April 2013 News and Matters of Interest
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Clariant's 2012
Sustainability Report Addresses Cellulosic Ethanol Pilot Plant
Headquartered in Munich, Germany, Clariant Corporation has announced the publication of its Sustainability Report 2012. This is Clariant's third Sustainability Report, prompting
an A+ ranking from the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), validated by the Swiss Association for Quality and
Management Systems (SQS). The independent report provides a detailed review of progress at Germany's largest
cellulosic biofuels facility opened in July 2012 in Straubing, Bavaria by the company's Catalysis and Energy
Business Unit (formerly Sud-Chemie). The pilot plant has successfully demonstrated Clariant's Sunliquid technology platform, integrating simultaneous optimized enzyme production
and catalysis for conversion of the cellulose and hemicellulose in agricultural residuals and other organic
waste feedstock into ethanol in an energy efficient design. The process has been configured to allow
regionalization, placing smaller plants close to accumulations of feedstock. Available raw materials are
pre-treated; microbially-produced enzymes released during breakdown are isolated and cultured in large volumes
eliminating the need to import enzymes. The non-catalyzed lignin fraction is used to generate all of the heat
and power needed for the facility. Straw harvested from a one hectare wheat field can produce one tonne of
ethanol. CEO Hariolf Kottman comments: ""The growing significance of social, environmental and economic aspects
of sustainability for the company can be seen in the numerous initiatives we have launched, which not only
comply with the legal requirements, but go beyond them in creating additional usefulness and value for all our
stakeholders; redefining the company’s brand and value system also reflects the demand for sustainable value
creation." 04/29/2013
CEC Announces Proposed Awardees for RE and
Conservation Planning Grants
The California Energy Commission (CEC) has posted the Notice of Proposed Awards (NPOA 4/25/2013) for the Renewable Energy and Conservation Planning Grant solicitation (PON 12-403). Following
considerable stakeholder input, funds totaling around $7 million were made available with a cap of
$700,000 on any one proposal, as approved by passage of Assembly Bill x1 13, (Perez, Chapter 10, Statutes of
2011). The solicitation was open to eligible counties to provide assistance in development or revision of local
rules and policies regarding renewable energy projects eligible under the Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS).
Five of the six counties proposals received are now proposed for receipt of support. Selected counties include
(in order of total score) (1) Imperial County to develop a geothermal and alternative energy General Plan
element and CEQA documents, (2) San Bernardino County for its SPARC initiative General Plan element, (3) Inyo
County for General Plan Energy Element and CEQA, (4) San Louis Obispo County to develop a Renewable Energy
Streamlining Program, and (5) Los Angeles County to develop a Renewable Energy Ordinance. The CEC must now
approve each proponent's completed documentation in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act
(CEQA) and all grant terms, in a regular Business Meeting, and release of funds is contingent upon the submittal
of an authorizing board resolution and Memorandum of Understanding signed by the county and CEC by May 1, 2013.
04/29/2013
Peel Granted Planning Approval for North Selby
Food Waste AD CHP Project
Manchester, United Kingdom based Peel Environmental has announced that it has received planning approval from the City of York Council to
proceed with design and development of an anaerobic digestion (AD) combined heat and power (CHP) and
horticultural glasshouse facility. The £23.5 million proposed plant on the former North Selby Mine site, New
Road, Wheldrake would convert up to 60,000 tonnes of regionally sourced food waste and other organics per year
into around 2.75 megawatts of electricity (MWe) and1.5 megawatts of heat (MWt). A horticultural glasshouse will
use the heat and some of the electricity produced; the greenhouse complex will be developed adjacent to the AD
facility and operated by Howden-based specialist Plant Raisers to propagate mainly tomato plants. Richard
Barker, Development Manager, Peel Environmental: "We are pleased that City of York Council has approved our
application for the North Selby Anaerobic Digestion and Horticultural Glasshouse facility. There are significant
benefits that our plans will bring to the local area and we are keen to see these delivered. The facility will
provide an economic boost to the area, providing up to 256 jobs during construction and 56 full time positions
and 50 seasonal positions during operation, with the impact of these in the region of £2.2million Gross Value
Added (GVA) per year. It will also facilitate the expansion of a successful Yorkshire business."
04/29/2013
Maui County Selects Anaergia for Mixed Waste Conversion
to Energy Project
The County of Maui, Hawaii, has announced the selection of Anaergia Services, California subsidiary of the Canadian
firm Anaergia Inc., to develop a mixed waste anaerobic digestion (AD) system for the
Integrated Waste Conversion and Energy Project (IWCEP) at the Central Maui Landfill in Puunene. Selection of
Anaergia is the first step in the County's implementation of the IWCEP and is expected to divert roughly 85% of
waste from the landfill. Anaergia has proposed to accept municipal solid waste, green waste, sewage sludge,
fats, oils, and grease, and landfill gas to produce two renewable fuels, namely refuse derived fuel (RDF) and
liquefied natural gas through mechanical treatment and anaerobic digestion methods. These two renewable fuels
may be used for energy onsite or offsite locally in Hawaii as a replacement to existing imported fossil fuels.
The company's diverse technologic platform includes three distinct AD designs for different applications,
along with highly specialized sub-systems that increase efficiency, improve safety, and reduce the plant's
environmental footprint. Mayor Alan Arakawa: "Living on an island we are always looking for ways to preserve our
aina and make better use of our natural resources. That is why this IWCEP project is so important. We are
looking at reducing waste in our landfill, cutting down the emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere,
producing a clean bio-fuel for industrial consumers as well as greatly expanding the recycling of materials in
our community. If we succeed we will have turned our trash into a treasured resource and kept our landfill from
taking up more space on our beautiful island." 04/27/2013
GMP Cow Power Program Approved by Vermont Board
for State-Wide Use
In Vermont, the regional utility Green Mountain Power (GMP) has announced that its Central Vermont Public Service renewable energy program
GMP Cow Power has received approval for state-wide availability from the
Vermont Public Service Board (VPSB). Begun in 2004, the program encourages and assists
Vermont's dairy industry in development of anaerobic digesters for conversion of manure and other farm wastes
into biogas for power generation. The Cow Power effort has attracted strong industry, community and agency
support, and last year increased the drive to attract more customers that choose to purchase its locally
generated renewable energy. With assistance from the Innovation Center for US Dairy (which just this week
renewed its collaboration with the US Department of Agriculture), GMP Cow Power
developed "Cow Power, the Film" to increase outreach. The GMP Cow Power program currently
includes 12 farms, and generates 16 million kilowatt/hours per year. Green Mountain Power customers can choose
to buy 25%, 50%, or 100% of their energy from Cow Power, and pay an extra four cents per kilowatt hour premium,
adding about an extra $6 per month to the average household energy bill. Current GMP Cow Power customers include
2,800 individual households that buy all or part of their electricity through the program. The new VPSB ruling
means that Green Mountain Power customers across Vermont can now support a pure Vermont form of renewable energy
produced by over 10,000 Vermont dairy cows, thanks to the expansion of the GMP Cow Power Program from the
limited territory previously served by CVPS to the entire GMP service territory. 04/27/2013
Royal DSM Selects Belgian Researcher for 2013
Science and Technology Award
The Dutch company Royal DSM has announced selection and presentation of the company's Science and Technology Award
Europe 2013 to Dr. Stijn van de Vyver for his PhD research at the Katholieke Universiteit in Leuven, the Netherlands (KU Leuven). The research under the
supervision of Professor Bert Sels radically advances the science of catalysis of cellulose, a key part of
global search for conversion of waste and residual biomass to bio-sourced fuels, chemicals and other
commodities. The work is particularly important to DSM for projects such as the company's joint venture for cellulose to ethanol with POET in the United States. The award was
presented to van de Vyver by DSM's CTO Marcel Wubbolts during the combined 9th European Congress on Chemical
Engineering and 2nd European Congress on Applied Biotechnology (“ECCE9/ECAB2”) on April 23, 2013. In his PhD
work, Stijn van de Vyver has improved conversion rates by increasing the accessibility of the catalytic centers,
using carbon nano-fibers and hyper-branched polymers among others as catalyst support. The jury
indicated that van de Vyver's research stood out through its scientific excellence, large number of
publications, potential for high economic impact and the unorthodox and daring approach that van de Vyver has
taken in a challenging field. The theme of the award was ‘Shaping Sustainable Manufacturing’ as part of the
DSM Bright Science Awards Program. 04/27/2013
Saint-Gobain to Use Biogas for Glass Melting at
Innovation Center Pilot Plant
The international glass container manufacturing company Verallia Deutschland, a subsidiary of
Saint-Gobain Oberland AG, has announced plans to produce and utilize biogas fuel in its Bad Wurzach glass container
production facility in southern Germany. Verallia operates four glass container production facilities in
Germany, two in Russia and one in the Ukraine. The parent company Saint-Gobain Oberland AG, founded in 1946 and
taken over by the French Saint-Gobain Group in the mid-nineties, has made sustainability commitments to reduce
fossil fuel usage and cut associated carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions company-wide, and will develop an anaerobic
digestion plant for biogas generation on-site at the pilot plant at its Bad Wursach headquarters and
innovation center. The raw biogas will be used without clean-up to fuel furnaces for
heating Verallia's glass melting tanks. Pre-treated, regionally sourced feedstock will be delivered to
underground storage and processing units to ensure odor control before being converted to fuel gas in an
advanced anaerobic digestion system; digestate will also be stored underground .prior to delivery to regional
agriculture. The company has formed a project team for the design and construction and is soliciting on-line opinions and proposals. Stefan Jaenecke, chief executive officer of
Saint-Gobain Oberland AG: "Even though there do not exist subsidies for this kind of facility, we decided
deliberately for the best technical and the most energy-efficient solution. We see in this a huge chance for us
to lead the glass industry. Certainly the opinions of our neighbors of the plant are very important for us. For
this purpose we implemented an email-address for questions, suggestions and representations."
04/26/2013
Cornell Research Shows Biochar Reduces N2O
Emissions from Ag Soils by 55%
Cornell University has reported on just-published research into the positive air quality impact of
incorporating biochar into agricultural soils. Professor Johannes Lehmann of the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences took part in an assessment of the interaction between black
carbon and the nitrogen cycle, focusing on use of biochar to curb nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from the
breakdown of nitrogen (denitrification) in agricultural soils. The study was led by Maria Luz Cayuela, a former
Cornell postdoctoral researcher in Lehmann’s lab and now at the Universidad de Murcia, Spain. The research
report entitled "Biochar and denitrification in soils: when, how much and why does biochar reduce N2O
emissions?" has now been published as an open-access article in the journal Nature's April 25, 2013
Scientific Reports. The article notes that N2O is usually produced on farms from breakdown of animal manure
waste and synthetic fertilizer, carrying 298 times more global warming potential as a "greenhouse gas" (GHG)
than carbon dioxide. About 60 percent of all global nitrous oxide emissions come from agriculture, and about
half of the GHG emissions in agriculture come from nitrous oxide. The biochar used in the study was produced by
low-oxygen thermal conversion of a wide array of biomass wastes and residuals; soil types tested were similarly
diverse. Regardless of the soil type or the biochar type the scientists used, the emission of nitrous oxide was
always reduced on average by about 55 percent, compared to benign nitrogen gas. Professor Lehmann: "We
investigated the mechanics of denitrification, with particular attention to the climate-relevant nitrous oxide
by adding biochar to agricultural soils. Biochar consistently reduced nitrous oxide emission in agricultural
soils. Despite this large importance of nitrous oxide for greenhouse gas emissions, there are very few
strategies to mitigate the emissions in agriculture, compared to carbon sequestration in soils."
