December 2013 News and Matters of Interest

Remember to check our Highlights for new postings on other areas of Teru Talk.

APL Announces Major Version Upgrade to GEK Gasifier Core Technology

California based All Power Labs (APL) has announced the new v5.0 Gasifier Experimenter's Kit (GEK) Gasifier and related Power Pallet, representing a generational change in its core gasifier technology. Two years in development, the v5.0 incorporates all APL has learned over the last five years of development and deployment. For the user, this means a significant advancement in performance, ease of use, and cost of operation/maintenance. The GEK gasifier can convert nearly any dry organic matter such as wood chips, walnut shells, construction debris, or agricultural waste into a clean burning fuel that can replace fossil fuel in most use situations. All Power Pallets purchased from this point forward will incorporate the new generation v5.0 gasifier and related auxiliary components. APL intends to "move the needle" on the global energy problem with small scale gasification. The v5 GEK gasifier in a Power Pallet can now be considered a reasonable replacement for diesel generators, either as a standalone energy platform, or forming the heart of a micro/mini-grid. APL will officially unveil its new 20 kilowatt, $0.10 per kilowatt hour v5.0 GEK and fully-assembled Power Pallet during its January 10, 2014 open house at the company's Berkeley, California headquarters. The launch will also be web-cast. 12/31/2013   

UNR Cooperative Extension Will Test Large-Scale Biochar Production and Use

University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) Cooperative Extension and its partners have announced a large-scale three-year project to test biochar’s impact on soil productivity and water availability in Eureka County, Nevada. The team's goal is to find more efficient ways to increase water conservation and plant growth, and decrease the release of fossil fuel in the Great Basin. Cooperative Extension, in partnership with Eureka County, the Nevada Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, the US Forest Service, the Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition, and the Nevada Department of Wildlife, is testing Amaron Energy's "mobile rotary pyrolysis reactor." The machine works by baking woody debris left behind from harvest, logging, or mine site-clearing without using oxygen, and produces biochar, as well as bio-oil and biogas. According to UNR Associate Professor Fredrick Steinmann, the team has completed testing of the 1/2 ton per day pyrolysis unit, the design is now underway for a 20 ton per day commercial demonstration unit, and the team is considering scaling up to a 45 ton per day unit. Amaron has tested its system on many types of feedstock, including urban sourced wood waste, MSW, tires, waste brown grease, and turkey litter. This will be the first large-scale field test of the unit and the biochar’s uses. Applications of biochar will be tested in Eureka County’s Diamond Valley and the Ruby Hill Mine. 12/30/2013 

CH4 Receives $2MM from NY Regional Council for Genesee Biogas Plant

New York's Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council has awarded (see page 23) $2 million to Florida based CH4 Biogas LLC's subsidiary Genesee Biogas LLC to design, build, and operate a biogas plant to support the Genesee Valley Agri-Business Park in Batavia, New York. The plant will convert organic waste streams produced by local dairy farms and other agricultural and food processers in and around the Ag Park and the region into renewable energy for use by park tenants and regional industry. The $2 million award for the Genesee biogas plant was part of $715.9 million that has been awarded through Round Three of New York's Regional Economic Development Council initiative. Governor Andrew Cuomo: "The Regional Councils were empowered to change the face of economic development in their communities and they have accomplished just that. This third round of awards continues the State’s commitment to these creative and groundbreaking plans and recognizes the immense progress that has already been made in revitalizing our economy and putting New Yorkers back to work." CH4 Biogas began operations at New York State's first co-digestion manure/food processor waste facility last year. The facility is located at the 2,000-head Synergy Dairy in Covington, Wyoming County, western New York. 12/28/2013

Anaergia Acquires, Plans Upgrades to California Biosolids and Energy Facility

Canada based Anaergia Inc has announced that it as made a strategic investment in a large-scale biosolids processing facility located in the City of Rialto, California. Anaergia acquired the infrastructure and assets of the shuttered $160 million facility previously owned by EnerTech Environmental Inc, and now plans to improve efficiencies, upgrade technologies, and create a state-of-the-art organics processing facility using proven, best-in-class technologies. These investments will allow Anaergia to expand facility processing capacity in the same footprint, while helping cities manage biosolid challenges and divert organic waste from landfills. Upgrades to the Rialto Biosolids and Energy Facility are expected to be completed in 2015 and will be centered on the construction of advanced anaerobic digesters that will generate renewable energy for facility operation, reduce the volume of biosolids required for heat drying and enable the acceptance of additional organic waste streams at the site. Steve Watzeck, CEO of Anaergia: "At Anaergia, we view organic waste as a sustainable resource, rather than a problem. We are developing fully integrated solutions that combine best-in-class recovery technologies. This strategic investment further strengthens our commitment to provide reliable organic waste management solutions and builds on the successful projects that we have already delivered in California and around the world." 12/28/2013

New York Green Bank Funded with Initial $210MM for Clean Energy Projects

New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced $210 million in initial funding for the NY Green Bank, a new market oriented approach designed to accelerate clean energy deployment, create jobs, and help make communities more resilient and sustainable. Initial funding combines $165 million redirected from other programs and approved today by the Public Service Commission (PSC) and $45 million from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The NY Green Bank is expected to open for business and offer its first financial products in early 2014. Governor Cuomo proposed the creation of a $1 billion Green Bank in his 2013 State of the State address as the financial engine that will mobilize private investment in clean energy projects. The NY Green Bank will partner with private sector institutions by providing financial products such as credit enhancement, loan loss reserves, and loan bundling to support securitization and build secondary markets. These products will support economically viable clean energy projects that cannot currently access financing due to market barriers such as federal policy uncertainty, insufficient performance data, and the lack of publicly traded capital markets for clean energy. NY Green Bank is a division of the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA). 12/28/2013 

