August 2013 News and Matters of Interest

Due 10/11/2013: Expression of Interest for Mumbai MSW Processing & Disposal

The Municipal Corporation for Greater Mumbai (MCGM), India, has issued a global tender seeking Expressions of Interest for development of a "Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Processing & Disposal Facility." The MCGM initially intends to process and dispose of about 2,500 metric tonnes per day waste at three or four sites (approximately 600 to 800 metric tonnes per day at each site, which may be increased in future. The proposed turnkey facilities are to have the capacity to process MSW through viable and sustainable technologies. The MCGM's Solid Waste Management Project web page notes that Greater Mumbai is the "financial and commercial capital of the Country, accommodating more than 12 million people presently, Mumbai has garbage (MSW) production at the rate of 7,000 metric tonnes per day. It also produces nearly 2,500 metric tonnes of construction and demolition (C&D) waste per day." The MCGM operates a fleet of well over 900 vehicles for waste collection, making 1,396 trips each day. According to the Clean India Journal, the Brihanmumbai (Greater Mumbai) Municipal Corporation Is considering development of at least 10 waste-to-energy plants to process the city's estimated daily generation of 8,000 metric tonnes of garbage, and has already released a number of tenders in which the Corporation will own a 50% interest. The Solid Waste Management Initiative is an implementation element of the Mumbai City Development Plan 2005-2025. Expressions of Interest for this tender are due to the MCGM by October 11, 2013. For further information, contact the MCGM Solid Waste Management Department. 08/31/2013

Australian $9MM Pilot Plant to Turn Waste Carbon Emissions into Bricks

The Priority Research Centre for Energy at Australia's University of Newcastle has announced it will build a pilot plant for mineral carbonation  to capture the waste carbon in industrial emissions for "geosequestration" as a solid carbonate rock. The pilot plant will test the process and its economics, seeking a viable method for both carbon sequestration and development of green building materials. Funding of $9 million will come from the Australian government and the Australian materials company Orica. The mineral carbonation technology replicates the Earth's carbon sink mechanism by combining CO2 with low grade minerals such as magnesium and calcium silicate rock to make inert carbonates. The process transforms the CO2 into a solid product that can be used in many ways, including as new green building materials. Bogdan Dlugogorski, Director of the Centre:  "The key difference between geosequestration and ocean storage and our mineral carbonation model is we permanently transform CO2 into a usable product, not simply store it underground." The research pilot plant is the result of six years of R&D undertaken by a team including experts from the University of Newcastle, the GreenMag Group and Orica. It will be built at the University's Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources (NIER) and is expected to be operational by 2017. 08/29/2013

Canadian Plastics Association Sponsors Marine Waste Plastics-to-Fuel Project

The Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) has announced sponsorship of the British Columbia based Upcycle the Gyres Society (UpGyres, or UGS) for its proof of concept pilot project to collect ocean-borne waste plastic and convert it to clean fuel. The global non-profit UpGyres is "a diverse community of people working together to accelerate existing eco-tourism, upcycling, and marine plastic harvesting practices into clean-up action of the ocean currents" focused on pioneering a new industry of Marine Plastic Eco-Recovery, and Upcycling. Gyres are large systems of rotating ocean currents where stable waters create a roundup of floating items including garbage, bringing about convergence zones for plastic pollution. Upcycling is the practice of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality and/or higher environmental value. The UpGyres aims to transform marine plastic pollution suspended in the circular oceanic currents into quality materials and products of high environmental value. The society plans to base its plastics to fuels upcycling refineries at sea to facilitate use of automated drones for the waste plastics harvesting to cut operational costs and transport emissions. "Upcycle the Gyres Society and its Social Enterprise will adapt their operations to transport harvested plastics in a solid state to shore for recycling/upcycling if the consensus and the economics prove that it is environmentally more responsible to do so."The CPIA is signatory to the Global Declaration for Solutions on Marine Litter. CPIA's Marine Litter Solutions initiative is committed to continued efforts in Canada to reduce marine litter. 08/29/2013

RENAC TREE Project to Hold Renewable Energy Training for African Leaders

The German company Renewables Academy (RENAC) has announced its third major project for building international renewable energy development capacity, part of the Transfer Renewable Energy & Efficiency (TREE) project, to expand upon training of African decision makers in use of renewable energy. In September and October, political and business decision-makers from Angola, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa, and Tanzania will be able to deepen their knowledge of renewable energy technologies and meet German companies by participating in three one-week seminars in Berlin. The first seminar session will be held from September 23-27, 2013 and will focus on “Market Development for Wind Energy”. The topic of the second seminar from October 14-18 is “Developing Rural Electrification” The third seminar from October 21-25 covers “Bioenergy”. As with previous training sessions by RENAC, all seminars combine theoretical seminars, site visits to operational renewable energy plants, and meetings with German companies. The international TREE project launched by RENAC has been running since 2008. To date, more than 800 policy makers and business participants from 54 countries across the world have undertaken training as part of the program. The Renewables Academy RENAC is an international provider of capacity building services and specialized in renewable energies and the energy efficiency sector. 08/29/2013

BioNitrogen Gets Hardee County Planning Approval for Biomass-to-Urea Plant

Florida-based BioNitrogen Holdings Corporation has received unanimous approval from the Hardee County Planning and Zoning Commission for the company's biomass-to-urea fertilizer production plant, one year after signing the crucial feedstock supply agreement. BioNitrogen can now move forward with final design and application for construction permits. The company also just announced formally changing its name from BioNitrogen Corporation to BioNitrogen Holdings Corporation "to more accurately reflect the company's plans for future growth." The BioNitrogen technologic approach is to gasify biomass feedstock and convert the resulting gas into urea. Feedstock will consist primarily of agricultural wastes and residual products, including sugar cane bagasse, palm waste, rice hulls, peanut hulls, cotton byproducts and corn stover. When received, the biomass will be dried, cleaned and ground to a consistent size and gasified. The resultant raw synthetic natural gas (syngas) will then pass through a series of cleaning steps to remove any elements that could be detrimental to the downstream processing. 08/29/2013

Covanta Secures 20-Year New York City MSW Supply Contract for EfW

New Jersey headquartered Covanta Energy has announced a new 20-year term municipal solid waste (MSW) supply contract with New York City Department of Sanitation with two 5-year extension options for the City. Covanta is to "transport and sustainably dispose" via Covanta's existing Energy from Waste (EfW) facilities of about 800,000 tons per year of New York City's MSW delivered to a pair of marine transfer stations located in Queens and Manhattan. The contract calls for waste to be transported via sealed containers using a multi-modal approach including Covanta's purchase and use of barges and railcars to reduce long-haul truck emissions; Covanta expects its total investment to purchase needed equipment will be approximately $110 million over several years beginning in 2013. The decision to utilize Energy-from-Waste facilities marks a major milestone in reaching the City's goal of diverting 75 percent of solid waste from landfills. James Regan, Covanta corporate communications associate, said the waste will be transported to Covanta Niagara in Niagara Falls, New York, and Covanta Delaware Valley, which is just south of Philadelphia. “The NYC contract will not require any expansion of waste processing capacity at either facility,” he said. “NYC waste will simply displace waste that is currently under short-term contracts.” 08/29/2013

Oregon EQC Approves Final Conversion Technology and AD Rules

The Oregon Environmental Quality Council (EQC) unanimously approved the final Conversion Technology Rules (agenda item H) during last week's regular meeting, accepting numerous changes detailed in the staff report and addendum presented by the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). The Conversion Technology Rulemaking has been a lengthy public process to establish performance standards and solid waste permit requirements for anaerobic digestion facilities and conversion technology facilities. From the staff report: "Conversion technology facilities use chemical or thermal processes such as pyrolysis or gasification to convert solid waste to chemicals, fuels or other products for use or resale. Anaerobic digestion facilities use biological processes to digest solid waste and create methane that can be used to create electricity or transportation fuels. Under existing rules, conversion technology facilities and anaerobic digestion facilities are classified as solid waste treatment facilities. This rulemaking proposes to classify facilities using anaerobic digestion as composting facilities and create a new classification of solid waste disposal site called conversion technology facilities." The final redline version of the rules as presented with the supportive material was adopted “as is” by the EQC and thus will be reflected in the Rules once published by the Oregon Secretary of State’s office in the coming months. 08/27/2013

Marion City Council in Iowa Approves Fiberight's MSW Conversion Facility

During its August 22, 2013 meeting, the City Council of Marion, Iowa, approved a Resource Recovery Agreement (Resolution 23332), which gives Fiberight, LLC permission to build a solid waste recycling facility in an industrial area behind the City’s Public Services Center. In Teru Talk's interview regarding the City's project and the Council's approval, program manager Ryan Miller noted that this completes one step in a far-reaching public information and outreach program. The program parallels the establishment of an "eco-industrial park" designed to completely change the region's waste management practices, moving away from landfill disposal and toward resource recovery. The selection of Fiberight provides a core competency for cost-effective conversion of post-recycling municipal solid waste (MSW) into cellulosic biofuel. Fiberight's CEO Craig Stewart-Paul hopes to start construction on the $20 million complex later this year. Fiberight's Targeted Fuel Extraction (TFE) is a multi-technology waste conversion platform that includes materials recovery through presorting, use of a specialized autoclave and washing process for cellulosic fiber pre-treatment and separation, acid and enzymatic hydrolysis to break down cell walls, and fermentation of the resulting "sugar soup" into bio-ethanol. Fiberight also provides systems for depolymerization of non-recyclable waste plastic for conversion to clean fuel for on-site usage, specialized microbial breakdown of organics for on-site composting, and now recycles essentially all acids and enzymes used in the overall process. 08/27/2013

