August 2011 News and Matters of Interest
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BacteriaIdentified in Panda Feces Are Able to Pre-Treat Biomass for Biofuels
Associate Professor Dr. Ashli Brown and her Mississippi State University team have isolated cellulolytic anaerobic bacteria that efficiently digest woody food in
a giant panda's gut, converting up to 95% of the lignocellulose in 20 to 40 pounds per day of bamboo to sugar.
The previously undescribed Clostridium and Bacteroides species were collected from fresh feces
gathered at the Memphis Zoo and cultured during an on-going project funded in part by the U.S. Department of
Energy, the Memphis Zoological Society, the Mississippi Corn Promotion Board, and the Southeastern Research
Center at Mississippi State. The bacteria produce powerful enzymes, natural biological catalysts that greatly
accelerate digestion of the panda's food. The research will continue to identify giant panda intestinal
bacterium, seeking the most active enzyme producers. "Our studies suggest that bacteria species in the panda
intestine may be more efficient at breaking down plant materials than termite bacteria and may do so in a way
that is better for biofuel manufacturing purposes," and "The discovery also teaches a lesson about the
importance of biodiversity and preserving endangered animals. Animals and plants are a major source of medicines
and other products that people depend on. When we lose them to extinction, we may lose potential sources of
these products," said Dr. Brown, whose findings were presented at this week's 242nd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical
Society (ACS). 08/31/2011
DOEAwards $12MM in Support of Three Drop-In Biofuels Technologies
US Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Steven Chu has announced dedication of $4 million in grant funding for each of three
small-scale biofuels development and commercialization efforts. New Zealand based LanzaTech's North American headquarters in Illinois will receive
support for their ethanol-to-jet fuel development. LanzaTech’s core technology allows carbon monoxide containing
gases to be used for fuel production by fermentation. Carbon monoxide is a high-energy gas that is used by
LanzaTech’s proprietary microbes as their only source of carbon and energy for growth and product synthesis. The
award to Research Triangle Institute in North Carolina backs their integration
of thermochemical bio-crude production with hydro-processing upgrading to green gasoline and bio-diesel.
Virent Energy Systems of Madison Wisconsin received funding to assist
development of their thermal conversion and syngas upgrading processes, based on their aqueous-phase catalytic
reforming (APR) conversion platform. "Producing advanced, drop-in biofuels in the U.S. will reduce America's
dependence on foreign oil and support development of a new industry that will create jobs in rural communities
across the country," said Secretary Chu. "These investments aim to accelerate the discovery of innovative
solutions that could drive down the cost of biofuels production and boost their availability in the
marketplace." 08/31/2011
Due09/30/2011: Response to USAF on Advanced Drop-In Biofuels Capabilities
The US Departments of Energy and Agriculture together with the US Navy have issued a Request for
Information (RFI-11-27-PKM) to accelerate biofuels public/private partnership
development. Following up on their interagency collaboration earlier in August, the RFI states the
Administration's concept and approach and seeks specific ideas on funding and commercialization of a viable
drop-in biofuels industry. Of particular interest are the technical, manufacturing and market barriers industry
might identify that thwart full commercialization. The RFI is not a request for proposals and there will be no
binding contract. The US Air Force (USAF), as the Department of Defense Executive Agent for the Defense
Production Act of 1950 (DPA; 50 U.S.C. App. § 2061 et seq.) Title III program, released and will administer the
RFI through the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The statutory criteria
for the DPA state that: (A) The industrial resource, material, or critical technology item is essential to the
national defense; and (B) Without Presidential action under the DPA Title III, United States industry cannot
reasonably be expected to provide the capability for the needed industrial resource, material, or critical
technology item in a timely manner. The Title III Program Office adds two additional criteria: (1) that the
activities should be the most cost-effective expedient and practical alternative to meet their need, and (2) the
US military demand is greater than the current industrial capacity to produce. Interested parties should respond
with a white paper format on their company letterhead. Documents are due by September 30, 2011 to the
Contracting Office at Det 1 AFRL/PKMD, ATTN: Laura J. Ortiz, 2310 Eighth Street, Bldg 167, Wright-Patterson
Research Laboratory, AFB OH 45433-7801, (937) 656-9883. Clarification can be requested by sending an email
to or. 08/31/2011
BioAmberPlans Commercial Bio-Sourced Succinic Acid Plant in Canada
Bluewater Chemicals, Inc, a subsidiary of BioAmber Inc, will construct a commercial scale bio-sourced succinic production
facility in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, with the support of CAD $35 million in grants and loans from the Ontario
Ministry for Economic Development and Trade (MEDT). BioAmber is a private US company with offices in the United
States, Canada, France, and China. BioAmber's technology platform is based on its exclusive license of microbial
succinic acid conversion production developed by the US Department of Energy in the late 1990’s as part of the
Alternative Feedstocks Program. The active microorganism produces high yields of succinic acid anaerobically
while absorbing large amounts of carbon dioxide. BioAmber currently produces the green chemical in their 3,000
million ton (MT) plant in France. The Sarnia facility will have an initial succinic acid production capacity of
17,000 MT, expanding to 35,000 MT after integration of new yeasts under development by their technology partner
Cargill. The plant is intended to also produce 23,000 MT of biobased 1,4 Butanediol (BDO) using licensed DuPont
technology to convert the succinic acid to BDO. Sandra Pupatello, Minister of Economic Development and Trade,
said “Developing and marketing innovative, clean technologies that reduce our carbon footprint is one of
Ontario’s strengths and a testimony of our growing impact in the global marketplace. Sarnia’s new Bluewater
Biochemicals plant will help move Ontario’s clean agenda forward, while creating jobs to strengthen our economy
and help Ontario families.” Permitting began in June 2011 and the facility is scheduled to be commissioned in
2013. 08/31/2011
Nexterra'sBiomass Gasification Installation Among Cleanest in North America
Nexterra's biomass gasification installation at the Prince George
campus of the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) shows substantially lower emissions when compared
to 17 modern, conventional biomass combustion facilities in North America. Results of third-party testing have
been released showing that Nexterra's data were 18 times lower for
particulate matter (PM), 65 times lower for carbon monoxide (CO), 37 times lower for volatile organic compounds
(VOCs), and 2 times lower than the average nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. When compared to US EPA standards for
natural gas, the Nexterra system biomass conversion emissions were lower for PM, CO and VOCs, and the same as
natural gas for NOx. The emissions data were collected by Levelton Consultants Ltd., a leading engineering and science
consulting firm. The UNBC's biomass gasification system was unveiled in March of this year, integrating campus operations with
research and teaching, generating renewable heat economically thorough locally-sourced wood waste. It is
expected to displace up to 85 per cent of the UNBC’s natural gas consumption, reducing greenhouse gas emissions
by up to 3,500 tonnes per year. 08/30/2011
TulaneUniversity Turns Newspaper to Bio-butanol - Seeks Commercial Partners
Researchers at Tulane University in New Orleans have been experimenting with a
bacterium named TU-103 that can directly convert newspaper and other cellulosic
biomass into butanol. Associate Professor of Cell and Molecular Biology Dr. David Mullin and his team believe that TU-103 is the only known
butanol-producing clostridial strain that can produce butanol in the presence of oxygen. Oxygen is toxic to
other butanol-producing bacteria. “This discovery could reduce the cost to produce bio-butanol,” says Mullin.
“In addition to possible savings on the price per gallon as a fuel, bio-butanol produced from cellulose would
dramatically reduce carbon dioxide and smog emissions in comparison to gasoline.” The innovative process also
could have a positive impact on landfill waste. Tulane University is now "actively seeking commercial entities to further develop and
commercialize" the new and efficient cellulose-to-biofuel conversion process. Inquiries regarding collaboration
should be directed to Justin Levy, Tulane University's Licensing Associate, at 504-988-6962
or, referencing their intellectual property number for this project, PCT/US2011/47372.
08/30/2011
Due11/04/2011: Proposals for Central Maui Landfill Gas Utilization Project
The County of Maui, Hawaii, has released a Request for Proposals (RFP No. 11-12 / P-15) from developers for utilization of landfill gas
sufficient to produce about 1 megawatt of electricity. Two pre-proposal site visits are scheduled for Tuesday,
September 13, 2011 and Thursday September 15, 2011. The County operates the Central Maui Landfill gas collection
and control system which is now being flared. The Request for Proposals (RFP) may be obtained at the County of
Maui Purchasing Division, Department of Finance, located in the Wells Street Professional Center, 2145 Wells
Street, Suite 104, Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii, 96793. Sealed Proposals will be received until 4:00 PM Hawaii Standard
Time on Friday, November 4, 2011, unless revised by addenda. For technical aspects, contact Michael Kehano,
Solid Waste Division at (808) 270-6153. For bidding process, contact Garrett Goo, Purchasing Division at (808)
249-2403. For more general landfill operational information contact Kyle Ginoza, Director of Environmental
Management at 808-270-8230. 08/30/2011
CECReleases 2011-2012 Investment Plan for Alternative and Renewable Fuels
The California Energy Commission (CEC) has posted the final draft of their 2011-2012 Investment Plan for
the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (AB 118,
Núñez, Chapter 750, Statutes of 2007). The final draft is built on the Transportation Committee's 3rd annual
draft presented in their June 2011 Workshop, and reflects all comments received to
Docket 10-ALT-1. The statute (as amended by AB 109) authorizes the CEC
to “develop and deploy innovative technologies that transform California’s fuel and vehicle types to help attain
the state’s climate change policies” and is based on an annual budget of about $100 million with allocation as
outlined in each fiscal year's Investment Plan. This year's Plan includes increased emphasis on upstream fuel
issues including feedstock type/acquisition and conversion processes. The Biofuels section (page 78) is
responsive to the CEC's Bioenergy Action Plan, and contains an assessment of "some of the more
developed and promising feedstocks." Biofuels feedstock categories include waste-based and purpose-grown
feedstocks; fuel conversion processes rely on the fuel pathways identified to date through the Air Resources
Board's Low Carbon Fuel Standard. The Commission will consider adoption of the
draft Investment Plan at an upcoming Business Meeting, later this fall. 08/26/2011
ImpactsAssessed of Proposed 1-Year Extension of Self-Gen Incentive
Program
The US Department of Energy's Pacific Clean Energy Application Center
(PCEAC) has released a review of the potential fiscal impact to California
institutions associated with AB 1150's proposed 1-year extension of the Self Generation Incentive Program (SGIP;
SB 412 of 2009). The SGIP program is set to expire on January 1, 2016; AB 1150 would allow the Public Utilities
Commission to authorize continued collection of ratepayer funds for one year, for a total of $83 million in
2012. The report assessed the potential fiscal impact to be realized from adoption of combined heat and power
(CHP) distributed generation by state-owned facilities under the expanded program. Findings: (a) Costs to
California would be about $1 million of the $83 million that would be collected in 2012, based on the state's
percentage of utility energy purchases, (b) State-operated entities would benefit from the extension by
receiving from $4.38 to $8.75 million for self-generation installations in the range of 50 to 100 megawatt
electric, and (c) Long-term benefits of CHP would be from $100 to $300 million, in total net present value. The
report is largely drawn from work by ICF International, who presented the data to the Industrial Energy Consumers of America
conference in San Francisco in June 2011. 08/26/2011
FirstSustainability Report Cards Posted at Biofuels Pumps in Three States
The non-profit Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance (SBA) participating members in
three states have now posted Sustainability Report Cards on their biofuels pumps. The new
sustainability-assurance program scores biodiesel based on a suite of sustainability criteria including
feedstock type, origin, method of production and distance trucked to the point of sale. The resulting numeric
score translates into a rating of Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum. So far, Piedmont Biofuels of Pittsboro, North Carolina, Pacific Biodiesel in Hawaii and SeQuential Biofuels in Oregon have begun offering SBA scored
sustainable biodiesel at a total of 8 retail pumps. The SBA expects to increase the participation over the next
few months. "We've been waiting for a sustainability labeling system for years, and we are delighted that our
fuel scored at the top. Not all biodiesel is created equal. Thanks to the SBA, the driving public now has a way
to discern the difference between one biodiesel and another," said Lyle Estill president of Piedmont Biofuels.