MWDA Closes 30-Year Waste Resource and Recovery Contract with SITA UK

The Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority (MWDA) has announced that it completed procurement for its 30-year Waste Resource and Recovery Contract on behalf of the Merseyside and Halton Waste Partnership, and signed contracts with a consortium led by SITA UK. The Financial Close of the £1billion contract will bring more than £100M worth of savings to the MWDA and its partner councils over current landfill costs and over the life of the contract. The winning bid in April from the SITA UK-led group includes a high efficiency Energy from Waste facility with Combined Heat and Power at the Wilton International site in Teesside, creating around 50 new permanent jobs, and a new rail hub for the transportation of waste at the existing Potter Group Rail Freight Terminal at Kirkby in Knowsley on Merseyside. The energy-from-waste facility will also be able to provide heat to local businesses, with the capacity to deliver 190 tonnes of steam an hour to neighboring industrial businesses via a district heating system. The Wilton Energy from Waste plant is expected to take two years to build and the contract is expected to start handling waste in 2016 with the rail terminal development in Kirkby starting in 2014. Carl Beer, Chief Executive of Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority: "We are looking forward to working in partnership with SITA UK and other partners to develop modern and efficient facilities that apply the highest environmental standards in tackling the region’s waste issues." 12/27/2013 

PHG Energy and GE Provide Energy from Waste to Covington, Tennessee

PHG Energy (PHGE) of Nashville and the GE Power & Water business of General Electric Company (GE) have announced that their first commercial collaboration is officially online and creating electricity from waste materials at a new Covington, Tennesse, facility. GE's Clean Cycle generator, based on the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) technology, produces power by utilizing heat delivered through PHGE’s downdraft gasification system and waste-mixing process. The two companies in June successfully proved the coupling of the technologies in an extensive research and development project. The Covington plant is electrically self-sufficient, and produces enough additional power to allow the city to offset a portion of the cost of electricity used at the adjacent wastewater treatment plant. The facility currently uses two types of feedstock in PHGE’s downdraft gasifier: city wood waste and biosolids from the treatment plant next door. Previously both waste streams had been transported and dumped into landfills at considerable cost to the city. Mayor David Gordon: "What began with some research into renewable energy is now a working entity. The City of Covington is honored to lead the industry with a productive and sustainable high-tech innovation that also saves money." 12/27/2013 

NIB Invests in Danish Crown's New Energy and Water Efficient Slaughterhouse

The Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) has announced its investment in Denmark company Danish Crown A/S by approving a new loan agreement with a 10-year maturity, totaling DKK 340 million (EUR 46 million) for the construction of a cattle slaughterhouse in Holsted, Denmark. The new facility will replace four existing facilities in other regions of Denmark and is expected to be fully operational by the summer of 2014. With a capacity of 4,500 cattle slaughtered per week, the new slaughterhouse in Holsted will be among the three largest in Europe. It will handle roughly half of the national cattle slaughtering using the best available techniques as defined for the sector. The facility is expected to achieve a 30% reduction in the consumption of energy and water compared to the four facilities the new slaughterhouse will replace. The slaughterhouse will use heat recovery installations for cooling areas and water heating. The facility’s layout for the process flow and the shell construction of the building will also contribute to better energy efficiency. The facility will be equipped with a pre-treatment for the wastewater from the production zones. All the biological waste from the facility will be transported to an offsite biogas reactor to be converted into biogas. The total savings on a yearly basis for the project are calculated as 6,000 MWh. The corresponding reduction in CO2 emissions is around 1,800 tonnes a year. 12/20/2013

BAC Comments on CPUC Implementation Plan of Bioenergy Feed-in Tariff

The Bioenergy Association of California (BAC) has formally filed opening comments to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) regarding agency staff's proposal for implementation of Senate Bill (SB) 1122 (Rubio, 2012). SB 1122 requires that each of California’s three large investor owned utilities (PG&E, SCE, and SDG&E) must procure an incremental share of the mandated 250 MW of bioenergy Feed-in Tariff (FIT) from small-scale bioenergy projects that have commenced operation on or after June 1, 2013. BAC's comments provide an excellent review of the Legislature and Governor’s Office intent in passage of SB 1122 and explain in detail where the staff proposal is on target, and why many elements fall short. The BAC contends that CPUC implementation of SB 1122 should work to incentivize a broad diversity of small bioenergy projects using the full range of available organic waste and residual feedstock, providing flexibility in contracted input/output terms while ensuring a reliable fixed power purchase price. Crucial decisions regarding a bioenergy project’s development and operation should be left to the project proponents rather than the utility or the agency, especially related to “strategic siting” and choice of feedstock. Once all Opening Comments have been reviewed and staff has responded, “reply comments” are due January 16 2014, after which the ALJ will issue a Proposed Decision for circulation. Final implementation of SB 1122 will occur after the CPUC formally adopts a Decision. 12/20/2013 