Due 10/25/2013: Applications to CEC for Alt Fuels and Technology Centers

The California Energy Commission (CEC) is requesting proposals to develop "new centers or expand existing centers for alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technology." The Program Opportunity Notice (PON-13-605) was released on August 23, 2013 and is funded under the Assembly Bill (AB) 118 Alternative Fuels and Vehicle Technology Program. There is a total of $4.7 million available for the agreements resulting from this solicitation. The CEC expects to make at least three awards of up to $1,566,667 each to be distributed among Northern California, Central California, and Southern California regions. The CEC at its sole discretion, reserves the right to increase or reduce the amount of funds available under this solicitation. Funds for this solicitation are to be used for development, construction, expansion, renting/leasing, and/or operation of a center. Applicants are responsible for securing funding for the various activities that may occur in the center. For example, Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology (ARFVT) solicitations provide funding opportunities to install alternative fueling infrastructure, conduct maintenance or production training, carry out regional planning activities, or demonstrate alternative fueled vehicles. A Pre-Application Workshop is scheduled for September 6, 2013. Applications are due by 3:00 PM on October 25, 2013. 08/27/2013

Cool Planet's 1st 10MM Gallon Biorefinery Will Be Located in Louisiana

California based Cool Planet Energy Systems has announced selection of Alexandria, Louisiana as the location for the company's first showcase biorefinery. Cool Planet is focused on development of small commercial scale plants for conversion of non-food biomass to drop-in fuel and biochar. The company's technology platform uses pressure and heat for "biomass fractionation", combined with catalytic conversion of the hydrocarbons produced and recovery of the valuable solid carbon char or "biochar" useful for CO2 sequestration and soil amendment. The location on the Port of Alexandria in Rapides Parish was chosen with support from the City of Alexandria and the economic development team from the State of Louisiana. The location provides access to an abundance of renewable biomass feedstock, the ability to load fuel onto barges, rail lines and trucks, and a strong local labor pool to operate the facility. Howard Janzen, CEO of Cool Planet Energy Systems: "Louisiana is known for its substantial oil interests, but now will also have the distinction of being home to the first, of what is planned to become many, production facilities for Cool Planet’s renewable, high-performance gasoline and soil enhancing biochar. Our goal for the Alexandria facility is to be economically competitive with conventional fuels made from non-renewable crude oil." 08/26/2013

NPG Energy Selects Weltech Biopower for 2.4MWe Biogas Plant in Belgium

Germany based Weltech Biopower has announced that the Belgian investor and project developer NPG Energy has selected Weltech to develop a 2.4 megawatt (MWe) biogas plant in the Limburg District of Belgium. Weltech's proposed design includes two 4,700 cubic meter stainless steel primary digesters, a second-stage-digester, two combined heat and power (CHP) plants, two 80 cubic meter dosing feeders, and the Company's proprietary Multi-Mix system. The Multi-Mix system shreds long-fiber biomass feedstock to fine particulates. Initial feedstock will consist of about 20,000 annual tonnes of maize silage, to be replaced over time with other renewable feedstock including agricultural "left-overs" and residuals. In addition to the plant residues, input will include fats and vegetable waste from grease separators, pre-mixed food processing residuals, and glycerine-laden "soap water" from biodiesel production. Power generated from the methane-rich biogas is intended for dedicated usage by carpet yarn manufacturing facilities of the Spin-group BV, as the manufacturer transitions to use of renewable energy. Heat from the biogas plant engines will be used to maintain the facility and dry the 50,000 tonnes per year of substrate produced from the second-stage digester; the dried residual will then be provided to local agriculture as fertilizer and soils amendment. 08/26/2013

Due 09/19/2013: Comments to California ARB on Alt Diesel Regulations

The staff of the California Air Resources Board (ARB) has announced the third public workshop for Thursday, September 5 2013 to explore the upcoming rulemaking on alternative diesel fuels (ADF). The workshop will be focused on draft regulatory language; a staff presentation and the new draft language will be posted on the ARB's BioDiesel and Renewable Diesel webpage prior to the meeting. Preliminary Draft Regulation language was the subject of the June 13, 2013 workshop; the current draft incorporates comments received on that preliminary draft. Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel are fuels produced by the conversion of wastes and residuals most commonly derived from biological sources, such as used vegetable oil and animal rendering tallow; alternatives can include thermal and hydrothermal conversion to intermediary products followed by catalysis. The processes can result in "drop-in" fuels essentially identical to petroleum-sourced hydrocarbons. This workshop is scheduled for September 5, 2013 beginning at 9:00am in Conference Room 550, Cal EPA building, Sacramento, and will be webcast. ARB staff intends to propose the final language to the Board in November of this year. Comments regarding the draft regulation are due to the ARB by no later than September 19, 2013 and should be emailed to <>. 08/26/2013

Optinol Can Produce Non-GMO Bio-Butanol at Cost Parity with Ethanol

San Francisco based startup Optinol has announced completion of cost parity feasibility assessments, concluding that the company's native-strain fermentation pathway can produce bio-butanol from a wide variety of sugars for the same relative cost as ethanol fermentation. Optinol chose to engineer a production solution tailored to the organism as its technology platform, rather than trying to tailor the organism to existing production processes. The net result is a high yield and commercially robust process to produce low cost butanol at a price competitive with ethanol. The bulk of lab and pilot processing testing has been conducted at Louisiana State University, achieving success with a wide variety of cellulosic biomass sourced sugars, energy crop sugars, corn starch, sweet sorghum juice, and molasses.. Final feasibility studies are targeting optimization of the extraction medium. Unlike ethanol, bio-butanol is hydrophobic and has similar energy content to that of gasoline. As such, it can be transported in standard pipelines without corrosion and other water-based issues caused by ethanol. Optinol is a collaborative venture between SynGest Inc, Unitel Technologies, Inc, and Louisiana State University Agricultural Center. Jack Oswald, Interim CEO of Optinol Inc: "Optinol has taken an alternative approach to producing butanol compared to companies like Gevo, Cobalt and Butamax. In lieu of genetic modification of the organism or other hosts such as yeast or E. coli, the Optinol process uses a patented non-GMO clostridium strain that naturally and prolifically favors the production of butanol, and without acetone or ethanol." 08/23/2013

Synagro to Start Construction on Large Scale Composting Plant in Florida

Headquartered in Maryland, Synagro has announced the impending start of construction on a $4.3 million multi-feedstock composting facility in southwest Florida. The Charlotte County center will be able to process up to 100,000 tons of biosolids and green waste per year, avoiding disposal while creating 75,000 cubic yards of Class AA nutrient rich compost each year to meet or exceed all the FLDEP and USEPA regulations. Synagro already has large-scale composting operations at three regional facilities in the western United States, and has developed more than 600 municipal and industrial water and wastewater facilities throughout the U.S. The new Center is expected to be in full operation early in 2014. Eric Zimmer, President and CEO of Synagro: "Our recycling facility fills a significant need in the area with a cost effective solution to create a sustainable program for management of these materials. Converting these materials to capture the substantial agricultural nutrient value instead of taking up space in landfills just makes good sense. We’re proud of the achievements that our technical team working with our local partners has made to make this center a reality; together we are creating an environmentally and economically sustainable solution to the ongoing challenges of managing organic wastes." 08/23/2013

GCEI Partners with Nova Renew to Develop Plastics to Fuel Pyrolysis Plant

 Global Clean Energy, Inc (GCEI) has announced a partnering agreement reached with the plastics to fuel company Nova ReNew, Inc for the development and financing of a plastics to fuel plant that uses pyrolysis technology. GCEI has corporate headquarters in Texas and an operational facility in Montreal, Canada. The partnership plans to finance and develop a $15 million plastics-to-fuel facility in eastern Canada using GCEI's pyrolysis technology, which has been successfully trialed for conversion of both plastics and tires to alternative fuels and high-value chemicals. Nova ReNew has experience in direct construction, design, and supervision of $100,000,000 projects including paper mills, electricity generation facilities, and solid waste management facilities. The group also has extensive knowledge in establishing recycling programs in Nova Scotia and in the Caribbean. The proposed Nova Scotia plant will convert 6,000 tons of waste "end of life" plastics annually into a high value synthetic fuel. Brian Levine, GCE's COO: "The Nova ReNew group has been working closely with government officials, feedstock suppliers, engineering, and procurement groups for the past two-years; creating perfect conditions for one of our plants. We value Nova ReNew's project development capability, knowledge of local environment issues, and process knowledge. Further, we believe we will jointly deliver an efficient and effective world class, End of Life plastics solution driven industry." 08/23/2013