04/26/2013
Heliae Introduces Volaris Waste Carbon Dioxide +
Sunlight Algae Platform
Arizona based Heliae Development LLC has announced introduction of its Volaris microalgae production system following five
years of development and commercial validation. The modules utilize sunlight and waste carbon feedstocks to
optimize facility economics. Heliae opened its pilot plant in 2010 and broke ground on the commercial scale
production facility in May 2012, concurrent with closure of a $15 million financing round led by the
Salim Group. Heliae's 20-acre commercial plant is slated to open later this year.
Heliae has developed the Volaris integrated platform of technologies and expertise, linking its AMP Rapid
Strain Screening System for algal strain selection to the highly-automated Helix "algal seed" production
sub-system, advanced multi-level contaminant control, harvesting and product extraction modules. The company
also has developed the MACs mobile pilot system for remote demonstration and validation. Heliae opened the
AlgaePARC Research Center in 2011 in partnership with Wagengen Universitiet, The Netherlands, and is preparing to open centers in the
middle-east and in Asia later this year. Heliae also has a diverse product base, including nutrition,
therapeutics, agro sciences, health & beauty, and has already demonstrated the technical viability of
producing drop-in replacement algae-based jet and diesel fuel that meets industry specifications. Dan Simon,
president and CEO of Heliae: Over the last two years, we have made significant strides in research and
development to create a comprehensive algae technology solution. Today, we ‘walk the talk’ as we roll-out and
prove the technology that will allow our partners to grow, harvest, and extract algae on a commercial scale."
04/25/2013
USDA Renews Waste to Energy and GHG Reduction
Agreement with Dairies
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that Secretary Thomas Vilsack signed an agreement with US dairy producers
that extends a 2009 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to accelerate the adoption of innovative waste-to-energy
projects and energy efficiency improvements on U.S. dairy farms. The April 24, 2013 MOU is between the USDA and The Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, the policy arm of the collaborative United
States Dairy Sustainability Initiative launched in 2008. The new MOU outlines responsibilities and goals,
including assistance from the federal agency to implement a 25% reduction in dairy greenhouse gas emissions by
2020, development of a dairy biogas roadmap in concert with the USDA's own Biofuels Roadmap, work toward
development of comprehensive, open Life Cycle Assessment data and methods, and accelerate and streamline the
adoption of anaerobic digesters and other innovative manure management. The Innovation Center will lead industry
communication and collaboration with the agency, including the start of an improved marketing and outreach
effort addressing support opportunities. Secretary Vilsack: "Through this renewed commitment, USDA and the
Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy will continue research that helps dairy farmers improve the sustainability of
their operations. This vital research also will support the dairy industry as it works to reach its long-term
goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2020." 04/25/2013
WMW Offers Free Webinar on Waste Gasification to
Transport Fuels
PennWell's Waste Management World (WMW) has announced a webinar entitled, "Accelerating Biofuels: Waste Gasification to Aviation
and Transport Fuels in the UK and US/Canada." The one hour presentation is scheduled for May 7, 2013 beginning
at 10:00am Eastern Daylight Time. Speakers will be Dr. Geraint Evans, Head of Biofuels and Bioenergy for the
international firm NNFCC; Dr. Robert T. Do, President and CEO of Solena Fuels, and Tim Cesarek, Senior Vice President of Business Development in North
America for Enerkem. Numerous trial projects have been successful in converting
municipal solid waste into a useable, second generation biofuel. Commercialization is now in full swing with the
UK, US and Canada leading the way in these projects. British Airways has partnered with Solena Fuels to convert
500,000 tonnes of waste into 50,000 tonnes of aviation fuel per year in the UK. Across the Atlantic, Enerkem has
three commercial scale waste to fuel plants in development in the US/Canada. The company’s Quebec demonstration
plant has been producing cellulosic ethanol since Spring 2012. This webcast aims to address the regulatory
drivers of waste to fuels and address the practical and technical challenges of the process, as well as provide
an update to projects in the US/Canada and Europe. Participation is free but registration is required.
04/25/2013
Emerson Process Chosen for CHO-Power's Morcenx Waste
Conversion Facility
The global firm Emerson Process Management has announced that it has been selected to provide all process controls for the Morcenx,
France waste conversion facility owned and operated by CHO-Power, a subsidiary of the EuroPlasma Group. CHO-Power's Morcenx power plant will convert 150 tonnes per day of regionally sourced industrial
waste and wood chips for production of combined heat and power (CHP). About 12 megawatts of electricity (MWe) is
sold to EDF, the regional high-voltage network, while an additional production of 18 megawatts of hot water
(MWt) from the heat generated by the process is used in a vegetable greenhouse and within a wood fire drier. The
facility was commissioned and grid-interconnected earlier this year. The Morcenx power station is the first of
its type to use the CHO-Power gasification principle based on patented 'Turboplasma' equipment to transform
waste into syngas. The 1200°C temperatures generated from the plasma torch produce a very pure syngas that is
used to drive the turbine and generate electricity. The facility will now be using Emerson Process Management’s
digital automation technology, providing flexible and accurate control of an innovative gasification process,
Emerson’s Ovation expert control system is enabling the plant to operate at maximum efficiency.
The Ovation system, together with AMS Suite predictive maintenance software and smart instrumentation, is part
of Emerson’s PlantWeb™ digital plant architecture that provides both advanced control and asset management
capability for the Morcenx facility. Yannick Ferriere, project manager, CHO Power: "We selected Emerson’s
Ovation system because it provides the levels of flexibility and control needed to cope with the varying
characteristics of biomass fuels. Also critical was Emerson’s extensive project management experience with
biomass power generating plants, as well as its technical support including engineering, configuration of the
Ovation system, training, start-up assistance, and maintenance." 04/24/2013
CBG Portland Requests AQ Permit
Modification for Biogas Pipeline Injection
Oregon based anaerobic digestion (AD) company CBG Portland LLC (formerly Columbia Biogas LLC) has applied to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
(ODEQ) for a modification to its air quality permit (ACDP 26-9820-ST-01) to reflect a change in the design of a food
waste digester proposed for development in Portland. The requested modification would permit biogas cleaning,
upgrading, compression and direct injection to the regional natural gas pipeline grid, instead of clean
combustion of the methane-rich biogas for power generation. The ODEQ determined that the requested modifications
are sufficiently complex to require a facility-wide review and re-evaluation. The proposed facility will accept
solid and liquid food waste, fats, oils, and grease from approved licensed haulers, as well as commercial
businesses and industrial facilities including restaurants, grocery stores, and industrial food processors. The
biogas plant design includes a biofilter for removal of hydrogen sulfide, separation of contaminants, and
production of fertilizers and soils amendments from the AD residuals, and cleaning and recycling of the
recovered water. Columbia Biogas currently has a power purchase agreement with Portland Electric for sale of an
initial 3 megawatts of electricity with expectations to ramp up to 5 megawatts. The requested permit
modification would eliminate the generators and add equipment needed for the biogas upgrading and injection:
biogas will be compressed, cooled, and have condensable oils and fats removed. Biogas will pass through a packed
tower scrubber where CO2 and H2S are removed from the biogas and retained in the scrubbing liquid (water). After
scrubbing, the biogas will be polished by removing remaining impurities (mainly water) in an adsorber and
filter. The original 2010 air quality permit was to expire in 2015; the proposed modified permit would require
reapplication in January, 2018. 04/24/2013
UC Davis Issues Status Review of California's Low
Carbon Fuel Standard
The Institute of Transportation Studies (ITS), University of California (UC), Davis has announced the publication of its Spring 2013 Status Review of California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), the second in a series of status reports. The LCFS is a
performance-based regulation adopted in California in 2009 that requires regulated parties to reduce the carbon
intensity (CI) of their fuel mix by at least 10% by 2020. Potential low carbon fuel technologies include
biofuels from waste and cellulosic materials, natural gas, electricity used in plug-in vehicles, and hydrogen
used in fuel cell vehicles. This report focuses on the special topic of issues that affect compliance, and also
addresses credits and deficits, carbon intensity of fuels, credit trading and credit prices, federal Renewable
Fuel Standard (RFS2) and implications for LCFS feedstocks. The focus on LCFS Compliance issues addresses three
topics: implications of maintaining the status quo, indirect land use change factors associated with corn
biofuels, and the relationship between the LCFS and California's Cap and Trade regulation. In 2012, low carbon
fuels displaced roughly 1.06 billion gallons of gasoline and 45 million gasoline gallon equivalents (gge) of
diesel at average carbon intensities of 84.95 grams of carbon dioxide equivalent per megajoule (gCO2e/MJ) and
58.34 gCO2e/MJ respectively. By the end of 2012, the program recorded net excess credits of 1.285 million metric
tons (MMT) of CO2e. Of these net LCFS credits 78% were generated from ethanol, 12% from natural gas and
bio-based gases (as liquid and compressed natural gas), 9% from biodiesel/renewable diesel, and 1% from
electricity. Biofuels made from waste materials comprised less than 1% of biofuel volumes but generated 10% of
biofuel credits, due to their very low CI. 04/23/2013
DOE Awards $18MM to Four New
Biorefinery Pilots for Drop-In Biofuels
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced awards totaling almost $18 million to four companies developing advanced drop-in
transport biofuel refineries. The pilot-scale biorefineries convert a variety of non-food biomass feedstocks,
waste-based materials, and algae to produce biofuels that meet military specifications for jet fuel and diesel.
Frontline Bioenergy LLCM will receive up to $4.2 million to expand upon prior gasification
experience with partner SGS Energia to build a new TarFreeGas™ reactor pilot with and gas conditioning to
produce and upgrade liquid fuels from woody biomass, municipal solid waste, and refuse derived fuel at the Iowa
Energy Center's Biomass Energy Conversion Facility in Nevada, Iowa. With its recent scale-up trial successes, Cobalt Technologies will apply a grant of up to 42.5 million to
build a pilot-scale facility to purify and convert non-food biomass derived butanol to jet fuel. Mercurius
Biorefining, Inc. will receive up to $4.6 million to build and operate a pilot plant that uses acid-catalyzed
depolymerization in an ethanol solvent to convert cellulosic biomass into non-sugar intermediates, which are
further processed into drop-in bio-jet fuel and chemicals. The Iowa firm BioProcess Algae will receive up to
$6.4 million to evaluate algal production of hydrocarbon fuels meeting military specifications using renewable
carbon dioxide, lignocellulosic sugars, and waste heat. Energy Secretary Steven Chu: "Advanced biofuels are an
important part of President Obama's all-of-the-above strategy to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil,
improve our energy security, and protect our air and water. The innovative biorefinery projects announced today
mark an important step toward producing fuels for our American military and the civil aviation industry from
renewable resources found right here in the United States." 04/23/2013
Joule and Harvest Power Recognized as
2013 Bloomberg New Energy Pioneers
Bloomberg New Energy Finance has announced its 2013 New Energy Pioneers awards, recognizing ten game-changing companies in
the fields of clean energy technology and innovation. Two of the awardees are focused on conversion of waste to
fuels. Harvest Power Inc., headquartered in Massachusetts, converts urban and agriculturally
sourced organic wastes using a variety of microbial and thermal technologies to produce biogas for heat and
power, along with compost and fertilizers. Last year, Harvest Power was recognized as "Breakout Company of the Year" by the New England Clean Energy Council. Also based in
Massachusetts, Joule's biofuels technology platform derives fuels directly from sunlight and waste carbon
dioxide (CO2). The company’s engineered biocatalysts produce ethanol or essential components of diesel, gasoline
and jet fuel in a continuous process – free of the feedstock constraints and complex processing that hinder
biofuels, and without diverting vital food crops to fuel production. The Bloomberg New Energy Pioneers were
assessed against three fundamental criteria: innovation, demonstrated momentum and potential global scale.
