1,200 acres near Alexandria,
Louisiana for development of its first commercial scale advanced biofuel production facility. Sundrop's
technology platform mixes almost any type of finely-ground biomass with natural gas, then converts this
highly-hydrogenated blend in the company's patented RP ReactorTM (Radiant Particle) high-temperature
gasification (2372º F) to synthesis gas, or syngas. The hydrogen rich syngas can then be refined to produce
biodiesel, bio-gasoline or bio-jet fuel. The proposed Louisiana plant will convert forest residue as the primary
feedstock into 50 million gallons annually of engine-ready renewable "green gasoline." The plant will cost an
estimated $450-to $500 million, with significant backing from Sundrop's key investor Chesapeake Energy Corporation, one of the largest producers of natural
gas in the US. Additional financial support will come from sale of tax-exempt Private Activity Bonds. Louisiana
Governor Bobby Jindal announced Sundrop Fuels' site selection in a public event on November 22nd, saying
Louisiana "is proud to take this leadership role by providing great careers for our people and by supplying
innovative solutions for the energy bottleneck in our nation." 11/23/2011
Louisville Waste Cooking Oil Collection Site Opens in Time for Thanksgiving
 The Louisville Biodiesel Cooperative in Kentucky has announced a partnership with the Louisville/Jefferson County
Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) and the Green Triangle in the 9th District for collection and recycling of
waste vegetable oil (WVO) to biodiesel, opening the collaboration's first recycling station in time for
Thanksgiving. Louisville Biodiesel has already collected over a ton of WVO for local
production of biofuel to benefit schools and small family farms in the region. MSD's Senior Technical Services
Engineer Wesley Sydnor, PE explains, "we're working with Tina Ward-Pugh and Louisville Biodiesel in several
ways. First, free of charge we're providing reusable 1-gallon kitchen recycling pails with easy-to-use plastic
lids for residents to recycle waste cooking oils. Grease/oil down the drain is an enormous issue for MSD in
terms of overflows due to grease blockages. Residents can drop off their waste cooking oil at Louisville
Biodiesel and feel good that this waste is being recycled locally into fuel for local school buses and small
family farmers." For biodiesel program and WVO drop-off details, contact Christian Thalacker at (502) 727-5673
or email christian@louisvillebiodieselcoop.org. 11/23/2011
Due 11/28/2011: Comments on Proposed Green Lane Energy Permit
 The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) held a public hearing on November 22, 2011 to consider draft solid waste
facility permit language for construction and operation of an anaerobic digestion (AD) facility between Eugene
and Junction City adjacent to the J.C. Compost Yard facility. The project applicant is Green Lane Energy, Inc
based in Eugene. Feedstock for the proposed facility would include grass straw, fruit and vegetable processing
residues and dairy manure to produce biomethane as fuel for a combined heat and power (CHP) generating station.
The Draft Permit covers ten years of site development and operation,
calling for major reviews and modifications if needed in the 4th and 6th year. Comments should be filed by 5 p.m., Monday, November 28, 2011 to DEQ
Permit Coordinator Fran Holman at or call her at (503) 378-5047 to review the file. For
more information about the permit and the permit requirements contact DEQ Project Manager Hugh Gao at (503)
378-4977 or . 11/23/2011
Arizona Chemical Establishes China Trading Company Legal Entity
 Waste-sourced biofuel and biochemical company Arizona Chemical
reports formation of Arizona Chemical Limited, a China Trading
Company, for its operations in Shanghai, strengthening its Asian service and distribution. Arizona Chemical
specializes in recovering and refining Crude Tall Oil (CTO) and Crude Sulphate Turpentine from pine-based
pulp-mill wastes and bi-products to provide a broad range of natural compounds to diverse markets, including
adhesives, inks, coatings, road-marking, tires & rubber, personal care, lubricants, fuel additives, mining
and oilfield. Arizona Chemical’s SYLVABLEND™ Pitch Fuel generates 70% lower CO2 emissions when compared
to Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO); the company is the largest global manufacturer of Tall Oil Fatty Acid (TOFA), a fuel
additive that significantly improved diesel lubricity without increasing sulfur content. With an international
manufacturing and distribution network, securing China Trading Company status for its subsidiary Arizona
Chemical Limited facilitates full supply chain integration to provide local Sales, Marketing, Technical Support,
Customer Service and Supply Chain services to its Chinese customers. “I’m very pleased that we now have a
trading legal entity in China” said Kees Verhaar, President and CEO. “This not only emphasizes our commitment to
growth, but also strengthens the services we provide to our customers in China.” 11/22/2011
UC San Diego Extension Offers Biofuels Education Grants
 Thanks to a $4 million grant from California's Department of Labor, the
University of California (UC) San Diego Extension will offer a second round of $7000 educational support grants to over 50 students enrolled in
regional biofuels development curricula, starting March 2012. Successful completion of the curricula results in
receipt of a Biofuel Science Technician Certificate, and is part of the full-tuition EDGE Grant program
(Enhancing Diversity in Graduate Education). The Certificate is aimed at training professionals for technical
roles in the growing biofuels industry, including analytical chemistry, microbiological / crop management, and
biological / biofuels lab techniques. It provides students hands-on technical knowledge and experience in
biofuels production, analysis and processing, as well as project management and other business skills required
to excel in a management-level biofuels position. Prospective students from across California interested in
applying for next year's EDGE program and biofuels and industrial biotechnology companies interested in hiring
interns from the program should contact Karen Overklift at the BIOCOM Institute (858) 455-0300, extension 104, or
or visit the Biofuels Science Technician Certificate page of UD San Diego
Extension's website. 11/22/2011
Due 12/12/2011: Comments on Vermont Biomass Energy Draft Final Report
 The Vermont Legislative Council formally established the Biomass Energy (BioE) Development Working Group in 2009 with a charge
to enhance the growth and development of Vermont’s biomass industry, while also maintaining forest health. As
part of this charge, the BioE Working Group set about an analysis of the state's biomass energy industry and its
inherent issues. The detailed and deeply referenced findings provide recommendations for incentives, sustainable
harvesting guidelines and biomass procurement standards, standards and policies for new renewable bioenergy
developments, and future needs for research and development. A Public Review Draft of the BioE Working Group Final Report has been
released in preparation for submission to the Vermont Legislature by January 2012. A Public Hearing on the draft
report has been scheduled for December 6 2011; written comments may be submitted by December 12, 2011 to the
attention of the BioE Working Group at or by mail to Vermont State House, 133 State
Street, Montpelier VT 05602. Please include the phrase “BioE Report” in the subject line.
11/22/2011
London Mayor Calls for Businesses to Stop Landfilling Food Waste
 Handing out the first free plate of curry made from rejected, misshapen
supermarket vegetables, the Mayor of London Boris Johnson made a plea for the City's residential and business community to stop
landfilling food waste. Mayor Johnson set out a four-step hierarchy: avoid buying more food than needed,
redistribute unused, edible food to charities that feed the poor, food unfit for human consumption should become
animal feed where possible, and finally, anything left should be diverted to a conversion process like
composting and anaerobic digestion. Last Friday's event called Feed the Five Thousand was a collaborative effort to bring about a
dramatic decrease in the current 645,000 total tonnes of food waste disposed to the country's landfills, while
promoting beneficial recycling and conversion. The Mayor's office also released a new Waste Strategy on Friday outlining how better waste management to
beneficial use could save London £77 million a year. Earlier this year, the London borough of Southwark and
their waste management contractor Veolia Environmental Services successfully completed a food waste collection pilot program and gave approval to expand beyond
the initial 1,000 'donating" properties in the trial. 11/21/2011
Neste Oil's NExBTL Renewable Diesel Set for Marine Trials
 Finland's Neste Oil has announced the launch of marine engine trials for its NExBTL biofuels,
partnering with the Port of Rotterdam and the Rotterdam Climate Initiative to test performance and emissions in
one of the Authority's patrol boats during 1000 hours of operation. Neste Oil's production of sulfur-free NExBTL
renewable diesel can use a wide range of virgin and waste sourced oils and fats; the 2 million tonne per year
Rotterdam plant started operations in September 2011. "The new trial launched by the
Port of Rotterdam marks a new and positive step forward for Neste Oil," says Kaisa Hietala, Neste Oil's Vice
President, Marketing. "Our NExBTL fuels have already shown what they are capable of in terms of performance and
lower emissions on the road and in the air, and now we will have the opportunity to see how our renewable diesel
performs in marine use as well." "We are very excited that the first marine trial of NExBTL renewable diesel is
going to take place in Rotterdam, where we recently commissioned Europe's largest renewable diesel refinery,"
says Bart Leenders, Managing Director of Neste Oil's Rotterdam refinery. "The trial also highlights the
excellent partnership that we have established with the Port of Rotterdam since we started building our refinery
here." 11/21/2011
ConocoPhillips, Enviva Form ECo Biomass to Market Torrified Wood Fuels
 International biomass processing company Enviva has announced a partnership with ConocoPhillips to create a new company, ECo Biomass Technologies (ECo
Biomass) focused on bringing torrefied biomass fuels to market. The torrefaction process involves superheating biomass to create a
uniform, hydrophobic, dense, and highly efficient fuel similar to coal in combustion properties, but lacking
most of the contaminants. Enviva has established a US and European market supplying wood pellets and chips to
bioenergy and biomass-focused industrial customers, including recent major biomass supply contracts with Dominion Virginia Power to fuel two
bioenergy plants. ECo Biomass will leverage Enviva's 2011 production of 750,000 tons combined chip and pellet
production to bring the new torrified wood pellet renewable fuel supply to international customers. “Although