Linde to Build Waste CO2 Purification and Liquefaction Plant in Saudi Arabia

Headquartered in Germany, the Linde Group has been awarded a contract to build a massive facility for recovery, purification, and liquefaction of the raw carbon dioxide (CO2) gaseous by-product of two ethylene glycol production facilities. The contract is with the Jubail United Petrochemical Company (UNITED), a manufacturing affiliate of SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corporation); the plant will be located in Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia. The new plant will be designed to collect, purify and compress around 1,500 tonnes per day of CO2, which will then be piped through the piping corridor of the Royal Commission of Jubail to three SABIC-affiliated companies for enhanced methanol and urea production. The plant will also be capable of producing 200 tonnes per day of liquid CO2 with food grade quality which will be stored and subsequently supplied by truck to the beverage and food industry. The new plant will avoid release of an estimated 500,000 tonnes of waste CO2 emissions each year. Linde Engineering Dresden will be responsible for engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of the facility to be completed on a fast-track schedule. Mechanical completion is set to be achieved in 2015. 08/22/2013

DECC Releases New Biomass Sustainability Criteria for Energy Generation

The United Kingdom's (UK) Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) has announced the release of tough new sustainability criteria for biomass energy generation. The standards are includes in the UK policy for Increasing the Use of Low-Carbon Technologies. As of April 2015, all generators of 1 Megawatt (MW) capacity or more using solid biomass or biogas feedstock will be required to demonstrate that they are meeting the new criteria in order to claim support under the Renewables Obligation (RO). This would cover around 98% of all biomass power generation in the UK. The suite of measures includes standards for sustainable forest management criteria and harvesting rates, biodiversity protection, and land use rights for indigenous populations. DECC has previously introduced a cap of 400MW on the total new-build dedicated biomass capacity (excludes biomass with CHP and coal to biomass conversions) that can expect grandfathered support under the RO. A notification process is used to allocate places within the cap, and is now open for applications for priority projects (that reached financial close by 20 August). Other projects will be able to apply from 11 September onwards. Greg Barker, Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change: "The Coalition is committed to delivering clean, affordable and secure energy for consumers. This includes an important role for biomass power as part of the UK’s energy mix. The new criteria will provide the necessary investor certainty and, crucially, ensure that the biomass is delivered in a transparent and sustainable way." 08/22/2013

NextFuels Will Focus Liquefaction Process on Palm Waste to Green Crude

California based NextFuels LLC has announced that it will initially focus use of its liquefaction process on conversion of Malaysian palm-oil residuals into "green crude." There are over 1,000 crude palm oil (CPO) mills in Southeast Asia and a single (60 tons per hour) mill can generate 135,000 tons of agricultural residue a year. Approximately 4.4 to 6 metric tons of agricultural waste is generated for each metric ton of palm oil. NextFuels notes that palm oil has surpassed soybean to become the largest source of cooking oil in the world; the growth of the industry has created a corresponding residue problem. NextFuels is working with sister company Enagra, a fully-commercial biofuel trading company owned by the same investors as NextFuels. The thermochemical liquefaction technology platform processes wet biomass in super-heated water at high pressure into a putty-like "Green Crude" hydrocarbon-rich material that can either be substituted for coal or further refined for production of numerous alternatives to petroleum-sourced fuels and chemicals. NextFuels intends to rebuild a bio-liquefaction demonstration plant originally created by Shell in 2005 with commercial scale module construction occurring in two to three years capable of producing 250 barrels of oil equivalent a day. Four modules capable of producing 1,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day will be the typical size of a NextFuels plant. Commercial scale modules will initially cost approximately $20 million and decline in price over time. Dr. Ralph Overend, NextFuels Chief Scientist: "There is no such thing as waste. The biofuel industry has been hampered by technological and economic challenges. We believe our system helps overcome many of these problems and we look forward to demonstrating it over the next few years." 08/21/2013

Biofpr Publishes Review of EU and US Lignocellulosic Biofuel Initiatives

Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining (Biofpr), a journal of the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI), has announced free access to the article "Review of US and EU initiatives toward development, demonstration, and commercialization of lignocellulosic biofuels." The selection of biomass conversion technologies along with feedstock development plays a crucial role in the commercialization of next-generation biofuels. There has been synergy and, even with similar basic process routes, diversity in the conversion technologies chosen for commercialization in the EU and the US. The article explores US and EU biofuel initiatives, feedstock availability, and the state-of-art conversion technologies that are potentially ready or are already being deployed for large-scale applications. The review covers and compares the developments in these areas in the EU and the USA and provides a comprehensive list of the most relevant ongoing development, demonstration, and commercialization activities in various companies, along with the different processing strategies adopted by these projects. Separate tables are provided for the US and for the EU, showing Biofuels Commercialization Activities with details of the companies and project sites, type of technology and feedstock, capacity, products and status grouped by thermochemical, biochemical and hybrid pathways. This article is the collaborative work led by Venkatesh Balan of Michigan State University, with researchers at Old Dominion University in Virginia and the University of Florence, Italy. The "Early View" on-line version is being made available free of charge in advance of inclusion in an up-coming issue of the journal. 08/21/2013

Scotland Is First Nation to Commit to Zero-Waste Circular Economy 100

The Government of Scotland has announced that it is the first nation to formally join the Circular Economy 100 (CE100) programme launched by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Environment Secretary Richard Lochhead made the announcement on a visit to Sweden to exchange insights and experiences of building a circular economy and the economic opportunities. The CE100 global network of 100 companies, innovators and administrations has set itself a three-year timeframe to accelerate the transition to a circular economy, helping businesses rethink the way they manage resources, whilst stimulating whilst stimulating economic growth. Scotland’s involvement follows the recent launch of the Resource Efficient Scotland initiative, managed by Zero Waste Scotland supported by a broad and growing public/private collaborative network. Over the course of 2013/14, Zero Waste Scotland will provide over £10million of grant support. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is focused on "inspiring a generation to re-think, re-design & build a positive future through the vision of a circular economy." The Foundation explains: "The circular economy is a generic term for an economy that is regenerative by design. Materials flows are of two types, biological materials, designed to reenter the biosphere, and technical materials, designed to circulate with minimal loss of quality, in turn entraining the shift towards an economy ultimately powered by renewable energy." 08/21/2013

Covanta Acquires New Jersey Waste to Energy Plant from Foster Wheeler

Covanta Holding Corporation has announced that it has completed acquisition of the 1,050 ton per day Camden Resource Recovery Facility (CRRF) in the company's headquarters state of New Jersey from a subsidiary of the Swiss engineering company Foster Wheeler AG. The CRRF is permitted by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection for use of mass burn technology to convert approximately 319,000 tons of solid waste last year into about 21 megawatts of electricity (MWe). The land on which the CRRF is located is owned by the Pollution Control Financing Authority of Camden County (PCFACC) and is leased to the facility operator. The CRRF complements Covanta’s extensive network of EfW facilities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic; Covanta operates and/or has ownership positions in 44 energy-from-waste facilities, primarily located in North America, and 20 additional energy generation facilities, including other renewable energy production facilities in North America. Covanta-operated facilities convert 20 million tons of trash annually into 9 million megawatt-hours of clean, renewable energy and more than 9 billion pounds of steam sold to a variety of industries. Anthony Orlando, Covanta's CEO and President: "We are excited to expand our portfolio of Energy-from-Waste facilities with this strategic and opportunistic acquisition. We have a strong track record of successfully integrating businesses and we look forward to welcoming new clients and employees into the Covanta family." 08/20/2013

EEA Publishes Assessment of European Union's Bioenergy Potential

Based in Denmark, the European Environmental Agency (EEA) has announced the availability of a new report, "EU bioenergy potential from a resource-efficiency perspective." The 60-page detailed assessment may be ordered as a paper copy or downloaded electronically without cost from Europa's EU Bookshop, a service of the European Commission. The European Union (EU) has set the ambitious target to increase the share of renewable sources in final energy consumption to 20% by 2020. The EEA has produced a series of reports estimating the EU's bioenergy potential in an environmental perspective and analyzing its most efficient use to support greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation. The assessment updates estimates of agricultural bioenergy potential, utilizes land use and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies, and then considers three models or "story-lines" to arrive at key results: (1) indirect land use impacts (iLUC) matter; (2) Contrasting policy constraints deliver little variation in total bioenergy potential but are reflected in larger difference in the energy crop mix; (3) alternative bioenergy pathways vary significantly in their GHG efficiency and ecosystem impacts; and (4) current EU energy cropping trends are not 'environmentally compatible." Where feedstock is sourced from waste or agricultural residues, it implies zero land use change and substantial advantages over fossil fuel energy in terms of both greenhouse gas efficiency and ecosystem impacts. Conversely, where biomass is derived from energy cropping, some bioenergy pathways lead to additional GHG emissions and other environmental impacts: "From a resource-efficiency perspective, the core message from this study is clear: bioenergy can play a valuable role in meeting society's energy needs while reserving our natural capital — but only if it focuses on the most resource-efficient use of biomass through the whole biomass-to-energy production chain." 08/20/2013

Due 09/20/2013: Applications to BIC for Ontario Bioeconomy Initiative Support

The Canadian Biomass Innovation Centre (BIC) has announced it is now accepting applications for support for the Northern Ontario Bioeconomy Initiatives. BIC was established by Nipissing University's School of Business in 2009 to help expand the region's clean technology industry. The purpose of this program is to create the foundation for biomass-related project development in northern Ontario. This project will provide five small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with consulting and research services that will help position them for expansion and/or realignment in their sector. The BIC at Nipissing University will provide technical and business support by offering research and consulting services at very attractive rates. The program is open to incorporated SMEs located in northern Ontario and their affiliates. The intent is to help conduct a pre-feasibility/baseline study; the project will provide the staffing and financial resources to help SMEs determine if a biomass-related business concept is worthwhile to proceed to the feasibility stage, or what prospects appear worth studying further. This project will lay the foundation for SMEs to develop strategic business plans and undertake feasibility studies. A program brochure is available for download, as are all application materials. A $500 "commitment fee" must accompany the application, due no later than Friday, September 20, 2013. 08/20/2013