“Piedmont is proud to be a member of the SBA and one of the first sites for labeled biodiesel in the
U.S.” SBA membership is open to individuals, businesses, noon-profit
organizations and governmental entities, subject to a Board-approval process. 08/26/2011
VirentGreen Gasoline Passes Critical "No Harm" in Real-World Testing
Wisconsin based Virent Energy Systems has announced that their Biogasoline has passed rigorous testing
conducted by one of their collaborators, Royal Dutch Shell. Five identical pairs of cars were driven more than
6,000 miles each during 2010; one set ran on regular Shell gasoline and the other on a blend of Shell gas and
Virent biofuel. All engines were then dismantled and inspected; regardless the fuel, all engines were judged to
be in identical condition. Virent's process catalytically converts plant sugars directly into drop-in gasoline
blendstock identical to petroleum refinery gasoline. Sugar feedstock can be conventional sources like sugar
cane, or cellulosic biomass like corn stover and pine residuals. “The Shell road trial results are encouraging
and an important step forward in the commercialization of the BioForming process,” said Lee Edwards, CEO of
Virent. The blended product can be used in existing refineries, pipelines, tanks, trucks, stations and pumps,
safely powering the engines of cars, trucks, motorcycles, watercraft and other gasoline powered small engines.
Virent was just selected by the National Advanced Biofuels Consortium as one of only
two advanced drop-in biofuels judged "Defense-Ready". 08/26/2011
Rosemount Offers Custom
Biofuels Injection Blending at New Minnesota Terminal
Rosemount Clean Energies is now equipped to provide custom injection
blending of biofuels petroleum products to advance biofuels commercialization in the St. Paul, Minnesota region.
The redeveloped industrial complex is equipped with a rail spur, half a million barrel storage capacity, and
distribution systems for biodiesel and ultra-low sulfur petroleum diesel fuel. The green-built, zero-waste plant
will provide transloading, storage and distribution of ethanol, waste oil recycling, asphalt, #6 oil, propane,
diesel exhaust fluid (DEF), compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG). The 50 acre site can
expand capacity as needed for marine, aviation and other bio-fuels. "Biofuels are here to stay," states Tim
Yocum, one of the principals and Chief Manager of Rosemount Clean Energies. "Canada just announced a 2%
biodiesel requirement. Minnesota is going to 10% next spring. This new terminal will allow greater distribution
of biofuels right where crops are grown and biofuels are produced. Combine this with our refineries' ability to
produce ultra-low sulfur diesel from North Dakota and Canadian crude, and we have opened a huge channel for
energy independence through local supply." Mr. Yocum also said that Rosemount Clean Energies can accept and test product from small-volume
biofuels producers and is actively seeking strategic partners for rapid growth. 08/25/2011
GEOffers
Fuel-Flexible Waukesha Engine for Smaller Biogas Projects
GE has introduced the Waukesha 1 megawatt APG1000 gas engine, expanding upon
its line of biogas engines. The engine's modified combustion chamber, spark design and fuel control system
provides easier start-up and operation, and now can utilize a broader range of bio-sourced gaseous fuels,
including landfill gas, wastewater treatment biogas and fuel gas from conversion of agricultural waste. The
introduction highlights GE's recent acquisition of Dresser Inc, Waukesha engine's parent
corporation. The APG1000 is available for natural gas and biogas applications; GE also offers the option to
incorporate Waukesha's combined heat and power technology. “Our introduction of the Waukesha APG1000 biogas engine helps us address the demand for more
biogas engine choices in the lower output range as more industrial customers seek to recycle their own waste
gases to generate cleaner and more cost-effective onsite power,” said Rafael Santana, CEO-Gas Engines for GE
Power & Water. “While GE’s fuel-flexible, Jenbacher gas engines already are a popular global solution for
distributed energy projects in the larger 3 to 4-MW output range, our Waukesha gas engine and Clean Cycle
systems helps GE meet the demand for gas engines for smaller onsite power projects around the world.”
08/25/2011
Cereplastand Mastercolor AB Partner for Scandinavian Bioplastic Resin Market
California-based Cereplast has signed a distribution agreement for its proprietary biobased,
compostable and sustainable plastic resins for Sweden, Norway and Denmark with Scandinavian bioplastics
marketing and distribution firm Mastercolor AB. Frederick Sheer, Chairman and CEO of Cereplast notes
that their company now has entered seven European distribution agreements since the start of 2011. Cereplast
Compostables(R) Resins are designed for manufacturing durable, single-use, highly compostable applications,
especially in the food service industry. Mastercolor's agreement starts with four shipping containers of
Cereplast's proprietary bioplastics resin, and is expected to increase in coming years. "We are pleased to
partner with Cereplast to expand our product offering and provide our clients with the highest quality
bioplastic resin as an environmentally friendlier alternative to traditional plastic," said Carl-Johan Levert,
CEO of Mastercolor AB. "Demand for biobased materials in the Scandinavian region is growing at a fast pace, and
we are now better positioned to serve that market effectively." 08/25/2011
CodexisReports on Carbon Capture Technology Progress to DOE / NETL
Technical progress in capture and sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2) by
California-based Codexis was presented this week to the US Department of Energy's National Energy
Technology Laboratory (DOE / NETL). Codexis received up to $4.7 million in May 2010 through ARPA-E Recovery Act
program funding from the DOE to develop processes to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from coal-fired power
plants using the company's patented CodeEvolver(TM) directed evolution technology. Codexis is developing
proprietary carbonic anhydrase (CA) enzymes to catalyze carbon capture under industrial conditions; their data
indicates performance about two million fold greater than processes using natural forms of the enzyme. The
resulting CA enzymes are stable in temperatures greater than 90 degrees C. in relatively inexpensive, energy
efficient solvents for 24 hours. Codexis has partnered with CO2 Solution, Inc, Quebec, Canada to develop the
technology on this and other CO2 capture and resource recovery projects. CO2 Solutions has developed methods to utilize Codexis' CA enzyme to
catalyze the transformation of CO2 into inert bicarbonate ion, greatly accelerating the natural mechanism used
for CO2 respiration in the human body. 08/25/2011
ICMBiomass Gasifier Now Uses Eisenmann Emissions Abatement
Technology
Kansas based ICM, Inc has selected emissions control systems from Eisenmann Corporation after successful testing with its Harvey County,
Kansas feedstock-flexible gasification technology demonstration facility. Eisenmann's dual-field WESP (wet
electrostatic precipitation) abatement systems, combined with ICM's own thermal oxidizer (T/O) and "heat sink"
system is expected to provide emissions controls across the range of feedstocks. Located adjacent to Harvey
County's municipal solid waste transfer and recycling facility in Newton, Kansas, ICM's demonstration plant is
designed to cleanly convert refuse derived fuel (RDF), tires, wood chips, agricultural residues and energy crops
into electricity and potentially fuels and chemicals. The facility broadens ICM's research and testing currently
occurring at its facilities in Colwich, KS and St. Joseph, MO. Dave Vander Griend, president and CEO of ICM
said, “We’re thrilled with the recent commercial deployment of our biomass gasifier technology, as it allows us
to offer our waste-to-energy system on a global level. Recognizing the strength of collaborative partnerships,
ICM is pleased to work with EISENMANN and their WESP technology to enhance our biomass gasifier applications.”
08/24/2011
BlackburnWWTW Converts Sewage to Biogas to Electricity in East Lancashire
The massive Blackburn wastewater treatment works (WWTW) in East Lancashire, United
Kingdom, will now produce one seventh of the plant's electrical need by first converting the sewage to biogas,
then to electricity. The Blackburn WWTW collects sewage from a 15 mile radius to process 168 megalitres of
sewage per day, providing high-quality fertilizer for the agricultural industry at no cost. Conversion of the
biogas to electricity is a "first" for the region, but not for United Utilities who generated 111 gigawatt hours of electricity from
their many anaerobic digestion biogas generation and hydrogenation facilities across the United Kingdom. Steve
Mogford, CEO of United Utilities, demonstrated the high-tech Blackburn site last week to Lord Henley Minister of
the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Mr. Mogford commented, "We already use AD technology to treat
sewerage sludge and generate electricity at a number of our large treatment plants across the North West.
Blackburn is the first in East Lancashire to use a sustainable power supply to run its heating and machinery."
08/24/2011
LawrenceBerkeley National Lab Opens Advanced Biofuels Testing Facility
The Advanced Biofuels Process Demonstration Unit (ABPDU) at Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) in Emeryville, California is officially open for business following the ribbon-cutting
ceremony last week. The 15,000 square-foot facility is designed to speed commercialization of next-generation
biofuels by providing industry-scale lab testing capabilities. The ABPDU will test biomass pre-treatment
methods, bioreactors for the production of microbial or fungal enzymes that can break down biomass into
fermentable sugars, and technologies for conversion of sugars into advanced biofuels, along with the capacity to
purify the fuels. The US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) awarded a $20 million grant last year to Berkeley Lab for the facility. Under the
terms of the grant, the Berkeley Lab will receive an additional $3 million a year to operate the ABPDU, which is
expected to be used by researchers from DOE’s three Bioenergy Research Centers (BRCs). The ABPDU also received $20 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act. “One of the major missions of the BRCs is to see that scientific advances are translated into commercially
viable technologies, as the rapid transfer of laboratory discoveries to the marketplace is crucial to solving
the nation’s most pressing challenges in energy and the environment,” says Keasling, who also serves as CEO for
one of the BRCs, the Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI). “The ABPDU will be an important contributor to this national effort.”
08/24/2011
Aquaflowand Shell's CRI Catalyst Collaborate for Biofuel Development
New Zealand's Aquaflow has entered a collaborative agreement with Texas-based
CRI Catalyst Company to advance algae to drop-in fuel development.