torrefaction is widely used in many industries, its adaptation to the renewable energy industry has yet to be
proven cost-effective and scalable. Our partnership with ConocoPhillips is designed to bring this new,
sustainable, renewable fuel to the power generation industry and enable our utility customers to reduce their
environmental impact in a cost-competitive manner,” said John Keppler, Enviva chairman and CEO. “Both of our
companies are energy industry innovators, and this partnership underscores our commitment to developing
sustainable energy solutions.” 11/21/2011
USDA Selects New Mexico for Farm Waste to Bioenergy Pilot Projects
 This month's New Mexico Insider newsletter from the US Department of Agriculture
(USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) happily reports that New Mexico is one of three pilot states
selected by the NRCS to participate in developing anaerobic digestion (AD) projects for clean conversion of
animal waste to bioenergy. Chuck Braden, an agricultural engineer with NRCS New Mexico, helps farmers determine
whether small modular AD plants are appropriate for installation on their own farming operations: “If most of
the questions below describe the farm, anaerobic digestion may be compatible with the operation. (1) Is manure
currently being handled as a liquid that is free from copper sulfate and antibiotics? (2) Is odor control a
concern? (3) Is there space on a farm to expand the manure handling system using gravity flow? (4) Does the
producer have an interest, the time, and skills to learn, make repairs, and maintain the equipment?" Braden
anticipates that NRCS New Mexico could receive national support for at least 50 cow manure anaerobic digesters
to reduce greenhouse gas and water pollution, provide biogas to produce heat and electricity,
create valuable high-nutrient fertilizer reduce manure odor. 11/19/2011
Waste Management Closes Strategic Investment in Fulcrum Bioenergy
 Texas-based Waste Management, Inc. (WM) announced this week that it has closed its strategic investment in
California's waste-to-fuels company Fulcrum Bioenergy. Fulcrum has begun construction on its Sierra
Biofuels facility near Reno, Nevada using InEnTec's advanced gasification system. Construction is supported by
up to $70 million from WM supplementing funds from the firm's recent initial public offering (IPO). WM has also recently invested in InEnTec.The Nevada plant is scheduled to start
operations in 2013 and will convert almost 150 thousand tons of post-recycling municipal solid waste (MSW) per
year into 10 million gallons of biofuel. Fulcrum previously secured MSW feedstock supply in a separate agreement
with WM. Fulcrum and WM have also signed a Master Development Agreement covering collaboration on additional
Fulcrum projects throughout the US, using WM controlled feedstock. “This investment underpins our commitment to
supporting innovative technologies that extract the value in waste and converts it into clean renewable energy,”
said Joe Vaillancourt, managing director for Waste Management’s Organic Growth Group. “We look forward to the
development of Fulcrum’s commercial-scale plant that is designed to convert over one hundred thousand tons of
waste a year into clean, renewable transportation fuel.” 11/19/2011
WELTEC's Brandenburg AD Plant to Deliver Biomethane to Grid
 German anaerobic digestion (AD) specialists WELTEC Biopower has announced that its Bariskow AD facility in
Brandenburg, Germany has begun operations and is processing biomethane. The plant will begin injecting around
350 standard cubic meters (SCM) of the bio-natural gas per day into the national gas network grid in
mid-December. WELTEC ordered the first Capstone microturbine from the company's authorized
distributor and service partner, Greenvironment in January 2011; the microturbine module was integrated
with the plant's biogas upgrading system and has been delivering electricity to the grid since October.
Greenvironment develops, builds and operates natural gas or biogas-fired combined heat and power plants within
the output segment of 30 kilowatt to 4 megawatt. The Bariskow plant has a target production capacity of 4.3
million standard cubic meters (MMSCM) of biomethane per year, at a rate of around 1,000 SCM per hour of raw
digester gas. Of this, about 375 SCM will fuel a full complement of three 200 kilowatt microturbines for
provision of on-site heat to maintain the AD systems and the rest will be injected into the pipeline network.
"During the processing of biomethane, the process energy (water) needs to have a temperature of 140 degrees
Celsius. Therefore microturbines offer a clear competitive advantage thanks to their high thermal efficiency,
which helps us to significantly increase the overall economics of the biomethane production", says Robert
Tholen, technical director of WELTEC Biopwer. 11/19/2011
USDA Funds Waste Biomass Conversion to Energy Projects
 The US Department of Agriculture has announced the final set of 2011 bioenergy project grants from the
agency's Rural Energy for America (REAP) program, bringing this year's total to 52 projects in 26 states,
receiving over $31 million in grant and loan guarantees. Of the eight renewable projects receiving funds, seven
supported biomass and/or waste conversion to heat and power. Among the recipients: Alaska Brewing LLC was awarded a $448,366 grant to convert waste grain
to biofuel; in the past, the spent grain has been dried and shipped to the Seattle area for animal feed.
Washakie Renewable Energy, one of Utah's largest biodiesel producers,
received a $496,750 grant to develop pre-treatment and product finishing operations associated with the
company's waste vegetable and animal grease conversion facility. The Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008
(H.R. 2419) modified an existing Renewable Energy Systems program to form the REAP to promote energy efficiency
and renewable energy for agricultural producers and rural small businesses through the use of (1) grants and
loan guarantees for energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy systems, and (2) grants for energy
audits and renewable energy development assistance. Congress allocated $55 million for FY 2009, $60 million for
FY 2010, $70 million for FY 2011, and $70 million for FY 2012. The grants are awarded on a competitive basis and
can be up to 25% of total eligible project costs. Grants are limited to $500,000 for renewable energy systems
and $250,000 for energy efficiency improvements. Applications are submitted through each state's Rural Development State Office. 11/19/2011
E.ON Will Start Construction on 30 MWe Bioenergy Plant This Month in Scotland
 Germany-based waste management and energy firm E.ON announced plans for the start of construction later this month of
its second major bioenergy facility in Scotland, the £120m 30 megawatt (MWe) Blackburn Meadows facility near Sheffield. A 25-year feedstock supply
contract has been signed with local wood recycler R. Plevins & Sons, fueling the plant on regionally sourced
recycled wood. E.ON received initial planning approval for the plant form the Sheffield Council in July 2008 and
has now agreed to establish a benefits fund for community projects including public art. The firm is exploring
the potential to supply heat to surrounding commercial and industrial facilities; E.ON already operates 12
combined heat and power (CHP) facilities supplying over 500MW of electricity and in excess of 900MW of heat in
the United Kingdom (UK), one of which is a 44 MWe bioenergy facility in Steven's Croft, Lockerbie Scotland. E.ON
has also submitted plans for one of the UK's largest bioenergy facilities to be located at the Royal Portbury Docks in North Somerset. Dave Rogers, Regional Director
for Renewables at E.ON, said: "The plans we've announced not only set out the final design of the power station
but also confirm our intention to begin construction later this month. As our commitment to Sheffield
demonstrates, we're leading the development of renewable energy in the UK and biomass power stations, such as
Blackburn Meadows, form an important part of that low carbon solution." 11/18/2011
NRCan Launches RETScreen Energy Management Learning Portal
 RETScreen ® International, a renewable energy technology assessment
program developed and provided free of charge by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), announces the launch of a new Energy Management Learning Portal, providing guided access and full
documentation to the program's latest tool-set, the Performance Analysis module. The software, data and supportive
training and instructional packets can now be used world-wide to monitor, analyze and report on the key energy
performance data by facility operators, managers and other decision-makers. New users can download the entire 43
megabyte spreadsheet-based program, RETScreen Plus Version 4, along with all user manuals, training materials,
case studies and templates; registration is required to access the materials. This
Performance Analysis module is only one element of the expansive program of the RETScreen International Clean
Energy Decision Support Centre, which "seeks to build the capacity of planners, decision-makers and industry to
implement renewable energy, cogeneration and energy efficiency projects." Released last month, the RETScreen
energy performance analysis module already has more than 9,000 users worldwide and is available in 36 languages.
RETScreen International is managed by NRCan's CanmetENERGY research center. 11/18/2011
UGA Researchers Develop "Super" Yeast Strain for Cellulosic Ethanol
 Dr. Doran-Peterson and colleagues at the University of Georgia, Athens
(UGA) have published findings of their research into development of a "super
strain" of resilient fermentation yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (strain AJP50, patent pending:
PCT/US2009/043358) capable of continuing sugar fermentation in much higher concentrations of solids and toxins
than previously possible. The technique allows fermentation of cellulosic slurries of pine wood in
concentrations up to 17.5 % solids, without additional washing or cleaning after the requisite hydrothermal and
enzymatic pre-treatment needed to open the cell structure and release the sugars. The new strain was developed
using "directed evolution", by growing successive populations of yeast in progressively hostile conditions.
Dr. Doran-Peterson is Chair of the Fermentation and Biotechnology Division
of the American Society for Microbiology and was recently selected to Chair the University-wide 80+ member
Biofuels, Biopower, and Biomaterials Initiative (B3I) at UGA. “The big plus for softwoods, including pine, is
that they have a lot of sugar that yeast can use,” she said. “Yeast are currently used in ethanol production
from corn or sugarcane, which are much easier materials for fermentation; our process increases the amount of
ethanol that can be obtained from pine. We’re talking about using forestry residues, waste and unsalable
timber." The research was funded by grants from C2 Biofuels Inc. and the US Department of Energy.