Awardees were announced at this year's invitation-only Summit; judging was undertaken by a panel of industry experts from academia, corporations,
utilities, and finance and technology incubators. 04/23/2013
Johnny Rockets and DAR PRO Solutions Convert Fry Grease
into Biodiesel
The California based Johnny Rockets restaurant chain has announced a partnership with DAR PRO Solutions to recycle used fryer grease from all 29 of its corporate-owned
restaurants. The chain uses over 7,000 pounds of grease per year per restaurant, totaling around 100 tons per
year. The restaurant's new partner offers disposal and sustainable use of fry oil for national restaurant
chains, grocery retailers, and other food service businesses. The rendering and biofuels company converts animal
fats and recycled greases, as well as plant oils such as soybean oil into its exclusive biodiesel fuel, called
Bio G-3000™ Premium Biodiesel fuel. DAR PRO entered a 50/50% joint venture with Valero Energy Corporation to
build the Diamond Green Diesel plant designed to produce 9,300 barrels of renewable diesel per
day and scheduled to start production this spring. The plant will make use of the Norco, Louisiana refinery’s
pipelines and 7000 domestic stores to make Diamond Green Diesel available nationwide. The Diamond Green facility
will convert as much as eleven percent of the U.S. animal fat and used cooking oil into renewable diesel. John
Fuller, President and CEO: "Johnny Rockets continually strives for ways to make our restaurants more
eco-friendly and leave a lighter footprint on our environment. As an all-American restaurant chain, we are proud
to do our part to be socially responsible and our partnership with DAR PRO Solutions is a great way to give back
to our communities and environment.” DAR PRO Solutions is a brand of Darling International and its wholly-owned
subsidiary, Griffin Industries. 04/22/2013
Basque Research Plans 10-Year Program Review and
Overhaul
The web-based service Basque Research has announced that its program will undergo a significant review and overhaul after
providing a decade of outreach for scientific and technologic research for the Basque country. The organization
publishes research, development, and technology information (R+D+i) from regional universities, institutes, and
company units at a national and international level. Basque Research arose from an initiative of the
Elhuyar Foundation in 2002 with assistance of the Basque Government Science and
Technology Plan to link science and the Basque language and act as a bridge with the global research society.
The present goal is to reinforce the Basque R+D+i community, broaden the profile of the country's scientific
research, and increase technology transfer. The clean conversion of waste and biomass to beneficial heat, power,
fuels, and other commodities has been a regular topic of interest to the Elhuyar Foundation, as with coverage of
waste pre-treatment cavitation and catalysis technologies commercialized by the Portuguese firm
Incbio. The programmatic revision will review, analysis and update all data gathered
over the past decade; the process is intended to be open to all stakeholders who wish to collaborate and
contribute. Basque Research notes that many companies consider the publication of news about their work in
international networks to be of great interest and a strategic advantage, reinforcing their areas of research or
obtaining new international contacts. To this end, Basque Research has signed agreements with numerous principal
international science and technology web sites. 04/22/2013
Royal Borough Launches Recyclebank Food Waste
Rewards Program
The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead has announced the launch of the United Kingdom's (UK) first program that rewards citizens
and their communities for separating and recycling food waste from the municipal garbage. All food waste,
including meat, bones and dairy, can be put in the caddies, which are emptied at the same time as the normal
weekly waste and recycling collections. Under a 2012 contract with Agrivert, the Borough's food waste is taken to the Oxford Renewable
Energy Ltd anaerobic digestion plant in Oxfordshire for conversion to renewable electricity and to agricultural
fertilizer. Reward points are issued to residents who establish a Recyclebank on-line account and pledge to put their food waste in designated
containers. Additional points are added to accounts periodically based on the total amount of food waste
recycled within the borough over that time period. With the addition of communal outdoor bins and kitchen
caddies, food waste collection from multi-family residences, or "flats" is also being encouraged. Recyclebank is
an international company founded in 2004 headquartered in New York whose Rewards partnership program currently boasts 4000 members. Councillor Carwyn Cox,
cabinet member for Environmental Services, explained that the extension is the result of a £566,000 government
grant in recognition of the council's commitment to maintaining weekly waste collections. "This is a great
opportunity to expand the rewards scheme so that residents can reap even more benefits for their good green
habits. We currently recycle and compost 49% of our waste. The extension of the rewards scheme made possible by
the grant is sure to be a huge help in raising that figure even higher, and that is good news for our residents,
local businesses and the environment alike." 04/22/2013
Virginia Tech Team Turns Cellulose to Starch and Sugar
for Food and Biofuels
The Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) has announced a breakthrough in conversion of cellulosic wastes and other non-food biomass
into amylose starch and glucose. A research team in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering led
by Dr. Y.H. Percival Zhang has employed a process called "cascading enzymes" to
progressively de-construct cellulose into 30% amylose, an important and valuable resistant starch (source of
dietary fiber), with the remainder converting to glucose sugar suitable for biofuel fermentation. Coupled with
the fermentation step, this is called “simultaneous enzymatic biotransformation and microbial fermentation” and
is easy to scale up for commercial production. It is environmentally friendly because it does not require
expensive equipment, heat, or chemical reagents, and does not generate any waste. The key enzymes are
immobilized on magnetic nanoparticles and can easily be recycled using a magnetic force. Zhang and Virginia Tech
visiting scholar Hongge Chen are the inventors of the cellulose-to-starch biotransformation, which is covered
under a provisional patent application; Chen's work was in part sponsored by the China Scholarship
Council. The research was published this week in the Early Edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
04/20/2013
International Research Team Identifies Fate of
Charcoal and Biochar in Soil
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has reported that an international research team has determined key elements of the fate of
charcoal once it enters the soil, part of the global carbon cycle crucial where highly porous charcoal and
biochar forms of carbon are incorporated to effect carbon sequestration. Biochar has recently risen in
importance as a path for conversion of low-value woody wastes and residuals into high-value soils amendments,
while providing a ready mechanism for sequestering carbon. This is particularly important when assessing project
design and run-off control for carbon capture and sequestration, considering that rapid dissolution and
transport of soil carbon runs counter to the current concept that once incorporated, the carbon remains where it
is sequestered. The work was led by Dr. Rudolf Jaffe of the Florida International University in collaboration
with Thorsten Dittmar of the German Max Planck Society, and started with study of organic carbon in the Florida
Everglades at the National Science Foundation (NSF) Florida Coastal Everglades Long-Term Ecological Research
(LTER) site, which is one of 26 such NSF LTER sites in ecosystems around the world. Jaffe and his research team found
that as much as 20 percent of the total dissolved organic carbon in the Everglades is charcoal. Concurrent
studies led by Dittmar at the Max Planck Institute tracked oceanic deposition and movement of charcoal; the
researchers pooled their data and began to map out a comprehensive picture. The new findings show that the
amount of dissolved charcoal transported to the oceans is keeping pace with the total charcoal generated by
fires annually on a global scale. The international team's findings are outlined in a paper published this week
in the journal Science as, "Global Charcoal Mobilization from Soils via Dissolution and Riverine Transport to the Oceans."
04/20/2013
CalRecycle Launches New State-Wide Waste
Management Data Web Portal
The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) has reorganized its
voluminous information into one "Data Central" web-portal, especially useful given the Mandatory Commercial Recycling
program now being implemented under AB 341. The new portal provides quick access to a variety of CalRecycle and
other data sources and tools relating to California’s solid waste stream, waste disposal and recycling facility
infrastructure, materials flow, recycling, and more. The Materials section provides statewide disposal data and amounts, covers Waste
Characterization, Alternative Daily Cover (ADC), and general information on material types for each local
jurisdiction or county. Detail is provided for all permitted types of waste management Facilities and Recycling Businesses, built around the CalRecycle's Facility Information Toolbox, or FacIT. A separate tab accesses Grants; others provide a quick entry for agency Contacts, Maps and numerous details needed to measure the state's progress toward its goals. Although the Data Central web portal
does an excellent job of presenting the "known", it cannot provide detail that is not actually measured, as is
the case when attempting to assess the fate of materials segregated for recycling. Only the trade in beverage containers
receives this level of scrutiny, leaving all other "recycling" metrics to speculation. Once separated for sale,
California still lacks any requirement for brokers to disclose the location or effectiveness of facilities where
the bulk of those recyclates are actually reprocessed. As a result, that information is not yet available
through the CalRecycle's "Data Central." 04/20/2013
Sita Selected for 30-Year Resource Recovery
Contract with Meyerside Authority
The United Kingdom based Sita UK, a subsidiary of Suez Environnement, has announced that the Sita Sembicorp UK consortium it leads has been selected as the
preferred bidder on a 30 year waste management and resource recovery contract with the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (MRWA). Total capital investment for the two
facilities will be over £250 million; the total contract value is estimated at over €2 billion with the addition
of revenues from the management of third party waste and sale of electricity. The team would manage over 430,000
tonnes of residual household waste per year on behalf of the Merseyside and Halton Waste partnership, diverting
over 90% of the waste otherwise destined for landfill and ensuring long-term compliance with the European Union Landfill Directive. Planning permission is already in place for a rail
loading waste transfer station in Merseyside and a new purpose-built energy-from-waste facility in Teesside. The
contract includes design, construction, financing and operation of a regional rail transfer yard and a new
energy from waste (EfW) combined heat and power (CHP) facility at Wilton International, a 2,000 acre industrial
estate managed by Sembcorp Utilities UK on Teesside. Councillor Joe DeAsha, Chairperson of Merseyside Recycling
and Waste Authority: "The appointment of SITA Sembcorp UK as our Preferred Bidder marks the beginning of an
important chapter in the way Merseyside and Halton deals with its resources. I believe that the solution we have
chosen is the best for the environment - saving natural resources, generating green electricity and providing
value for money for taxpayers." 04/19/2013
Carbios Enters €7MM Public-Private Collaboration
for Plastic Waste Conversion
French green chemistry company Carbios has announced entering into a public private partnership focused on optimizing value from
waste plastics, and developing new bio-sourced polymer alternatives. Carbios will lead the €7-million
collaboration that includes the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) at the Toulouse White
Biotechnology (TWB) research center. The project is part of the THANAPLAST™ consortium with an overall budget of
€22 million over five years. The Carbios-INRA project will focus on the development of effective biobased
industrial processes that (as an alternative to conventional chemistry) adds value to plastic waste and enable
the production of economically competitive biosourced polymers. The INRA groups will focus on enzyme screening,
enzymatic catalysis and cell engineering; Carbios' technology platform transforms plastic waste and non-food residuals into raw material
for the plastics industry. François Houiller, Chief Executive of INRA: "This exciting partnership with Carbios
at TWB represents one of the highest-value collaborations ever between INRA and a start-up. Carbios has
convinced us of their solid technical and industrial expertise. The collaboration will enable us to pool our
know-how and will underpin applied research, with the shared objective of exploiting renewable resources."