Aquaflow was the first company to produce biodiesel and later, jet fuel, from genetically natural species of
micro-algae harvested from sewage ponds. CRI is part of CRI/Criterion, the global catalyst technology unit of
the Shell Group and is a major provider of technology to the global petrochemical and renewable fuels markets.
It is a leading provider of ethylene oxide, selective hydrogenation, environmental and renewable fuel/chemicals
technology. CRI has an exclusive sublicense agreement from Shell Global Solutions to use the Gas Technology Institute
(GTI) Integrated Hydropyrolysis and Hydroconversion (IH2) technology.
The collaboration will utilize mixed feedstock consisting of their wild-sourced algae optimized with other forms
of biomass, for direct conversion into renewable gasoline, jet and diesel hydrocarbon blendstocks. “Initially,
we’ll focus on setting up a demonstration facility, most likely in the USA, and from this base we will expand
into the project opportunities currently in the Aquaflow pipeline – across a number of geographies,” comments
Nick Gerritsen, Aquaflow director. 08/23/2011
DraftRegulations Released for California's New Wildfire Prevention Fund
Following passage this year of the State Responsibility Area (SRA) Fire Prevention Fund (ABx1-29), draft regulations have been released and an updated review has been posted by the California Fire Safe Council.
Effective July 8th, 2011, the chaptered legislation creates an annual $150 fee-per-structure user buy-in program
to provide wildfire prevention services. Funds must be used "to pay the cost of collection and be distributed
back to the direct benefit of the structure owners paying the fee, and may only support fire prevention costs by
a number of entities including Cal Fire and the Board of Forestry (BOF), local Fire Safe Councils, local
government, and other non-profits." Permanent regulations will be developed by the BOF and submitted to the
Governor's Office sometime between September of this year and July of 2012. A two-year regulatory implementation
process then begins, awarding grants and supporting community fore safety education; from mid 2014, BoF will
implement a long-term wildlands maintenance and wildfire prevention program. Comments may be submitted to the
BOF on the draft regulations at .
08/23/2011
ACOREProposes "Universal" Definition of Biomass
At the end of last year, the non-profit American Council on Renewable Energy
(ACORE) tasked their Biomass Coordinating Council (BCC) to review sixteen definitions for "biomass" that are currently
found in federal laws and regulations and from this, to develop one "universal definition" of the term
biomass. BCC's "Biomass Definition Subcommittee" (BDS) invested over 500 hours to finalize a definition
they felt would be scientifically correct, would reflect the importance of biomass to environmental stewardship,
would cover multiple agency needs and could be adopted by Congress. Their final Definition of Biomass was submitted to Congress last week. Of note, the
Definition treats material from public lands differently than from private lands. In their preamble to the Definition, ACORE has now asked that Congress
join the organization "in envisioning a new and vital frontier for the sustainable use of biomass in addressing
the critical challenges of our times – economic stimulation, jobs, deficit reductions, climate change, energy
independence and security, as well as environmental and social enhancement." ACORE's goal is to bring all forms
of renewable energy into the mainstream of America’s economy and lifestyle; BCC promotes all renewable and
sustainable uses of biomass and supports sustainability measures such as water conservation and soil
enhancement, and the use of all biomass feedstocks including waste streams. 08/23/2011
CoskataRaises Over $20MM for Cellulosic Ethanol Commercialization
Illinois based Coskata, Inc has closed a Series D round of financing, raising over $20 million to advance their
integrated cellulosic ethanol biorefinery development. Support comes from previous investors including the Blackstone Group, Khosla Ventures,
Total Energy Ventures International (part of Total, one of the world’s major Oil and Gas groups), ATV, Globespan
Capital Partners, General Motors, Arancia, and Sumitomo. Coskata intends to open another funding opportunity in
the forth quarter, 2011 for the remainder of the $40 million total offering. Coskata received a conditional loan guarantee early this year from the US Department of
Agriculture to build a commercial scale cellulosic ethanol biorefinery, and selected Fagen Inc. and the Harris Group for their engineering,
procurement and contracting (EPC) team. Their flexible technology platform first uses gasification to convert a
wide array of feedstock types including biomass and waste to syngas, then uses the syngas as feedstock for
anaerobic microbial fermentation to produce low-cost production of biofuels and chemicals. “We are very pleased
with the continued commitment of our existing investors and their confidence in our technology platform,” said
William Roe, president and chief executive officer of Coskata, Inc. “Proceeds from this transaction will go
towards funding the remaining steps to commercialization.” 08/22/2011
California LCFS Advisory
Panel Posts New Draft Documents for Upcoming Meeting
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has posted additional review documents in advance of the Low Carbon Fuel
Standard (LCFS) Advisory Panel's general meeting August 25 and 26, 2011. The Panel is developing their
report for submission to the Board in December; a draft Table of Contents and an outline of progress toward the
Targets and Schedules aid in understanding the overall scope of their
efforts. Two new and detailed draft chapters have been developed, addressing (a) Technology Assessment, Supply and Availability and (b) Environmental Impacts. The Technology chapter indicates the Panel's
increased grasp of advanced fuel production systems' rapid development, along with the barriers to that
development in inadequate infrastructure and investment. The Impacts chapter clarifies this increased
understanding, identifying the biofuels and technologies evaluated: " The biofuels evaluated include: ethanol
from grains, sugarcane, and cellulose; biodiesel; renewable diesel; biogas; hydrogen; and biogasoline. The
conversion technologies evaluated include: fermentation, hydrolysis, gasification, transesterification,
anaerobic digestion, reformation, and acid fermentation." Starting with the 2009 assessment, the draft then
examines new impact assessment tools and methods currently available to expand upon assessment as the number and
diversity of fuel pathways continues to increase. A section outlines Sustainability and the LCFS (Impacts, pg
13), including the Sustainability Workgroup's efforts to address how existing law and regulation address
sustainability for the management and harvest of biofuel feedstocks. The Impacts draft concludes (pg 16) that
because this review is occurring early on in the program, "there are not enough data to suggest that there are
environmental impacts associated with the LCFS." 08/22/2011
Abengoa Receives Conditional
$133.9 MM Loan Guarantee for Biomass to Ethanol
International company Abengoa's subsidiary Abengoa Bioenergy has received an offer of a conditional
commitment for a loan guarantee of $133.9 million from the US Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office to
support Abengoa's construction of a commercial-scale cellulosic biomass to ethanol biorefinery.
The biorefinery will be adjacent to Abengoa's existing
starch ethanol plant, which will together form a hybrid complex in Hugoton, Kansas. The biorefinery plant will
have a minimum conversion capacity of 700 tons per day and will consist of
two parts: enzymatic hydrolysis (EH) and gasification. The EH part will convert the biomass (400 t/day) into
ethanol, lignin and animal feed. The Gasification part will convert 300 t of biomass per day into syngas, which
will be burned for steam generation. The steam will be used inside the biomass plant, and the surplus sold to
the neighboring starch plant. Javier Salgado, President and CEO of Abengoa Bioenergy: “After we demonstrate the
commercial viability of our proprietary enzymatic hydrolysis technology in Hugoton, we then plan to incorporate
the technology into many of our other existing facilities by adding cellulosic production to the existing starch
ethanol facilities that we currently operate … The plant is also designed to produce approximately 23 million
gallons of advanced cellulosic ethanol each year, as well as enough energy to meet the electric power needs of
the plant.” 08/22/2011
CTSI's2011 Top 10 Defense Technologies Includes Waste Conversion to Energy
The Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Organization (CTSI) has selected 2011's top 10 technologies ready for Defense applications out of a
field of 220 global energy companies vetted. The winners span fields of bioenergy, biofuels, wind energy,
transportation, microgrids and energy storage. CTSI's findings will be presented in Honolulu on September 13,
2011 at the Asia Pacific Clean Energy Summit to a panel of officials representing
the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force, and the Department of Agriculture and Army Corp of Engineers. Winners in the
Bioenergy and Biofuels categories include ZeaChem's hybrid integration of microbial and thermal conversion of
wastes and biomass to fuels and chemicals, and LanzaTech, feeding microbes CO-rich industrial emissions to produce
fuels and chemicals. Also converting waste to energy is Ener-G-Rotors, whose systems convert low-temperature waste heat into
electricity. CTSI is a not-for-profit
membership organization with the goal of advancing the commercialization and global adoption of clean
technologies and sustainable industry practices, offering a free clean-tech start-up program. 08/20/2011
CaliforniaARB LCFS Advisory Panel Meets on August 25-26, 2011
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has issued a notice with location and contact information for the third
Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) Advisory Panel Meeting on August 25 and 26, 2011. The two-day
meeting is open to the public and participation can be in person or by webinar. Topics covered will include
harmonization if the LCFS with other similar global sustainable fuels efforts, fuel pathway Lifecycle Assessment
(LCA), supply and availability concerns, meeting the LCFS targets and timelines, and the environmental impacts
of the program. Following release by the LCFS Advisory Panel of their Workplan Version 2 (V2) outlining progress
toward and plans for continued work on the 13 workgroup topics mandated by the LCFS law, Teru Talk submitted
public comments on the V2 Plan and posted our Interim Guide to the LCFS. Both documents should help broaden public
understanding. The LCFS developing regulations are intended to reduce the carbon intensity of fuels sold in
California ten percent by 2020, to reduce greenhouse gases in California. For further agency information on the
program and the next meeting, see the Advisory Panel's web page and/or contact Michelle Buffington
at or (916) 324-0368. 08/20/2011
INEOSCloses on $75MM to Complete Advanced Waste to BioEnergy Facility
INEOS New Planet BioEnergy (INPB) has finalized a $75 million round of private financing, backed by
their just-issued USDA loan guarantee from the 9003 Biorefinery Assistance Program. INPB
is a joint venture project of INEOS Bio and New Planet Bioenergy (INBP), and the financing supports completion of
the Indian River BioEnergy Center in Vero Beach, Florida. The commercial
scale plant will produce eight million gallons annually of cellulosic-sourced biofuel and a total of six
megawatts of electricity by conversion of local biomass, including yard waste and household organics.
The INEOS Bio process thermally decomposes waste and then bubbles the cooled hydro-carbon rich gas
through a microbial bath for fermentation to fuels and other chemicals. “We want to commend the USDA on its
partnership with us in advancing this bioenergy technology and making it commercially available,” said Peter
Williams, CEO of INEOS Bio and Chairman of INEOS New Planet BioEnergy. “The Vero Beach
BioEnergy Center is the first of its kind in the world and provides a template for a technology that can make a
real contribution to energy independence and job creation, while also reducing green house gas emissions and
diverting wastes from landfill and lower value uses.” 08/20/2011
HDSIAcquires License For Carbon Capture and Algal Biofuel Technology
Rhode Island based HDS International (HDSI) has entered into an acquisition agreement with Hillwinds Ocean Energy, LLC (HOEL), a
privately-held carbon capture, carbon sequestration and algae-for-biofuels technology company, and wholly owned
subsidiary of Hillwinds Energy Development Corporation (HEDC). HOEL's technology systems and methods can be
applied for ocean-based biomass production through the fixation of carbon dioxide (CO2) in biological systems.