11/18/2011
CORE Biofuel Completes Biomass to Drop-in Gas Process Testing
 Canadian drop-in alternative fuels developer CORE Biofuel Inc.
reports successful completion of testing for the last stage in its
wood to bio-gasoline processing with catalytic conversion of dimethyl ether
(DME) to 92-octane green gasoline. CORE is commercializing the patented Melnichuk-Kelly-Stanko Fuel Synthesis
ProcessTM (MKS) that couples advanced gasification modules developed by Energy Products of Idaho
(EPI) with synthetic gas clean-up and upgrading, forming the
intermediary product DME that is then reformed to high-octane gasoline using catalysis. The current catalytic
testing was accomplished on contract with RECAT Technologies, a commercial spin-off of the University of Western Ontario, Canada where Dr. Hugo de Lasa, President of RECAT, founded the Chemical Reactor Engineering Center. RECAT was engaged by CORE in July 2010 to complete a pilot process for its
gasoline production reactors; data from the pilot process provides specification for catalysis and reactor
design parameters. At this time, CORE's conversion process is using wood chip as feedstock, but is exploring the
economic feasibility of other biomass feedstock for future facilities including dedicated fiber crops such as
high yield poplar species, switchgrass, grasses, agricultural residues, bagasse, sorted municipal solid waste,
and treated municipal biosolids. The successful process train testing facilitates commercial scale drop-in
gasoline biorefinery development being explored by CORE under an agreement signed earlier this year that also provide for third-party
validation of its Zero Fossil Input (ZFI) 92-octane green gasoline. 11/18/2011
UK Renewables Funding Allocated from Scottish Fossil Fuel Levy
 Settling a long-standing dispute between Scotland and the United Kingdom
(UK), decisions last week will split the reserve funding collected under the
Scottish Fossil Fuel Levy (SFFP), allowing the Scottish Government access to at least £100 million to be spent
on in-country renewables. The remainder in the fund will be added to the £3 billion United Kingdom-wide Green
Investment Bank; future funds will be divided equally as these become available. The Fossil Fuel Levy was
introduced in 1996 in Scotland and paid by suppliers of electricity from non-renewable energy sources as part of
the Non-Fossil Fuels Obligation. In 2002 the Renewables Obligation was also introduced to support renewable
energy. Together, these processes produce a surplus which is held in the Scottish Fossil Fuel Levy fund. Funds
from a levy on non-renewable energy supply sales have been collected and deposited into an account managed by
the UK's Office of Gas and Electric Markets (Ofgem) according to principles detailed last year by Ofgem. Under the new agreement, SFFP
funds may only be accessed by the Scottish Government and spent for renewables above the existing Scottish
Government budget. Following a site visit to a shuttered power plant in Nigg, Scotland, British Chancellor of
the Exchequer George Osborne said: “The UK Coalition Government is committed to creating jobs across Scotland –
particularly in the green energy sector. It’s great news that we have been able to cut through the arguments and
the wrangling with the Scottish Government that have stopped this money being invested in the past. It shows how
serious the UK Government is in its support for Scotland’s green future.” 11/17/2011
CalRecycle Adopts Carpet
Recycling Regulation, Waste-to-Energy Use Acceptable
 A Notice of Final Decision approving the adoption of the proposed regulations for
Product Stewardship for Carpet was announced at the November 15, 2011 meeting of California's Department
of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle). The Formal Rulemaking Direction announcement provides access
to the staff Request for Approval, the Proposed Carpet Regulations and an overview of stakeholder comments
received during a series of public comment periods. Passage last year of Assembly Bill 2398 (Chapter 681, Statutes of 2010 [Perez, AB 2398) mandated manufacturer
responsibility for recycling of used carpet, requiring submission to and approval by CalRecycle of a Product
Stewardship Plan by the carpet manufacturer or a stewardship organization representing the manufacturer; fees
are assessed to cover agency administrative costs. Compliance requires "continuous and meaningful improvement in
the rates of recycling"; non-compliance carries civil penalties. Key determinations, staff and stakeholder
assessment of the letter, and intent of the law include clarification that Diversion means specifically from
landfill disposal, rather than from all forms of solid waste disposal. Therefore
Waste-to-Energy use of Carpet as Alternative Fuel (CAAF) is acceptable, although the Transformation category of
waste management will be constrained regarding access to state grants, incentives and other support funding.
Adoption now allows CalRecycle to forward the proposed regulatory packet to the Office of Administrative Law for
final approval and publishing. Detailed background documentation was provided with the Request for Approval and
may be further accessed on the CalRecycle Carpet Stewardship Program webpage. AB 2398 requires that the Carpet
Stewardship Plans be submitted and approved no later than March 31, 2012. 11/17/2011
Due 12/21/2011: "Driving Innovation in AD" Proposals to UK's WRAP
 The United Kingdom's (UK) Waste & Resources
Action Programme (WRAP) announced opening of two tenders last week in its new Driving
Innovations in Anaerobic Digestion (DIAD) program. DIAD is designed as a series of activities to deliver
projects under the UK's Department of Food and Rural Affairs "AD Strategy and Action
Plan". The first proposal
request seeks technologies and operational methods to optimize safe and effective AD implementation at all
scales. The second challenge focuses on installation, capital cost reduction, and operational simplification for
smaller scale applications, along with pre-and post-processing elements of AD facilities to include feedstock
supply chain improvements, and AD system and product commercialization plans. Successfully screened proposals
will be initially funded for a feasibility study; those showing the most significant benefits and potential will
advance to development of demonstration projects. The WRAP will partner with the
UK's Small Business Research
Initiative (SBRI) on both of the
projects, and also with the Royal Agricultural Society of
England (RASE) on the small
scale AD projects. Interested parties should complete one or both tender packets, for the first
Optimization of Process and Product Manufacture at
All Scales (David Tozer, 01295
819628, )
and/or the second Small-Scale, On-Farm AD
Challenge (Teresa Hogsbjerg, 01295 819914, ). 11/17/2011
ECLIPSE
Project Goal is to Convert Organic Waste to Ecological Plastics
 The Spanish research foundation CIDETEC-IK4 (Centre for Electrochemical Technologies) has
announced a 3-year program for development of ecologically sound
plastics from organic waste materials such as the banana plant, almond nut shells or crustaceans, amongst
others. The Cidetec-IK4 technological centre, based at the Donostia-San Sebastián Technological Park, is leading
a multi-national collaborative project known as ECLIPSE, to create cleaner and more sustainable alternatives to
petroleum- or food-sourced plastics incorporating nanotechnology-based methods. Cidetec-IK4 was created in 1997
as a non-profit Foundation whose mission is to serve both the industrial sectors related to electrochemistry and
the Administration and society in general, its core activity being the field of applied research. Use of organic
processing waste to produce new materials does not influence the final price of foodstuffs and does not directly
affect the environment. The processing first converts waste glucose compounds from biodiesel production to
lactic acid, and then polymerizes the lactic acid to form Poly Lactic Acid (PLA). By adding nano-fibers of
organic waste, plastic can be achieved that has greater resistance to external agents and enhanced mechanical
properties. Ibon Odriozola, Head of the Nanotechnology Unit at Cidetec-IK4, comments: “ECLIPSE has an economic
objective, as this project aims to increase the competiveness of European countries in the biopolymers’ market
without increasing the price of basic foods”. 11/16/2011
CPUC Begins Accepting Applications for Self-Generation Incentive Program
 The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has again started accepting
applications for projects under the Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) as of November 15, 2011. Helping to kick start the program, San
Diego's Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE) has provided program background and organized the pertinent
documents, including the 2011 SGIP Handbook, are all now available on-line. New this year are both Residential and Commercial
Waste Heat Utilization worksheets, Biogas project guidance and forms, and Waste Gas and Renewable Fuel forms.