04/19/2013
LS9 to Expand Florida Facility Following Successful
Biobutanol Trials
South San Francisco based LS9, Inc has announced plans to expand its Florida testing and demonstration facility following
successful biobutanol production scale-up trials for Cobalt Technologies. LS9's Okeechobee, Florida facility was initially designed and has been
used to scale-up LS9’s fermentation technology and generate large commercial samples for testing and product
qualification by key partners and prospective customers. Since the company’s initial run at 135,000 liter scale
in the third quarter of last year, LS9 has made several additional fatty alcohol runs of this size as well as
smaller production runs of fatty acid methyl esters (biodiesel). The successful trials demonstrate that LS9 can
leverage its state-of-the-art facility and the expertise of its operations staff to work with partners to
commercialize renewable products. Given the success of the initial production run, Cobalt is considering future
work at LS9’s Florida facility. Tjerk de Ruiter, President and Chief Executive Officer of LS9: "The capability
to transition from the lab to 135,000 liter scale is a key milestone on our road to commercial success, and we
know we are not alone in this requirement. Our ability to support other companies’ technology scale-up
activities is not only an example of the flexibility and the capabilities of our team, it is also an excellent
example of how, as an industry, we can work together to make a renewable future a reality. This new revenue
source, together with a recent $6 million investment from our current investors, positions LS9 to enter into new
partnerships with our technology and advance our own products." 04/18/2013
US-Israel Bio-Energy Challenge Initiates Advanced
Biofuels Collaboration
Two non-profit organizations have reported that the winning Israeli companies from the US-Israel Bio-Energy Challenge are now meeting with key US researchers and program managers
to discuss collaborative biofuels opportunities. US representatives from the US Departments of Energy (DOE) and
Agriculture, the Navy, and the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), and the private sector are discussing
opportunities for US-Israel collaboration on research and innovation to produce advanced biofuels that can
substitute for petroleum-based gasoline, diesel oil, and aviation fuel currently produced from imported oil.
Following the meetings in Washington DC, they will travel to DOE labs in Oak Ridge Tennessee and to California
to meet with additional scientists and energy program managers. The US-Israel Bio-Energy Challenge is being
sponsored and coordinated by two US not-for-profit organizations, The Israel Energy Partnership (TIEP) and the US-Israel Science and Technology Foundation (USISTF) and by the Israeli Industry Center for R&D (MATIMOP). The Challenge is being developed on behalf of
the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) in the Ministry for Trade and Industry; Avi Hasson, Chief Scientist for
the Ministry commented: "The Office of the Chief Scientist continues to expand the opportunities for
collaboration between academic researchers and industrial enterprises from both countries. We support this
initiative that can significantly advance the development of applicative solutions for reducing our dependence
in fossil oils – an objective that both nations share and strive for." 04/18/2013
Due 06/04/2013: Proposals to City of Los Angeles for Organic Waste Processing
The Los Angeles Business Assistance Virtual Network (BAVN) has posted a newly-opened Request for Proposals (RFP; BAVN ID 16519)) from experienced
contractors to provide receipt, processing, and reuse of green material, food material, and horse manure
collected from the City of Los Angeles curbside collection program. Proposals will offer a program for receipt
of and payment for a minimum of 200 to maximum of 1,800 tons per day of the target wastes from the City's
collection program that services its six wastesheds. For the conversion of this waste to beneficial materials,
the RFP defines and then specifies "conversion of green material, food material, and/or horse manure into a
product by means of mechanical processing such as chipping, screening, cleaning, grinding, sizing, mulching;
biological processing such as composting, co-composting, anaerobic digestion/co-digestion, fermentation; thermal
processing such as pyrolysis and gasification, for the production of electricity, heat, alternative fuels, or
other products." A mandatory pre-proposal workshop is scheduled for April 30, 2013 at 10:00am in Los Angeles
City's Public Works Building, 1149 South Broadway St., in Sub-Basement #6, Los Angeles, California 90015. The
Business Inclusion Program (BIP) outreach requirements are applicable to this RFP. On-line
registration is required with BAVN by prospective Prime contractors and Sub-contractors to download the RFP and
a Letter of Invitation to Propose. All questions must be received by May 21, 2013 and bids are due by June 4,
2013 no later than 2:00 pm. Contact Rowena Romano at the City's Department of Public Works, Bureau of Sanitation
with any technical questions at least one week prior to the pre-proposal meeting date, at 213-485-3626;
<>. 04/18/2013
ADB Loans $200MM to Dynagreen for Waste-to-Energy
Plants in China
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced that it is extending $200 million in loans to the Dynagreen Environmental
Protection Group Company (Dynagreen) to help small and medium-sized cities in the People’s Republic of China
(PRC) turn their growing mountains of solid waste into a sustainable source of renewable energy. Dynagreen is
the environmental infrastructure subsidiary of Beijing State-Owned Assets Management Co., Ltd; the company will develop and operate the
waste-to-energy plants under public / private partnership arrangements. The PRC generates more than 220 million
tons of waste per year, still only 20% the average per capita generation of solid waste but second in the world
for total waste generation, and expected to grow dramatically by 2030. The ADB loan is intended to fund at least
nine plants for conversion of over 6,000 total tons of municipal solid waste per day into electricity. The ADB
is extending a direct loan from its ordinary capital resources of $100 million equivalent in yuan and a local
currency complementary loan of up to $100 million equivalent to be funded by commercial banks. An associated
technical assistance grant of $500,000 from the ADB will also help Dynagreen enhance its corporate governance
system. Dynagreen focuses on providing cleaner solutions to PRC's waste and energy needs, and does not co-fire
refuse derived fuel (RDF) with coal, to minimize emissions; last year, Dynagreen signed agreements with the Australian waste conversion technology company AnaeCo for commercialization of the firm's DiCom anaerobic digestion system in China.
04/17/2013
ABO Releases On-Line Interactive Global Map of Algae
Industry
The Algae Biomass Organization (ABO) has announced the release of an interactive on-line mapping tool showing the global location, name, and other key information for algae
production facilities and research institutions, national laboratories, demonstration and commercial projects,
and other efforts undertaken by ABO members and non-members. The map visually illustrates the development of
algae-derived renewable fuels, feeds, fertilizers, chemicals and other products. The new map was revealed today
at the Advanced Biofuels Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. In addition to production of algal oil for
biofuels, nutraceuticals and other commodities, algae can sequester carbon from waste exhaust emissions,
providing a valuable waste conversion mechanism for other industries seeking paths to reduced carbon footprint.
A recent ABO survey of more than 470 algae industry contacts shows that 67 percent of algae producers
said they plan to expand capacity in 2013, and more than 95 percent of producers believe it that algae-based
fuels may be able to compete with fossil fuels as soon as 2020. The results are similar to expansion and price
expectations reported in the same survey conducted last year. ABO released MDL 5.0: Algae Industry Minimum Descriptive Language, Guidance to Evaluate Life Cycle Inputs
and Outputs, and in 2013 intends to solicit public comment while promoting broader industry acceptance and
utilization of its metrics. 04/17/2013
Canadian Collaborative Launches PowerHaus Clean Tech
Competition
The green technology investment company GreenAngel Energy has announced the launch of its PowerHaus competitive initiative in collaboration with Simon Fraser University and the Canadian National Research Council's Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP). The new effort will select emerging clean
technologies companies through a competitive process for business mentoring and financial support. Miek Volker,
GreenAngel's Chairman, notes: "In B.C. [British Columbia], there is a healthy “deal flow” – i.e. promising
ventures looking for talent and investors to help them grow. GreenAngel will provide capital from GTV (VCC) Inc,
a private angel fund that we manage alongside other private investors. We believe that while mentoring and
coaching can contribute to success, the real key to building sound companies is to recruit an experienced
management team. Last year, we acquired an 8.9% founders’ interest in Mazza Innovation Ltd, a phytochemical
extraction company based in Summerland, BC, by providing management and corporate finance services. The Mazza
experience served as a model in the formulation of the new PowerHaus strategy. We’d like to hear from investors,
mentors, and seasoned managers who’d like to participate in PowerHaus to build better cleantech companies and
accelerate their growth. Please note June 4th (10:00 am) as the date for our Annual General Meeting to be held
at the SFU Harbour Centre campus. This is an excellent opportunity to meet some of our companies and discover
more about PowerHaus." 04/17/2013
Cobalt Technologies Takes Steps Toward BioButanol
Commercialization
California-based Cobalt Technologies Inc. has released two announcements that together advance
the company's biomass to n-butanol technology platform. First, Cobalt has signed an equity investment
based strategic partnership agreement with two Asian chemical companies for the development of a
complete biomass-to-butadiene solution and construction of a commercial-scale biorefinery in Asia. The partners
also plan to build or license additional plants to support the high growth in global butadiene demand.
Technology development is expected to be completed in 2014 with construction of the first plant to follow.
Cobalt has also announced successful completion of scale-up trials at a fermentation scale greater than
10,000 liters. The performance demonstrates scalability by replicating the performance previously obtained at
both the 10 liter bench scale and the 4,000 liter pilot scale. The production run required minimal modification
to the contract facility's existing aerobic system, providing validation of Cobalt's ability to retrofit or
co-locate with existing ethanol plants, whether based on sugarcane or corn, for the production of butanol.
Cobalt has developed a technology platform that begins with simultaneously extracts and converts the carbohydrates
form low-value waste and residual biomass into simple sugars without harsh chemicals or expensive vessel
criteria. The sugars are then fermented using the firm's proprietary microbial strain directly to n-butanol,
followed by an energy efficient distillation process. Bob Mayer, CEO of Cobalt Technologies: "Cobalt is on track
to develop a commercial facility in Brazil and the one-tenth demonstration scale reinforces our confidence in
the value and scalability of our technology platform." 04/17/2013
EC Highlights SYNPOL Project for Biopolymers from
Syngas Fermentation
The European Commission's (EC) Community Development and Research Information Service (CORDIS)
has released its first update on the SYNPOL Project launched at the beginning of last year. The project was funded under the EU
7th Framework program for Food, Agriculture, Fisheries, and Biotechnology for about EUR 7.5 million. SYNPOL is a
collaborative multi-national effort aimed at "establishing an integrated process technology for the efficient
synthesis of cost-effective commercial new sources of polymers (e.g., polyhydroxyalkanoates [PHA] for
bioplastic) using the products derived from fermentation of syngas generated from very complex feedstocks."