The technology can remove large volumes of CO2 from industrial emissions and efficiently transfer the CO2 to
photosynthetic marine algae, increasing their growth rate. The all-natural processing complement can reduce
industrial emissions related costs, cut greenhouse gas release and drive production of sustainable biofuels and
bioproducts.As part of the licensing
agreement, Mark Simon resigned as HDSI’s sole executive officer. Tassos D. Recachinas has taken over as
president, CEO, CFO, secretary, treasurer and director of HDSI. Mr. Rechachinas is an officer, director
and controlling shareholder of HEDC, parent company of HOEL. He is also managing member of
Sophis Investments LLC, an investor in HOEL. HDSI paid HOEL for the exclusive license through 7.5 million
newly-issued shares of Class A Preferred Stock; 250,000 newly-issued shares of HDS common stock; and a $325,000
promissory note due in 12 months at a 10 percent interest
rate. HDSI has also just agreed on terms of financing with Wiremu, Inc. for a stock-convertible low
interest six-month loan of $500,000. Mr. Recachinas stated, “With this
acquisition, HDS is strategically positioned to capitalize on the already enormous and growing opportunity
associated with addressing the world’s most significant long-term problems, namely eco-sustainability and energy
independence.” 08/19/2011
GreenstarWins Akron Contract for Recycling and Waste Plastics Conversion
The City of Akron, Ohio, has awarded a recycling contract to Texas company Greenstar Recycling for construction of a single-stream recycling
processing center for the City's curb-side pick-up of recyclable goods. The contract also includes conversion
of waste plastics to synthetic crude oil (syn-oil) using thermal
depolymerization technology provided by Greenstar's Ohio-based joint venture partner Vadxx Energy. The process produces syn-oil with
lower sulfur content than that found in crude oil and is light density oil with API gravities primarily between
35 and 45 degrees. Gas produced by the Vadxx process can be converted to electricity to power the unit. “This
new recycling facility will bolster the local, green infrastructure of Akron and its surrounding communities.
Recycling is a cornerstone of our sustainability efforts and we are pleased to announce this significant
investment in the local community.” said Rick Merolla, Akron’s Public Service Director. In addition, Merolla
said, “this new facility is consistent with the City’s Greenprint for sustainability, launched in 2008.”
08/19/2011
WaterBuffalo Rumen Enzymes Characterized for Cellulosic Ethanol Production
Taiwanese researchers' work published this month in BioMed Central's
Biotechnology for Biofuels describes gene and enzyme activity of a
newly-isolated W5 strain of Neocallimastix patriciarum, an anaerobic fungal organism found in water
buffalo digestive tracts. Difficulties culturing the ruminant fungus and the lack of genome detail have
previously deterred a good understanding of glycosyl hydrolases, the "GH" enzymes responsible for ruminant
cellulose digestion. A key step in cellulosic ethanol production is the efficient breakdown of cellulose to
glucose for fermentation. The team utilized a combined recent advances in transcriptomic and proteomic genomic
approach to identify 19 major extracellular cellulase genes for enzyme characterization in degradation of rice
straw, napier grass, and sugarcane bagasse. The genes were expressed in yeast organisms for enzyme
characterization, identifying at least five cellulases, including one β-glucoside and one exoccellulase with
activity levels strong enough to be potentially useful for commercial glucose production. Lead researchers are
Tzi-Yuan Wang, Biodiversity Research Center, and Hsin-Liang Chen, Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei 115, Taiwan.
08/19/2011
Due09/02/2011: Comments on Refined 4RFI Proposed Action Plan
The US Forest Service is seeking public comment on their refined action plan for the Four Forests Restoration Initiative
(4RFI), a plan for restoration activities on about 600,000 acres of the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests in
central and eastern Arizona. Two public meetings have been scheduled to discuss the 4RFI plan for August 25,
2011 in Williams and August 27, 2011 in Flagstaff, Arizona. The 4RFI received Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration funding in June; mop-up
activities continue after the massive fires that swept the area that month. Fuel loading reduction
and biomass resource utilization are high priorities in the Plan. Objectives of the 4RFI are "to re-establish
forest structure, pattern, and composition, which will lead to increased forest resiliency and function at a
landscape scale. This project is expected to put the project area on a trajectory toward comprehensive,
landscape-scale restoration with benefits that include improved vegetation biodiversity, wildlife habitat, soil
productivity, and watershed function." Comments should be submitted
to. For additional information, contact the project team
leader Henry Provencio at 928-226-4684 and visit the 4RFI Project website and 4RFI Stakeholder website. 08/19/2011
SynthesisEnergy Successfully Tests Gasification of Low-Grade Chinese Coal
Houston-based Synthesis Energy Systems, Inc (SES) has announced successful 5-day testing of its advanced gasification system
at its Zaozhuang joint venture plant in Shandong Province, China. SES licenses the U-GAS® system from
Gasification Technology Institute (GTI), focusing on the clean conversion of low-grade feedstock
including biomass and coal, leaving "better" fuels for less resilient technologies. The tests gasified low
quality high-ash coal for Yankuang Yishan Chemical Industry Company ("YYCC"), demonstrating high carbon
conversion efficiency and a range of system load levels. YYCC operates a 240,000 tonne/year synthetic ammonia
plant, a 420,000 tonne/year urea unit and a 30,000 tonne/year methanol facility. Based on SES' successful coal
test, YYCC and SES plan to move into commercial discussions regarding retrofitting YYCC's outdated gasification
systems in use for their ammonia fertilizer plant with the U-GAS® technology. Mr. Zu Yu, Deputy Chief Engineer
of YYCC, stated, "With this successful coal test, we more firmly believe that SES' U-GAS® technology is ideally
suited to meet our specifications and requirements on production cost, energy consumption, environmental, etc.
As a result, we are moving forward with our commercial discussions with SES." 08/18/2011
DynamotiveSeeks Expansion of BioOil Pyrolysis Technology to SE Asia
Canadian pyrolysis specialists Dynamotive Energy Systems Corporation
(“Dynamotive”) has announced signing of a non-binding six-month extendable Memorandum of
Understanding (“MOU”) with Genting Bio-Oil Sdn Bhd (GBO) of Malaysia, a subsidiary of Genting Berhad, to explore market development of the company's
pyrolysis oil technology in the Southeast (SE) Asia Region. Dynamotive has developed two biofuel processing technologies out of its Waterloo
Research Facility: Fast Pyrolysis, which creates renewable bio-oil, and Bingo (Biomass INto GasOil), which
refines it into clean usable mobile fuels. Fast Pyrolysis uses cellulosic biomass from agricultural or forestry
residues to produce BioOil comparable to Fuel Oil and CQuest BioChar which can be used in heating applications, or in an
agricultural setting to aid in substantial crop improvements. GBO also has extensive experience with pyrolysis
and production of bio-oil; the collaboration will assess the SE Asian market development potential, the
performance characteristics of Dynamotive's approach when converting palm oil wastes, possible construction of a
biofuel plant, and evaluation of a common business model. Subject to successfully meeting the established
objectives, the parties would enter into definitive commercial agreement. 08/18/2011
FuelCellPower Plant Converts Wastewater Biogas to H2 and Electricity
A public/private partnership that includes FuelCell Energy (FCE), Air Products and the National Fuel Cell Research Center at the University of California,
Irvine has announced a commissioning event of a Direct FuelCell (DFC®) power
plant that converts wastewater treatment biogas from the Orange County Sanitation District (OCSD) into 250
kilowatts of electricity to run the main facility and pure hydrogen (H2) for on-site vehicle fueling. The
project received support from California Air Resources Board (CARB), South Coast Air Quality Management District
(SCAQMD), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Southern California Gas Company. Tony Leo, Vice President,
Applications, FuelCell Energy, Inc., commented, "Our Direct FuelCell technology is very versatile including the
ability to provide renewable hydrogen as well as ultra-clean power and usable high quality heat from a waste
stream … This project demonstrates how technology developed and manufactured in America can help to address our
Nation's dependence on imported fuel sources by efficiently and cleanly converting waste biogas into renewable
hydrogen for transportation needs of the 21st century," The power plant is operating under a three year contract
and is maintained by FuelCell Energy. 08/18/2011
ConstructionStarts on Lethbridge Organic Waste to Biogas Facility
After a decade of planning, ECB Enviro North America Inc and Canadian anaerobic digestion (AD)
specialists PlanEt Biogas Solutions Inc have formed the new partnership,
Lethbridge Biogas LP, and have announced start of construction on their 2.85 megawatt biogas plant.
The new facility is located in Rave Industrial Park, Lethbridge County, Alberta, Canada. The biogas facility
will process local organic by-products from local livestock operations, the meat and food processing industries,
restaurants, and institutions, with carbon dioxide savings of more than 45,000 tonnes per year. PlanEt has built
five biogas plants in Canada and more than 200 plants in Europe through their affiliate company PlanEt Biogas
Technique of Vreden, Germany. He Lethbridge plant should start biogas production in 2013. “We
believe this project is a long-term, value added initiative that will reduce waste while creating a new source
of energy", adds Economic Development Lethbridge CEO Cheryl Dick. “This is an important
rural development opportunity that has economic, environmental and long-term societal benefits through waste
reduction, energy creation and advanced technology application.” 08/17/2011
DOE,USDA, Navy Partner to Accelerate Advanced Drop-in Biofuel Production
Responding to President Obama's Blueprint for A Secure Energy Future, the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA), together with the Departments of Energy (DOE) and the Navy,
have announced a three-year initiative with a $510
million budget to speed development of large-volume biorefineries that can produce drop-in aviation and marine
biofuels for military and commercial transportation. The initiative is directed toward
public-private partnerships requiring at least a dollar-for-dollar private sector match, and
is being steered by the White House Biofuels Interagency Work Group and Rural Council. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, Secretary of
Energy Steven Chu, and Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus have developed a plan to jointly construct or retrofit
several drop-in biofuel plants and refineries. "By building a national biofuels industry, we are creating
construction jobs, refinery jobs and economic opportunity in rural communities throughout the country," said
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack. "As importantly, every gallon of biofuel consumed near where it is produced cuts
transportation costs and, for the military, improves energy security." "These pioneer plants will demonstrate
advanced technologies to produce infrastructure-compatible, drop-in renewable fuels from America's abundant
biomass resources," said Energy Secretary Chu. "It will support development of a new, rural-focused industry
that will replace imported crude oil with secure, renewable fuels made here in the U.S."