America First and Washington County, Maryland Partner for Waste-to-Energy

West Virginia based America First, Inc. (AFI) presented a proposal to the Washington County, Maryland, Board of Commissioners at its August 6, 2013 meeting that would transform the County's landfill into a waste-to-renewable energy facility. According to the "Waste Facility Operating Alternative" presented by Kevin Whited, President of AFI, the proposed facility would transform the municipal solid waste (MSW) delivered to the landfill into refuse derived fuel (RDF), reducing the amount of MSW buried at the landfill by approximately 95 percent. Operations would process daily receipt of MSW and also begin "mining" the landfill for in-place wastes. The Board voted 4-0 with one commissioner abstaining to move forward with public discussion and processing through the Maryland Department of Environment for permitting. The County and AFI will partner to launch a waste-to-renewable energy initiative to develop an initial $12 million Phase I materials recovery and post-recycling pelletized RDF operation at the Forty West Landfill outside of Hagerstown. The County will provide the land and feedstock, and in return would receive 40% of the proceeds from RDF sales. AFI will secure funding required for project completion based on a long-term feedstock agreement. The County will bear no fiscal responsibility for either construction of the project or operational expenses. During the week following the meeting, Administrator Gregory Murray told the local news service that last year the County had experienced an $800,000 shortfall for the landfill operations, and that AFI had estimated the County's revenues for the first year of the Phase I facility operations would generate $866,000. The proposed $50 million Phase II project expansion would incorporate gasification and synthetic gas (syngas) catalysis systems to convert the RDF to combined heat and power (CHP), synthetic gasoline, military and commercial grade jet fuels, and on-and-off-road diesel fuels that will leave the facility “pump ready” and will meet or exceed Federal and State quality requirements. 0819/2013

Edeniq and PacificAg Integrate Cellulosic Processing into Corn Ethanol Plants

California based Edeniq has announced entering into an exclusive five-year agreement with Oregon based PacificAg to help integrate cellulosic biofuels processing capacity into existing corn ethanol fermentation plants. Edeniq has developed and is demonstrating enzymatic hydrolysis for cellulosic biomass pre-treatment, coupled with fermentation for biofuels production from low-value agricultural residuals. Edeniq's Visalia, California commercial-scale demonstration facility received federal support for expansion in February 2012, and in November of last year started construction on a parallel facility in Brazil with partner Usina Vale, a Brazilian sugar and ethanol producer. PacificAg is the result of a merger in May 2013 of sister companies Pacific Ag Solutions and Pacific PowerStock, forming one of the largest biomass supply chain contracting, harvesting, and management companies in North America. Brian Thome, the President and CEO of Edeniq: "This collaboration holds the potential to enhance the commercial viability of cellulosic ethanol production in the US. By combining Edeniq’s bolt-on production technologies for corn ethanol plants with Pacific Ag’s agricultural biomass supply capabilities, we will provide the best turnkey solution for today’s producers to economically integrate cellulosic production into their existing facilities." 08/19/2013

WRAP Cymru Launches Small-Scale Reprocessing and Re-Use Grant Program

WRAP Cymru, the Welch arm of the United Kingdom's Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), has announced a newly-funded grant program to support localization of recyclate reprocessing. The WRAP Cymru Small Scale Reprocessing Facilities Fund provides capital funding to support the development of small scale reprocessing which will add value to recycled materials and provide high quality raw materials for Welsh manufacturers. Funding through the Welsh Government and the European Union Regional Development Fund (ERDF) will provide funding up to €200,000 or 40% of the total eligible capital costs for Small to Medium Sized Enterprises located in Wales’ Convergence areas treating Commercial and Industrial waste. Funding can be used for investments in new or existing facilities and equipment to provide the following: (1) Reprocessing infrastructure for target materials including plastics (in particular film and non-bottle dense plastics), card, treated wood, glass, WEEE, textiles and food waste; and (2) Equipment considered vital to enhance and improve the quality of recyclates made available to the market. Landfill mining applications for facilities to recover and treat currently landfilled Commercial/Industrial waste materials other than those bulleted above will be considered on a case by case basis. Apply on-line by submitting contact information on WRAP Cymru's ARID programme page; questions may be directed to WRAP Cymru European Projects Manager Bettina Gilbert,; 029 2044 8090. 0819/2013

Due 04/30/2014: Grant Applications to CEC for Alternative Fuel Readiness Plans

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has released a Program Opportunity Notice (PON) for the support of development and submission of Alternative Fuel Readiness Plans (PON-13-603). Grant funds will be awarded on a “first-come, first-served basis” as long as funding is available. $50,000 to a maximum of $300,000 per project will be awarded to develop Alternative Fuel Readiness Plans that will provide strategies for the deployment of alternative fuel infrastructure (AFI) and encourage the adoption of alternative fuel vehicles (AFV's). The CEC's Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology (ARFVT) Program, authorized by Assembly Bill 118 in 2007 to provide up to $100 million in support per year, is making available up to $2,100,000 in grant funds to help prepare California for the increased use of alternative transportation fuels. There will be one Pre-Application Workshop on August 23, 2013 at 10:00 a.m., and all questions must be submitted in writing by August 26, 2013. Participation in the pre-application workshop is optional but encouraged. The Pre-Application Workshop will be accessible through in-person participation, WebEx, and conference call. Login information is available in the Program Opportunity Notice Manual. Applications may be submitted at any time between the solicitation release date through April 30, 2014 at 3:00 p.m. The first round of awards will be announced on September 13, 2013. 08/18/2013

LanzaTech Partners with India Research Center for CO2 to Low Carbon Fuels

New Zealand headquartered LanzaTech has announced entering into a research and development agreement with India's Centre for Advanced Bio-Energy Research to explore production of low carbon fuels from waste carbon-laden emissions. The Centre is a joint venture between Indian Oil Corporation, Ltd. (IOC) and the Indian government's Department for Biotechnology (DBT). The LanzaTech process utilizes precision fermentation to convert carbon monoxide containing gases produced by industries such as steel manufacturing, oil refining and chemical production, as well as gases generated by gasification of forestry and agricultural residues, municipal waste, and coal into fuel and chemical products. LanzaTech and the Centre will work to create a new process for the direct conversion of waste carbon dioxide (CO2) into "drop-in" fuels through an acetates-to-lipids pathway. LanzaTech can directly convert waste CO2 gases into acetates; the Centre is working to increase the production yield of lipids (oils) by "feeding" acetates to microalgae. The resulting oils can then be refined into fuels. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech: "India has made it a national priority to balance its meteoric economic growth with environmental and social sustainability. By converting India's industrial waste CO2 emissions into low carbon fuels and chemicals, LanzaTech and the Centre can reduce overall emissions while creating a sustainable, domestic supply of transportation fuels. We look forward to extending our technology platform and our existing partnerships in India as we work with the team at the Centre on this initiative." 08/17/2013

Xylitol and Mascoma Assess Feasibility of Highly Integrated Biorefinery

Toronto based Xylitol Canada Inc. has announced that it is in the feasibility phase with New Hampshire-based Mascoma Corporation, toward development of an integrated biorefinery in the Drayton Valley, Alberta, Canada. The selected site is in the Drayton Valley Bio-Mile, a municipally designated industrial area with a mandate to incubate and support emerging bio-based technologies. Mascoma has developed a proprietary consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) technology platform centered on genetically modified yeast and bacteria for conversion of low-value cellulosic biomass into high-value end products. Xylitol's production process has been under development since 2008 with a focus of producing xylose for the North America xylitol market. The facility would produce cellulosic ethanol, power, and a xylose feedstock for Xylitol Canada to produce a commercial grade xylose for the production of xylitol. Andrew Reid, President and CEO of Xylitol Canada: "For the past five years Xylitol Canada has been working to develop the lowest-cost and highest-quality process for xylose and xylitol production. We are moving forward on one of our core objectives in providing our customers with the very best xylitol products at a price that is competitive with sugar sweetened alternatives. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners as we develop this opportunity." 08/17/2013

BioNitrogen Will Use Casale's Ammonia/Urea Technology for Florida Plant

Florida based BioNitrogen Holdings Corporation has announced signing an agreement with the Swiss firm Casale Group to use its ammonia and urea plant technology for BioNitrogen's first plant in Hardee County, Florida. Casale has either built or refurbished over 400 ammonia and urea plants worldwide and is a market leader in ammonia and urea technologies. BioNitrogen's technology platform first gasifies biomass, and then converts the syngas to a variety of compounds through catalysis. The company recently completed a comprehensive search for the best-in-class ammonia and urea technology providers and selected Casale as having a very impressive combination of technology, in-house engineering capability, responsiveness, and cost for BioNitrogen's requirements. Bryan Kornegay Jr., President and CFO of BioNitrogen: "Employing Casale's technology and existing designs will allow us to increase the plant's production capacity from 360 tpd (tons per day) to 520tpd, thereby improving the plant's economics significantly. The technology will reduce both the investment per ton of production and the engineering time. We have partnered with Casale because it is the only company with such extensive in-house experience, expertise and technology in combined ammonia and urea plant technology, process and equipment design." 08/17/2013