Applicants must use the authorized on-line forms. Each investor-Owned Utility (IOU) maintains its own SPIG
program; applicants can find handbooks and forms for Pacific Gas , Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Company on their program websites, and refer
to the CCSE website for San Diego Gas & Electric. Companies that offer eligible programs can also provide
significant assistance with the SGIP project application process; Irvine-based FlexEnergy has developed an informative support program providing detail of how its clean-burning turbine
generators qualify and the incentives that are available up to $2,500 per kilowatt for biogas and $500 per
kilowatt for natural gas. The SGIP program was expanded in scope and extended to 2016 as a result of passage
of Senate Bill 412 this year; eligibility for participation in the SGIP
will now be based on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions. Technologies that achieve reductions of GHG
emissions will be eligible for the program, including wind turbines, fuel cells, organic rankine cycle/waste
heat capture, pressure reduction turbines, advanced energy storage, and combined heat and power gas turbines,
micro-turbines, and internal combustion engines. 11/16/2011
AE Biofuels is now Aemetis, Expands to Biochemicals and Advanced Biofuels
 With a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing of Schedule 14C last month, AE Biofuels has changed its name to Aemetis,
Inc. effective November 15, 2011. The company announced the Aemetis name change by explaining that this means "The
One Prudent Wisdom", and the change signifies the company's expanding vision. Following acquisition in July of this year of the Maryland-based biotechnology
company Zymetis and all rights to the "Z-microbe", Aemetis now has the capability to expand upon its current
55,000 gallon ethanol production plant in Keyes, California and 50,000 gallon biofuels plant in India, to
develop the new fermentation platform for production of specialty green chemicals and advanced biofuels. Eric
McAfee, Chairman and CEO of Aemetis said of the new vision and name: "Our scientists and operations teams at
Aemetis are focused on the development and commercialization of innovative industrial biotechnologies that
produce advanced chemical and renewable fuel substitutes for traditional petroleum-based chemicals and fuels. By
expanding existing first-generation biofuels plants to produce high-margin chemicals and advanced fuels, our
technology platform helps biofuels companies increase their operating margins, decrease margin volatility, and
diversify feedstocks and products." 11/16/2011
US Forest Service Plans
Advisory Committee for Oversight of New Planning Rule
 An upcoming opportunity to assist in oversight of the management of US national
forests and grasslands has been announced by the US Forest Service's Chief Tom Tidwell. With the first
major changes to Forest Planning Rule since passage of the 1982 version, national forest management is
undergoing significant change as a result of the draft Planning Rule published in February 2011 in the Federal
Register, and the associated environmental documents currently being finalized. The Forest Planning Rule of 1982
has provided the basis for decades of forest health and timbering practices, yet was developed well before
modern technologies and methods now available for biomass utilization. A Science Review Summary Report published in April 2011 provides an
assessment of the draft environmental impact statement for the Planning Rule. To maintain transparency and
public engagement, the Forest Service will solicit nominations and form a Federal Advisory Committee (FACA) to
advise Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack on the new rule's implementation. “This new committee will keep the
collaborative momentum going on what has been a remarkably open and transparent process for the country’s first
planning rule in 30 years,” said U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. “Stakeholder input has been instrumental
in allowing us develop a strong draft rule up to this point – we need to continue to tap into our strong
partnerships to carry this rule forward.” Further information on finalization of the revised Planning Rule and
environmental document can be found on the Rule's website; solicitation for nominations toward the FACA will be
published shortly after the rule is finalized, scheduled for this winter. 11/15/2011
Mission
NewEnergy Plans Palm Waste to Biodiesel Plant in Malaysia
 Australian biofuel company Mission NewEnergy Limited has announced development of its first major processing facility
dedicated to the use of waste as feedstock to produce biodiesel. The new RM30 million (US$10 million) plant will
recover oils from a primary waste material of the palm oil refining process, Spent Bleaching Earth (SBE). SBE is
a finely divided clay material that to date has only been destined for disposal. All permits have been obtained
and financing from a Malaysian bank is expected to close next month, allowing construction to begin in January
2012. To be sited in Sandakan, Saba Malaysia, the 66,000 ton per year SBE Solvent
Extraction Facility will convert SBE collected from most of the region's palm oil
biorefineries and start operations late in 2012. Mission notes that the benefits of producing biodiesel from
waste material include increased greenhouse gas savings as well as a supply of inexpensive feedstock. “Mission
is delighted to be working in collaboration with the government and the local palm oil processing industry. The
facility will reduce waste being sent to the landfill, create jobs and provide Mission with a low cost,
environmentally friendly raw material to produce biofuels,” said Nathan Mahalingam, Group CEO of Mission.
11/14/2011
Green Chemistry
Company BioAmber Proposes Initial Public Offering
 Green chemistry company BioAmber, Inc has
proposed an initial public offering (IPO) and has filed a
Form S-1 registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC). BioAmber hopes to raise up to $150
million in common stock, although the number of shares and price range have not been announced. For
the proposed IPO, book-running will be led by Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC. A
portion of the proceeds will be used to complete construction of BioAmber's proposed commercial production
facilities in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, and in Thailand. Earlier this month, BioAmber partnered with Japanese
chemicals giant Mitsui & Co. for construction and operation of the Sarnia plant, expanding plans to increase
capacity of succinic acid production while initiating BDO production and starting planning for two additional
Canadian facilities. BioAmber's technology platform utilizes proprietary microbial fermentation, advanced
purification and chemical catalysis to produce succinic acid as a cost-competitive replacement to petroleum-sourced
chemicals. The company's first commercial scale production facility in Pomacle, France has manufactured over
450,000 pounds of bio-succinic acid, sold into the market for production of plastics, food additives and
personal care products and used by BioAmber in successive refinement to produce 1,4 butanediol (BDO) and other key foundation chemicals. 11/14/2011
New Viridor Vision Shifts Focus From Waste Disposal to Resource Recovery
 One of the United Kingdom's (UK) leading waste management companies, Viridor
has announced a new corporate vision encompassing a steady movement away
from management of waste by disposal and toward resource recovery of energy and materials. Viridor has been
broadening its implementation of the UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)
"Zero Waste Economy," initiating successive partnerships in
March, April and May for highly-integrated waste management that exemplify
state-of-the-art resource recovery. Dan Cooke, Viridor’s External Affairs Manager said: “This is all about
positive change. ‘Transforming waste’ is more positive than just referring to recycling (important though that
is!) it includes everything we do in energy, and our aims for environmental, social and economic sustainability.
It’s designed to have sense of excitement and optimism about it. We’ve got a great story
to tell our customers and stakeholders about putting their waste into action and transforming it into high
quality recyclables, raw materials and energy.” Colin Drummond, Viridor’s Chief Executive, added: “Viridor is at
the forefront of transforming waste and our new branding reflects this. We have led the way in seeing the real
value of waste as a vital resource. Fifty percent of our profits now come from resource
recovery and this is set to increase. “The world is using resources at an unsustainable
rate. We all have to recycle more and generate more renewable energy to meet our future
needs. Viridor has embraced this and our new vision and branding will help to communicate this clearly to our
customers and partners.” 11/14/2011
Update: Toilet Bike NEO Completes 1400 Kilometer Tour of Japan
 Japanese toilet maker TOTO designed and built a motorcycle called NEO fueled
by on-board generated biogas with a toilet for a seat, and Teru Talk covered the kick-off of the cross-Japan tour the day NEO's pictures
became available. With six riders alternating to cover the 1,400 kilometers perched on a large toilet, the NEO
tour was intended to get folks in Japan more comfortable with conversion of organic waste using anaerobic
digestion (AD) and with use of the biogas generated as an every-day fuel. Reuters posted a video and translated interview with TOTO's spokesperson Kenji Fujita
at the end of the highly successful tour; Kenji explained that the AD system's biogas had come from digestion of
a mix of livestock waste and household sewage, but that the riders had not contributed to the supply.
11/13/2011
INEOS Bio Rolls Out Global Licensing for Waste-to-Bioenergy Technology
 Illinois-based INEOS Bio has announced the selection of the international engineering firm
AMEC to provide engineering support for a global licensing program of
its advanced thermal-to-microbial waste conversion processing technology platform. AMEC will support
licensees and ensure optimal design and installation customized to each project location. AMEC has offices
servicing most countries globally, including eleven offices in California alone. INEOS Bio, formed in 2008
specifically to develop this hybrid thermochemical / biochemical processing approach, and broke ground on the
joint venture Indian River Bioenergy Center as its first industrial scale plant in
Vero Beach Florida early this year. INEOS Bio now plans to establish strategic licenses internationally,
capitalizing on the deep licensing and project development experience of its parent company INEOS. "This agreement is a key milestone for INEOS Bio. It is a
crucial step as we move into the phase of licensing our Bioenergy Technology globally to help solve to address
the world's waste management challenges," said Peter Williams, CEO of INEOS Bio. "We've designed our sustainable
solution so it's easily licensed and can be replicated around the world to create renewable bioenergy from
waste, bringing us energy independence and providing opportunities for cleantech jobs."
11/12/2011
BlueFire Forms SucreSource to Supply Cellulosic Sugars for Advanced Biofuels
 California's BlueFire Renewables Inc. (BFRE) has announced formation of the wholly-owned subsidiary SucreSource, LLC to
respond to increasing market demand for cellulosic sugars. SucreSource will be dedicated
to developing an at-scale process train complement for the conversion of non-food cellulosic biomass sourced
sugars, and provision of that pathway for integration into biorefinery developments of other companies in the
global advanced biofuels and biochemicals market. SucreSource will initially offer two well-vetted process
scales of 34,000 tons per year or 163,000 tons per year cellulosic sugar production; the modular designs are
complete and market-ready based on BFRE's successful demonstration testing in California and commercial scale
application in Izumi, Japan. The company's cellulosic sugar production technology platform uses advanced methods
of concentrated acid hydrolysis with acid recovery and reconcentration to produce and purify sugar concentrates.
The parent company continues with precision fermentation capable of both C5 and C6 sugar fermentation to produce
a wide range of fuels and chemicals. "SucreSource was created to meet the market's increasing demand for
cellulosic sugars," said Arnold Klann, President and Chief Executive Officer of BlueFire Renewables. "Back-end
biochemical and biofuel processes need low cost, non-food cellulosic sugars for widespread commercialization,
whether the end product be ethanol, biobutanol, ethyl levulinate, etc. BlueFire's front-end technology that
breaks down cellulosic waste into its component sugars can meet that growing need. SucreSource provides a
platform for BlueFire to service the many inquiries and requests for sugars that come our way."