08/17/2011
Due 09/15/2011: Applications
for Funding of Biomass Boilers in UK Social Housing
The United Kingdom's Department of Energy and Climate (DECC) has
established a £3 million fund to help put biomass fueled "eco-heater"
boilers in government-run low income "social housing", as part of the UK's £15 million Renewable Heat Premium
Payment budget. Biomass boiler heat can either be used directly for heating, or to produce hot water. Systems
are fueled using pellets made from wood, sawdust, straw, and crops specifically grown for energy purposes such
as willow and elephant grass, and are designed for use with hoppers which automatically feed the boiler as more
fuel is needed. Government-registered providers of social housing, such as local authorities and social housing
associations, are invited to bid for funds of up to around £175,000 per housing provider to support proposals
which should in total finance at least 17 social housing projects. DECC has an on-line Renewable Heat Fact Sheet. Further details on how to apply and the
terms and conditions for the competition can be viewed on the Energy Saving Trust's Renewable Heat Premium Payment web page. The deadline for applications
is September 15, 2011. 08/17/2011
LanzaTechand Harsco Form
Alliance to Convert Steel Mill Emissions to Ethanol
New Zealand based LanzaTech has formed a strategic alliance with Harsco Corporation for their first agreement outside of
Asia. Harsco serves the global steel industry; LanzaTech's proprietary methods convert carbon monoxide-rich
steel mill emissions to be fermented into liquid fuel by their proprietary microbes, turning air quality
liabilities into carbon-saving assets. Following successful pilot plant operation at the New Zealand Steel
facility at Glenbrook near Aukland, LanzaTech has initiated numerous Asian projects. The new strategic alliance
will allow the two companies to explore business development to market, design, install and operate commercial
facilities at steelmaking plants throughout the world. “The conversion of industrial waste streams into
beneficial ‘green’ resources has long been a Harsco mainstay,” said Harsco Chairman, President and CEO Salvatore
Fazzolari. “With LanzaTech, we now add another dimension to our ability to bring innovation to our customers and
at the same time, help build a more sustainable environment.” 08/16/2011
ZeaChemand Chrysler Sign MOU to Fast-Track Non-Food Cellulosic Biofuels
Colorado-based ZeaChem Inc has announced signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Chrysler
Group LLC for a strategic alliance focused on accelerating development of non-food cellulosic ethanol. The
intent is to strengthen consumer and agency recognition and confidence for cellulosic biofuel as a
cost-effective transport fuel alternative. ZeaChem's integrated multi-technologic approach utilizes biochemical and
thermochemical parallel processing pathways, fermenting sugars and gasifying lignins then recombining the
separated hydrogen with ethanol precursors. This self-powered system produces ethanol without additional
production of carbon dioxide. The company broke ground on their first commercial facility in Boardman, Oregon
last year, and was selected this July by the USDA to benefit from one of the new BCAP Project Areas. The collaboration with Chrysler Group will
fast-track large scale production. "Chrysler Group has long been committed to promoting the consumption of
alternative fuels and to delivering flex-fuel vehicles to our customers," said Reg Modlin, director, regulatory
affairs, Chrysler Group LLC. 08/16/2011
NABCSelects Two Drop-In Biofuel Technology Approaches for Pilot Projects
Ending their first year of assessment funded by the US Department of Energy
(DOE), the National Advanced Biofuels Consortium (NABC) has chosen two advanced biofuel technologic approaches for development
support that produce engine-ready "drop-in" biofuels. The initial year's feasibility study asked whether a pilot
production facility could be ready within their three-year window. A second stage of NABC's work will now take
the final two years to get a pilot built and operating. The two technologies moving into Phase II are
Amyris Biotechnologies fro advanced fermentation of lignocellulosic
feedstock to alcohols, and Virent Energy Systems for aqueous phase reforming (APR). A second
round selection pending submission of additional data may add catalytic fast pyrolysis and hydrothermal
liquefaction. NABC is a collaboration of 17 public and private partners and is co-led by the Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory (PNNL) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). 08/16/2011
VeoliaLandfill Gas to Energy Project in Wisconsin is Starting Up
Veolia Environmental Services North America will host start-up ceremonies at
Veolia Environmental Services' Hickory Meadows Landfill in Hilbert, eastern Wisconsin; the
ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for August 16, 2011. Veolia systems for landfill gas collection and conversion to
energy have completed commissioning and are ready for operations. This is Veolia's first landfill gas to energy
project in the United States. Corporate Veolia executives will join state and local political figures and the
media for the ceremony and a tour of the facility. Energy generated will power 2,800 homes annually. The
landfill is a Subtitle-D facility located in a natural clay geological area that opened for business in 1999.
08/15/201
DOEResearchers Identify Critical Gene for Ethanol Production
A broad collaboration of researchers working through the Department of Energy's
BioEnergy Science Center (BESC) has identified a single bacterial gene critical to ethanol production. The BESC
multi-disciplinary research team led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory focused on the bacterium Clostridium
thermocellum, isolating and identifying the single functional gene site controlling production of the
enzymes required to convert plant sugars to ethanol. With this knowledge, the team believes that tailor-made
micro-organisms may be built with their own enzyme production capacity that could avoid the need to add costly
enzymes. The discovery ahs been published by the BESC team in the Proceedings of the national Academy of Sciences; the invention is now
available for licensing. 08/15/2011
AustrianResearchers Develop Fungal Enzymes that Break Down PET Plastics
The Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB) has announced development of fungal-sourced enzymes that decompose
polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastics into their initial material complement. At body temperatures,
the enzymes are capable of breaking down a PET-plastic bottle within 48 hours. The research was a collaborative
effort of three Austrian universities headed by Georg Guebitz, Professor at Technical University Graz, Institute
for Environmental Biotechnology and director of the ACIB's Research Department on Enzymes and Polymers, focused on re-engineering the fungal genetics
toward over-production of the target enzymes. The ACIB is a Competence Centre for Excellent Technologies (COMET)
that combines institutional and industrial practices and processes to improve economic and ecological
efficiency. The ACIB is now seeking industrial partners to take the new methods to commercial production; for
more information, contact Professor Dr. Georg Guebitz, or Dr. Enrique Herrero
Acero,. 08/15/2011
PNNLResearchers' New Enzymatic Catalyst Makes Hydrogen Gas – Fast
Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Lab (PNNL) report that their new nickel-based enzymatic catalyst separates
hydrogen from water at a rate of abut 100,000 molecules per second, much faster than previously accomplished by
natural plant enzyme action. The team selectively separated the most functional elements from natural enzymes
that could rapidly store and recover energy, building these parts into synthetic enzyme molecules. By "stuffing
electrons" into the dense molecular structure of chemicals, greater energy storage is possible than in standard
batteries. Breaking those bonds allows the electrons to flow again and makes the energy available; in nature,
plants accomplish that bond-breaking with the protein hydrogenase. "We looked at the hydrogenase and
asked what is the important part of this?" said Morris Bullock, director of the Center for Molecular Electrocatalysis at PNNL. "The hydrogenase moves
the protons around in what we call a proton relay. Where the protons go, the electrons will follow." The most
active parts, called pendant amines, were then built around nickel atoms in a proportion that optimized
the protein relay and reformation of hydrogen atoms. The research has been published in the August 12, 2011 issue of the journal Science.
08/13/2011
AirProducts Receives Planning Permission for Plasma Waste to Energy Plant
United Kingdom (UK) based Air Products has received planning permission from the Stockton on Tees Borough
Council for their proposed Tees Valley Renewable Energy Facility. The facility will gasify around 300,000 tonnes
per year of pre-processed residential and commercial waste, producing synthetic fuel gas to run engines for
generation of 49 megawatts of electricity. A 2009 agreement with their partner AlterNRG provides rights to European and North American project
development. AlterNRG owns the Westinghouse Plasma Corporation, refurbishing the company's main Pennsylvania
testing facility and speeding commercialization of their advanced plasma gasification technology. UK's
Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) Minister Greg Barker said: “I welcome the progress that Air
Products has made with its project to bring advanced gasification to the UK. Energy from waste leads to
considerable reductions in waste going into landfill, and makes an important contribution to the UK’s low-carbon
energy supply. This new technology will be an exciting addition to the energy from waste sector and I look
forward to seeing the announcement of more of these projects.” 08/13/2011
MetsoWins 8th Contract in Germany for Modular CHP Biomass Plant
International energy, paper and mining giant Metso Corporation announced that they have secured their eighth contract for a
modularized bubbling fluidized bed (BFB) gasification based power plant to be delivered by their Metso-Wärtsilä
(MW Power) joint venture. The automated combined heat and power (CHP)
turn-key system will provide about 10 megawatts of thermal energy for district heating (MWt) and 5 megawatts of
grid-connected base-load electricity (MWe) to the municipality of Zwickau, Germany, powered by forest residue
and landscape wood waste. The contract (worth about EUR 20 million) will supply the entire plant installation
and all necessary training to Heizkraftwerk Zwickau Süd GmbH & Co. KG, Zwickau's local
utility company company owned by Hamburg based investor CEE (Conetwork Erneuerbare Energien Holding GmbH &
Co. KGaA) and Zwickauer Energieversorgung GmbH (“ZEV“).“Through this investment, we will not only secure the
production of district heat for our town but will also reduce our dependence on ever rising oil and gas prices.
We are also very optimistic that the price paid for the district heat can be lowered from today’s level”, says
Volker Schneider, Managing Director of ZEV GmbH. “We look forward to working with such an experienced supplier
as MW Power on the construction of this biomass-fuelled plant”, adds Olaf Lüdemann, Managing Director of CEE.
08/13/2011
BASFand
Purac Negotiate JV for Commercial Production of Bio-Succinic Acid
Global chemistry giant >BASF and Netherlands-based Purac (a subsidiary of CSM nv) have announced negotiations for formation of a joint venture to produce
commercial quantities of bio-sourced succinic acid at Purac's facility near Barcelona, Spain. The companies have
been collaborating on microbial developmental research since 2009, first validating production techniques and
then testing the product in the marketplace. They anticipate the demand for bio-sourced succinic acid to
increase for the next few years, for use in bioplastics, solvents and other green chemicals. The focus has been
on proprietary methods for use of the natural bacterium Basfia succiniciproducens, which can process C3,
C5 and C6 sugars from diverse biomass feedstock, secreting succinic acid while fixated the greenhouse gas carbon
dioxide (CO2). “We aim to be the first commercial producer in the market with a 25,000 tons capacity
fermentation production plant at the Purac site near Barcelona, Spain, with the intention to start up by 2013 at
the latest,” said Gerard Hoetmer, Chief Executive Officer of CSM. “In addition, we are already planning a
world-scale plant with a capacity of 50,000 tons to account for the expected demand growth. This partnership has
enormous potential as it leverages the combined competencies of two leading companies in their fields.”