Tamar Energy Selects Monsal Technology for Food Waste AD Plant

United Kingdom (UK) based Monsal Limited has announced a major contract with Tamar Energy to provide the complete technology package for the 45,000 tonne/year, 2 megawatt electric (MWe) food waste anaerobic digestion (AD) project in Halstead, Essex. Tamar Energy has a long-term goal of building a UK network of 40 AD plants and producing 100MW of renewable base-load electricity by 2018. The Halstead contract includes provision of all waste reception systems, food waste depackaging equipment, a hydrolysis plant to break down the feedstock, pasteurization systems, and AD vessels with Monsal's SGM mixing technology. The biogas and digestate management systems are also called for, including the company's odor extraction and treatment technology. The project delivery team includes Barhale Construction and Clarke Energy to incorporate GE's Jenbacher CHP engines with a total electrical output of 2MW. Monsal’s Managing Director, Aidan Cumiske: "Monsal is working with Tamar Energy on its first investment phase after an extensive due diligence process. Tamar Energy can take advantage of our unparalleled track record on food waste digestion to get high quality assets at a competitive investment cost. We are very pleased to support Tamar Energy’s development programme on this and future projects." 08/17/2013

Methes Energies Secures $1.5MM for Expanding Ontario Biodiesel Plant Ops

Methes Energies has announced that its subsidiary Methes Energies Canada, Inc., has closed on $1.5 million in working capital financing for the company's Sombra Biodiesel Plant in Ontario, Canada. The plant in Sombra was commissioned in July of 2012; the new funding provides for up to $750,000 of cash advances against the company's accounts receivables and an additional $750,000 in cash which can be used exclusively to purchase feedstock for the production of biodiesel. Methes has developed fully automated, continuous flow biodiesel production modules equipped with multi stage filtration and absorption pre-treatment subsystems. Nicholas Ng, President of Methes Energies: "Closing this transaction is a significant step forward for Methes as it provides additional resources to purchase more feedstock and increase production at our Sombra facility. We will now be able to operate the Denami 3000 in Sombra 24/7. We recently hired and trained additional employees and are now ready to process more feedstock into biodiesel. The demand for biodiesel remains strong and we believe that it will continue to do well for the rest of the year and beyond." 08/17/2013

CARB and Australian Clean Energy Regulator Sign MOU to Reduce GHGs

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the Australian Clean Energy Regulator have signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreeing to address the global issue of climate change by sharing information on emissions trading programs, market-based program operations, reporting requirements, and technical standards. The MOU was signed on July 30, 2013 by Chair of the Clean Energy Regulator, Chloe Munro, and Chair of the CARB, Mary D Nichols. The agreement establishes a framework for a working relationship that will mutually benefit each agency in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Australian Clean Energy Regulator and the CARB have been sharing practical lessons over the past year on methods for setting carbon prices. The new MOU focuses on investing in clean energy generation and related technologies and improving market integrity to deepen collaboration between the two agencies. “This agreement continues our productive relationship with the Clean Energy Regulator to improve our respective programs,” said Chair Nichols. “It is another step forward in California’s efforts to establish relationships with other programs to continue sharing information and best practices to fight the global danger of climate change.” According to Chair Munro: “It is important for Australian agencies to develop strong relationships with our counterparts overseas as we work towards a global market. I believe this agreement will demonstrate the benefits of regulators working together to reinforce the effective operation of our programs.” The MOU will expire in 2016. 08/14/2013

DEFRA Releases Annual Report on Anaerobic Digestion Strategy, Action Plan

The United Kingdom (UK) Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has released its annual report for 2012-2013 on progress since the Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Strategy and Action Plan (Plan) was published in June 2011. This annual report is the second that has been issued since the Plan was launched. The Plan was designed to deliver the Government’s commitment to increase the energy from waste produced through anaerobic digestion. The 56 actions in the Plan do not set targets for adoption of AD technology, and focus instead on tackling barriers to the increased use of AD in England, such as availability of finance and removing red tape. According to the report, the industry has continued to develop during the last year with 110 operational AD plants by July 2013 (up from 54 when the AD Strategy and Action Plan was published). Another 200 AD projects currently have received planning permission, and 10 demonstration projects that collect food waste from businesses are in place. DEFRA expect to complete the Plan this year. 08/14/2013

Praj Starts Construction on South Asian Bioethanol Demo Plant

India based Praj Industries has announced ground-breaking for South Asia's first integrated 2nd generation (2G) cellulosic ethanol demonstration facility that will have a capacity of 100 dry tonnes of biomass per day. The demo plant will utilize Praj's technologic and manufacturing expertise to convert various types of biomass, including agricultural wastes such as corn stover, cobs, and bagasse. The plant will seek to demonstrate various technical parameters including optimization of water and energy integration and its impact on economics, and develop the entire value chain including biomass handling and biomass composition and its impact on the operations. Praj will team with VAAIL for the project, an existing ethanol producer located in Western Maharashtra and a long term client, who will provide the land and allied services. Praj expects the project cost to be in the region of US$ 25 million (Rs. 145-150 crore). Pramod Chaudhari, Executive Chairman, Praj Industries: "Ground breaking of 2G Cellulosic ethanol plant is a giant leap in biotechnology and towards a more sustainable world. The greenhouse gas savings from cellulosic ethanol is greater than those from 1st Generation crop-based biofuels as well as fossil-based fuel and hence this project will play a vital role in reducing carbon footprints. The project site at Shirala gives us a locational advantage in terms of sourcing of biomass, utilities and manpower. We are delighted to work with VAAIL who has been our long term client." 08/13/2013

GranBio and Rhodia Partner to Produce n-Butanol from Biomass Residuals

Brazilian company GranBio has announced an agreement with Rhodia to establish a partnership for production of n-butanol from biomass. Rhodia is a subsidiary of the multinational chemical company Solvay, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. The partners intend to build a second generation biofuel plant in Brazil for conversion of sugar cane straw and bagasse into the versatile biofuel / biochemical n-butanol, an essential chemical in the production of acrylates and methacrylates. Operations are expected to begin during 2015. GranBio (previously, GraalBio) is a company of Graal Investments Corporation Group, a holding company of the Gradin Family. The firm has licensed the PROESA biomass pretreatment processing platform from the Chemtex/TPG joint venture Beta Renewables, and the GreenPower+ and AVAP pre-treatment and processing technologies developed by US-based American Process Inc. The new partnership signals a significant advancement toward conversion of biomass waste and residuals into foundation bio-chemicals. Bernardo Gradin, CEO of GranBio: "The partnership with Rhodia is fully aligned with our business partnership model and our strategy to develop solutions that can replace fossil fuels and chemicals with renewable products." 08/13/2013

Darling International Acquires Terra Renewal to Expand Food Waste Recycling

Texas based Darling International Inc has announced acquisition of Terra Renewal Services, Inc, adding the company's employees and all industrial operations to Darling's portfolio. Darling is a publicly traded company focused on provision of rendering and residuals recycling solutions for the food industry. Darling recycles beef, poultry, and pork by-product streams into useable ingredients such as tallow, feed-grade fats, meat and bone meal, poultry meal, and hides, while recovering and converting used cooking oil, and grease trap and commercial bakery residuals into both animal feed and biofuel ingredients. Terra Renewal provides collection, hauling, reprocessing, and recycling of waste cooking oil and disposal of non-hazardous, liquid and semi-solid waste streams from the food processing industry with operations in over 24 states. The acquisition is expected to close by the end of August 2013. Darling International Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Randall Stuewe: "We are pleased to add Terra Renewal Services, Inc. and its employees to our Company. The grease collection business is highly complementary to our existing footprint while the industrial residuals business is a new line of business. We are truly excited about the opportunity the industrial residuals business brings us. Not only will we be able to provide additional services to our rendering raw material suppliers, but we have secured a supply chain that will be essential in building out our new waste stream extraction business." 08/13/2013

IBBK Schedules Anaerobic Digester Operator and Engineering Training

The Germany based International Biogas and Bioenergy Center of Expertise (IBBK) has announced this year's biogas training schedule. The program and registration materials are available for IBBK's international "Biogas and AD Operating and Engineering Course" to be conducted in Stuttgart, Germany. This is an intensive five day hands-on course to run from September 16 through 19 in advance of their annual Biogas Expo and Conference. The focus of the training course is to enhance participant's knowledge on anaerobic digestion and the sustainability/efficiency of biogas plants, combining practical experience with theoretical and scientific knowledge. IBBK Fachgruppe Biogas and the University of Hohenheim proimise that participants will have "the full benefit of substantial and long term practical and theoretical experiences, which senior experts within the German biogas industry are providing." The classes will be taught in English; the price is 1290 Euro (plus 19% VAT). IBBK Fachgruppe Biogas also offers a 4-day study tour following the training, from September 23 – 26, 2013. The participants will visit planners of biogas plants, manufacturers of components and biogas plants as well as biogas plants with new or groundbreaking concepts or technology in Germany. IBBK is a combination and network of experts and companies, as well as groups of interest and educational institutes in the field of biogas and bioenergy, covering regional, national and international activities. The Centre of Competence is striving to cover the growing demand for independent, neutral dissemination of information in the field of biogas and bioenergy. 08/13/2013