11/12/2011
Due Now to 12/15/2015:
Applications to NYSERDA for AD Biogas to Power Projects
 The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) announced dedication last week of up to $57 million in additional
support of anaerobic digestion (AD) technology and project development. NYSERDA will invest more than $11
million per year for applications of up to 50% of the cost of the power generation equipment until 2015 or when
funds are expended. Projects must meet the criteria and goals of the New York State Renewable Portfolio Standard
(NY RPS), which is providing the funding. Awards to eligible projects will be made on a first-come, first served
basis until the funds have been depleted. NYSERDA similarly supported AD projects in 2010, disbursing funds to
19 applicants whose projects offered capacity of over 10,000 kilowatts and construction activity over $60
million. “Anaerobic digestion offers farmers the opportunity to lower their energy costs while at the same time
providing environmental benefits to air quality and local watersheds,” said Francis J. Murray Jr., President and
CEO of NYSERDA. “This renewable energy project is just one way New York will achieve its goal of reducing
greenhouse gases and consumption of fossil fuels.” As public benefit corporation, NYSERDA offers objective
information and analysis, innovative programs, technical expertise and funding to help New Yorkers increase
energy efficiency, save money, use renewable energy, and reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. Refer to
PON 2276 - "Renewable Portfolio Standard Customer Sited Tier Anaerobic
Digester Gas To Electricity Program" for application documents. Contact information is available for PON 2276 on
NYSERDA's Current Funding Opportunities web page. 11/12/2011
Rentech Meets Key Milestone for Colorado Integrated Biorefinery
 California-based waste conversion firm Rentech Inc. has announced that its demonstration-scale Integrated Biorefinery (IBR)
project in Commerce City, Colorado has been deemed "mechanically complete," and the commissioning phase is now
underway. The IBR project installed Rentech's 20 ton-per-day Rentech-ClearFuels biomass gasifier, which was integrated with
Honeywell's UOP syngas upgrading systems in Rentech's Product Demonstration Unit
(PDU) already at the site to produce renewable drop-in synthetic jet
and diesel fuels. The IBR project was co-funded by a $23 million grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE) to
manufacture and install the gasifer, and Rentech funded the balance of the project's total cost of approximately
$36 million. Dr. Harold Wright, Rentech’s Chief Technology Officer, commented, “Achieving mechanical completion
of the IBR demonstration facility on-time and on-budget leads the way for cellulosic fuels production at the PDU
with the Rentech-ClearFuels gasifier and Rentech Process.” Dr. Wright continued, “We’re pleased to have a
successful collaboration with the DOE, whose funding helped make this demonstration possible.” The IBR will have
the flexibility to produce renewable syngas, hydrogen, and steam as well as biofuels, and is anticipated to
produce certified renewable fuels in late 2011. Rentech expects the IBR will also be used to evaluate additional
technology integration opportunities. 11/10/2011
`
Carbon Matters: US Energy and
Forest Policy Should be Based on Science
 The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service's Pacific Northwest
Research Station has released a study outlining new ideas and approaches to forest
management for carbon sequestration, biomass use for energy, and climate benefits. The study recommends that US
environmental and energy policy should be established on specific science-based findings identified in the
report, Managing Forests Because Carbon Matters: Integrating Energy, Products, and Land Management
Policy. The report was coauthored by a team of researchers from the U.S. Forest
Service, several universities, and natural resource and environmental organizations, and is published in a
supplement to the current October/November edition of the Society of American Forester’s Journal of Forestry.
Primary author Bob Malmsheimer introduces the report, “This work should help policymakers reconsider the
critical impact forests have on our daily lives and the potential they have to solve problems that confront our
Nation. We believe our science-based findings should lead toward positive reforms that encourage investment in
this vital renewable resource.” The report explains that "… The value of carbon credits generated by forest
carbon offset projects differs dramatically, depending on the sets of carbon pools allowed by the protocol and
baseline employed. The costs associated with establishing and maintaining offset projects depend largely on the
protocols’ specifics. Measurement challenges and relatively high transaction costs needed for forest carbon
offsets warrant consideration of other policies that promote climate benefits from forests and forest products
but do not require project-specific accounting." The Pacific Northwest Research Station is headquartered in
Portland, Oregon, with eleven laboratories and centers in Alaska, Oregon, and Washington.
11/10/2011
IEA Releases 2011 Task 37 Reports on Energy from Biogas and Landfill Gas
 The International Energy Agency (IEA) Task 37 working group focuses on the collection, sorting, biological
treatment, gas upgrading, and gas utilization from digestion of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste
and wastewater. Late last month, the IEA provided an Update publication addressing Biogas from Crop Digestion. Among the report's findings: (1) Anaerobic
digestion is a versatile technology that requires relatively low levels of parasitic energy demand and can use a
wide range of crops including lignocellulosic material such as grass; (2) The energy balance of biogas crop
systems is shown to be superior to first generation biofuel technologies, for example for ethanol production;
(3) The biogas industry benefits greatly from policy and feed-in tariffs, as demonstrated by the German
experience; (4) The existing natural gas grid can provide the means for distribution of biomethane to both
individual homes and businesses in many developed countries; (5) Setting targets for biomethane production as a
percentage of gas demand are of great benefit to the fledgling industry; and (6) Use of biomethane as a
transport fuel provides positive economics, especially if feed-in tariffs are low, and "connecting biomethane
with a captive fleet such as a bus service minimizes investments for distribution of the gaseous fuel. In
September 2011, the IEA released the annual "Country Reports" for Austria, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands,
Switzerland, Ireland the United Kingdom, and the European Commission. 11/10/2011
City of Palo Alto Voters Approve Green Energy Bioconversion Plant
 In a move designed to keep organic waste conversion local and decrease
transport-related greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, proponents announced that Measure E, the Palo Alto Green Energy and
Compost Initiative, was approved by ballot vote. The California city contracted with Alternative Resources Inc.
(ARI) of Concord, Massachusetts to assess the potential for developing an anaerobic digestion facility next to
the City's wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), and made the Energy/Compost Feasibility Study available in September. Measure E's passage on
November 8, 2011 was required by the city's charter to change the dedicated recreational use designation of 10
acres of the 126 acre Byxbee Park, the site of the now closed municipal solid waste landfill. The
City Attorney's analysis prior to Tuesday's vote detailed the required
and optional changes that the City would need to address if the park land was un-dedicated by passage of the new
ordinance. The balloted measure enjoyed strong support; it's passage now allows the change in
designation for the exclusive development of a facility to collect and process yard trimmings, food waste and
other organics from the municipal waste stream, and potentially sewage sludge from the WWTP using composting and
anaerobic digestion for conversion of the wastes to beneficial energy and products. 11/10/2011
JEQ Publishes 16 New Articles on Environmental Benefits of Biochar
 The American Society of Agronomy's latest issue of the Journal of Environmental
Quality (JEQ) has developed a special New Articles section this month on
the Environmental Benefits of Biochar, providing free access to the pre-publication abstracts and full text of
sixteen new professional papers covering the subject. "Biochar" is the name for the charred biomass created from wood, plant material, and manure
that has been used to improve soil fertility and remediate environmental contaminants. Many of the published
biochar reviews stem from work sponsored and directed by the US Department of Agriculture, from collaborating
scientists in the many labs of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), upon results of field work
initiated at the National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment in Ames, Iowa (NLAE). The ARS
has chronicled the collaborative work,
focusing on national attempts to find "what works where" and recognizing that "biochar characteristics vary
widely, depending on the feedstock used to make it, the time spent in the pyrolyzer—a device that uses heat to
break down the biomass in the absence of oxygen—the temperature used during pyrolysis, the feedstock’s moisture
content, and other factors." Among the published articles is "Biochar: A Synthesis of Its
Agronomic Impact beyond Carbon Sequestration" by ARS researchers in labs associated with the University of
Minnesota. Analyzing results, the researchers concluded that because of variability in char quality and
application, results were about 25 percent negative, around 50 percent neutral, and around 25 percent positive.
“A lot of research has already been done on biochar,” says Kurt Spokas, who is the first author on the Synthesis
paper. “We’re building on that work to figure out how to make biochar work best in our current production
systems.” Novak, who is working with Ippolito and Spokas on additional experiments in the laboratory and field,
agrees. “We just need to make sure it’s the right biochar for the right soil type." 11/09/2011
ZooShare Hosts Open House to Seek Investors for Toronto Zoo Biogas Plant
 The ZooShare Biogas Co-operative (ZooShare) is hosting an Open House on November 22, 2011 to provide information on investment
opportunities in its innovative program supporting zoo waste conversion to renewable energy for the Toronto Zoo.