08/12/2011
DOEReleases 2011 Update of the Billion Ton Biomass Supply
The US Department of Energy's Knowledge Discovery Framework
(DOE/KDF) has announced release of their 2011 "U.S. Billion-Ton Update:
Biomass Supply for a Bioenergy and Bioproducts Industry" (2011 BT2). The work completed for DOE by Oak Ridge National Laboratory
(ORNL) researchers is a continuation of ORNL's biomass supply assessments initiated in 2005 with the now-classic
Billion-Ton Annual Supply study (2005 BTS). This is the definitive compilation of current U.S. supply
and demand of biomass for bioenergy and bioproducts, covering sourcing from forestry, urban wood waste and other
waste resources, agriculture, and energy crops. Deeply referenced and illustrated, 2011 BT2 can provide a
baseline for national biomass utilization and projections. In addition to updating 2005 data, the new study
provides a spatial county-by-county inventory of potentially available primary biomass feedstock, data on price
and availability, and rigorous sustainability modeling. The update projects from current data to an
understanding of likely supply and demand from 2012 through 2030, relating this to the Renewable Fuels Standard
(RFS2). DOE/KDF interactive data maps and interactive models are now available on-line, including ORNL's prototype Biofuel
Supply Chain Infrastructure (BILT) model. 08/12/2011
BCHydro
Will Invest $300 Million in Four Biomass to Bioenergy Projects
BC Hydro has announced selection of two developers for four British Columbia,
Canada bioenergy projects totaling 104 megawatts (MWe) capacity, for an investment of over $300 million.
West Fraser Mills Ltd will develop two 12 MWe plants in Chetwynd and
Fraser Lake areas; Western Bioenergy Inc's 40 MWe projects will be built in Merritt and Fort St. James. The
plants located in central and southern BC will be fueled with sawmill and logging
residues, construction/manufacturing debris and timber from the extensive pine bark beetle die-off sweeping
western Canadian forests. This closed Phase 2 of BC Hydro's Bioenergy Call for Power; Phase 1 resulted in
signing four electricity purchase agreements in 2009. With the new projects, BC Hydro will have a total of 16
bioenergy electricity purchase agreements, representing 3,300 gigawatt hours per year of contracted energy. Hon.
Steve Thomson, Minister of Forests: "Bioenergy is a cost-effective energy solution that makes sense for B.C. on
many fronts – especially for our province's dynamic forestry industry. When compared to other forms of energy,
bioenergy projects have higher levels of employment and generate more economic activity. Since these are new
projects, they will require a diverse range of talented individuals and skills to build, maintain and operate
the facilities." 08/12/2011
MagneGasSigns MOU for First Liquid Waste to Fuel Satellite Operation
Florida plasma specialist MagneGas has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with waste recycling and treatment company
Grease Depot Inc. (GDI) for installation and operation of a liquid waste to
hydrogen-based fuel production plant at GDI's facility in Clearwater, Florida. GDI has been accepting, treating
and recycling all sorts of liquid and solid non-hazardous waste since 1998, treating septic wastes, sludge from
grease traps and interceptors, storm water and lift station sludge and lint traps. MagneGas will create their
first satellite facility at GDI's recycling operation, generating 300 kilowatts of electricity from conversion
of the company's waste to fuel gas using their latest patent-pending "MagneGas Refinery" horizontal plasma arc module. "This MOU represents
a significant strategic leap forward for MagneGas," stated MagneGas President Scott Wainwright. "By operating
our refinery industrially at an independent third party, we will be in a position to demonstrate commercially
the various applications of our technology while also providing meaningful validation of our ability to generate
revenue outside our own headquarters." 08/11/2011
UKExpert
Advisory Group Considers Waste and Residue Conversion to Biofuels
Presentations considering management of waste and residuals under the European
Union's Renewable Energy Directive (EU RED) have now been posted on-line from the most recent meeting of the United Kingdom's
Expert Advisory Group for the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO). The invitation-only Special Meeting on Waste took place July
21, 2011. Waste and residue topics discussed included the context and background, current thinking, and critical data-based decision-making about whether materials should be treated
as waste or residues. Using Palm processing as an example, the Advisory Group discussed specific product, waste
and residue management of the palm oil supply chain. Finally, the Group approached use of
waste and residues for conversion to biofuels. When agricultural crops
including many types of energy crops are harvested, significant tonnages of waste and residue are generated. The
presentation explained how harvest waste and residue materials can secondarily be converted to a wide range of
commodities other than biofuel, making it possible to design processes that create value for all the
co-products. The Department for Transportation (DfT) RTFO and Low Carbon Fuels work continues with public
meetings on September 28, 2011; details will be posted to their Biofuels Events Calendar when available. 08/11/2011
Due09/30/2011: Comments to Ireland's New National Waste Policy
Ireland's Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government
is seeking comments on its recently published discussion paper, "Towards
a New National Waste Policy." The paper is described by Environment Minister Phil
Hogan as "not prescriptive - instead it sets out a range of possible policy initiatives and issues for wider
consideration." The document follows the European Commission's new Waste Framework Directive (2008/98/EC), harmonizing policies with the
European Union Waste Hierarchy to minimize disposal and maximize resource recovery. The "Recovery" tier includes
processes that extract useful materials, heat and/or power from refuse; examples given are use of anaerobic
digestion for conversion of farm biowaste to biogas, and use of Solid Recovered Fuel from mechanical-biological
treatment as a source of energy in industry. In adopting the EU Directive, the new Policy targets 70% by weight
of municipal solid waste for combined disposal alternatives of reuse, recycling and recovery. Comments and
submissions should be delivered by September 30, 2011, to, or Waste Policy Consultation,
Room 2.01, Waste Policy Section, Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, Custom House, Dubmin
1. 08/11/2011
IDB'sNew
Costa Rica Strategy Includes Financing for Renewable Energy
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Board of Directors has announced their approval of a new country strategy for Costa Rica
which includes a financing framework of between $700 million and $1.6 billion over the next three years. The
strategy focuses on six challenged infrastructure sectors including considerable renewable energy development.
The objective of IDB's 2011-2014 Costa Rica Strategy for the Energy Sector is to increase electric
power supply using clean, renewable sources; targeted outcomes include an increase by four in the number of
independent power providers, an increase the overall installed capacity by 265 megawatts, and an increase by at
least 75 megawatts the power generated by new source of renewable energy from geothermal, wind, solar and
biomass. The IDB has a history of helping develop Costa Rica's energy sector; the country has excellent (99% in
2009) coverage of electricity provision. The approved Bank Strategy parallels and supports the Costa Rican
government's own recently passed Plan, totaling nearly $7 billion in proposed in-country investment.
08/10/2011
California'sNew SRA Wildfire Prevention Fund Will Support Biomass Removal
The California Fire Safe Council reports that the cost of excess biomass
clearing and collection necessary for fire prevention within any State Responsibility Area (SRA) may now be
partially funded through emergency session Assembly Bill 29 (ABx1-29), the now-chaptered SRA Fire Prevention Fund
legislation. Governor Brown's signing message to the California State Assembly
explains that a fire prevention fee of $150 on each human-habitable structure within an SRA is necessary to
ensure continued level of service while reducing General Fund expenditures. The Governor has directed the
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire or CDF) to develop any necessary clean-up
legislation and to work with the Fund's administrator, the Board of Forestry (BoF), toward program implementation. The Emergency Regulations to
implement the new law must be drafted by September 1, 2011 with permanent language in place within a year; a
two-year start-up process is scheduled to begin July 2012. Administering community fuels management grants and
payments for local defensible space clearing and education are part of BoF's responsibility. The program should
lower cost and improve access to biomass supply for projects focused on clean conversion to energy, fuels and
other products. SRAs are mapped with details accessible on-line, providing boundaries
adopted by the BoF in January 2011. The BoF will discuss the SRA fund in their August 10, 2011 general meeting,
and has tentatively scheduled a public meeting on implementation of ABx1-29 for August 22, 2011. For more
information contact the BoF at 916-653-8007, or Kate Dargan at the California Fire Safe Council, 916-248-2205.
08/10/2011
CortecLaunches EcoOceanTM Biodegradable Thin Film Plastics
Bioplastics company Cortec Corporation has announced the commercial availability of their EcoOceanTM
line of highly degradable thin film packaging plastic intended to easily decompose in marine environments, under
anaerobic digestion (AD) processing and in "backyard" low-temperature composting conditions. EcoOcean contains
77% annually renewable raw material, and will break down in an anaerobic digester
systemor methane producing landfills in as
little as 15 days. EcoOcean has passed ASTM D 7081 standard specifications for biodegradability in marine
environments, as well as ASTM standards for AD and composting. The company has plastics extrusion facilities in
Minnesota and Croatia for production of film and bags, which will soon become available in over 70 countries
globally. The company recognized that ideally, their products would be converted in an AD or composting
facility, but given the plastics pollution of the oceans, can also end up in our waterways, where the product
can offer coastal areas a "technologic safety net"; Cortec CEO, Boris Miksic, intends to "revolutionize the use
of flexible packaging, especially in costal areas of the world". 08/09/2011
EPAProposes RCRA Exemptions for Geologic Carbon Sequestration
In an attempt to address Interagency Task Force findings released a year ago on the topic, the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has responded with a proposed rulemaking to exclude control of certain
carbon dioxide emission streams from their Resource and Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste
regulations when injected into qualified wells for geologic sequestration (GS). Signed August 1, 2011,
the pre-publication version of the proposed Rule is now available on-line.
Recently finalized Safe Drinking Water Act rules established the standards for GS injection into newly defined
"Class VI" wells under the EPA's Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program. GS is a process by which carbon dioxide from
energy-related and other sources can be safely injected into deep subsurface rock formations for long-term
storage. The Obama administration's GS Task Force recommendations were in part intended to help develop and
deploy clean energy technologies. Further information may be accessed via Regulations.gov by the docket number EPA-HQ-RCRA-2010-0695, once the
regulations are formally published in the Federal Register. 08/09/2011
Canadian$17.5MM Grant Supports Pulp Mill Wastewater-to-Energy Project
The Government of Alberta has granted Millar Western Forest Products $17.5 million to
develop the mill's Bioenergy Effluent Project in Whitecourt, Alberta, Canada. The demonstration-scale project
will install and operate an anaerobic hybrid digestion (AHD) to convert the pulp mill wastewater into biogas to
fuel reciprocating engines for power generation. Millar Western celebrated the award, part of Alberta's investment of their nearly
$100 million share of Albertas EcoTrust for Clean Air and Climate Change program to advance clean
energy research and waste-to-energy projects. This project will off-set about 6.2 megawatts of electricity drawn
from the grid by the mill, reduce their direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by about 50,000 tonnes per
year, clarify their final wastewater release and convert about half of the solid organic wastes produced into
biogas. “In addition to reducing our environmental footprint here at home, advanced technologies like AHD can
give us a marketing advantage, setting Alberta’s forest products industry apart as innovative and green,” said
Ron Reis, Millar Western’s Senior Vice-President of Pulp. 08/09/2011
DenverZoo Tests Gasification of Zoo Waste for CCHP and Landfill Diversion
Construction has begun on the Denver Zoo's massive Asian Tropics project, and to provide combined cooling, heating
and power (CCHP) to the facilities, the zoo is testing biomass gasification systems. The planned thermal conversion plant
could convert up to 90% of the human food waste, trash and animal waste into combined heating, cooling and
electric power. The zoo currently generates 4,200 pounds per day of mixed refuse that has been going to the
regional landfill, and another 2,700 pounds per day of animal waste that has been composted. Conversion to
energy will divert around 1.5 million pounds of trash a year from landfill disposal and reduce energy costs by
about $150,000 per year. The Asian Tropics gasification facility is being planned as a highly visible
demonstration project for reduction of dependency on traditional energy sources, improving the management of
solid waste streams, and putting the Zoo "one giant step closer to becoming a zero-waste facility."