County Approves $1.3MM in USDA Loans to Buy Site for Wood Pellet Plant

County supervisors in Mississippi have signed off on almost $1.3 million in US Department of Agriculture (USDA) loans to pay for land to expand the George County Industrial Park for a new wood pellet manufacturing facility to be constructed by Green Circle Bio Energy, Inc. The County will also be responsible for road improvements and interchanges, upgrading wastewater lines, and upgrading drinking water and process water to the site. The County secured a $1 million loan with no interest and a $283,000 loan with 1 percent interest. Both are five-year notes that will be paid by lease payments from the company. Green Circle will be investing $115 million in the facility that will produce up to 500,000 tons of pellets per year. The plant is expected to be operational by spring 2015 and will produce wood pellets for shipment from the Port of Pascagoula to electric generating facilities in Europe as a renewable alternative to coal. "Timber for the pellets, a mix of hard woods and pine, will come from within a 70 mile radius of the plant," said Morten Neraas, president and CEO of Green Circle. The wood will be trucked in already chipped, and it will be dried, ground into a fine sawdust, and pressed into pellets on site. Green Circle's first wood pellet plant is located in Cottondale, Florida on 225 acres. The Florida plant began operations in 2008 and has a production capacity of 560,000 tons per year. Green Circle is a wholly owned subsidiary of the JCE Group, a privately owned international investment company headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden. 08/11/2013

Colombian Oil Firm Works with NREL to Convert Sugar Cane Waste to Biofuels

Ecopetrol, the largest oil company in Colombia, is working with the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to process the residue from sugar cane and palm oil harvesting into fuel ethanol for blending with gasoline. The $2.3 million 18-month project is being funded by Ecopetrol, which approached NREL for its expertise on conversion of biomass, its compositional analysis and techno-economic analysis capabilities, and NREL’s unique facilities. The Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) between NREL and Ecopetrol intends to optimize the conversion process for bagasse (the material left over after the sugars are removed from the sugar cane) and to analyze the economic case for commercial production of biofuel from these materials. The CRADA also includes some limited study on palm rachis, the material left over after palm oil production. Colombia has an abundance of biomass in the form of sugar cane. The crop can be harvested all year round in the region near the Pacific coast, but can only be harvested eight months a year further inland. The plant spoils quickly, but the bagasse, the leftovers comprising a majority of the plants' mass, can be stacked and stored for a long time. That bagasse currently is burned to produce steam that drives turbines for electricity, but Ecopetrol is hoping to get more value out of it than that. It’s more challenging to break down the cellulose in the bagasse than the sugar-rich juice, but if the conversion process is successful, the bagasse can be processed into a biofuel. "There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic the plan will work," said Rick Elander, Biochemical Conversion Manager at NREL’s National Bioenergy Center. Ecopetrol already has a commercial facility in place for converting sugarcane juice into fuel-grade ethanol. The fermentation and distillation equipment at that facility could also be used to hydrolyze the bagasse and ferment the resulting sugar into additional ethanol, increasing the output of the facility and enabling year-round operations. It would only have to add the pretreatment process and optimize the operation. 08/11/2013

Due 09/09/2013: Comments to Idaho DEQ on Draft Composting Guidance

The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has extended the deadline for submission of public comments on its draft guidance for operation of composting facilities. Interested parties now have until Monday, September 9, 2013, to submit written comments. The guidance has been developed in an effort to aid plant owners and operators and the general public in developing an understanding of the state's regulatory requirements pertaining to composting of organics. The DEQ notes: "Due to the variety of feedstock used in composting, different local, state, and federal regulations may apply to various operations. The draft guidance addresses applicable state regulations based on the facility classification, odor management, and methods of testing and sampling to determine safety and quality of finished compost." The guidance covers windrow, aerated static pile and in-vessel compositing and details the state's three through-put determined Permit Tier levels. Backyard composting is addressed, as are microbial degradation of biosolids and agricultural wastes and residuals to include animal as well as plant waste materials. The draft Processing (Composting) Facility Guidance and Checklists for Tier II and Tier III Processing Facilities is available for review at the DEQ's State Office in Boise and by download from DEQ’s website. Submit written comments on DEQ's website or by mail or email by 5 p.m. MDT, Monday, September 9, 2013, to Dean Ehlert, Solid Waste Program Manager, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, State Office, 1410 N. Hilton, Boise, ID 83706 or by email to <>. 08/11/2013

CalRecycle/CARB Workshop on Revised Waste Mgt Sector Plan Scheduled

California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) and Air Resources Board (CARB) staff will co-host a workshop on September 17, 2013 to discuss revisions to the draft Waste Management Sector Plan component of the 2013 Scoping Plan Update. An annual update to the Scoping Plan is required by the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32). The draft Waste Management Sector Plan explores activities to achieve the 75% recycling goal of Assembly Bill (AB) 341, and is required by the 2008 Scoping Plan to AB 32 to address 2020 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction standards. Previous workshops were held and comments were due to be submitted to staff by July 12, 2013 on the previous version of the Plan. Additional information and comments to the agencies can be found on Teru Talk's AB 341 discussion page. The workshop will be held on September 17, 2013 from 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm at the CalEPA Headquarters in Sacramento. The agenda and relevant materials will be posted online prior to the workshop. Questions regarding the workshop can be directed to Tracey Harper <> or Mei Fong <>. 08/10/2013

NRG Energy Plans to Build Bioenergy Park Next to Montville Power Station

NRG Energy, Inc has announced plans to develop the Montville Renewable Energy Park next to its power station in Connecticut. The power plant, which is currently fueled by natural gas and heavy fuel oil, is fully permitted to be converted to use forestry residues, tree trimmings, and clean, recycled wood to generate 40 megawatts (MW) of electric power annually. “The existing boiler will be reconfigured to handle solid fuel biomass,” said David Gaier, NRG's director of communications. “We’ll construct fuel handling equipment, a fuel yard and a fuel storage building. The project will convert the existing boiler from suspension firing to stoker fired.” He added one of the advantages of the plant is its ability to still reach its original 80 MW capability using either natural gas or ultra-low sulfur diesel if needed at peak demand. The bioenergy park will consist of two fuel cell generators, a solar energy farm, and the biomass power plant. The two fuel cell generators will use natural gas to generate 5.6 MW of baseload electricity and co-generate steam for the power station. Furthermore, the solar farm will generate up to 2.3 MW of power to assist during peak load periods. The entire project is expected to cost more than $100 million and is supported by the Montville community. The project is expected to help retain existing jobs at the station and spur up to 200 jobs to the local and regional economy in the timber and forest industry. Once completed, the bioenergy park will generate a total of 50 MW of power. 08/10/2013

BDI Expands Feedstock Range at Spanish Biodiesel Facility with Retrofit

Austrian based BDI - BioEnergy International AG has secured an add-on contract with Stocks del Vallés (Stocks) to provide BDI RetroFit Technology to upgrade its 31,000-ton/year (9.3 MMgy) biodiesel facility to process multiple, lower-grade feedstocks. The facility, established in 2002, was the first company in Spain to begin biodiesel production and the second in the world to use only used vegetable oil as feedstock. Stocks seeks expansion of the range of acceptable feedstock, and BDI's pre-esterification systems will facilitate use of waste oils (waste animal fats, grease tap waste etc.). These waste oils are characterized by a very high content of degradation products of the oil (especially in free fatty acids, FFA). With the BDI RetroFit installation, the FFA-content in the feedstock can be up to 100% for conversion by the process into standardized BioDiesel. Based on this, the flexibility of the feedstock of the entire biodiesel-plant will increase significantly while maintaining the strict biodiesel quality regulations (EN 14214). Dr Edgar Ahn, CSO and member of the BDI Management Board: "We are very pleased to support our customer with a long-term business-relationship, to optimize his existing BioDiesel-plant to the state of the art Multi-Feedstock BioDiesel-technique. This is another proof that our RetroFit-technology is increasingly in demand for international biodiesel plants. In addition, it provides an efficient way for biodiesel producers to increase the profitability of their existing plants with the experience and the technology of BDI." 08/08/2013

Energy Technology Leadership Group Launched for Smarter Safer Energy

The new Washington based advocacy association Energy Technology Leadership Group (ETLG) announced its formal launch last week "to promote smarter, safer energy through the use of the most innovative technologies across the energy spectrum including fossil, solar, hydro, wind, biofuels, and geothermal." ETLG will help educate members of Congress, federal agencies, and regulators about timely technological advances, to assist them in drafting more accurate legislation and regulations. The energy sector offers a variety of technology services in the U.S. and Canada that increase the efficiency and safety of energy development and deployment, and the community needs a voice in Washington to help ensure their continued success. ETLG will serve as a forum to discuss sector-specific ideas to promote further public-private partnerships across the political and economic spectra. Among the energy sector policy issues currently targeted for ETLG advocacy efforts: Energy efficiency, Carbon capture and storage (CCS), Cybersecurity, Pipeline safety, Clean up, abatement, and reclamation, Tax and other incentives for technology innovation, and Social license and related corporate social responsibility. Bryan Tackett, executive director of ETLG: "All too often, well-intended legislative or regulatory efforts have unintended and potentially negative consequences because they are based on inaccurate or incomplete information. ETLG will engage in an ongoing, open dialogue with policy framers and lawmakers on issues such as pipeline safety, carbon capture, energy efficiency, and delivery and sustainability. Through our work, we will contribute to a more comprehensive approach to smarter, safer energy development and delivery." 08/07/2013