Pacific Ethanol and Sweetwater Energy Partner to Produce Cellulosic Ethanol

New York based Sweetwater Energy, Inc and Sacramento company Pacific Ethanol, Inc have announced an agreement to supply customized industrial sugars for the production of cellulosic ethanol. The agreement supports the construction of a cellulosic biorefinery at the Pacific Ethanol Stockton facility in California capable of producing up to 3.6 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol annually, contingent upon Sweetwater Energy obtaining the necessary financing and permits. Neil Koehler, CEO of Pacific Ethanol: "The Sweetwater platform moves us towards producing next-generation renewable fuels while providing additional flexibility in sourcing, reducing feedstock costs and enhancing plant operating margins." Sweetwater Energy will use its patented, decentralized process to convert locally available cellulosic material, such as crop residues, energy crops, and wood waste into a sugar solution, which Pacific Ethanol will ferment into cellulosic ethanol at its Stockton refinery. Jonathan Sherwood, Sweetwater Vice President Financial Planning: “The biomass contract is being negotiated now. I can say that the biomass will likely come from within 60 miles of the Stockton plant.” 12/19/2013

Due 02/27/2014: Scholarship Applications to Iberdrola USA Foundation

Based in Spain, the Iberdrola USA Foundation in conjunction with Fundacion Iberdrola has announced that it is now accepting applications for scholarships for master's studies in energy and/or the environment at the University of Rochester and the University of Maine for the 2014/2015 academic year. The Iberdrola Scholarship Program is open to graduate students who wish to pursue master's level instruction in renewable energy, sustainable energy systems, the environment & biodiversity, clean combustion technologies & emissions management, energy efficiency, energy storage, electric vehicles, or smart distribution networks. The grants cover full tuition plus a $25,200 stipend for one full year. The application form is available online. 12/19/2013

Global Clean Energy Advances AD Development at Seneca AgBio Energy Park

Texas based Global Clean Energy, Inc (GCE) and California company Full Circle Renewables, LLC are moving ahead to develop an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility at the Seneca AgBio Energy Park located on the former Seneca Army Storage Depot in Romulus, New York. GCE and Full Circle formed a joint venture in July 2013. GCE signed a Letter of Intent with Seneca Bioenergy LLC in September 2013 to develop a portion of the Energy Park, including the AD facility. GCE and Seneca will provide land, infrastructure, rail access, and gas input facility while Full Circle will provide the technology and operations. To supplement the feedstock required, GCE will move forward with a biomass drying operation under a tolling agreement with Novera Proteins Inc to process biomass feedstock including grape pumice from local wineries to produce supplemental agricultural feedstock for the AD plant. 12/18/2013

Renewable Energy Group Agrees to Acquire Syntroleum Corporation

Renewable Energy Group, Inc (REG) has announced entering into an asset purchase agreement with Syntroleum Corporation in which REG would acquire substantially all of the assets and assume substantially all of the material liabilities of Syntroleum. The terms of the transaction call for Syntroleum to receive 3,796,000 shares of REG common stock. Based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Syntroleum has pioneered Fischer-Tropsch gas-to-liquids and renewable diesel fuel technologies and has 101 patents issued or pending. Syntroleum also owns a 50% interest in Dynamic Fuels, LLC, a 75-million gallon renewable diesel production facility in Geismar, Louisiana. REG, headquartered in Ames, Iowa, owns and operates eight active biodiesel refineries in four states with a combined nameplate production capacity of 257 million gallons and distributes biodiesel through a national network of distribution terminals. REG President and Chief Executive Officer Daniel J. Oh: "Combining Syntroleum’s renewable and synthetic fuel technologies with REG’s expertise in biodiesel production, sales, marketing and logistics should be a positive outcome for investors in both companies." 12/18/2013 

Calysta Completes $3 Million Financing for Methane to Chemicals and Fuels

California based Calysta Energy™ Inc has announced completion of a Series A financing round totaling $3 million to advance development of biological routes to high value industrial chemicals and fuels based on methane as a feedstock. The financing was led by Pangaea Ventures Ltd, and included current Calysta officers and directors. Purnesh Seegopaul, Ph.D., General Partner at Pangaea, will join the Calysta Board of Directors. Calysta is focusing on development of methane as a new biological feedstock for cost-competitive, scalable biofuels and chemicals production. Methane is widely available from large domestic deposits of shale gas, as well as landfills and other sources. Calysta’s BioGTL® and BioGTC™ natural gas conversion technologies use proprietary organisms to economically convert methane into liquid hydrocarbons, the building blocks of higher-value, easily transportable fuels and chemicals. Alan Shaw, Ph.D., Calysta Chairman, President and CEO: "Demand for new technology solutions in industrial chemicals and fuels has created a global market opportunity. This financing positions Calysta to continue rapid development of scalable, economical pathways for these important new products based on our BioGTL® and BioGTC™ natural gas conversion technologies." 12/16/2013