08/08/2011
UNSeeks
Global Input, Launches Biofuels Feedstock Producers Questionnaire
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN/FAO) Bioenergy and Food
Security Criteria and Indicators (BEFSCI) initiative has seeking global input from bioenergy feedstock producers to highlight
sustainable bioenergy development. Their new questionnaire asks producers about the good management practices they
have implemented for their projects, with a focus on these topics: (a) Access to Land, (b) Local Food Security,
(c) Employment, Wages, Labor Conditions and Benefits, (d) Income Generation and Inclusion of Smallholders, (e)
Energy Security and Local Access to Energy, (f) Community Development, and (g) Gender Equity. The BEFSCI has
just released a comparison of 23 sustainable biofuels schemes, including a
detailed matrix tracking sustainability aspects and issues addressed
in both completed and in-progress programs. The new questionnaire will now expand on their global perspective of
the breadth of approaches and the lessons learned regarding bioenergy feedstock production activities. The
German government funded cataloguing effort is designed to make practical experience available through
their BEFSCI website, to "inspire producers to consider new ways to harness
bioenergy production as a means to foster rural development and food security." 08/08/2011
Vanguard Synfuels
Refurbishes and Re-Opens 15 MGY Louisiana Biodiesel Plant
A 15 million gallon per year (MGY) biodiesel facility in rural Pollock,
central Louisiana, has been retooled by local owners Vanguard Synfuels and is ready for the grand re-opening scheduled for August 8, 2011. Vanguard
bought an existing ammonia production plant in 2003 and redesigned it for biodiesel production using local
virgin crop oils, but shuttered the facility in 2007 due to the high cost of the soy oil feedstock being used.
The re-engineered plant will now be able to use a much wider array of less expensive feedstock including
animal-sourced rendering fats and used cooking oils, some of which may come from the local federal prison. Darrell Dubroc, Vanguard's
CEO, expressed his cautious approach to expansion beyond virgin plant oil feedstock: "As we
have done from our inception, we pride ourselves in making the highest quality biodiesel fuel in the nation, if
not the entire world. Our reputation depends on it. We have a very focused technology development strategy ahead
of us. We have to stay in synch with an industry very much on the move. For instance, we expect to be using
locally available logging waste to power our steam boiler and eventually as our primary feedstock when the
technology is ready.” 08/08/2011
Tool Predicts Final Emission
Toxicity Variations from Biofuel Production Methods
A computational chemist at the University of Copenhagen has developed a mathematical model that helps predict the fate of biofuel molecules
once they enter the atmosphere. Solvejg Jorgensen's work shows that production methods for biofuels can greatly
impact the toxicity of their eventual emissions and escaped vapors. Modeling the production methods on the
computer will improve selection of production design, save money and aid in creating lower overall impact of
"clean fuels". Biofuel molecules are inherently large and complex; as they undergo several stages of degradation
during conversion to energy and later in the atmosphere. Some of the degradation pathways produce more toxic
break-down products than others, and the initial biofuel synthesis production methods factor largely into the
final residual toxicities. Jorgensen's model development was initially not intended to address biofuel; she was
assessing large molecular breakdown in the atmosphere, and needed a "test subject". Her mistake may well
dramatically improve global biofuels production safety. Her work is published as Atmospheric Chemistry of Two
Biodiesel Model Compounds: Methyl Propionate and Ethyl Acetate in the "Journal of Physical Chemistry A." 08/06/2011
University of Miami
Scientists Track Ethanol BioFuel Emissions in the Atmosphere
Scientists at the Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science,
University of Miami have developed methods to track individual molecules of vehicular emissions in the air by the unique isotopic carbon signatures. Ethanol carbon remnants in uncombusted fuel emissions carry
a different signature than ethanol released naturally by plants; the researchers compared air from Miami and air
from the Everglades. 75% of city air ethanol came from biofuels; Everglades ethanol remnants were
plant-generated, although a detectible amount had come from city sources. “According to global emissions
estimates, plants release three times as much ethanol as manmade sources,” said Brian Giebel, a Marine and
Atmospheric Chemistry graduate student working with Drs. Daniel Riemer and Peter Swart. “However, if the amount
of ethanol used in our fuel continues to increase, vehicle emissions should eventually exceed natural emissions.
This is particularly critical in urban areas because the majority of ethanol in the atmosphere is converted to
acetaldehyde, which is highly reactive and considered to be a toxin detrimental to human health.” The work has
been published in the journal, Environmental Science & Technology, entitled “New Insights to the Use of Ethanol in Automotive Fuels: A Stable Isotopic Tracer for Fossil- and
Bio-Fuel Combustion Inputs to the Atmosphere.” 08/06/2011
Glycerine-Fueled CHP Module Delivered for 28-Home Eco-Complex in UK
The first commercial module of a glycerine-fired combined heat and power (CHP) system has been
delivered by Aquafuel Research to 28 "eco-homes" in Essex, United Kingdom (UK).
Glycerine is a non-toxic, water-soluble by-product of the biodiesel industry, the viscous residue left from
transesterification of waste fats and oils; one gallon of glycerine is produced for every nine gallons of
biodiesel. Aquafuel's technology allows biodiesel producers to use their waste by-product to generate their own
heat and power. Glycerine's relatively simple chemical composition and 55% by weight oxygen content aid in clean
combustion and emissions control. Using Aquafuel's approach, glycerine can be an excellent biofuel replacement
for diesel; the company's testing found NOx emissions measured 20 mg/m3 and particulate emission were near zero
at 0.93 mg/m3, compared with 215 mg/m3 diesel NOx and 20 mg/m3 diesel particulate and using
the same standard catalyst abatement equipment. The internationally patented technology includes a new
combustion cycle which makes the diesel cycle independent of the fuel properties, and is the result of a two
year research and development program with leading UK biofuel supplier Greenergy. 08/06/2011
HECOSigns Agreement with Pacific Biodiesel for 250K GPY Biodiesel Supply
Hawaiian Electric Company (HECO) has signed a 3-year contract with renewal options with Pacific Biodiesel, Inc to supply of 250,000 gallons per year (GPY) of
biodiesel. The biofuel will power the HECO-owned 8 megawatt Honolulu International Airport Emergency Power
Facility when the airport becomes operational about October 2012, as part of the utility's Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (HCEI). Pacific's biofuel will be
locally sourced from recycled cooking oil and produced either at their Oahu plant or at their Big Island
Biorefinery in Kee'au. The contract now goes to the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission for review and possible
approval. HECO has released a series of requests for proposals (RFPs) in 2010 and 2011 for sustainable biodiesel supply, collaborating
with the Natural Resources Defense Council for sustainability provisions. “We are pleased to be fulfilling our
first contract under HECO’s RFP requiring locally produced fuel,” stated Robert King, CEO of Pacific Biodiesel.
“This is positive movement towards empowering a strong collaboration with Hawaii’s farmers as we work together
for a diversified agriculture future, a cleaner environment and green jobs.” 08/06/2011
Oneida'sWaste Conversion to Energy Project Passes First Environmental Hurdle
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has found that there will be no significant
negative impacts for the waste conversion for energy recovery project proposed by the tribally-chartered and
owned Oneida Seven Generations Corporation. The initial determination is
based on the draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the project, first step to the
National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) process. Oneida has received around $2.5 million in federal loans
and grants and is again under consideration for additional federal funding, actions which triggered the NEPA
assessment. Resulting from lengthy collaboration with Wisconsin's citizens and governments,
Oneida's project as now proposed would include the design, construction, and operation of a solid
waste-to-electricity power plant on vacant property in Green Bay, Brown County, Wisconsin. The project entails
receipt of municipal solid waste for initial sorting and removal of recyclable goods and obvious hazards, with
post-recycling residual passing into three pyrolytic conversion chambers for combustible syngas production. The
cleaned gas would then fuel three engines for a combined electrical output of about 4.6 megawatts going to the
local grid. Public comments on this Draft EA may be submitted to the NEPA Document Manager Melissa Rossiter,
email, or to fax to 720-356-1560. DOE will consider all submitted comments in preparing
the Final EA. After completion of the Final EA, DOE will determine whether to issue a Finding of No Significant
Impact or prepare an environmental impact statement. 08/05/2011
UnitedNations FAO Releases Compilation of Biofuels Sustainability Initiatives
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) "Bioenergy and Food
Security Criteria and Indicators (BEFSCI)" project has developed and released a detailed Compilation of Bioenergy Sustainability Initiatives associated with
the production of biofuels or of specific biofuel feedstocks. The BEFSCI project has assessed and compared
regulatory frameworks, voluntary standards/certification schemes, and scorecards of twenty-three global
initiatives, including a number that have not completed the development process, and some that have been
completed but have not yet been (and perhaps never will be) adopted. There are eight Regulatory Frameworks,
thirteen Voluntary Standards / Certification schemes, and two Scorecard programs reviewed. The resulting
catalogue includes a tabular listing and detailed program descriptions in a standardized
format to facilitate direct comparison of the sustainability aspects and issues addressed. This compilation
includes California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard, along with most (but not all) of the seven Biofuel Sustainability Schemes recently recognized by the European
Commission. The BEFSCI project has been funded by the Federal Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Consumer
Protection, Government of Germany. 08/05/2011
AmyrisPartners with Kuraray for Bio-Polymer Development
California-based bioproducts company Amyris Inc. has signed a collaboration agreement with Japanese polymer chemistry specialists
Kuraray Co. Ltd to develop petroleum-replacement uses for Amyris' renewable hydrocarbon building block product
BiofeneTM. Amyris' proprietary GreenLane® synthetic biology platform controls microbial metabolic pathways to
create "living factories" for fermentation to target product molecules such as farnesene, the basis of
Biofene, used in production of specialty chemicals and biofuels. Kuraray has been developing petroleum-sourced polymer resins and
similar products with subsidiaries in 16 countries and regions outside of Japan. Once technical development has
been completed for production of the first polymer, Kuraray will enter into a supply agreement with Amyris for
exclusive use of Biofene in their bio-polymer manufacturing and commercialization. “We are committed to bringing
innovative, high-performing and sustainable products to the polymers market,” said John Melo, CEO of Amyris.
“Partnering with an industry leader like Kuraray allows us to expand the use of Biofene to produce
high-performance polymers as well as strengthen our timely and successful route to market.”