The ZooShare, a Renewable Energy Co-op under the laws of Ontario, Canada, is developing a biogas
facility on the grounds of the Toronto Zoo. The combined heat and power (CHP) plant will produce up
to 500 kW of electrical power and heat, converting the zoo's animal wastes and up to 1200 tons annually of
locally-sourced food waste, including fats, oils and grease (FOG) to renewable energy. To cover costs, the
ZooShare program offers Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) bonds to the community; ZooShares earn a fixed return deposited into an individual's RRSP
account. The public-private non-profit partnership will generate and sell electricity to the Ontario Power
Authority under a 20 year Feed-in tariff (FIT) contract for 16.4 cents/kWh (including a 0.4 cent adder for a
community project). The anaerobic digestion (AD) will generate biogas to fuel the generator, which will also
produce enough heat and CO2 to enhance operations at a 2-acre on-site greenhouse; the AD residual will be used
in both liquid and solid form on-site and sold to the community as a high-quality fertilizer. The project
received support from the Ontario Power Authority through its Community Energy
Partnerships Program. 11/09/2011
ARC Starts
Construction to Double GDiesel® Production Capacity
 Nevada-based Advanced Refining Concepts (ARC) held a ground breaking ceremony this week to
celebrate start of construction on Phases 3 and 4 of the firm's Peru
Heights green-blend fuels refinery just south of Reno. This is the second major plant expansion since the
refinery opened in 2010 with its initial 100,000 gallon per day capacity, and the first expansion in October
2010 doubled that capacity. This expansion will double that capacity once more for a total of 400,000 gallons
per day. Construction is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2012 ARC's
single-step closed-loop ClearRefining® process catalytically re-processes and combines
petroleum products with biogas or natural gas for cleaner-burning, lower carbon drop-in fuels. The company’s
products, GDiesel®, GPetrol® and GJet®, are compatible with existing fuel storage and dispensing equipment and
require no modifications to vehicles or power generating equipment. The fuels are designated as alternative
fuels under Nevada's NAC 486A.140 clean fuel provision; customers include retail stations and commercial
trucking fleets, along with many regional city and county agency fleets that fall within this legislation. The
company indicates it has begun permitting processes for a second plant in the Las Vegas region to provide better
service coverage for southern Nevada. “The Advanced Refining Concepts
expansion is a triple bottom line win for the greater Reno-Tahoe area,” said Chuck Alvey, president and CEO of
the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN). “ARC’s innovative fuel product is helping create
new jobs, enhance the environment and a local company grow - a great development all
around.” 11/09/2011
GE's J316 Engines Turn Syngas from Italy's Wood Waste to Renewable Energy
 General Electric (GE) has announced that two of its Jenbacher J316 gas engines are now
generating electricity from synthetic fuel gas (syngas) at the new biomass cogeneration plant near Torino, Italy. The
syngas is produced at the plant by thermal conversion (gasification) of wood waste. The Italian energy company
Energia & Calora owns and operates the wood pyro-gasification plant located in Villanova Mondovi
commissioned earlier this year to provide district heating to local community schools and industrial sites. The
small-scale (less than one megawatt output) bioenergy operation operates through four phases: feedstock
preparation, gasification, syngas cleaning / upgrading and power generation via the Jenbacher engines. The
project follows Italy's Renewable Energy National Action Plan, which seeks to produce 45% of
the country's cleaner energy from biomass, calling for more than half of that generation to be from solid
biofuel. “Italy is an attractive market for wood biomass power projects, which have the strong support of the
Italian government as the country strives to expand and diversify its alternative energy capacity,” said
Francesco Dattilo, General Manager - Gas Engines in Italy. “With its proven high efficiency and low emissions,
our advanced gas engine technology is an excellent match for smaller, local projects that take advantage of
local fuel resources while reducing the environmental impact of power production.” 11/09/2011
DoD Releases Report on Alternative Fuels Use and Future Demand to Congress
 The US Department of Defense (DoD) has announced the release of "Opportunities for
DoD Use of Alternative and Renewable Fuels: FY10 NDAA Section 334 Congressional
Study". Section 334 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2010 requires the DoD to
provide an assessment of the use of renewable fuels in non-tactical and tactical aviation, maritime, and ground
transportation fleets and asks whether establishing a DoD commodity class for renewable fuels distinct from petroleum-based products would be
beneficial. The report was developed for the Office of the Secretary of Defense by the Energy & Environment
group of the non-profit LMI Research Institute, established in 1961 at the request of
then-Secretary of Defense McNamara. Key findings: (1) Renewable fuel use helps meet security interests and
goals; (2) The price premium will decline significantly as the market develops over the next decade, but could
still cost an additional $2.2 billion by 2020; (3) The DoD would require more than 40 percent of the total
projected U.S. drop-in renewable fuel supply (regardless of fuel type) in 2020 to meet Services’ demand for 745
million gallons; (4) Not enough bio-jet fuel will be produced to meet DoD's 570 million demand by 2020; (5) The
RFS2's lack of recognition and support for jet fuel reduces private sector incentive to produce needed fuel; (6)
Hydro-treated Camelina-sourced jet fuel appears most promising, but is quite limited in production; (7)
Third-generation alternative fuel supplies do not appear to be sufficient to significantly address need; (8) A
new commodity class for DoD fuels appears unwarranted. Overall, renewable fuels also offer the means to reduce
U.S. force dependence on petroleum fuels, and for this reason DoD intends to continue to explore, test, develop
and procure substantial volumes over time, especially of renewable drop-in fuels. 11/08/2011
Algenol Builds Integrated Algae-to-Ethanol Pilot Biorefinery in Florida
 Florida-based Algenol Biofuels' 36-acre pilot scale integrated biorefinery in Lee's County, Florida is under construction adjacent to
its existing research and development complex. Algenol's Direct-to-Ethanol® technology platform diffuses industrial CO2
emissions into flexible plastic film photo-bioreactors (PBRs), using the company's proprietary hybrid blue-green
algae, purified salt water, sunlight and nutrients for photosynthetic production of bio-oil. The plant will
consist of 3,000 PBRs integrated with Algenol's advanced Vapor Compression Steam Stripper ethanol concentration
technology and a new membrane based ethanol dehydration process, with a design capacity of about 100,000 gallons
of fuel-grade ethanol per year. The company notes that with their process, one ton of CO2 is converted into
approximately 60-70 gallons of ethanol; 1.5 million metric tons of CO2 can be converted into approximately 100
million gallons of ethanol. Over 50% of CO2 introduced to the PBRs is metabolized for oil production during
photosynthesis. Algenol's work continues to be supported by grants from the Department of Energy; the
development has been in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), with Dow, and with
Georgia Tech. Paul Woods, the company's CEO and President notes, "This complex will allow Algenol to go all the
way from single-cell optimization models in the lab to fuel-grade ethanol at one site."
11/08/2011
Dynamis Plans Spring Construction Start of Ada County Waste to Energy Plant
 Idaho-based thermal conversion company Dynamis Energywas awarded a $2
million contract last year by Ada County to plan and design a waste to energy gasification plant with a capacity of not less than
250 tons per day. The plant will be able to process both municipal solid waste (MSW) and tires, and will be
located in the Ada County Renewable Energy Industrial Complex at the Ada County Hidden Hollow Landfill. A new
five-year agreement with Dynamis for construction and operation of the $60 million gasification facility was approved by the Ada County Board last week
with construction scheduled to start in the spring of 2012. Under the new agreement, Ada County will divert at
least 408 tons of MSW from its landfill, which receives about 1,200 tons per day. Before construction can begin
however, Dynamis still must enter into a power purchase agreement with Idaho Power, obtain an air quality permit
from the state and building permits from the county. Dynamis also just has launched a line of modular, mobile
thermal waste to energy packaged systems designed to military specifications.
The patent-pending starved air gasification technologyand integrated emissions control and power generation components are
automated to require little direct supervision, have large load capacities, allow quick deployment and are
constructed of rugged materials. Mixed wastes are directly converted to syngas, which is combusted in a
secondary chamber to generate heat to efficiently drive heat recovery for electricity production. Modular
processing capacities range from 5 tons to 2000 tons for each 12 to 15 hours of batch processing time. The
"advanced mobile waste and power stations" or AMWAPS are pre-configured for simple waste destruction (Alpha
model), destruction and hot water production (Bravo model), or full power production (Charlie
model). 11/08/2011
First
License of LanzaTech's Waste Gas to Energy Technology Goes to CES
With demonstration projects and joint ventures around the globe, New
Zealand-based LanzaTech has announced its first commercial license agreement. The new licensee is Mumbai-based Concord
Enviro Systems (India) Pvt. Ltd. (CES). CES was incorporated in 1999 as a subsidiary of Rochem Separation Systems India Pvt. Ltd, and provides advanced
gasification systems for conversion of a wide variety of waste streams under the India-German company Concord
Blue. CES is licensing LanzaTech's technology to allow production of both power and fuel from the syngas
produced in CES' gasification facilities. LanzaTech’s core technology allows carbon monoxide containing gases to be used for
fuel production by fermentation. Carbon monoxide is a high-energy gas that is used by LanzaTech’s proprietary
microbes as their only source of carbon and energy for growth and product synthesis. “Concord Enviro Systems’
gasification units convert a variety of feedstocks including MSW and waste biomass,” Dr Holmgren says. “This
collaboration will enable us to accelerate deployment of our technology utilizing waste synthesis gas streams
and is central to our mission of harnessing waste streams for the production of valuable fuels and chemicals and
increasing access to energy globally. For LanzaTech this agreement is significant as it represents our first
technology sale in a key strategic market and a very critical waste segment,” Dr Holmgren also stated. It is
estimated that global generation of MSW has increased 37% since 2007. 11/08/2011
MagneGas Completes Private Placement for Over $3 Million
 MagneGas announced a $2.7 million private placement last month and Teru Talk
reported on it. MagneGas has now closed its Private Placement Round securing a total
of $3,146,000 for an additional 2.5 million shares of common stock beyond the original agreement. "We are
pleased to have completed our $3.146 million private placement with Northland Capital Markets," commented Scott
Wainwright, President of MagneGas. "The proceeds from this transaction will help us to continue to fund our
growth strategy by increasing our production capacity and satisfying increasing commercial demand. This
investment in MagneGas reaffirms the investment community's beliefs about our technology as we continue to
expand our presence as a clean fuel producer." 11/08/2011
Australian School Bus Runs on Community Sourced Biodiesel
 In Australia’s Upper Lachan region, the Gunning Public School bus is now
running on biodiesel from
conversion of locally-sourced waste vegetable oil (WVO), thanks to the assistance of resident engineer Ned
Stojadinovic and contributions of about 400 litres of fish & chip WVO from one of the tiny community’s
restaurants. The Green Upper Lachan Project (GULP), sponsored
by Sustaining Our Towns, presented the
biodiesel bus project to the Shire’s councillors on October 20, 2011. The school’s October 25, 2011 newsletter
announced that its 4/5/6 class “became TV stars” when students joined with the Upper Lachlan Mayor, Councillors
and the local media for the
presentation of a report on the biodiesel school bus running between the communities of Gunning and
Yass. Biodiesel producer Stojadinovic set up shop in a
disused fuel depot and says that the fuel costs only about 30 cents a litre to produce: “This one bus filled
with biodiesel instead of petro diesel would be saving between 15 and 18 tonnes of carbon emissions a year. And
the effort to convert all diesel buses to biodiesel would be trivial. All of the work has been done and the
expense would be insignificant … One litre of diesel produces some 2.4 kg of carbon. The Gunning school bus uses
around 160 litres of fuel per week over about 40 weeks of operation per year. That’s 15,360 kg of carbon or
around 15 and a third tonnes.” Sustaining our Town is a three-year initiative started in September 2009 to run
through to March 2012, funded by the New South Wales (NSW) Government through
its Environmental Trust.