Greenbelt Resources Selected to Provide Waste-to-Ethanol System in Australia

California based Greenbelt Resources Corporation has announced its selection by Standard Ethanol Pty. Ltd., an Australian company, to design and deliver a complete, commercial-scale advanced biofuel system for converting wheat feedstock to ethanol and organic fertilizer. This commercially-viable system, designed to produce fertilizer and 0.5 million gallons per year (MMGY) fuel-grade ethanol, is scheduled for delivery in 2014. Darren Eng, CEO of Greenbelt Resources Corporation: "This system design will prove that converting waste to bioenergy is a profitable endeavor for our industry and the customers we serve." Standard Ethanol conducted a worldwide search over a four year period that included visits to the Greenbelt Paso Plant in Paso Robles, California, and to the Stan Mayfield Biofuel Center at the University of Florida, where a distillation module purchased by the university is currently in operation. Standard Ethanol selected Greenbelt Resources as the best technology partner based on verifiable experience, high-quality workmanship and a reputation for delivering performance outcomes which exceed expectations. The system will recycle wheat and the company plans to use the ethanol to fuel its own irrigation pumps and vehicles or sell it within the local community. 12/16/2013

NIB Finances UPM-Kymmene's Renewable Diesel Refinery in Finland

Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) has announced signing a EUR 50 million loan agreement with UPM-Kymmene Corp. to construct the world’s first industrial biorefinery producing wood-based renewable diesel in Lappeenranta, Finland. The seven-year maturity loan will be used to complete construction of a biorefinery producing biofuels from crude tall oil, which is a residue of chemical pulp production. UPM-Kymmene expects a large part of the raw material to come from its own pulp mills in Finland. The construction of the new plant, located next to UPM’s Kaukas mill, began in the summer of 2012 and will be completed in 2014. The biorefinery will produce approximately 100,000 tonnes of renewable diesel annually for the transportation sector. UPM is a leading producer of graphic paper, but also produces pulp, labels, timber, and sawn materials. Besides pulp and paper, the company owns energy assets accounting for roughly 10% of total Finnish energy production. Henrik Normann, NIB President & CEO: "UPM-Kymmene takes biofuel production to a new level with this wood-based biorefinery, and the benefits of its products for decreasing greenhouse gas emissions fit perfectly with NIB’s targets to mitigate climate change." 12/16/2013 

CR&R Receives SCAQMD 'Permit to Construct' Organic Waste AD Facility

California based CR&R Environmental Services has announced receipt of a Permit to Construct from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) for an organic waste anaerobic digestion recycling facility. The new facility will be located at CR&R's Transfer Station and Materials Recovery Facility in Perris, California. CR&R has already received approval from the City of Perris for the facility's Conditional Use Permit and certification of the Mitigated Negative Declaration required under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). CR&R selected Eisenmann Corporation’s high solids anaerobic digestion technology for their facility and a Totara biogas upgrading system furnished by Greenlane Biogas Ltd.With completion of construction scheduled for late 2014, the facility is permitted to process over 80.000 tons of organic waste per year in phase one with expansions planned to process over 300,000 tons per year in phases two to four. The biogas will be used to fuel CR&R's vehicle fleet, starting with about 50 trucks. Planning began in 2006 for the facility, and it was awarded a $4.52 million grant by the California Energy Commission (CEC) in 2011. CR&R also received additional grants from the CEC and the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) totaling $300,000 and $100,000 for the biogas upgrading system and fueling station, which is now installed. Clifford Ronnenberg, CR&R Founder and CEO: "Our team has put an enormous amount of time and effort to get to this point, and now it is clear the time is right to invest in the future of organics conversion." 12/13/2013

USDA, Navy's 'Farm-to-Fleet' Program Will Blend Biofuels with Standard Fuels

Secretaries of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Navy have announced that the USDA and Navy's joint "Farm-to-Fleet" venture will now make biofuel blends part of regular, operational fuel purchase and use by the military. The announcement incorporates the acquisition of biofuel blends into regular Department of Defense (DOD) domestic solicitations for jet engine and marine diesel fuels. The Navy will seek to purchase JP-5 and F-76 advanced drop-in biofuels blended from 10 to 50 percent with conventional fuels. The announcement marks the first time alternative fuels such as advanced drop-in biofuels will be available for purchase through regular procurement practices. It lowers barriers for alternative domestic fuel suppliers to do business with DOD. Preliminary indications from the Defense Production Act Title III Advanced Drop-in Biofuels Production Project are that drop-in biofuels will be available for less than $4 per gallon by 2016, making them competitive with traditional sources of fuel. The program gets underway with a bulk fuels solicitation in 2014, with deliveries expected in mid-2015. USDA and Navy also are collaborating on an Industry Day, Jan. 30, 2014, where stakeholders can learn more about Farm-to-Fleet. 12/13/2013

UK DEFRA Releases Waste Management Plan for England

The United Kingdom's Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has released the "Waste Management Plan for England" bringing current and planned waste management policies together in one place, and providing an analysis of waste management in England. The plan does not introduce new policies or change the how waste is managed in England. Its underlying goal is to bring current waste management policies under the umbrella of one national plan. The plan fulfils the mandatory requirements of article 28 of the revised Waste Framework Directive. A Post Adoption Statement was also issued.12/13/2013