SYNPOL focuses on carbon recovery by pyrolytic conversion coupled to bacterial fermentation using the CO and H2
compounds of the syngas from feedstock that includes municipal solid waste (MSW), agricultural residues and
sewage sludge. The SYNPOL consortium is led by the Biological Research Centre (CIB, Madrid, Spain) which is part
of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). Dr. Oliver Drzyzga, project manager from CIB-CSIC: "Two major
advantages of the SYNPOL project are that the waste streams used for syngas production are not competing with
those of the food value chain as is the case for the biodiesel production and that our final product, the
bioplastic, that is produced biologically by bacteria will be 100% biodegradable." 04/17/2013
European Commission Launches 3-Year €6.2MM BioBase NWE
Project
BioBase Europe has announced the European Commission's launch of a new project focusing support for bio-based
product development innovation upon the northwestern European region. BioBase NWE is a three-year, €6.2 million (£5.35 million, or $8.19 million) project directed
at encouraging small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) to enter the bio-based products economic sector. The
five-country collaborative program will provide training to build a skilled workforce for the growing yet
short-handed bio-based industries already established within northwestern Europe. Start-up companies can receive
advice on how to bring promising new ideas to market, and receive financial support to demonstrate innovative
bio-based technologies at an independent, state-of–the-art demonstration facility in Ghent, Belgium. Projects can range from bioenergy to biofuels,
bioplastics, and other biomass-sourced commodities. BioBase NWE is 50 per cent funded by the European Regional
Development Fund, through the INTERREG IVB North West Europe Programme. Dr. Lieve Hoflack, Manager of the Bio
Base NWE project: "SMEs have a vital role to play in Europe’s journey towards the bio-based economy, which could
be worth more than €2 trillion to the European economy by 2020. Bio-based products are a growing area of
interest for SME’s working in chemical industry, agro-industry, plastics, fuels, food, textile and pharma
industry. However, many SME’s find it difficult to bridge the gap between newly developed research and the
commercial market." For more information, comment or interview requests, contact Dr Lieve Hoflack, +32 (0)9 335
70 01, or <>. 04/16/2013
Sweetwater Energy Signs $250MM Cellulosic Sugar
Off-Take Agreement
New York based Sweetwater Energy, Inc has announced signing a 15-year $250 million cellulosic sugar off-take agreement with
bioproducts company Naturally Scientific. Sweetwater will deliver industrial sugars derived from conversion of
cellulosic biomass using its patented technology platform. The process is capable of extracting fermentable sugars
from a variety of locally-sourced types of non-food biomass including crop residues, energy crops, and wood
waste. The technology generates separate and concentrated individual streams of C5 and C6 sugars, allowing a
single processing site to serve the needs of multiple customers. Naturally Scientific is seeking an eastern US
site; Sweetwater will locate its decentralized production facilities in whatever regions its client
selects, and deliver over 50,000 tons per year of clarified sugars directly to their processing plant. Naturally
Scientific has spent five years creating its modular, rapid-growth and high-yield bio-manufacturing platform.
The company has constructed a demonstration plant in Nottingham, UK, that has been fully operational for two
years, producing oils. The demonstration plant uses full-sized equipment that proves the technology, automated
process control systems, yields and unit economics at a commercial scale. Arunas Chesonis, Chairman and CEO of
Sweetwater Energy: "This agreement shows how Sweetwater’s sugar is an ideal feedstock—not just for biofuel
production, but also ideal for biochemicals. Naturally Scientific’s innovative oil technology meshes amazingly
well with Sweetwater’s. We’re looking forward to helping Naturally Scientific expand new markets for bio-based
oils." 04/16/2013
CAPCOA Releases Report on "California's Progress Toward
Clean Air"
The California Air Pollution Control Officer's Association (CAPCOA) has announced the release of
its 2012 wrap-up report, "California's Progress Toward Clean Air." With thirty-five local air quality agencies
scattered across California, this report provides a glimpse of activities, successes, and challenges in
improving each region's air quality. The report notes, "California, the most populous state in the nation,
includes regions with pristine air quality as well as regions with the highest number of violations of the
federal health-based standards for ozone and particulate matter." The activities reflect two overarching
regulatory drivers. At the federal level, the EPA has tightened the standards for attainment regarding both
ozone and particulates. Yet California's own regulations present a more stringent performance bar than even the
EPA's. Many new air quality programs and policies stemming from the 2006 California Global Warming Solutions Act
(AB 32) are just now finding implementation (Low Carbon Fuel Standard, Cap & Trade). Reviewing the snapshots
of the 35 districts reveals an emphasis on emerging technologic solutions. For the waste conversion sector, the
report indicates understandably that the most heavily impacted urban regions are more aggressively seeking
innovative alternatives to replacing or augmenting petroleum fuels, while the agencies with a more rural purview
are encouraging alternatives to burning agricultural residuals, and use of cleaner residential heat and power.
Cumulatively the agencies are improving not only the local air quality, but the metrics used to quantify and
monetize the associated costs and benefits. 04/14/2013
Indiana Biomass Energy Working Group Hosts Session on
Culver Duck Digester
The Indiana Biomass Energy Working Group has scheduled a day-long working session and site tour
on April 23, 2013 focused on the $4 million anaerobic combined heat and power (CHP) installation at the Culver Duck poultry processing plant just outside of Middlebury. When the project was first
announced a year ago, Culver Duck was processing 6.5 million ducks per year. The digester was designed by
Organic Waste Systems (OWS) to convert around 9 tons per day of poultry processing waste
combined with locally-sourced corn silage and other organics into biogas for generation of 1.2 megawatt of
electricity and usable heat. Norma McDonald, OWS' representative in North America will present on "Finding the
Right Recipe for Successful Digester Operations." The renewable power is sold at a premium to the region's
electric utility Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO) and bought back under a long-term agreement;
NIPSCO's Dee Cota will discuss the Feed-in Tariff pricing basis of the agreement. The session agenda will be opened by Dr. Jiqin Ni of the Purdue Extension's School of Agricultural and Bio Engineering. There is a
modest fee for the work session and registration is required by April 18, 2013. The Indiana Biomass Energy Working Group is
sponsored by Purdue University Extension in conjunction with the Indiana Office of Energy Development, and is a consortium of stakeholders from the industry,
state and federal government, trade organizations, universities, and citizenry. 04/14/2013
Bangalore Market Plans Anaerobic Digestion Plant for
Waste to Energy
The Russell Market Vendors Association has reported that its 480 shop owner members have decided to cooperatively develop an anaerobic
digestion system for conversion of the Bangalore market's organic wastes to power. Rebuilding of the market
continues a year and a month after 175 of the 480 shops of the 85 year old market were destroyed by fire. Local agencies continue to work on power and water connections and
decisions as to what degree to demolish charred sections of the market. The Association has taken the advice of the regional Solid Waste Management Roundtable (SWMRT) to improve management of the market's waste, and
the market members have decided to go ahead and harness the energy available in that waste. Of the market's
12-15 tonnes of garbage generated per day, more than half of which is wet organic waste. The association is in
discussions with a firm for the construction; the power generation project will cost the members Rs7 lakh (about
US $13,000) after a 30% subsidy given to them by the state government. Mohammad Idrees of the association
explains: "A large portion of the wet waste in the market is generated in the fish market section. This used to
be our major concern. We will have a conversion processor which will convert the wet waste to energy. Meanwhile,
the dry waste is already being sold. We already have a wet waste bin and we will construct another one within a
few months for dry waste. This will then be used for segregation at source. On Thursday we held a meeting to ask
people what they wanted. They were all happy to know that the market will be a model for others to follow. In
the days to come, we will teach people how they can segregate waste and what waste goes into what bin."
04/12/2013
DOE Webinar: Community Scale Anaerobic Digester Success
Stories
The US Department of Energy (DOE) will present a free webinar addressing Community Scale Anaerobic Digesters on April 16,
2013, and featuring two presentations. Michele Young is the Organics Manager for the City of San Jose; she will provide background on San Jose,
California's, leading-edge program using the nation's first commercial-scale, high solids dry fermentation
anaerobic digestion system to process commercial organics from more than 8,000 businesses in the City. Phase one
of the Zero Waste Energy Development facility, which will take up to 90,000 tons of organic waste
per year, is currently under construction and will begin receiving materials in the fall of 2013. The
presentation will also identify key aspects of the multi-year procurement process, negotiations, and agreements
that can be applied to potential projects in their region. Following the San Jose project, the webinar will
provide details of the Forest County Potawatomi Community's anaerobic digester project. Jason Rieth is a project
executive for Miron Construction, responsible for project delivery, from pre-construction through construction
and commissioning. His direct responsibilities include project budgeting and cost control, constructability
reviews, lean project initiatives, schedule creation and control, and quality audits to assure client goals are
met and their expectations are exceeded. The two-part webinar is free, but registration is required and available via an on-line form. 04/12/2013
IBI Publishes Biochar Standards Version 1.1, Plans
Certification Program
The International Biochar Initiative (IBI) has announced publication of Version 1.1 of its Biochar Standards. The updated Version 1.1 of the "Standardized Product Definition and
Product Testing Guidelines for Biochar That Is Used in Soil" is available with all supportive documentation from
the Biochar Standards download section of the non-profit association's website. Key revisions include a new
test method for organic carbon content, removal of the earthworm avoidance test, and inclusion of a new section
on the revisions process. Version 1.1 comes one year after publication of the initial version of the IBI Biochar Standards; the Standards provide
a tool that will help the emerging biochar industry provide certainty to consumers and markets about biochar
products. The IBI Biochar Standards provide a framework for determining what biochar is—and what it is not—and
for demonstrating the safety and efficacy of its use as a soil amendment through a series of tests that
determine basic physicochemical properties and the presence of potential toxicants. As a next step, IBI will be
launching the IBI Biochar Certification Program in the coming weeks to enable manufacturers whose biochar
materials have passed the IBI Biochar Standards to apply for certification through IBI, and to place an “IBI
Certified Biochar” seal on their product. The Program is initially slated for roll-out in the US and Canada
before expanding to other countries. Sustainable biochar is one of the few technologies that is relatively
inexpensive, widely applicable, and quickly scalable. IBI focuses on the need for quality and sustainability
standards and assurances in the emerging biochar industry. 04/11/2013
Due 05/31/2013: Grant Applications to CEC for
Commercial Biofuels Facilities
The California Energy Commission's (CEC) Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP) has released a