08/05/2011
Due08/15/2011: Stakeholder Comments to ARB LCFS Workplan Version 2
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) has requested public comment
toward a key document of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS), the Version 2 Workplan developed by the LCFS Advisory Panel. The Advisory
Panel Workgroup was convened according to LCFS regulations as a program review body, charged with LCFS program
oversight and coordination. Their Workplan outlines the details from many other Workgroups, from Fuel Pathway
Providers and other stakeholders. As the Workgroups continue their assessments and as Providers register and
submit Fuel Pathway Application Packages, the underlying data accumulation will allow refinement of all aspects
of the LCFS. The "First Public Meeting to discuss review progress" in the Advisory
Panel Version 2 Workplan schedule below took place on July 25, 2011. As with the Fuel Pathways, stakeholder
direct comment to the Workplan is needed. In conjunction with the July 25, 2011 workshop, the public has
been invited to submit comments on-line to the Advisory Panel Workplan by August 15, 2011 on the Panel's comment web page. See our Focus Report for a Guide to the LCFS, including more detail
on this request for comment. 08/05/2011
PowerHouseIntends to Acquire Pyromex' Thermal Conversion Technology
United Kingdom based PowerHouse Energy Group plc, licensee and 30% equity holder in Swiss
company Pyromex Holdings AG, has announced their intent to acquire the remaining equity interest in
Pyromex in a structured buy-out. An initial £2.5 million will be paid over 18 months following signing; an
additional £30.5 million in total payments will depend on commercialization factors. PowerHouse has until the
end of 2011 to complete due diligence and close the deal. The Pyromex thermal conversion technology uses
external heat for high-temperature gasification of a wide range of feedstock including municipal solid waste
derived fuel. Syngas cleaning subsystems also developed by Pyromex allow use in engines, fuel cells or for
conversion to liquid fuels. PowerHouse's Southern California operations office has had a regionally-exclusive
license and has been marketing 5 to 100 ton-per-day modular conversion units delivering from 60 kilowatts to 1
megawatt per module. Peter Jeney, Founder and majority owner of Pyromex Holdings AG, will join PowerHouse on
completion of the acquisition and has commented, “This transaction recognizes the progress Pyromex has achieved
in developing its gasification technology to date and will accelerate its development through to full scale
commercial operations. I look forward to joining the PowerHouse team and working to position our product as a
market leading solution in a rapidly developing market on a global scale”. 08/04/2011
EESIHolds Briefing on Defense Department's Renewable Energy Usage
The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) in collaboration with E3G and Operation Free staged a briefing last week in Washington DC entitled,
"More Fight, Less Fuel: The Defense Department's Deployment of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy." Top-level speakers included Senator Mark Udahl (D-CO); Thomas Hicks, Deputy
Assistant Secretary of the Navy; Vice Admiral Dennis McGinn (U.S. Navy, Ret.), President, American Council on
Renewable Energy (ACORE), and Vice Chairman, CNA Military Advisory Board. The US defense operations consume 135
million barrels of fuel and 30 million megawatt-hours of electricity at a cost of over $20 billion per year.
“Our energy reliance in this country is a serious threat to national security; economically, diplomatically and
militarily,” according to Vice Admiral McGinn. “The over reliance on fossil fuels can be exploited by those who
wish to do the U.S. harm.” Speakers noted that military field use of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is
creating a new awareness among soldiers who, upon coming home, will be "less accepting of the status quo
solutions". Presentations for all speakers, copies of the major handouts (including a Fact Sheet) and an audio of the event are available through EESI on-line. 08/03/2011
MagneGas JV to Build $29.8MM Liquid Waste to Syngas Plant in China
Florida-based plasma company MagneGas Corporation's joint venture with Chinese firm DDI Industry
International, MagneGas Technology Beijing Company Ltd., signed a letter of intent ("LOI") with Nanjing City Industrial Park
for construction of a $29.8 million fuel gas production center in Nanjing City within the next two years. The JV
has concurrently signed an LOI with Beijing Liangxiang Waste Water Treatment Plant to build China's first
wastewater sludge treatment demonstration biorefinery within a year; MagneGas' plasma arc technology converts
wastewater into clean-burning hydrogen-based synthetic fuel gas for industrial uses. "We are extremely pleased
to announce the launch of Magnegas Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd, and the long-awaited MagneGas Technology™ China
market entrance," stated joint venture CEO Allen Feng. "China suffers from a liquid waste crisis -- our fresh
water is flooded with household and industrial waste, and the time has come for truly innovative solutions. We
believe the MagneGas Technology™ is exactly that type of solution, and all initial feedback we have received
indicates strong potential demand. We look forward to keeping MNGA investors abreast of our developments and
financial performance." MagneGas has recently completed systems testing in Florida and is entering both the
China and Mexico markets. 08/03/2011
FutureBiogas Evaluates PDX Pre-Treatment for New UK Biogas Plant
The German anaerobic digestion firm Future Biogas has entered into an agreement with Pursuit Dynamics
(PDX) to use their supersonic vaporization / shockwave technology for
pre-treatment of dedicated energy crop biomass. If the 60 day trial period is successful, the PDX reactor will
be integrated with Future Biogas' new biogas plant in Norwich, United Kingdom (UK) later this
year. PDX's Reactor technology utilizes a supersonic vapor flow and
condensation shockwave, which is generated by the injection of high velocity steam. Steam is introduced into the
Reactor at supersonic conditions generating high levels of shear and turbulence within the process fluid. This
leads to the creation of a controllable, cross bore condensation shockwave. "The waste to energy market is
significant in size and is growing rapidly with over 5,900 biogas plants in Germany alone, a twenty-fold
increase in the last ten years. PDX's technology is clearly differentiated from other solutions in this sector
and so we are very well placed to capitalize on the demand from producers to reduce costs and maximize output".
08/02/2011
WRAPCompares Cost of Alternative Waste Treatment Options in New Report
The United Kingdom's (UK) Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has released their 2011 Gate Fees report, this year focused
on Comparing the Cost of Alternative Waste Treatment Options. The
assessment shows that gate fees for similar waste management options vary substantially, both across and within
UK regions. Waste recycling fees are lower than for waste disposal; open-air windrow median gate fees are lower
than those for anaerobic digestion (AD) and in-vessel composting. Median gate fees for mechanical biological
treatment (MBT) facilities are higher than composting or AD. Separated food waste gate fees are comparable to
mixed food and garden waste gate fees. Landfill gate fees including the UK's landfill tax are broadly comparable
to gate fees for Energy from Waste and MBT. Overall, disposal costs have increased since 2010, while gate fees
at materials recovery facilities have decreased as recycling and recovery sites receive increased payment for
recovered materials. AD facility gate fees have decreased very substantially by about £13 per tonne. Comments on
the report are welcome; email or call 0808 100 2040. 08/02/2011
ResearchersDevelop New Catalyst for Single-Step Bio-Ethanol to Isobutene
US Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
(PNNL) and Washington State University (WSU) researchers have developed a new catalyst material for single-step conversion of
biomass sourced ethanol to isobutene, a high-octane fuel additive also critical for manufacturing many green
chemicals (biochemicals). The Institute for Integrated Catalysis at PNNL has been working in collaboration with
team members at the Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering at WSU,
utilizing the Department of Energy's Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory on the PNNL campus. When
they formed the catalyst from just zinc oxide, it converted ethanol mostly to acetone; if the catalyst only
contained zirconium oxide, it converted ethanol mostly to ethylene. Isobutene was produced in useful amounts
when the catalyst contained both zinc and zirconium. With a 1:10 ratio of zinc to zirconium, the mixed oxide
catalyst could turn more than 83 percent of the ethanol into isobutene. The best performing catalyst was
composed of nanometer-sized crystalline particles of zinc evenly distributed over all regions of zirconium
oxide. The findings appeared July 21, 2011 in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. 08/02/2011
SustainableDevelopment Technology Canada Funds Clean Tech Projects
The non-profit foundation Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) has announced 17
companies that will be receiving funding for clean technology development. The awardees include advanced
biofuels/biochemicals company Azule Fuels of Sarnia, Ontario that will receive support to advance
its patented continuous flow, fixed-bed reactor to solid acid catalytic technology with electrostatic separation
technologies that eliminate the need for water. The flexible platform can produce biodiesel and pure glycerin,
bio-lubricants, green solvents and fuel oxygenates. Another awardee is BioAmber Inc of Montreal, Quebec that produces bio-based succinic acid
from the fermentation of glucose; the new funds will allow development of a demonstration plant in Sarnia
combining aspects of its French proof-of-concept work with new downstream purification technologies currently
under development in the US. The Halifax, Nova Scotia firm Carbon Sense Solutions Inc. will use its award to develop two
industrial scale technology validation projects for its CarbonCure process that captures carbon dioxide as solid
limestone during a structural concrete building block curing process that significantly strengthens the blocks
while sequestering the CO2. NovaGreen of Killam, Alberta will, provide a demonstration of its
VERT-TEC process for concurrent Biochar, Inulin, and Xylitol production from Biomass. SDTC operates the $590
million SD Tech Fund™ to support climate change, air quality, clean water, and clean soil, and the $500 million
NextGen Biofuels Fund™ for first-of-kind large demonstration-scale facilities for the production of
next-generation renewable fuels. 08/01/2011
VärmlandsMetanol Selects Uhde for Swedish Biomass-to-Methanol Plant
Uhde, a ThyssenKrupp company specializing in the PRENFLO gasification process, has been selected by VärmlandsMetanol AB
as technology supplier and turnkey engineering, contracting and procurement (EPC) contractor for a
planned 100,000 annual tonnes fuel grade methanol plant in Hagsfors, in the
forest-rich Värmlands region of Sweden. The plans were presented in April 2010; the companies have now
contracted for the engineering phase of the EURO 300 million project. The bio-methanol fuel will be produced by
gasification of forest residue biomass and catalysis of the resulting clean syngas, creating a high octane,
ultra-low emissions fuel. 15 megawatts of thermal energy generated during gasification will be recovered for
district heating. VärmlandsMetanol AB is a public company in Sweden whose owners include
the Miljocentrum Foundation, the Municipality of Hagsfors, the Federation of Swedish Farmers, and numerous
private concerns. Dr. Bjorn Gillsberg, CEO and founder of VärmlandsMetanol, says of the agreement: "This
contract confirms the confidence VärmlandsMetanol has in Uhde, in their gasification technology and their great
experience as a world leading engineering contractor." 08/01/2011
EnerkemCloses Another Financing Round for $29
Million
Canadian waste-to-fuels company Enerkem has completed another round of equity and debt financing
totaling C$29 million. This brings Enerkem's development fund to $88 million raised in 2011. Enerkem now
operates three facilities in Canada and has received US federal support for a project in Mississippi. The
company's waste gasification to catalysis process can produce a variety of
liquid fuels through a modularized compact design of “100,000 metric tons in - 36 million litres (10 million
gallons) out”. The Westly Group, Quince Associates LP and Fondaction CSN have now joined prior investors from a
June $29 million tranche who included Valero Energy, Braemar Energy
Ventures and Waste Management. “The closing of this financing round brings our total amount raised this year to
C$88 million, which will allow Enerkem to further develop its commercial activities”, said Vincent Chornet,
President and CEO of Enerkem. “This financing along with our full-scale commercial plants underway solidify our
company’s leading position in the growing clean transportation fuels and biochemicals market.”
08/01/2011

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