Teru Talk Newsletter

Teru's Trash Talk

Let's play a global game. It's called, "Garbage to Goods, Waste to Wealth".

You've got a Video Controller; you've got that big flat screen TV, and you have a Quest, which is to find the Right Tool for the Job of converting garbage everyone throws away into the goods we use, turning a waste of resources into a wealth of resources. You gain points in this game by how carefully you can describe the discards you need to convert, and how discerning you are about really evaluating those tools. If you are quick, have the right tokens, and get there before your competitor locks up access, you get to pick up that tool and see if it works on your resource recovery problem.

We've been watching these video systems on TV for some time now: big walls of monitors, quick-handed folks who can throw images up for everyone in the room to see. All that is readily available techy stuff, but there has to be an Oz behind the green curtain. There has to be someone finding, contacting, documenting, and getting ready to present those waste conversion tools when you get to that part of your game. Those right tools are out there, but they sure are not easy to find.

A company that gets a contract to find the Right Tools for a project probably got that contract because they had a deep knowledge of the tools, who makes and sells them, and how they work for different projects. That's fine, if what you need is a pump or anything else that is in a catalogue. But there has been no global catalogue of these waste conversion systems, just the rushing flood of internet data serving up promotional salesmanship. The Data Storm is just too intense, and you are already busy: it's that old joke about how hard it is to remember your job was to drain the swamp when you are up to your - hips - in alligators.

That's where we step in, that's Teru Talk there behind the curtain. We've been toiling away, ear-tagging the Tools and their applications, aggregating non-confidential Detail as it shows up in our daily diligence. Now it is time to really serve up that tool chest. To do so, we're moving our global Waste Conversion data into a fancy new data management system. From there, we'll feed a cloud-based data server to run those cool flat screens you stare at to play this deadly serious global game of waste conversion for resource recovery.

We're not there yet, but we're working on it - we already have a Big Data starter-set. We know where each ear-tagged game piece is located, where it fits in the global marketplace, and what they are doing right now. We're adding a layer that indicates how commercial each piece is in real time, a "Commercial Readiness Level". We call that middle part a "Live Catalogue". Now we're working out the front-end Cloud Server to Engagement Portal stage. Oh yeah - and we're looking for funding, partners, and beta-testers. Wanna play?

Hey Rube!

It's been a pretty light news week. Everyone is preparing for the Holidaze, it seems, and we've been a tad busy working out the kinks in developing and funding this Garbage to Goods, Waste to Wealth game. That doesn't mean important things aren't going on. Check out the work that the Bioenergy Association of California has been up to, detailing out the importance of renewable natural gas. Call up and congratulate the awardees of CalRecycle's recent grant round. Heck, call up CalRecycle, and thank 'em for putting their collective shoulder, and some solid Money, behind the Waste Conversion wheel. Admirable work, there.

This Week's Top Story

Renewable Energy Group Cuts Ribbon at Geismar Biorefinery in Louisiana

Renewable Energy Group, Inc (REG) celebrated the grand opening of its Geismar biorefinery in Louisiana yesterday, which began producing renewable hydrocarbon diesel (RHD) in commercial-scale quantities on October 14, 2014. 11/20/2014

The Week's News

CalRecycle Proposes $19.5MM in Awards for Organics and Recycling Projects

The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) has announced $19.5 million in proposed grant awards from the state’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction Fund. 11/20/2014

North London to Replace Edmonton EfW Plant with Energy Recovery Facility

The North London Waste Authority (NLWA) has announced the start of the North London Heat and Power Project - a £450-500 million Energy Recovery Facility at the Edmonton EcoPark in the London Borough of Enfield. 11/20/2014

Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant Offers SME Support for Bio-Based Innovations

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) can now access ‘Innovation Coupons’ worth up to 30.000€ to assess the feasibility of an innovative bio-based process at Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant in Northwestern Europe (Bio Base NWE) in Ghent, Belgium. 11/19/2014

WELTEC Builds Multiple Biogas Plants in Greece

WELTEC BIOPOWER has announced that it has installed seven stainless-steel biogas plants with a total capacity of 2.75 MW in Greece so far, and is in the process of rolling out four additional biogas projects with its distribution partner Tetoros Machinery S.A. 11/19/2014

Lockheed Martin and Concord Blue Plan New Bioenergy Facility in Germany

Lockheed Martin and Concord Blue have announced a new contract to build a power generation facility that will provide a new, clean energy source to meet the needs of 5,000 homes and businesses in Herten, Germany. 11/19/2014

BAC Releases Report on Decarbonizing California's Natural Gas Sector

The Bioenergy Association of California (BAC) has released a report on Decarbonizing the Gas Sector:  Why California Needs a Renewable Gas Standard, that presents a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy security and jobs, and diversify California’s energy sector. 11/18/2014

Energy Vision's Leadership Awards Will Honor Waste-to-Fuels Champions

The national non-profit organization Energy Vision will present its 2014 Leadership Awards in the renewable energy field on November 18, 2014 in Manhattan's West Village. 11/17/2014

European Waste Management Industry Supports Circular Economy Package

The European Federation of Waste Management and Environmental Services (FEAD) representing the private waste management industry has come out in strong support of the recently released Circular Economy Package proposed by the European Commission (EC). 11/17/2014

Black & Veatch, EFT Combine Forces for Multi-Feedstock Conversion Projects

Black & Veatch has entered into a broad Cooperative Agreement with Emerging Fuels Technology, Inc (EFT) to provide the engineering, procurement, and contracting (EPC) wrap for EFT's multi-feedstock conversion gasification-to-catalysis platform. 11/17/2014

Global Bioenergies Runs First Successful Bio-Isobutene Industrial Trial

France based Global Bioenergies has successfully carried out the first isobutene production trial in its industrial pilot of Pomacle-Bazancourt. 11/17/2014