Program Opportunity Notice (PON-13-601) seeking applications for grant
funding for Commercial Scale Advanced Biofuels Production Facilities. Up to $9,266,737 in grant funds
will be available for commercial scale biorefineries to (1) expand existing facilities, and/or (2) lower the
carbon intensity of fuels produced at existing biofuels plants. A minimum 50% match share is required. Projects
must have a production capacity of at least 15,000.000 gallons per year of diesel substitutes, gasoline
substitutes, and /or biomethane to be eligible. Resulting biofuels must have a carbon intensity value at
least 5% lower that the reference baseline for corn ethanol (80.7 gCO2e/MJ) as set by the California Air
Resources Board's Low Carbon Fuel Standard Corn grain fermentation projects are not eligible, and if feedstock
is derived from municipal solid waste, only the biogenic fraction may be converted to fuels. About $100 million
in ARFVTP funding is authorized annually under AB 118. Projects are eligible for up to 50% of the total
project cost or $5.0 million, whichever is less. Only one project may be proposed per application. Multiple
applications may be submitted so long as each application is submitted separately and each application
independently meets the requirements of this solicitation. This solicitation is open to businesses, public
agencies, vehicle and technology entities, public-private partnerships, and academic institutions. A
pre-application workshop will be conducted on April 29, 2013 beginning at 10:00 am and will be available via
webex. Questions may be asked until April 29, 2013, and all proposals are due no later than 3:00pm on May 31,
2013. 04/11/2013
2OC Secures £200MM Integrated Bioenergy CHiP Contract
with Thames Water
Based in the United Kingdom (UK), the firm 2OC has announced signing a £200 million, 20 year contract to provide renewable heat and power to
Thames Water, the UK's largest wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). J Murphy and Sons has been
awarded the contract to build 2OC's "intelligent combined heat and power" (CHiP) plant nearby. 2OC's Quadgen power generation platform will be fueled entirely from waste, converting grease
cleaned from Thames' 109,000 kilometers of sewers, used cooking oil, and rendered tallow into fuel for a 2-cycle
heat-jacketed engine with a design electrical generation capacity of 19 megawatts. Waste heat from the engine
will be used in the adjacent gas pressure reduction station allowing existing gas fired boilers to be turned
off, with any excess heat available for nearby buildings. About half of the CHiP plant's power will be purchased
by Thames to run its sewage works and desalination plant and the rest sold to the national grid. Andrew Mercer
CEO of 2OC: "This is the culmination of many years of hard work from my world class team at 2OC. This is good
for us, Thames Water and its customers and the environment. Renewable power and heat sourced in London,
generated in London and used in London." 04/10/2013
ETI Short-lists 3 Gasification WtE Companies in
£2.8MM Demo Competition
The United Kingdom (UK) based Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) has announced selection of the top three proposals in a £2.8 million competition to
design the most economical, efficient, and commercially viable gasification waste to energy demonstration pilot
plant. The chosen plant must generate from 5 to 20 megawatts (MWe) at better than industry-standard efficiencies
of at least 25%. Advanced Plasma Power (APP), Broadcrown Ltd, and Royal Dahlman have been selected; the Stage
One design phase will last 10 months and Stage Two will see the winning design selected in early 2014. The
chosen plant could be in operation by 2016 and operate for up to four years. APP’s Gasplasma® technology will produce a clean syngas as a fuel for development and
demonstration with an electrical output of 6MWe. The Gasplasma® system starts with gasification then uses a
separate plasma furnace to crack and clean the crude syngas from a gasifier prior to fueling gas engines or a
gas turbine. The UK company Broadcrown Ltd will design a 2 MWe demonstration gasifier using a scalable concept,
partnering with European and American companies including a gas engine manufacturer to demonstrate a combined
cycle with unprecedented efficiency using syngas. Royal Dahlman will develop a 7 MWe plant using patented MILENA-OLGA biomass gasification process. Royal Dahlman will lead a team of British, Swiss,
American and Dutch partners. ETI is a public-private partnership between BP, Caterpillar, EDF, E.ON,
Rolls-Royce and Shell and the UK Government's Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, with
funding through the Technology Strategy Board and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. The
Department of Energy and Climate Change are observers on the Board. 04/10/2013
Waste2Tricity Enters Concept Design Phase for Plasma
Waste to Energy Plant
The United Kingdom (UK) based Waste2Tricity (W2T) has announced the start of a concept design study for the development of a plasma gasification
waste to energy plant. The plant will be scaled at 13.6 megawatt (MWe) power generation and fueled by around
100,000 tonnes per year of feedstock derived for residential and/or industrial waste. W2T has engaged Peel
Environmental for the siting analysis. Similar to the Air Products plant on Teesside, which recently started construction, the W2T project is
intended to use Westinghouse plasma assisted gasification from Alter NRG to convert waste sourced from several
suppliers including Energy Gap Ltd. Alter NRG is providing a discounted technology license for the Project in
exchange for an option to take a minority investment. W2T, in conjunction with its engineer AMEC and consultant
Foster Wheeler, is working with partners to draw up plans for the 13.6MW plant, which will produce nearly
109,000 MW hours of low carbon electricity a year - enough to power around 24,000 homes. The Project will
utilize internal combustion engines, but W2T expects it to also demonstrate AFC Energy’s alkaline fuel cells, as
they become commercially available. The equivalent fuel cell plant will export an additional 43% of electricity
from the same amount of feedstock. Peter Jones, Chairman of W2T: "We expect this to be the first of many similar
programmes for the project partners in the UK. The 100,000 tonnes a year model will meet the localism agenda –
using locally derived feedstock to supply electricity to local homes and businesses. We believe there is a
potential market in the UK for up to 100 units of this size. Once we are able to deploy fuel cells, the output
from our plants will increase substantially and be carbon capture ready – holding out the prospect of carbon
negative electricity." 04/10/2013
CPF to Start Up 10 Bioenergy/Biofuels Plants in 2013
for Energy from Waste
Thailand based Charoen Pokphand Foods PCL (CPF) is on schedule to start up six biogas plants, three
cogeneration facilities, and a biodiesel production unit in 2013, having invested nearly 1 billion baht (about
$34 million) according to the Bangkok Post News. The company has been pursuing a waste conversion and bioenergy
campaign since 2004 to "go green" and cut fossil fuel use by 20% each year. The first phrase co-generation project has been developed at chicken processing plants in Nakhon
Ratchasima and Min Buri, and is expected to generate 5 megawatt electricity and 23 tonnes/hour of steam. CPF's
successful research and development of anaerobic digestion (AD) of livestock waste will result in conversion of around 5.6
million litres per year (about 1.5 million gallons) of chicken and shrimp processing wastewater to biogas for
power production. CPF's first biodiesel plant using waste cooking oil from prepared foods production went
on-line in 2006; the firm will soon open its third biodiesel unit in Nong Chok to turn 50,000 litres a month
(about 13,000 gallons) of used oil into 47,500 litres of B100 biodiesel. Kritsada Tosathum, the head of
systematic engineering, said when completed, the biogas plants will reduce use of petroleum gas by 465,000
kilogrammes and of bunker oil by 1.2 million litres each year. "B100 biodiesel fuel has excellent properties for
powering common-rail engines and vehicles used by the company such as forklifts and employee shuttle buses."
04/09/2013
State of Hawaii Awards $200K to BioTork - USDA
Waste to Biofuel Project
Hawaii's Governor Neil Abercrombie's office has announced an award of $200,000 to the biofuels collaboration of the Florida-based
company BioTork LLC and the USDA Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center (PBARC) to help support the Hilo center's
zero waste biofuel and high protein animal feed project. The State’s Agribusiness Development Corporation (ADC)
will become a venture partner to globally export the rapid conversion technology in association with PBARC and
BioTork Hawaii LLC. BioTork's subsidiary BioTork Hawaii LLC has concentrated their assistance at PBARC to
conversion of unmarketable papaya, using its patented heterotrophic process in which organically optimized algae/fungi break the
wastes down during a 14 day processing cycle. The recently-extended PBARC project consists of interrelated components on agriculture
production and value added research, development of biofuels from regional feedstock, and enhancement of the
communities in Hamakua through the deployment of the ‘zero waste’ concept. Governor Abercrombie: "This patented
evolutionary technology is unique to the marketplace and places Hawaii in a leading position in the area of
biofuel and feed research. With this technology, farmers can turn agricultural waste into an additional revenue
stream, and local production of biofuel can lower dependence on Hawaii’s import of fossil fuels. Aside from the
benefit of producing biofuel, this technology has the ability to create another revenue stream for papaya and
other tropical agriculture farmers. Local high protein feed production – another by-product of this process –
can greatly benefit cattle, hog, chicken and aquaculture farms through competitive market pricing."
04/09/2013
DOE Webinar on Texas CHP Siting, Permitting,
Interconnection Requirements
The US Department of Energy (DOE) Gulf Coast Clean Energy Application Center (GC CEAC) has announced that registration is now open for an April 30, 2013 webinar addressing
requirements for siting, permitting, and interconnecting combined heat and power (CHP) projects in Texas.
Determining and obtaining the required utility interconnection, siting, and construction permits are essential
steps in CHP project development. The requirements affect a project's economic feasibility, as well as project
timing, design, and implementation. Neither construction nor operation may begin until all permits are in
process or in place. The presentation will help potential adopters of CHP to navigate through the regulatory and
permitting environment in Texas by providing detailed and actionable information on each step of the utility
interconnection, permitting, and power exporting processes. This webinar is part one of a series of project
development webinars that are being introduced in 2013 on various topics related to clean energy technologies
and pertinent policy developments. Continuing education certificates are available upon request. The GC CEAC is
based at the Houston Advanced Research Center in The Woodlands, Texas. It was created with funding from the US
DOE to promote clean energy technology through the use of CHP, waste heat recovery, and district energy in
Texas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. There is no charge for participating, but registration is required and
available on-line. 04/09/2013
Eco Sustainable Solutions Wins AD Output Award
with Weltec Biopower Plant
German company Weltec Biopower has announced that their United Kingdom (UK) based client Eco Sustainable Solutions Ltd (Eco) received top recognition for "AD Output" during
the REA Organics Recycling Awards held on March 21, 2013 in Oxfordshire. The awards
ceremony took place during the Organics Recycling Group's (ORG) conference. ORG is now part of the Renewable
Energy Association (REA) following a merger last year of the Association for Organics Recycling (AfOR). Eco is a
diversified organics management and sales company serving the UK landscape, architectural and recycling markets.
Weltec designed and built the 20,000 tonne per year anaerobic digestion (AD) combined heat and power (CHP) plant
for Eco in Piddlehinton, Dorset, which was commissioned in 2012. The plant's feedstock is regionally-sourced
food waste and unsalable supermarket organics, which are depackaged, sorted, and pasteurized prior to digestion.