Nexterra to Provide Biomass Gasification System for 10 MW Birmingham Plant

Colorado based MWH Global, Inc has announced that MWH Treatment has secured the contract from Birmingham Bio-Power Ltd to design, build, and maintain a new 10.3 MW biomass gasification facility in Tyseley, Birmingham, United Kingdom (UK). Site preparation work will begin immediately with completion scheduled for early 2016. Vancouver, British Columbia based Nexterra Systems Corp. has signed a contract with MWH to supply a biomass gasification system for the plant, which will be capable of producing over 10 MW of renewable electricity for sale to the grid. The £47.8 million project will use 67,000 tonnes/year of wood waste to produce steam that will be converted into electricity through a steam turbine and generator system. The plant will supply enough electricity to power 17,000 homes and is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (CO2e) by 107,000 tonnes per annum. Nexterra will design and supply the complete biomass gasification-to-steam generation system from feedstock handling to emission controls, including four gasifiers, a high pressure boiler, and a flue gas treatment system. The Nexterra system qualifies as an Advanced Conversion Technology (ACT) under UK legislation, meaning that the power generated by the project will receive the highest band of Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs).The investment consortium financing the power plant is comprised of the Green Investment Bank, Gravis Capital Partners, Balfour Beatty plc, Eternity Capital Management and Foresight Group’s UK Waste Resources and Energy Investments (UKWREI) fund. 12/13/2013 

Braskem,Genomatica Partner for Commercial Development of Biobutadiene

Brazilian company Braskem S.A. and California based Genomatica, Inc have announced an agreement for the joint development of commercial process technology to make bio-based butadiene from renewable feedstocks. Under the agreement, Braskem anticipates providing significant funding of Genomatica's development work over several years; will allocate significant Braskem R&D resources; and fund the construction and operation of pilot and demonstration-scale butadiene production plants using the process. In return, Braskem will receive certain exclusive license rights to use the resulting process technology in the Americas. Genomatica will also receive fees and royalties for each licensed commercial plant. Alexandre Elias, director of renewable chemicals at Braskem: "Braskem has a clear strategy for investing in the research and development of renewable based chemical technologies as alternatives to complement our current product portfolio based on petrochemicals." The new agreement adds significantly to Genomatica's butadiene program, which now includes investments of over $100 million anticipated under current agreements. With 71 issued patents and 450 additional patent applications, Genomatica has been pursuing multiple approaches for the commercial production of bio-based butadiene, using multiple renewable feedstocks, including conventional sugars, sugars from cellulosic biomass, or syngas from solid waste. BASF announced last month that it has produced its first commercial volumes of 1,4-butanediol (BDO) from renewable raw material. The production process relies on Genomatica's patented fermentation technology. 12/11/2013

Commissioning Begins at Three Tamar Energy AD Facilities in the UK

London based Tamar Energy Limited has announced that three new anaerobic digestion (AD) facilities with a combined capacity of 6 MW have been built at various locations in the United Kingdom (UK), and are entering the commissioning phase. Commissioning is typically a three month process all systems work together as designed, including all safety checks, and brings the plant up to fully operational levels. Clarke Energy supplied GE Jenbacher biogas engines for the facilities. The three plants have received the “seeding” feedstock which signals that the final steps are underway in the commissioning process. The first wave of Tamar Energy’s network of AD plants remains on track to be fully operational and accepting food, farm, and other organic feedstock in early 2014. Alan Lovell, Tamar Energy chairman and chief executive: "It’s fantastic to see our first facilities reach this milestone, as the culmination of two years of hard work by our team." Tamar Energy’s first operational plant in Basingstoke, Hampshire will process about 30,000 tonnes of food waste annually and be capable of producing 1.5 MW of renewable energy. The Holbeach Hurn, Lincolnshire facility will be processing up to 30,000 tonnes of vegetable waste annually to produce 1.5 MW of green energy. The facility in Retford, Nottinghamshire will process maize, manure, and other agricultural food waste and will generate up to 3 MW. These plants represent the first stage in Tamar's plans for a nationwide network of around 40 plants in the next five years. 12/11/2013

BDI-Bioenergy Starts Up Multi-Feedstock Biodiesel Plant in France

Austria based BDI-BioEnergy International AG has announced that the biggest Multi-Feedstock BioDiesel plant in France (Le Havre) has been completed and brought into operation successfully. The project was completed on schedule and as budgeted within eleven months, when it was handed over to the owner, ESTENER, a partnership between the Groupement des Mousquetaires (via its subsidiaries SCA Oil derivatives and SVA Jean Roze, Meat Division of the Industrial Pole) and Saria France. The 75,000 tonnes per year facility produces high-quality biodiesel solely from waste materials and animal fats, counts double towards the achievement of France's national renewable energy targets. Dr. Edgar Ahn, BDI-Bioenergy Chief Sales Officer: "We are particularly proud that our technology was chosen for the construction of the first Multi-Feedstock BioDiesel plant in France and that we have succeeded in satisfying our customer by implementing the project successfully." BDI-Bioenergy was awarded the EUR 16.4 million contract for construction of the plant last year. 12/11/2013

OriginOil Is Launching Permanent Technology Showcase at Model Fish Farm California based OriginOil Inc has announced that it will inaugurate its Permanent Technology Showcase at the model sustainable fish farm Aqua Farming Tech near the Salton Sea on December 18th. OriginOil will publicly demonstrate its field-scale systems for the first time that remove ammonia and disinfect fish ponds in a single step, and harvest algae efficiently for healthy and economical fish feed. OriginOil systems use Electro Water Separation™ (EWS), the high-speed, chemical-free process to clean up large quantities of water. Many fish farms in the Coachella Valley have closed in recent years due to high energy and feed costs. As a result, aquaculture facilities such as Aqua Farming Tech are pioneering ways to improve energy efficiency and nutritional quality, while at the same time reducing costs dramatically. The showcase will start at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, December 18, 2013 at Aqua Farming Tech, located at 89635 Avenue 81 in Thermal, California. The technology demonstration will highlight the ability of OriginOil’s EWS technology to reduce ammonia levels and kill aquatic pathogens, as well as to harvest algae rapidly and with excellent shelf life. Anyone interested in attending should fill out this online form. 12/11/2013 