University of Texas, SWRI to Assess Use of Biochar for Frack Water Clean-Up

The University of Texas, San Antonio (UTSA) and the Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) have announced that they are initiating a year-long research assessment of biochar for cleanup and remediation of "frack water," the flow-back water produced during hydraulic fracturing for mining oil and gas reserves. Over the next year, the researchers will optimize biochar for the water treatment solution, testing on water samples from the Eagle Ford Shale in south central Texas. Biochar is a stable charcoal-like solid produced by pyrolysis of low-value biomass that attracts and retains water, absorbing up impurities such as hydrocarbons, organics, biocides and certain inorganic metal ions. Flow-back water treatment is expensive to treat because a single well can require one to five million gallons of fracking fluid. Environmental contaminants in flow-back water include salts, hydrocarbons, and heavy metals, making it unsafe for disposal on land and in streams. UTSA mechanical engineering faculty member Zhigang Feng and SwRI senior research scientist Maoqi Feng believe that they can alter and optimize biochar, and intend to isolate, prepare and characterize the biochar; test the biochar on flow-back water samples from the Eagle Ford shale; develop computer models of the biochar water treatment system; and assess the biochar's performance for possible improvements. If successful, they expect the biochar treatment to follow filtration to remove the solids as the second step in the water purification process. 08/07/2013

Aston University EBRI Calls for Business Waste for Thermal Conversion Trials

The European Bioenergy Research Institute (EBRI) based at Aston University in Birmingham, United Kingdom (UK), has announced a request for the UK's West Midlands businesses and manufacturers to send their waste for testing in a new bioenergy technology developed by its researchers. Launched in June 2011, the EBRI developed a pyrolysis-based waste conversion demonstration plant at Harper Adams University in Shropshire. An industrial size demonstrator is under construction on the Aston University campus and will be operational beginning in Fall 2013. The EBRI's Pyroformer is designed to generate cost-effective heat and power from conversion of multiple waste sources; the research lab now seeks waste sources such as food and agricultural waste, sewage sludge, manure and biomass (woody and non-woody materials), as well as tall oil from the pulp industry, in bulk or in pellet form. EBRI would welcome waste samples from anaerobic digestion, municipal waste, water treatment plants and food processing industries, and is open to looking to collaboration with companies with facilities including pellet mills, milling plants, drying facilities and logistics companies. Tim Miller, EBRI Director of Operations: "… energy can be derived from domestic, agricultural and industrial waste and will mean the amount of material sent to landfill will also be significantly reduced. The city of Birmingham, for instance, has the potential to power itself using the waste it produces. It is crucial that EBRI is able to source waste products to run and develop our technology without having to transport it long distances and we are keen to source these waste streams from within the West Midlands." 08/06/2013

Waste No Energy Develops Manure and Food Waste Digester at RAKR Farms

Indiana based Waste No Energy, LLC (WNE), a company owned by RAKR Farms, has announced development of a multi-feedstock anaerobic digester (AD) facility that is on target to begin generating renewable power in December 2013. Once fully operational according to the project's "snapshot", the AD plant will convert about 22 tons per day (tpd) of swine waste, 4 tpd steer manure, and 100-125 tpd substrate of high energy organic waste such as regionally sourced grocery and baked goods, restaurant waste, cheese mfg waste, brewery waste, and biofuel production byproducts for production of over 400,000 cubic feet of biogas per day. The plant is designed to produce no waste, with all residual being stabilized as liquid and solid fertilizer. Operations further do not require a constant supply of fresh water. Power will be purchased by Northern Indiana Public Service Company (NIPSCO). Waste No Energy’s capital investment is being coupled with construction funding provided by First Financial Bank and an SBA-approved loan arranged through Premier Capital Corporation. Doug Raderstorf, president of Waste No Energy: "This is an exciting time for all of us at Waste No Energy. This technology has been utilized in Europe for decades and we are proud to bring it to Indiana. Having partners, like First Financial Bank, who understood and supported our goals was key to moving the project forward. We are proud that it is becoming a reality for the area." 08/06/2013

Green Heat Alliance Publishes US EPA 'Wood Heater NSPS' Rulemaking Status

The Alliance for Green Heat has published a status summary of the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) “Wood Heater NSPS" rulemaking, which was submitted to to the Office of Budget and Management (OMB) on July 26, 2013. The rulemaking for the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) consists of the Standards of Performance for New Residential Wood Heaters, New Residential Hydronic Heaters and Forced-Air Furnaces, and New Residential Masonry Heaters. The detailed explanation was prepared for the Alliance by the law firm Van Ness Feldman, LLP and posted to the Alliance's informative blog on August 2, 2013. The EPA's Docket rulemaking page for this action places the anticipated publication in the Federal Register in November 2013, reflecting that OMB formally has 90 days for the review., The review process however, frequently takes much longer. The Final Rule implementation day is currently scheduled for November 2014. OMB also has a web page for the Wood Heater NSPS and offers the reviewing agency's own description of what should end up in the final rule, including that the rule should (1) reflect significant advancements in wood heater technologies and design; (2) require manufacturers to redesign wood heaters to be cleaner and lower emitting; and (3) streamline the process for testing new model lines. The Alliance for Green Heat is hosting and organizing the international Wood Stove Decathlon to challenge teams to design, build and operate wood stoves that are low-emission, energy-efficient, and attractive. Competitive elimination has now reduced the field to fourteen state-of-the-art stoves. The Finals will be held on the National Mall in Washington D.C. from November 16 to 19, 2013; the event will be free and open to the public. 08/05/2013

New Research Addresses Fate of Lignin During Hydrothermal Pretreatment

The latest edition of the journal of "Biotechnology for Biofuels" has published the abstract of a highly-collaborative article exploring a crucial aspect of biomass breakdown for production of biofuels and bio-sourced chemicals. The research work focuses on the fate of the naturally occurring binding polymer lignin during hydrothermal pretreatment as it impacts cellulosic biomass conversion to fermentable sugars. Researchers from numerous US and Canadian universities and from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory have documented an extensive battery of tests and results tracing the many aspects of change to lignocellulosic biomass from hybrid poplar (Populus trichocarpa x P. deltoids), a non-food "short-rotation woody crop" preferred for rapid biomass production and potential for repeated annual harvesting for biofuels. Enzymatic hydrolysis to simpler sugars of the cellulose and hemi-cellulose in wood using super-heated and pressurized water (hydrothermal pretreatment) benefits from delignification, separation and removal or modification of lignin, yet the complexity of the interaction has slowed the pace of biofuels development. The research identifies key changes to lignin suggesting the benefits of specific pretreatment strategies. The article, "The Fate of Lignin during Hydrothermal Pretreatment", is available for download free of charge as a "provisional" Acrobat file (.pdf); the fully formatted versions are currently in production. 08/05/2013

EPA SBIR Awards Include Micro-Waste-to-Energy, Rare Earth Recycling

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced seven Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards, in response to the FY 2013 Request for Applications. Three of the awards are directly pertinent to waste and biomass conversion and utilization: (1) Synanomet LLC of Little Rock, Arkansas receives $299,987 to continue Phase I SBIR research in use of lignin, a natural residual polymer from cellulosic biofuel processing for rapid and economical removal of phosphorous contaminants in water and waste water. The company is advancing initial discoveries licensed from the University of Arkansas, received $25,000 from the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority this February and will use the 2-year SBIR Phase II funding to further scale-up toward commercialization; (2) Electron Energy Corporation of Landisville, Pennsylvania has been awarded $300,000 to continue its Phase I efforts toward develop a scalable, efficient and low-cost remanufacturing methodology for recycling rare earth-based magnets from industrial scrap into valuable magnetic alloys and high-performance magnets with tailored properties for specific applications; (3) Illinois based Fluidic microControls, Inc. received $300,00 to up-scale earlier modules to a 10 kilowatt combined heat and power module (micro CHP) sized for small dairy agricultural production of biogas by anaerobic digestion, or any other farm or residential CHP need. The company's technology is focused on Rankine cycle power generator using a proprietary micro-turbine design. EPA is one of 11 federal agencies that provide SBIR program funding; the 2013 SBIR Phase I Request for Applications is now open. 08/05/2013

JBI Participates with Crayola in New 'COLORCYCLE' School Program

New York headquartered JBI, Inc. has announced its participation in Crayola, LLC's "COLORCYCLE" school program to turn used Crayola markers into clean energy. Crayola's new program encourages K-12 schools in the US and Canada to package, label and send used markers directly to JBI for processing into energy. FedEx Ground will pick up the markers, and Crayola is paying for all shipping costs. Crayola and schools across North America are banding together to help kids understand the importance of their role in protecting the environment. Crayola is also providing specially developed standards-based lesson plans to help teachers and their students to explore eco-friendly practices, enrich instruction and promote lively class discussions. In addition, JBI is receiving waste and overruns from Crayola that are being used as additional feedstock. JBI, Inc. is commercializing its Plastics-to-Oil (P2O) process for converting waste plastics into ultra-clean, ultra-low sulphur in-spec fuels. JBI's CEO Tony Bogolin: "We are extremely pleased to partner with Crayola. By introducing this program, Crayola continues to prove to be a leader, not only in its industry, but also in worldwide waste reduction ethics and social responsibility." 08/02/2013