An adjacent feed mill is powered by the facility; engine jacket and exhaust heat from the plant's power
generator set (genset) is recovered and piped to the feed mill as well. Excess electricity is sold to the UK
national electric grid. The digestate produced by the plant, which is in the process of gaining PAS 110
accreditation, is collected and used by local farmers. The jury of the Organics Recycling award emphasized the
innovative use of the plant’s output by local businesses. Weltec Biopower's UK Sales Manager, Chris Jellett,
commented: "This award win for Eco Sustainable Solutions is a wonderful recognition to the team both on site and
behind the scenes at Piddlehinton. Obtaining the 'AD Output Award' shows that we are setting the benchmark in
the UK biogas market." 04/09/2013
Biome Receives £150K Grant for Conversion of Lignin to
Bioplastics
The United Kingdom (UK) based Biome Technologies subsidiary Biome Bioplastics Ltd has announced receipt of an award of £150,000 ($228,456) to commercialize a
microbial pathway for conversion of lignin to bioplastics. The company will work with the University of
Warwick's Centre for Biotechnology and Biorefining that was just launched at Warwick Manufacturing
Group (WMG) on March 21, 2013, and is pioneering academic research into lignin degrading bacteria. The Centre
Biome and the Warwick team will collaborate on development of methods to control the lignin breakdown process to
determine whether these chemicals can be extracted in significant quantities. The grant is part of the
Technology Strategy Board’s ‘Sustainable high value chemical manufacture through industrial biotechnology’
technical feasibility competition, which funds projects that apply sustainable bio-based feedstocks and
biocatalytic processes in the production of chemicals. The collaboration will investigate a bio-based
alternative for the oil derived organic chemicals used in the manufacturer of bioplastics. Biome Bioplastics CEO
Paul Mines: "The bioplastics market remains small compared to that of fossil-based polymers. Growth is
restricted by the price of bioplastic resins being 2-4 times that of their petrochemical counterparts. We
anticipate that the availability of a high performance polymer, manufactured economically from renewable sources
would considerably increase the market." 04/08/2013
Abengoa Launches MSW to BioFuels Demonstration Plant in
Spain
International energy and fuels company Abengoa has announced the launch of its first large scale demonstration of biofuel production from
municipal solid waste (MSW). The facility has a capacity to treat 25,000 tons of municipal solid waste
(MSW), from which up to 1.5 million liters of bioethanol will be produced for use as fuel. The
multi-technology integrated biorefinery demonstration plant in Babilafuente (Salamanca, Spain) uses
Abengoa's W2B technology to produce second generation biofuels from MSW using a fermentation treatment
and enzymatic hydrolysis. The organic fraction of the MSW is treated to produce fiber rich
in cellulose and hemicellulose, which can subsequently be converted by fermentation into bioethanol. Abengoa’s
complementary thermal technology also enables the remaining components to be segregated, recovered and
converted, whether recyclable, non-recyclable or other plastics, to obtain biodiesel and to recover energy to
generate steam and electricity. The design allows the plant to be operated flexibly in order to assess the
performance and costs of different configurations. The technology has been successfully proven at its pilot
plant in York (Nebraska, USA) and at its demonstration plant in Salamanca (Spain). It is also being implemented
at its plant in Hugoton (Kansas, USA), one of the first commercial-scale plants producing second generation
bioethanol, which has a capacity of 100 million liters per year and will come into operation at the end of 2013.
The production of bioethanol from municipal solid waste is a major technological advance in the waste management
model, since it increases the recovery rate, minimizes the carbon footprint and generates major benefits for
society. 04/08/2013
Due 04/19/2013: Project Concepts to Nepal Waste to
Energy Bazaar
The Government of Nepal's Alternative Energy Promotion Center (AEPC) has announced a competitive solicitation for rural renewable and alternative energy development
concepts, and launched Nepal Renewable Energy - Waste to Energy (W2E) Bazaar 2013 to promote rural renewable energy development. The AEPC
operates independently as a governmental initiative under the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology,
to make renewable energy use a mainstream part of the Nepalese society. The Center is encouraging
municipalities, NGOs, enterprises, industries and communities to submit concepts of extracting energy from
municipal, community level, industrial and commercial sector wastes. Submit ideas online at www.w2ebazaar.org.np or directly to the Center by April 2013. The ten top project ideas
selected will be requested to submit a more comprehensive business and implementation to be showcased on 26th of
April at the Nepal Renewable W2E Bazaar with awards of developmental support presented to the three best ideas.
AEPC is the national focal agency for the promotion of renewable energy technologies, and is currently
implementing the multi donor National Rural and Renewable Energy Program (NRREP). NRREP has introduced Waste to
Energy projects implementation for thermal and electricity production, and Nepal is also one of the six pilot
countries identified for assistance under the Scaling-up Renewable Energy Program in Low Income Countries (SREP)
for the development of the waste to energy projects. 04/08/2013
Biofuels Center Funds Appalachian State University for
MSW to Biofuels Study
The Biofuels Center of North Carolina has announced awards totaling $684,058 for six projects to accelerate the renewable fuels
industry in western North Carolina. Awards were made through the 2012-2013 targeted biofuels development funding
program, entitled Catalyzing Production in Western North Carolina. An award of $65,722 was presented to
Appalachian State University to fund the project "Investigating the Economic Viability of a
Municipal Solid Waste-to-Biofuels Facility in Western North Carolina" to assess the economic viability of using
municipal solid waste (MSW) generated in the 32 counties of western North Carolina as biofuels feedstock. The
Biofuels Center is a private nonprofit corporation established by the North Carolina General Assembly to develop
large capacity for biofuels statewide in coming years. The Center works to meet North Carolina’s goal: By 2017,
10 percent of the state’s liquid transportation fuels will come from biofuels grown and produced within the
state. Biofuels Center president and CEO Steven Burke affirmed the value of strengthening the biofuels sector in
the western region. “There is large potential for biofuels crop-growing and production in western North
Carolina,” he said. “We expect the region’s wood and crop resources, growing public and private participants,
and strong commitment to contribute to the development of the biofuels sector across North Carolina in coming
years.” 04/06/2013
Anaergia Secures 20 year PPA for Biogas Energy from
Victor Valley WWTP
Canada based Anaergia Services has announced that it has been awarded a 20 year contract for sale of power to be generated from
upgraded biogas. The biogas is currently being flared at the independent Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority (VVWRA) treatment plant serving the
California desert communities of Apple Valley, Hesperia, Victorville, Oro Grande, and Spring Valley Lake.
Anaergia will design, build, own, and operate the renewable energy system with no capital cost to Victor Valley,
utilizing the plant's biogas to produce renewable electricity for plant operations. Anaergia operates out of 16
offices globally across North America, Europe, and Asia with more than 1,600 operational renewable energy
projects globally. The company's technology platform consists of a proprietary high solids anaerobic digestion design
that includes front-end food waste de-packaging, processing, and grit removal, as well as back-end digestate
management. For VVWRA, Anaergia will concentrate on cleaning and upgrading the methane-rich biogas now being
disposed by flaring, and fueling power generation with the to-specification biogas. Steve Watzeck, CEO of
Anaergia: "We are very proud to be selected by VVWRA as their trusted partner to demonstrate a cost effective
way to make North American wastewater treatment plants energy self-sufficient." 04/06/2013
Due 04/30/2013: Applications to USDA REAP for Renewable
Energy Projects
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that it is again seeking applications for funding through the Rural Energy for
America Program (REAP) for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects that assist agricultural producers
and small businesses. The agency published a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) on March 29, 2013 in the Federal Register, Vol. 78,
No. 61 on pages 19183 to 19190 for this cycle of the REAP. The program was initially authorized by the Food,
Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill), and remains designed to help agricultural producers and rural
small businesses reduce energy costs and consumption and help meet the Nation's critical energy needs. The USDA
is accepting the following applications: (1) Renewable energy system and energy efficiency improvement grant
applications and combination grant and guaranteed loan applications until April 30, 2013; (2) Renewable energy
system and energy efficiency improvement guaranteed loan only applications until July 15, 2013; and (3)
Renewable energy system feasibility study grant applications through April 30, 2013. For Fiscal Year 2013, the
REAP financial assistance provides: grants, guaranteed loans, and combined grants and guaranteed loans for the
development and construction of renewable energy systems and for energy efficiency improvement projects; and
grants for conducting renewable energy system feasibility studies. The Notice also announces the availability of
up to $20.8 million of Fiscal Year 2013 budget authority to fund these REAP activities, which will support up to
$10.4 million in grant program level and up to $43.4 million in guaranteed loan program level. 04/06/2013
ALL Power Labs Adds Grid Inter-tie Systems to Power
Pallet Gasifiers
Berkeley's thermal conversion specialist ALL Power Labs (APL) have rather quietly announced the addition of an integrated grid interconnection interface to their 20
kilowatt (kWe) wood gasification Power Pallet systems. APL develops small-scale biomass gasification modules in
10, 20 and now 100 kilowatt scales, capable of cleanly converting biomass to shaft power, heat and
electricity, and also providing on-going training starting with their Gasification Experimenter's Kit (GEK). From their WIKI: "The GEK project is an
experiment in collaborative science and open source engineering. GEK participants are working together to
advance the science of gasification, as well as the engineering solutions to implement it meaningfully for
today's users." APL holds free informational workshops; the next is scheduled for April 12, 2013 from 5 to 7 pm at their lab. A range of GEKs, Power Pallets, and biochar
systems will be available for inspection; although the grid inter-tie complement is not quite ready for
demonstration. Staff will be available to answer questions. 04/05/2013
Relivit Plans 2014 Opening for Nappie Waste
Recycling Facility in Australia
The Australian investment firm Relivit Holdings Ltd is actively seeking funds to open its first absorbent hygiene waste
recycling and materials recovery facility in Sydney. scheduled for 2014. Relivit has been successful in signing
agreements with aged care providers and in coordinating a national forum on "nappie and pad" waste
management strategies. Following on the forum, the edie.net news service reports that Relivit has now met with the Cheshire and West
Cheshire Councils in the United Kingdom to review their unique recycling pilot program last year focused on weekly collection and recycling of absorbent
hygiene waste, including used baby diapers or "nappies" and all forms of personal hygiene pads. The wastes are
collected by May Gurney and taken to the UK West Midlands-based company Knowaste's autoclave and
reprocessing facility, specializing in recovery of the plastics and fibers for remanufacturing. Knowaste has processed over 77 million nappies since it opened its recycling facility
in West Bromwich in 2011, saving over 18,000 tonnes of nappy waste from being disposed of in landfill or through
incineration. Relivit's process is essentially the same as Knowaste's, adding, "Relivit’s priority
is to prepare the reclaimed materials for sale, so that they can be re-used in manufacturing products in
Australia which have a commercial value. At the very least, we will explore using the fibre for generating
renewable energy, to be used in our own process and the remaining energy can be exported to the grid."
04/05/2013
GESI and InREFco Secure $50MM for Waste Railroad Ties
to Energy Project
With its headquarters now in Vancouver and a base maintained in Houston Texas, Green Energy Solution Industries, Inc. (GESI) has announced success in securing $50 million in project development funding with
its joint venture partner the International Renewable Energy Facilitation Company (InREFco). In September of last
year, GESI received the final payment from an Alberta Energy grant, marking completion of the crucial testing phase of work for
conversion to energy (electricity and potentially biofuels) of waste railroad ties and other treated wood. In
2011, GESI secured a large scale supply of waste wood railway ties to use as a feedstock from Edmonton, Canada
based On-Track Railway Services, Ltd. According to GESI, the contract with On-Track is for a minimum of 300,000
rail ties per year (27,200 tonnes), and up to 1,500,000 rail ties per year (136,100 tonnes) to be supplied to at
no cost for use as feedstock for conversion from waste wood to energy. GESI utilizes InREFco's railroad tie
tested gasification technology platform to cleanly convert the treated wood to synthetic fuel
gas for power generation. With closure of this funding round GESI and InREFco can proceed with technology site
plan engineering, finalization of purchase or licensing of the selected energy technology, permit finalization,
site planning, and closing of further contracts to ensure feed stock sources. 04/04/2013
Due 04/08/2013: Comments to CEC on Concept for
ARFVTP Center Solicitation
The California Energy Commission(CEC) conducted a workshop on April 3, 2013 to discuss potential AB 118 solicitations for
the development of regional Centers for Alternative Fuels and Advanced Technologies (ARFVTP), offering a
staff draft concept paper and a detailed slide presentation. The intent of this year's solicitations would be to "unify
activities that may provide future development and expansion of alternative fuels and advanced vehicle
technologies through collaboration with existing and new centers throughout the state." The state estimates that
$2.7 million will be available for the development of three regional Centers for Northern, Central, and Southern
California, and is considering making a total of $900,000 available per awardee. Eligibility is quite open,
focusing on the nature of the projects and collaborative teaming for each proposal. Projects must couple
advanced vehicle technologies and development of advanced alternative fuels, fueling infrastructures. "Centers"
can revolve around a physical facility or be a web-based "virtual center". Alternative fuels can include
electricity, natural gas, biogas, hydrogen, ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel. Alternative vehicle
technologies broadly include public and private transport vehicles that can operate on one or more of the
designated alternative fuels. Collaborative multi-party public-private partnerships are strongly encouraged, as
are letters of support. There is a 50% minimum match fund requirement. Comments should be emailed to Mike
Crowell at <> with an anticipated solicitation release date in June 2013.