Future of North America's Database of Wood to Energy Facilities Is Ensured

The US Endowment for Forestry and Communities (Endowment) has announced a new partnership with three associations representing various segments of the wood-to-energy sector to ensure continuation of www.Wood2Energy.ORG. Under terms of the agreement, Biomass Power Association (BPA), Biomass Thermal Energy Council (BTEC), and the Pellet Fuels Institute (PFI) will join the Endowment and its foundational partner, the USDA Forest Service in support of the database. The database has become the most comprehensive accounting of wood-to-energy producing and consuming facilities across North America. Wood2Energy.org was created in 2008 by the University of Tennessee through a grant from the Endowment and several funding partners: USDA Forest Service; Canadian Forest Service of Natural Resources Canada; American Forest & Paper Association; and Forest Products Association of Canada. Endowment President and CEO Carlton Owen: "Wood was the first energy source harnessed to meet human needs. With significant advances in both efficiency and its environmental footprint, wood will continue to play an important role in renewable, sustainable and forest-friendly energy needs for generations to come." 12/10/2013

Construction Starts on £81m Derry/Londonderry Renewable CHP Plant

The United Kingdom (UK) Green Investment Bank and the Northern Ireland based Evermore Group have announced the onset of construction of an £81m biomass renewable power plant being built on a Londonderry Port and Harbour Commissioners site at Lisahally. The combined heat and power (CHP) plant is the first renewable energy facility to be developed by Evermore Renewable Energy, a subsidiary of the Evermore Group. The plant will generate 15.8 MWe, the equivalent of enough energy to power 25,000 homes and businesses in the area. The power plant will be the first of its kind on the island of Ireland.Stephen Devine, co-founder of Evermore: "This is the culmination of many years of hard work to develop and finance the largest green energy power station in Northern Ireland." Construction work on the plant will create 200 jobs and Evermore Group expects the plant to become fully operational by summer 2015. The plant will be built and operated by Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor A/S (BWSC), which is one of the world’s leading medium-sized commercial scale power plant providers. It built and operates the 14MWe Western Wood plant in Wales. Biomass will be supplied under a fuel contract between Evermore and Stobart Biomass Products Limited. Provision is being made to use up to 30% of local wood biomass. Power NI will purchase all or the energy produced on a long-term contract. 12/10/2013  

Britain’s Largest Coal-Fired Power Station Opens 1st Coal-to-Biomass Plant

Britain’s largest coal-fired power station is about to become one of Europe’s biggest renewable electricity generators with the opening today of the Drax Group plc's coal-to-biomass conversion plant, and with new FEED funding to further the White Rose CCS project, also based at the site. Drax plans to transform itself into a predominantly biomass-fuelled generator through burning sustainable biomass in place of coal. In April 2013, it finished converting one of its generating units to biomass, and plans to convert a further two units by 2016. The new £700 million planned conversion project will burn wood pellets rather than coal, which Drax calculates will reduce carbon emissions by 80 per cent compared to coal. The facilities will provide enough low carbon power equivalent to around 1 million homes. The multi-million pound FEED study funding will support the White Rose project, which is designing a c.£2 billion state-of-the-art coal power plant with full CCS that will be able to provide clean electricity to more than 630,000 homes. It also includes the planned development of a CO2 transport and storage network – the Yorkshire Humber CCS Trunkline, which would have capacity for additional CCS projects in the area. Alstom, Drax, and BOC are the project co-developers. The three partners have formed Capture Power Limited that would be responsible for the development, implementation, and operation of the proposed new White Rose plant. 12/09/2013

Methes Energies Signs LOI to Acquire Assets of OTC Energy Technologies

Nevada based Methes Energies International Ltd has announced signing a Letter of Intent (LOI) to acquire the assets of OTC Energy Technologies Inc. (OTC), including all of OTC's technologies and knowhow relating to the conversion of several types of biomass into a chemical quality synthesis gas (syngas). The syngas can then be converted into renewable alcohols such as ethanol and methanol, renewable hydrocarbons such as jet fuel and gasoline. The assets also include an existing pipeline of potential clients that Methes intends to quickly pursue. The addition of OTC Technologies to Methes' portfolio of products will allow Methes to compete more fully in the multi-billion dollar renewable fuels market, and to start to compete in the multi-hundred billion dollar general transportation fuels market. John Loewen, Vice President of Operations at Methes Energies: "We are first and foremost a technology company, and we are proud to be adding to our portfolio this way. We are excited about the opportunity to offer a smaller solution to people that don't have the $100's of millions typically associated which such projects. What we've seen at their small scale facility is truly amazing, and our goal is to quickly package and deploy turn-key solutions similar to our biodiesel processors." 12/09/2013