11/07/2011
Start-Up Ceremony Held for FarmGen’s AD Waste to Energy Plant in UK
 Farmgen’s anaerobic digestion (AD) of grass silage and other crops and
crop wastes from the region’s agriculture at Dryholme Farm near Silloth, Cumbria, is now sending 1.2 megawatts of renewable electric power to
the regional grid. United Kingdom’s (UK) Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Sajjad Karim presided over his constituent’s ceremonies. The renewable energy
facility is partly funded by the Nuclear Management Partners (NMP) as part of Britain’s Energy Coast initiative as an element of the UK’s Renewable
Energy Strategy to generate 15% of the country’s energy from renewable sources by 2020. Construction on the £3
million environmentally-friendly power plant began at the end of September following planning permission
received earlier this year. This facility is one part of Farmgen’s recently announced £30 million investment to
create the biggest Anaerobic Digestion “energy farming” expansion program in the UK. Simon Rigby, one of the
founders and Director of Green energy business Farmgen, commented, “Even the most efficient wind farm only
produces energy for about 30% of the time. This plant produces energy 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We are
providing base load for the electrical distribution network as opposed to when the wind is at the right speed.”
Pressing the button to commence power delivery, MEP Karim noted, “It’s remarkable that a year ago to the day
when I was last here the construction of this plant hadn’t even commenced. This plant will now supply local
homes with electricity provided by local farmers from local produce. It’s a testament to the vision of Farmgen,
NME and the foresight of Cumbria County Council driving forward with alternative energy production.”
11/06/2011
Eastman Renewable Materials Acquires TetraVitae’s Bio-Catalysis Technology
 Eastman Renewable Materials, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eastman
Chemical Company, has announced acquisition of the assets of Chicago-based biocatalysis
specialist firm TetraVitae Bioscience, Inc. (formerly Advanced BioFuel, Inc). TetraVitae utilizes a natural mutant (non-GMO) strain of
Clostridium Beijerinckii (BA101) discovered by Dr. Hans Blaschek of the University of Illinois.
BA101 can metabolize starches, both 5 and 6 carbon sugars and glycerol (main bi-product of biodiesel
transesterification) to produce a variety of foundation chemicals and fuels including n-butanol and acetone. The
omnivorous organism allows development of products from a wide variety of feedstock including cellulosic biomass
and municipal solid waste; the fermentation and advanced separation processing was demonstrated at the National
Corn Ethanol Research Center (NCERC), and product purification by continuous distillation was
demonstrated in University of Texas laboratories. “This announcement is a demonstration of Eastman’s continued
investment in innovation and our commitment to delivering sustainable solutions to our customers,” said Dr. Greg
W. Nelson, senior vice president and chief technology officer. “I am confident that TetraVitae’s patented
bio-catalysis technology will provide Eastman an excellent platform for the development of a range of bio-based
processes that will strengthen our sustainable product offerings.” 11/04/2011
Due 12/30/2011: Comments to
California's Draft Green Chemistry Regs
 The California Department of Toxic Substances (DTSC) has released informal
“Draft Regulations for Safer Consumer Products” for public review and
comment, and scheduled a workshop on December 5, 2011 to continue the agency’s
on-going discussion of the green chemistry regulations. Stemming from Assembly Bill 1879 giving the California Environmental Protection
Agency greater authority to regulate toxins in consumer products, and Senate Bill 509, which authorized development of an online Toxics
Information Clearinghouse to provide Californians with information on hazardous chemicals, the draft regulations
establish methods to identify and prioritize chemicals of concern in consumer products and conduct consumer
products alternatives analyses. The draft regulations outline the four-step process developed in the regulatory
language, provide manufacturer, seller and consumer responsibilities and consequences, and describe approaches
to the daunting task of cataloguing and maintaining chemical and product information. A summary of the draft is available on-line. DTSC is seeking
stakeholder input; questions about the Safer Consumer Product regulations should be brought to the attention of
Ms. Odette Madriago at (916) 324-4927 or Ms. Corey Yep at (916) 445-3601. All comments on the draft regulations
must be submitted by December 30, 2011. All written comments should be submitted electronically, addressed to
Heather Jones in care of . Update: See Teru's comments on the draft regulations.11/04/2011
California Bioresources Symposium Presentations Now Online
 The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Southwest Region 9 hosted the 6th
Annual California Bioresources Alliance Symposium on September 13 and 14 in Sacramento, California, and Teru
was there. We posted take-home messages in a two-part Focus Report a few days after the event, Part 1 covering the first day, Part 2 the second day’s activities. The EPA has now posted the
Symposium Agenda and the available slide presentations from both days. Part 2 of the Focus
Report has been updated with links to the
presentations. 11/03/2011
Amtrak Reports Success in Heartland Flyer 20% Biodiesel
Blend Test
 Amtrak has announced a successful year-long trial using a 20%
biodiesel blended with 80% standard petroleum-sourced diesel (B20) in the company’s Oklahoma City to Fort Worth
“Heartland Flier”. Amtrak presented the research last week during the 2011 Railroad Environmental Conference at the University of
Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. The Heartland Flier was pulled by a General Electric P32-8 locomotive with an ATK-11-140
12-cylinder engine rated at 3,200-horsepower. The locomotive was built in 1991 and is compliant with
EPA’s "Tier 0" locomotive exhaust emission standard. The trial was
supported in part by a $274,000 grant from the Federal Railroad Administration in partnership with the Oklahoma
Department of Transportation, and state support from both Oklahoma and Texas. The biodiesel blend was provided
by a Texas-based vendor and the trial received support on fuel and engine component evaluation from
Chevron Oronite. The engine manufacturer provided input on
warranty matters and some of the testing was carried out at the General Electric facility in Erie, Penn. “The
trial design included one year of testing, evaluating the engine and gasket wear, determining the quality of air
emissions and regularly monitoring the quality of the biodiesel fuel,” said Roy Deitchman, Amtrak Vice
President, Environmental, Health and Safety. “The results of the trial indicate the in-service locomotive was
very reliable with the B20 blend, engine wear was limited, air emissions were below EPA limits for this
generation of passenger locomotive and the biofuel supply met industry standards.” Amtrak is celebrating 40
years of operation, carrying a record 30.2 million passengers in FY2011. 11/03/2011
Ensilaged Fresh Rice Biomass to Ethanol Processing Will
Work on the Farm
 Japanese researchers have proven efficient ethanol production and vapor
extraction from ensilaged rice biomass that has been treated with enzymes. The bench-scale trial results have
been published in the online journal Biotechnology for Biofuels, and the peer-reviewed article is
available without charge. The research concept was to extend traditional silage management techniques to include
simultaneous saccharification and fermentation in sealed containers, then heat the treated biomass to draw off
and recover ethanol-laden vapor. Cattle feed is commonly prepared and preserved as lactic acid fermented crops,
or “silage”. Lactic acid kills bacteria that cause rot; the silage process consistently produces high-quality
feed with a minimum of harvesting losses, regardless of weather conditions. To test the potential for efficient,
low-maintenance on-farm biofuel production, freshly harvested moist (62% moisture content) biomass was ensiled
in hermetically sealed containers with precise amounts of the cell-wall breakdown enzymes cellulase and
glocoamylase and allowed to sit undisturbed for 20 days at 28° Centigrade. The process generated 6.4% ethanol by
weight of the fresh feedstock, of which three-fourths could be recovered from the drawn-off vapor. The remaining
biomass showed 63% decrease in cellular content and 7% decrease n cell wall fiber, compared to non-treated
silage prepared from the same material. The research findings: efficient ethanol production is induced in
nonsterilized whole rice plants in a laboratory-scale solid-state fermentation system. For practical use of the
method, further study is needed to scale-up the fermentation volume, develop an efficient ethanol recovery
method, and evaluate the fermentation residue as an actual cattle feed. 11/03/2011
PeopleFund.It Solicits Funding for Oxford Biochar
Start-Up
 A new form of start-up financing for green projects has just launched by
United Kingdom (UK) based PeopleFund.It. The site relies on “crowd-sourcing” to build
relatively small amounts of financial support via the internet for “good ideas that might just save the world.”