ENER-G Will Furnish CHP System for Fife Anaerobic Digestion Facility

Manchester, England based ENER-G has announced that it will supply a high efficiency combined heat and power (CHP) system for its new anaerobic digestion facility at the Lochhead landfill site in Dunfermline. The Fife anaerobic digestion plant will begin power generation later this year, converting up to 40,000 tonnes of local food and garden waste into up to 1.4MW of renewable electricity and heat. The renewable heat will supply the Fife Council's existing district heating system and has the potential to meet all of the heating needs of the local Queen Margaret Hospital. ENER-G will install an MTU engine to convert the digester gas to combined heat and power (CHP), a high-efficiency engine in use at numerous anaerobic digestion plants in Germany. Scotland. ENER-G already has developed and operates the Council's landfill gas generation facility at the adjacent Lochhead landfill, which has been operational for more than 5 years. The biogas generation system will be financed, developed, installed and operated by ENER-G at no upfront cost to the Council. The Council will recover Feed in Tariff (FiT) payments on the export of electricity to the local network over the 25 year contract period. Chris Ewing, Environmental Sustainability Manager for Fife Council: "We believe that turning food and garden waste at Lochhead into power and heat could save the council around £1.2 million each year. It will also contribute to our improving recycling rates, which were 55.5% in 2012 for household and commercial waste." 08/02/2013

UK DfT Plans £25MM Competition for Advanced Biofuels Demo Projects

The United Kingdom (UK) Department for Transport (DfT) has announced that it will make £25 million of capital funding available to enable the construction of demonstration-scale waste to fuel and other advanced biofuel plants in the UK. Advanced biofuels may be produced from conversion of a wide variety of feedstock types including municipal waste and forestry residues. Complex processing techniques are now available that can produce fuels for road transport and aviation. The funding will be provided over three years from 2015 following a competition to identify the best and most suitable industry proposals. The Department for Transport will commission a feasibility study to report on the detailed design of the proposed competition, including eligibility criteria and funding scheme options, as well as ensuring the project complies with EU State aid rules. Further details on the competition, including the feasibility study, will be provided later this year, with announcement of a range of potential measures to support the most sustainable fuels and spur further innovation in this sector. Transport Minister Norman Baker: "I am delighted that we are able to support these innovative technologies and believe that they will bring significant benefits to the UK. There are real opportunities for the UK to take a technological lead, driving growth, creating highly skilled jobs and seeing energy, security and environmental benefits. It is clear that in the long term advanced biofuels will be important in areas that we cannot otherwise decarbonise, such as aviation. This announcement will help put the UK in a good position to meet this demand." 08/02/2013

Due 09/06/2013: Comments to CEC on Distributed Generation Costs

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has announced a workshop scheduled for August 22, 2013 exploring the costs and impacts on the electricity system associated with increased distributed generation (DG) installations in California, and how costs and impacts change based on interconnection location, distribution feeder characteristics, load types, and project size. The topic is part of the 2013 Integrated Energy Policy Report development, Docket 13-IEP-1H. In this on-going assessment, the CEC has contracted with Navigant Consulting to conduct the analysis, and has partnered with Southern California Edison (SCE) to use their system for the study; SCE completed their own impact assessment early in 2012. Preliminary study results and recommendations will be presented for discussion by stakeholders. Governor Brown's Clean Energy Jobs Plan established a 2020 goal of 12,000 megawatts (MW) of localized renewable energy development in California. The plan generally defines localized energy, or DG, as projects sized 20 MW or less, interconnected on-site or close to load, that can be constructed quickly with no new transmission lines, and, typically, with no environmental impact. The current study indicates that most small-scale project interconnection requests received by utilities do not meet this definition, and makes recommendation to alleviate impacts. Questions on the technical subject matter can be brought to Matt Coldwell, Electric Generation System Specialist I, at (916) 651-2070, or by e-mail at <>. For general questions regarding the IEPR proceeding, contact Lynette Green, IEPR Project Manager, at (916) 653-2728, or by e-mail at <>. Oral and written comments will be accepted during the workshop and afterward until September 6, 2013 by email to <>, and copied to the technical lead staff Matt Coldwell at <>. Include the docket number 13-IEP-1H and indicate Electricity Infrastructure Costs of Distributed Generation in the subject line. 08/02/2013

RES Receives UK Government OK for 100 MWe North Blyth Biomass Plant

Headquartered in the United Kingdom (UK), Renewable Energy Systems Ltd(RES) has announced UK governmental consent for development of its 100 megawatt electric (MWe) North Blyth Biomass Power Station to be located at Battleship Wharf in Northumberld's Blyth Estuary. RES has a planning requirement within the Secretary of State's Development Consent Order (DCO). Under UK legislation, power stations using biomass fuel are required to meet sustainability standards in order to receive financial support. The inclusion of the planning requirement within the draft DCO means the North Blyth Biomass Project will need to meet the criteria whether receiving financial support or not, throughout its operational life. The decision by the Secretary of State for Energy enables RES to deliver the £250m project, RES' first biomass development, expanding on the multi-national company's portfolio of onshore and offshore wind as well as solar energy projects. The site's location allows delivery by road, rail, or sea, but most of the fuel will be brought in by ship and unloaded directly at the Port. The plant will use only biomass fuel from sustainable sources, as wood chip, pellet, or briquette, produced from sustainably-sourced domestic or imported forestry material, dedicated energy crops, or non-recyclable waste wood. Waste wood feedstock will be non-recyclable materials otherwise destined to be landfilled. All fuels used in the plant will meet the definition of "biomass" under article 4 of the Renewables Obligation Order 2009. 08/01/2013

Integrated Biomass Resources Funded to Complete Oregon Facility Expansion

United States based investment firm Advantage Capital has announced that its small-business lending division BizCapital has provided $3.7 million to Integrated Biomass Resources (IBR) for completion of the company's forest-sourced biomass products manufacturing and distribution center in Wallowa, Oregon. IBR sought the funding to help with forest restoration while providing jobs and economic opportunity to rural Oregon. The team produces a suite of value-added products from low value forest biomass, and has been processing and selling bundled fire wood, wood chips and densified heat logs since 2009. The product line has grown to include pest-free fire wood, peeled round wood for posts, poles and rails as well as saw logs, pulp chips and sawdust. The expanded facilities and new capabilities will boost efficiency, reduce waste and allow the company to time the production of specific products to meet the specific demands of the market. Wallowa County Board of Commissioners Chairman Mike Hayward: "Integrated Biomass Resources is and has been central to our efforts to respond to timber mill closures and create an environmentally and economically sustainable future path for our community." 08/01/2013

ZeaChem Biorefinery Receives EPA Registration for Cellulosic Biofuels

Colorado-based ZeaChem Inc. has announced that it has successfully secured US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration of the company's Boardman, Oregon demonstration facility to assign Renewable Information Numbers (RINs) for cellulosic biofuels. The EPA Fuels Programs Registered Company/Facility ID List has been updated with ZeaChem's biorefinery verified as an approved registered facility for the production of Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) qualifying D3 cellulosic biofuel RINs. ZeaChem’s technology is a parallel hybrid system of fermentation and gasification that achieves high yields with a theoretical maximum of 165 gallons per bone dry ton (BDT) of biomass feedstock; at 85% efficiency, actual yield should be around 135 gallon/BDT. Earlier this year, ZeaChem successfully produced the first volumes of cellulosic chemicals and ethanol at its demonstration biorefinery on the path to commercialization. With facility registration complete, cellulosic ethanol production will now generate RINs to achieve the national RFS2. 08/01/2013

INEOS Bio Produces Waste-Sourced Cellulosic Biofuel at Commercial Scale

Illinois-based INEOS Bio has announced that its Indian River BioEnergy Center is now producing cellulosic ethanol at commercial scale with the first ethanol shipments being released this month. The $130 million plus BioEnergy Center is a joint venture project between INEOS Bio and New Planet Energy. Peter Williams, CEO of INEOS Bio and Chairman of INEOS New Planet BioEnergy: "We are delighted with the progress made by our team at Vero Beach. They have successfully addressed the challenges of moving a new technology to large production scale for the very first time. Consequently, we are now pleased to announce that we are producing commercial quantities of bioethanol from vegetative and wood waste, and at the same time exporting power to the local community – a world first. We expect to spend the remainder of 2013 putting the plant through its paces, and demonstrating full nameplate capacity." The facility has already converted several types of waste biomass material into bioethanol, including vegetative and yard waste, and citrus, oak, pine, and pallet wood waste. The Center is also permitted to utilize municipal solid waste (MSW), quantities of which will be used for bioethanol production at the Center during 2014. INEOS Bio's technology platform gasifies the feedstock and microbially ferments the resulting hydrocarbon-rich synthesis gas to produce ethanol. The biofuel is then purified to market specifications. The Center will have an annual output of eight million gallons (24 kiloton per annum, or kta) of cellulosic ethanol and six megawatts (gross) of renewable power, and serve as a reference plant for future INEOS Bio facilities and for companies and cities interested in licensing the technology for similar facilities. 08/01/2013