Waste2Tricity Acquires Exclusive License for Alter NRG Plasma Technology

Waste2Tricity Ltd (W2T) has announced that its subsidiary Waste2Tricity International (Thailand) Limited, has converted its option for exclusive access to the Alter NRG Corp Westinghouse Plasma Gasification Technology in Thailand into a full exclusive license agreement. The license is for all applications of the Westinghouse plasma technology in the Thailand market for an initial term of five years at a price of $2 million. Waste2Tricity has paid $1 million, with the remaining $1 million payable in December 2014. W2T announced in October that it acquired the exclusive rights for AFC Energy PLC hydrogen fuel cells for deployment in Thailand. Waste2Tricity, Alter NRG, Westinghouse and AFC Energy all share Ervington Investments (UBO Roman Abramovich) as a major shareholder. Piangkwan Thummukgool, Director and Lead Co-ordinator for the Thai project: "The model that Waste2Tricity has created with the purchase of this exclusive licence will enable us to advance existing discussions with potential customers, municipalities and other stakeholders into binding commitments." 12/09/2013

GM Invests $24MM in Two Landfill Gas Projects to Generate Over 14 MWe

General Motors (GM) has announced a $24-million investment in electrical generation equipment that will allow the company to use more landfill gas at its Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Orion, Michigan, assembly plants. The new equipment will generate more than 14 megawatts of electricity (MWe) from landfill gas, which will help GM avoid producing more than 89,000 metric tons of CO2 per year. GM also will save a combined $10 million in energy costs each year at the facilities. The investment will provide powerhouse construction at each assembly plant, as well as generation equipment and machinery.  Rob Threlkeld, GM global manager of renewable energy: "We have made a public commitment to increase our use of renewable energy within GM to 125 megawatts by 2020. This expansion represents more than 10 percent of that goal." Orion Assembly has used landfill gas since 1999 to heat a portion of an upgraded paint shop that uses half the energy per vehicle as the one it replaced. When the electric-generation project is completed, 54 percent of Orion’s energy will come from renewable landfill gas. Fort Wayne Assembly has used landfill gas since 2002, and this project will increase its landfill gas use by four times to 40 percent. Construction on both projects has begun, and is expected to be complete and operational by May of 2014. Last month, GM and Detroit Renewable Energy announced a renewable energy project to turn solid municipal waste from Metro Detroit into process steam that will be used to heat and cool portions of GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant. 12/08/2013

Global Clean Energy Plans Waste to Plastics Plant in Nova Scotia

Texas based Global Clean Energy, Inc (GCE) has announced that Halifax, Nova Scotia, may be the location for the company's first Waste Plastics to Fuel Plant. GCE spent time in Halifax meeting with a number of government representatives and private sector recyclers. Brian Levine COO of GCE: "We were well received by many arms of the government. In addition to finding the correct industry partners in Nova ReNew Inc, throughout our stay it became clear that the effective landfill diversion practices of the province, the city and its citizens, have afforded the GCE and Nova ReNew excellent conditions for implementation of a Plastics to Fuel system." GCE and Nova ReNew announced a partnering agreement last August for the development and financing of a plastics to fuel plant that uses pyrolysis technology. 12/08/2013 

Fortum Inaugurates New Waste-to-Energy CHP Plant in Sweden

Finland based Fortum Corporation has announced the startup of a new waste-to-energy unit at the Brista combined heat and power (CHP) facility in Sigtuna, Stockholm. The new power plant unit, Brista 2, produces district heat for local residents and electricity for the Nordic power market from sorted municipal and industrial waste. The Brista power plant’s older unit, Brista 1, produces district heat and electricity from biomass. The new power plant unit was inaugurated on November 29th by Sweden’s Minister for the Environment Lena Ek. Brista 2 will use 240,000 tonnes of waste per year, which is equivalent to the amount of municipal waste generated in the Stockholm area. Using sorted waste in energy production offers a sustainable and cost-efficient alternative for energy and waste management needs. Production capacity of the new Brista plant unit is 60 megawatts (MW) heat and 20 MW electricity. The annual heat production, about 500 gigawatt-hours (GWh), corresponds to the annual heating needs of about 50,000 mid-sized homes. The estimated annual electricity production of Brista 2 is 140 GWh. Fortum co-owns the plant (85%) together with the municipal energy company Sollentuna Energi (15%). Per Langer, Executive Vice President of Fortum's Heat Division: "Brista 2 is already the fourth CHP plant we have commissioned this year in the Nordic and Baltic countries. Combined heat and power production is at the core of our strategy, and whenever possible we utilise renewable and local fuels." 12/07/2013

National Grid Connects First Commercial Biogas Plant to Gas Network

The United Kingdom (UK) energy company National Grid has announced the successful commissioning of its first commercial biogas project, connecting biomass operators Future Biogas to the gas network in Yorkshire. Biomethane, produced from locally-grown farming break-crops, including maize, grass and other biomass, is now being injected into the gas network in South Yorkshire at an £8 million plant near Doncaster. Future Biogas Managing Director Philipp Lukas and National Grid’s Director of Network Strategy Jeremy Bending will officially unveiled the state-of-the-art facility at a ceremony on December 3rd. The facility will ferment 35,000 tonnes of break-crops, sourced from local farmers, every year. The crops are fermented in an anaerobic digester to produce biogas, which is then processed by high-tech National Grid equipment before being injected into the gas network. The plant, which began generating at the end of October, is the first biomethane plant to be built and operated by Future Biogas. It can inject up to 12,000 cubic meters of gas per day into the gas network, enough to heat from 2,500 homes in mid-winter to 40,000 homes in mid-summer. The plant will also produce a valuable organic fertilizer that will be used by the local farming community. Jeremy Bending, National Grid: "This first biogas connection is a great achievement. The success of this project is down to the extensive collaboration between staff at National Grid, Future Biogas, consultants and suppliers." 10/07/2013