The editor’s project pick right now is Oxford Biochar, a company dedicated to "... promoting the use
of biochar as an organic soil enhancer and climate change mitigation technique … to help organic farmers around
the world make their own biochar locally and safely by adhering to international standards.” Oxford Biochar says
the carbon rich material is the product of the slow burning of plant material with little or no oxygen, is
organic, increases crop yields, breaks down pesticides, suppresses methane and nitrous oxide (two aggressive
greenhouse gases) and sequesters carbon. It can be produced from agricultural crop waste such as straw, waste
wood and any other carbon-based organic material that would otherwise be disposed of by burning, composting or
adding directly to the soil. The company’s director, Cecile Girardin, is an Oxford University ecosystems
scientist focused on climate change and “C-cycling” processes in tropical forests. Cecile hopes to raise £8,000
through PeopleFund.it, enough to kick off her team’s Big Biochar Experiment and pay for initial development and
marketing costs; in two days since started, they have raised 11% of that target. With PeopleFund.It, visitors
view ideas, pledge small amounts of money (starting with £1) deposited in their own account, select a variety of
awards and discounts, and not have any funds deducted from the account until the project reaches its stated
goal. At this time, The system can only accept payments from UK bank accounts. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, the
founder of this social funding structure, explains, "The success of our Fish Fight, Landshare, and energyshare
campaigns have shown that solutions often come from grass roots action, and have the power to effect more
remarkable change than we really ever imagined. Peoplefund.it builds on that momentum, and gives people the
means to take their ideas forward. That, in a nutshell, is why, I’m excited about peoplefund.it.”
11/03/2011
ADBA Publishes Anaerobic Digestion Due Diligence and Financing Guides
 The United Kingdom’s (UK) non-profit Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association
(ADBA) has developed two key documents in association with the UK’s
Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), as part of the Anaerobic Digestion Strategy and Action Plan.
The WRAP has asked the public/private community to assist in developing guidance for all aspects of recycling
and resource recovery; the ABDA’s response can reduce the cost and complexity of project design, financing and
development. The documents (available on-line) are intended to help developers of anaerobic
digestion (AD) projects with the due diligence requisite to funding and project approval, and to provide a
selection of financing schemes available in the UK. The Due Diligence template uses a form-based approach to
clearly identify and collate the information necessary for development of submittals to potential financing
partners; the planning template’s utility would extend to any permitting submittal as well. The summary of
financial schemes current to October 2011 includes description and contact information for the Enterprise
Finance Guarantee from the UK’s Department of Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), the WRAP’s AD Loan Fund, eQuip program and the Accelerating
Growth Fund, the Carbon Trust / Siemens Financial Services, and Her Majesty’s Revenue
and Customs “Enterprise Investment Scheme” along with guidance on how these
programs can complement more standard banking, debt and equity funding approaches. 11/02/2011
USDA Announces $44.6 MM Funding for Advanced Biofuels Producers
The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the 2011 round of Farm Bill payments total $44.6 million
dispersed among 156 advanced biofuels producers under the USDA’s Bioenergy Program for Advanced Biofuels. Funds are distributed
according to the amount of gaseous or liquid (not solid) advanced biofuel produced from eligible renewable
feedstock (excluding corn kernel starch), including cellulosic biomass, crop residues, animal, food and yard
waste materials, biogas from landfill gas extraction and upgrading or sewage digestion, vegetable oil and animal
fat or tallow. Feedstock categories represented among payment recipients are: pellet fuel manufacturing (27
payments), waste-sourced biodiesel (27 payments), biodiesel derived via transesterification of oils and animal
fats (45 payments), biodiesel derived using mechanical methods (9 payments), non-corn-starch ethanol (14
payments), anaerobic digestion for biogas production (33 payments) and landfill as extraction and upgrading (one
payment). Well over half of the payments went to producers of residue and/or waste derived biofuels. Each year,
participating producers receive quarterly payments for the actual amount of biofuel produced and sold during the
quarter, along with an end-of-year incremental production payment based on the increase over the prior year’s
amounts, calculated on a fuel heat value (BTU) basis. "This funding will help local producers increase the
production and availability of renewable energy and thus help our nation begin to reduce its reliance on foreign
oil," Vilsack said. "Just as importantly, USDA's support will help to further develop the nation's growing
biofuels industry and generate green jobs and economic growth." 11/02/2011
Canadian Utility to Install 1st GE ORegen Waste Heat Recovery System
The Canadian utility NRGreen Power plans to partner with GE for installation of its
first ORegen™ waste heat recovery system at Alliance Pipeline's Windfall Compressor Station near the remote
Alberta, Canada community of Whitecourt. The decision follows EcoMagination Program assessment and certification of the ORegen
system, the largest organic rankin cycle waste heat recovery and power generation system commercially available;
the technology was just introduced at the Global Clean Energy Congress in Calgary. ORegen’s flexible
configuration can achieve over 50% energy efficiency and up to 20% reduction in emissions when integrated with
large power generation turbines. Designed for use in remote locations, the system uses no water and does not
require on-site operational supervision. The Whitecourt Recovered Energy Project will receive $7 million in
partial funding from Alberta’s non-profit Climate Change and Emissions Management Corporation (CCEMC). “This technology recovers heat energy that would otherwise be
lost to the atmosphere and transforms it into electric energy, without producing any new emissions. It makes for
a very clean form of electricity generation,” said Murray Birch, President and CEO of NRGreen, an affiliate of
Alliance Pipeline. “When constructed, the Whitecourt facility will reliably generate and deliver up to 14
megawatts of electricity per hour – enough power for 14,000 Canadian homes. Partnering with GE has provided us
with one of the most efficient waste heat recovery units we’ve seen to date.” 11/02/2011
New SABIC Venture Capital Arm Focuses on Clean Tech Investments
 The Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) has launched a new global venture capital arm, SABIC Ventures, funding a
portfolio from seed to late stage investments in advanced materials and composites, alternative feedstocks for
chemicals and materials and alternative energy and clean technology. While the parent SABIC is based in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia, the new SABIC Ventures will be headquartered in the Netherlands, and will focus on innovative
technology investments in the US, Europe, and Asia. SABIC Vice Chairman and CEO Mohamed Al-Mady said that SABIC
Ventures has been developed as an investment vehicle to accomplish profitable growth. “SABIC aspires to be the
preferred leader in chemicals. We will accomplish this through organic growth by investing in new assets and
expanding current assets; mergers and acquisitions in targeted areas; and new business creation. Venturing
provides growth opportunities for new businesses.” SABIC is a public company, with 70% ownership by the Saudi
government and 30% by private investors in Saudi Arabia and other countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
SABIC is one of the founders of the Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association (GPCA). 11/01/2011
Amyris Receives R$22MM
Funding for First Biofene® Production Facility in Brazil
California’s renewable chemicals and fuels company Amyris has received final approval from Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES)
for R$22 million in project financing for the company’s first industrial-scale production facility located in
Piracicaba, São Paulo. Amyris utilizes its industrial synthetic biology platform to identify and isolate
specific molecular targets produced by microbial pathways, then engineer strains to produce those target
molecules through basic fermentation, at industrial scales. Amyris’ initial target molecule is bio-sourced
isoprene, trans-ß- farnesene, branded Biofene®. Using this building block, Amyris produces specialty chemicals and proprietary No Compromise® biofuels. Late last month, Amyris entered an agreement with ETH Bioenergia to pursue production
of Biofene® in Brazil. Amyris is also developing Brazilian facilities at the sugar and ethanol production center
in Usina São Martinho S.A., and at Paraíso Bioenergia S.A. “We are very appreciative of the confidence shown by
BNDES in approving funding for the first of our Brazilian production facilities,” said John Melo, CEO of Amyris.
“BNDES sees great potential in green-chemistry projects that add new technologies to the sugarcane sector, where
Brazil is competitive and the world leader,” said Roberto Zurli Machado, Director of BNDES.
11/01/2011
HECO Selects Renewable Energy Group (again) for 3-7 MGY Biodiesel Supply
 The Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) has once again awarded the contract to Renewable Energy Group (REG) to supply sustainable biodiesel for HECO’s 110 megawatt
combustion turbine generator at the Campbell Industrial Park Generating Station. REG won the competitive bid
released by HECO in February 2011 and will now continue to provide three to seven million gallons of biodiesel
per year for the next three years. HECO released a series of RFPs for sustainable biodiesel supply in 2010 and 2011, in
collaboration with the Natural Resource Defense Council for the sustainability provision; REG is a member of the
national Biodiesel Board and closely follows the industry’s Biodiesel Sustainability Principles. "We are committed to beating the
legal requirement of 40 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030," said Robbie Alm, Hawaiian
Electric executive vice president. "We need to bring as much clean energy online as soon as possible. Our
customers have been vulnerable to the price swings in fossil fuels for too long and this contract is another
step in the right direction of more stable energy prices. We must pursue every renewable resource available --
the sun, wind, geothermal, ocean energy and more – and take advantage of our unique ability to substitute
‘green’ biofuels in place of ‘black’ oil in our generating units." 11/01/2011
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