04/04/2013
CEC's 2012 PIER Program Investment Report Includes
Waste Conversion
The California Energy Commission (CEC) has announced the publication of The Public Interest Energy Research 2012 Annual Report -
Commission Report (CEC-500-2013-013-CMF), which was prepared under Public Resources Code Section 25620.8.
The report summarizes clean energy project support during the 2012 Public Interest Energy Research (PIER)
funding cycle. The PIER funded $28 million to advance 30 research projects; matching funds from private and
federal sources accounted for an additional $19.6 million including American Reinvestment and Recovery Act
funds. Of the 30 projects, eight (almost one third) focused in some way on the conversion of biomass and/or
waste to energy. Among these, the Palo Alto Research Center and Great Circle Industries, Inc. addressed advanced
wastewater treatment technologies. Kiverdi, Inc. demonstrated a microbial process for converting carbon dioxide
to bio-oil, and California State University Fullerton studied air impacts of anaerobic digestion of food waste.
Altex Technologies Corporation demonstrated a biomass blending and densification system (BBADS). Finally, two
projects considered the thermal conversion of biomass to energy: University of California (UC) Merced received
$238,383 to study the impact of plasma-assisted biomass gasification and power generation on air quality, and
the Advanced Power and Energy Program at UC Irvine was awarded almost $400,000 to develop "economically and
environmentally viable strategies for conversion of bioresources to power". CEC Chair Robert B. Weisenmiller:
"This report details new research achievements and pioneering energy technologies that save Californians energy
and money. The Energy Commission's investment in public energy research has helped transform the state's energy
landscape, providing clear and quantifiable results that allow policymakers and innovators to plan for a clean
and secure energy future." 04/03/2013
BIOX and Shell Canada Sign Biodiesel Supply
Agreement
Based in Ontario, Canada, advanced biodiesel production company BIOX Corporation has
announced a biodiesel supply agreement with Shell Canada Ltd. BIOX’s 67 million litres per year Hamilton biodiesel facility is
located immediately adjacent to Shell Canada's refinery, allowing a pipeline to be inter-connected for delivery.
The patented BIOX production process converts feedstock with both triglycerides and Free Fatty Acid
(FFA) content in a two step, single phase, continuous process at atmospheric pressures and near-ambient
temperatures, all in less than 90 minutes. Through the addition of a co-solvent, BIOX converts first the FFAs
and then the triglycerides into methyl esters without any pre-treatment step, and feedstock conversion yields of
greater than 99% even when using higher FFA feedstocks such as animal fats or crude palm oil. BIOX recaptures,
recycles and reuses 99.9% of the co-solvent and excess methanol used in our process. Law in Canada requires
renewable content in diesel fuel and heating distillate oil. Shell Canada Limited produces natural gas, natural
gas liquids and bitumen, is Canada’s largest producer of sulphur, and is one of Canada’s oil sands developers,
operating the Athabasca Oil Sands Project on behalf of the joint venture partners. BIOX Canada Limited is
registered under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act as a renewable fuel producer and as such, its
production qualifies as renewable content, helping Shell Canada meet its regulatory fuel blending requirements.
The pipeline connection is expected to be completed by late 2013. 04/03/2013
BioNitrogen Secures Urea Off-Take
Agreement for Planned Louisiana Plants
Florida's bio-sourced fertilizer company BioNitrogen has announced signing a second supply agreement with United Suppliers, Inc for the off-take of urea fertilizer from its planned plants in
Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana. This will be the second supply agreement under the framework agreement
announced with United Suppliers in August 2012. The supply agreement contract will provide United Suppliers with
the plant production of approximately 124,200 short tons annually per plant for twenty-five years. The
BioNitrogen processing platform first dries and cleans then gasifies biomass and
passes the syngas through a series of cleaning steps to remove any elements that could be detrimental to the
downstream processing. The clean syngas is then converted through a series of catalytic reaction stages to
various end products including urea. Feedstock for the process is primarily agricultural residual products such
as sugar cane bagasse, palm fronds, trunks, rice and peanut hulls, cotton byproducts and corn stover. United
Suppliers is owned by 735 locally-controlled Ag Retailers and provides crop nutrients such as urea fertilizer to
its owners in 20 states from east of the Rockies to west of the Mississippi River plus three of the western
provinces in Canada. Matt Carstens, United Suppliers Vice President of Crop Nutrients: "The agreement for these
plants provides a framework for building plants in a strategic area to provide green domestic urea to our
nitrogen fertilizer customers based on BioNitrogen's sourcing of biomass raw material. It will enhance our
ability to obtain US-manufactured fertilizer from BioNitrogen." 04/03/2013
Desso Supplies Sustainable Cradle-to-Cradle
Carpet to KLM Airlines
Based in the Netherlands, the sustainable carpet manufacturer Dessohas announced that it will supply KLM Royal Dutch Airlines with a specially designed carpet
in 22 of the airline company's Boeing 747 passenger jets. The carpet is specially developed Wilton woven carpet
made of Norwegian wool that meets the most stringent requirements in terms of fire safety, lifespan, and
comfort, while attaining the highest sustainable standards. In signing a partnership agreement with the
Hamburg-based Environmental Protection Encouragement Agency (EPEA), Desso has become the first carpet
manufacturer in EMEA to adopt the Cradle to Cradle design. The project is part of Desso’s
special "Take Back Programme" in which old carpet is recycled as a
secondary fuel and raw material in the cement industry. Desso notes that the blue accents in the brown and grey
colored carpet are produced from yarns made of recycled stewardess uniforms. Desso will be providing carpet for
both Economy and Business Class in all the 110 aircraft (Airbus A330/ Boeing 737/ Boeing 747/ Boeing 777) in
KLM’s passenger fleet. Desso has been incorporating the Cradle to Cradle® philosophy in its business strategy
since 2008. By 2020, all its operations' products will be made from pure materials which are easy to separate
and which can be safely reused in new products of the same quality level. CEO Alexander Collot d’Escury: "For
Desso, it’s an amazing honour to be have our product add value in terms of design and to support KLM in its
pioneering sustainability." 04/02/2013
Synthesis Energy and GE Partner
for 50 to 100 MWe Power Solution
Texas based Synthesis Energy Systems (SES) has announced signing a joint evaluation and marketing
agreement with GE Packaged Power, Inc., a subsidiary of General Electric Company (GE). The partnership will
marry SES' U-GAS fluidized bed gasification technology with GE's
fuel-flexible LM-2500+G4 aeroderivative gas turbine. The U-Gas system is licensed by SES from the Gas Technology
Institute (GTI) and initially developed in the early 1970's by GTI and the Department of Energy. The combined
gasifier and turbine package will be designed to generate from 50 to 100 megawatts of electricity, fueled by any
combination of non-conventional feedstock to include low-grade coal wastes, biomass feedstock, and refuse
derived fuels. In January, SES announced an agreement with engineering company Fluor
to investigate conversion of waste derived feedstock to synthesis gas for catalysis to chemicals, testing used
tires and auto shredder residue, and last month announced expansion of marketing and development into India.
The new partnership with GE provides a proven power generation complement at a scale significantly smaller than
conventional gasification to turbine power plants, facilitating faster deployment and requiring a lower volume
feedstock supply chain. Robert Rigdon, president and CEO: "SES' technology is uniquely well-suited for a wide
range of fuels and can produce a syngas suitable for fueling GE's aeroderivative LM2500+G4 turbine. Based on our
initial work together, we are excited about the prospects for a replicable and cost effective small scale power
unit using unconventional fuels. This opportunity fits well into our model of developing valuable and low
capital business verticals around key segments in which we can deliver our technology product including design,
equipment, and services." 04/02/2013
USDA, DuPont Set Sustainable
Feedstock Standards for Cellulosic Ethanol
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a federal-private agreement with DuPont, setting
standards for sustainable collection of agricultural residuals to be used as feedstock at DuPont's 30 million
gallon per year cellulosic ethanol production facility in Nevada, Iowa that
broke ground last year. The USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) with DuPont in which NRCS will provide conservation planning assistance for farmers within a
30 mile radius who supply bio-based feedstocks to biorefineries as the industry begins to commercialize.
Conservation plans written for individual operations will ensure sustainable harvest of corn crop residues while
promoting natural resource conservation and land productivity. DuPont will develop a process to work with
cooperating farms on sustainable harvest practices that help keep soil in the field and out of rivers, streams
and lakes; promote healthier soils which help reduce flooding through increased infiltration rates, and provide
for the efficient use of nutrients. Secretary Tom Vilsack commented on the agreement: "USDA and DuPont share a
common interest in the wise use and management of soil, water and energy resources. Both organizations also
share an interest in helping individual farmers adapt to new market opportunities in ways that are consistent
with the wise use of these natural resources." 04/01/2013
Amyris Makes Progress in Strategic Partnerships with Total,
Cosan, Biolding
California-based Amyris has provided an update regarding progress with three key partnerships, part of
a collaborative business model the company has pursued for
commercialization. Amyris' technology platform of engineered microbial strains
converts a wide array of biomass into its many bio-sourced medicines, chemicals, and fuel commodities. Amyris
and Total began their partnership in 2010; the company just received confirmation that Total will provide $30
million by July 2013 per a revised agreement announced last year. The company has expanded its Novvi joint
venture partnership with the Brazilian industrial firm Cosan; Amyris will supply Biofene to Novvi for finishing
into final products until the joint venture builds its own farnesene production capacity. Amyris also reports
that it has now met the requisite technical milestones at its Biofene production facility in Brazil to secure
the last tranche $5 million from Biolding Investment SA., filing its Form 10-K with the Securities Exchange Commission. John
Melo, CEO: "Amyris is delivering on a track-record of focused execution and collaboration. We continue to meet
or exceed the technical milestones for our collaboration with Total and work closely to commercialize products
under the Amyris-Total fuels joint venture. With Cosan, we have expanded the scope of our joint venture's
product portfolio beyond base oils to a range of industrial, commercial, and automotive additives and lubricants
derived from Biofene. And, thanks to the successful performance of our first industrial-scale farnesene
production facility in Brazil, we met the conditions for an additional investment from one of our leading
stockholders." 04/01/2013
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