Concord Blue and LanzaTech Partner to Produce Fuels From Waste Biomass

Los Angeles based Concord Blue USA, Inc and New Zealand company LanzaTech have announced entering into an agreement to integrate their individually proven technologies to demonstrate the production of fuels and chemicals from waste materials. LanzaTech will install a Concord Blue Reformer at its Freedom Pines facility in Soperton, Georgia to convert waste biomass from regional forestry operations into syngas. The syngas will be converted by LanzaTech's proprietary gas fermentation process into a range of biofuels and chemicals. The integration and testing at Freedom Pines will serve as an important step towards commercialization of the integrated technologies for multiple projects that both companies have under contract and in development. Charlie Thannhaeuser, chairman and chief executive officer of Concord Blue: "This partnership and demonstration facility lays the foundation for the expeditious development of large scale projects we have been awarded, like the Four Forests Restoration Initiative (4FRI). This represents a critical step towards achieving our company's objective to produce drop-in fuels from waste resources and bolster foreign oil independence by producing sustainable non fossil-based fuels." 12/07/2013 

Amyris and TOTAL Form Joint Venture to Commercialize 2nd Gen Biofuels

California based Amyris, Inc and French company TOTAL, S.A. have announced the formation of Total Amyris BioSolutions B.V., a 50-50 joint venture that now holds exclusive rights and license to Amyris’ technology platform. The new joint venture plans to produce and market renewable diesel and jet fuel from Biofene, Amyris' brand of renewable farnesene (trans-ß-farnesene). TOTAL is Amyris’s largest investor, holding approximately 18% of its outstanding common stock, and is deeply committed to the development of next-generation renewable fuels from biomass. John Melo, Amyris President and CEO: "The formation of this joint venture, anticipated by our streamlined collaboration agreement signed last year, paves the way for us to initiate our fuels commercialization efforts globally, building on Amyris' experience with renewable diesel in Brazil and the growing demand for lower-emission jet fuels worldwide. TOTAL has been a strategic partner for Amyris for the last three years and a model of how global companies can leverage our inspired science to deliver sustainable solutions for a growing world." 12/06/2013

Cirque, Northrop Grumman Join Forces for Deployable Gasification Unit

Michigan company Cirque Energy, Inc (formerly Green Energy Renewable Solutions) has announced entering into a Joint Development Agreement with Virginia based Northrop Grumman Corporation for the development of a Deployable Gasification Unit (DGU). The DGU is capable of converting byproducts or wastes generated at military installations, natural disaster locations, or commercial or industrial sites into electricity and recoverable heat. These units utilize low temperature, starved air gasification technology coupled with conventional reciprocating engine technology. Cirque Energy previously created a conceptual Deployable Gasification Unit (DGU) while working with Northrop Grumman under contract. Northrop Grumman and Cirque Energy are committed to continue technology development for the DGU towards commercialization. The two companies expect the first working DGU prototype to be ready sometime in 2014 for testing and demonstration for military, government, and commercial customers. Phil Coker, Director of Integrated Platform Solutions, Northrop Grumman Information Systems: "This development agreement greatly advances the Northrop Grumman mission of offering a solution that provides beneficial use and disposal of wastes, while achieving reduced fossil fuel dependence and lower energy costs. Cirque Energy provides the team with cutting-edge technology, innovation and experience." Under the agreement, Cirque Energy will lead development, manufacturing, and testing of the initial demonstration DGU, with input from Northrop Grumman. Upon successful demonstration, Northrop Grumman will manufacture DGUs for exclusive sale by the two companies. 12/04/2013

GM Rochester Facility Accomplishes Zero Waste for Landfill-Free Status

General Motors (GM) has announced that its Rochester, New York, manufacturing facility is landfill-free after four years and seven attempts to recycle a challenging oily filter sludge generated from a machining operation. GM supplier Mobile Fluid Recovery helped the 1.8-million-square-foot facility solve its final roadblock of separating a mucky mixture of metal, filter paper, and oil by centrifuging the remaining material, spinning it like a high-speed industrial washing machine. The velocity makes excess oil pass through a filter into a hose. The oil is filtered further to remove air and water, tested, and dumped back into the pit for reuse. The remaining dried filter paper and fine metal particles are converted into energy. John Bradburn, GM manager of waste reduction efforts: "A plant pursuing landfill-free will review data, do dumpster dives to find the most landfilled items, and then tackle each waste stream to find better alternatives." It gets harder as you go and takes an entire plant's commitment and sometimes outside partners to get the job done." The plant, which produces components to enable better vehicle fuel efficiency, and its nearly 1,100 employees now reuse, recycle, or convert all waste to energy from daily operations. With their achievement, GM's landfill-free facility count is at 109, more than any automaker. The 75 year old facility is the company's 109th to achieve zero waste and landfill-free status. 12/04/2013