December 2014 News and Matters of
Interest
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Remember to check our Highlights for new postings on other areas of
Teru Talk.
CARB Schedules Hearings on Re-Adoption of LCFS, Alternative Diesel
Regs
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has announced public hearings before the Board for the proposed adoption
of an updated Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and the proposed adoption of a regulation governing the commercialization of
motor vehicle alternative diesel fuels (ADF). Staff reports detailing the initial
Statement of Reasons (ISOR) for both proposed actions have been posted with all supporting appendices. Both
hearings are scheduled for February 19, 2015 starting beginning at 9:00am, in the Byron Sher Auditorium of the
CalEPA building in Sacramento. Public comments identifying the proposal being addressed may be submitted after
January 2, 2015 and no later than February 17, 2015, at 5:00 p.m. to the Clerk of the Air Resources Board, or at
the Public Hearing on February 19, 2015. 12/31/2014
Due 02/06/2015: Proposals to DOE START for Strategic Energy Plans in
Alaska
The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy is currently accepting applications for the third round of the Alaska Strategic
Technical Assistance Response Team (START) Program to assist Alaska Native corporations and federally recognized
Alaska Native governments with accelerating clean energy projects. Through Alaska START, DOE, and the Denali
Commission, along with the DOE’s National Laboratories and other local and national experts, will assist rural
Alaska Native communities in developing strategic energy plans to help mitigate climate change, conducting
energy awareness and training programs, and pursuing new renewable energy and energy efficiency opportunities.
It is anticipated that up to five (5) Alaska Native communities will be selected from the applicant pool to
receive START technical assistance. Applications are due by February 6, 2015 (midnight Eastern Time).
12/31/2014
Carbon Cycle Power Locks Down Spokane Site for Waste-to-Value Demo
Unit
MPM Technologies, Inc subsidiary Carbon Cycle Power (CCP) has signed a lease agreement with an affiliate of Spokane Valley
manufacturer Wheeler Industries, Inc to house the demonstration unit of CCP’s
waste-to-value demonstration unit. The solution is a patent-pending photon-induced, electric-arc gasification technology that will process biomass (such as lumber mill
waste and agricultural residue) and municipal solid waste for the cogeneration of heat and power. CCP also
announced that its website www.carboncyclepower.com is now live. Carbon Cycle Investments (CCI), which acquired a controlling interest
in MPM following a stock purchase agreement in April 2013, has an agreement with Wheeler as the manufacturer of
the reaction chamber of its gasification technology. Brian Burrow, interim CFO for CCI/MPM: "After reviewing
several viable options, the one that made the most fiscal sense was to manufacture and demonstrate in the same
location. We're literally building the unit on one side of the street and deploying the demo on the other side
of the street. It really is an ideal scenario." Manufacturing will begin immediately now that the lease
agreement has been signed. 12/29/2014
Envoland Launches Mobile Waste Plastics Pyrolysis Plant
Taiwan based Envoland Co., Ltd has launched a truck-mounted mobile pyrolysis platform for conversion of
waste plastic to alternative fuels. The system integrates an automatic feed module, catalytic cracking and
pyrolysis, heat exchange / cooling, and all controls. The mobile plant fits into one 40 ft container and has a
capacity of 2.3 tons per day. The plant uses continuous reacting bed pyrolysis technology in which the shredded
recycled waste plastic is fed continuously into the cracking furnace to increase thermal efficiency and maximize
processing power. In the preheating stage, the pyrolysis plant process purifies the mixed waste plastic and
removes corrosive HCL gas. Inside the pyrolysis plant the gas is fed into catalytic converter then cracked,
fractionation, cooled and separated. The non-condensable gas is purified and supplied for the heating process
and production use, the generated flue gas purified to meet emission standard. Configurations include production
of gasoline with an octane rating from 90 to 93, and production of "super-diesel"
(sulfur ≦ 50ppm, Hexadecane (cetane) ≧ 2%, Distillation 95% volatile point 340 ℃);
fuels and residues can be used to generate power for operations. 12/27/2014
DOE Awards $3MM to SUNY College for Feedstock Logistics
Research
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded up to $3 million to the SUNY College of Environmental Science
and Forestry (ESF) in New York to to reduce the cost of delivering woody bioenergy feedstocks to biorefineries.
The grant will be used to develop and demonstrate ways to lower the delivered cost of short-rotation woody
crops; quickly and accurately assess feedstock quality; and improve harvest and preprocessing operations to
produce feedstocks that meet key biorefinery specifications. ESF will work with partners including Case New
Holland Industrial (CNHi), GreenWood Resources, University of West Virginia, Applied Biorefinery Sciences, Idaho
National Lab and others to complete the project. Dr. Timothy Volk, a research scientist who leads the willow
project for ESF, said that the ultimate goal is to make renewable biomass feedstocks more
affordable. 12/27/2014
B&W Vølund Will Build Waste-to-Energy Plant in East Lothian,
Scotland
The Babcock & Wilcox Company (B&W) has announced that a consortium that includes its Denmark-based
subsidiary, B&W Vølund, has been awarded a $230 million (£147 million)
contract to engineer, procure, and construct a waste-to-energy (WTE) power plant in East Lothian near Dunbar,
Scotland. Viridor UK received final approval last month for a £177 million energy recovery
facility (ERF) at its existing rail linked Oxwellmains waste treatment hub in East Lothian. Viridor selected
B&W Vølund and its construction partner, Interserve, to design and build the WTE plant. B&W Vølund's
scope includes two WTE boilers, advanced DynaGrate® dynamic fuel combustion system, steam turbine and a dry flue
gas cleaning system. The consortium also will test and commission the plant. The Dunbar plant will be able to
process up to 38 tons of municipal waste per hour and will help the Scottish government meet an ambitious target
of landfilling zero biodegradable municipal waste by 2021. 12/23/2014
WM Completes Divestiture of Wheelabrator to Energy Capital
Partners
Waste Management, Inc (WM) has announced completion of the previously announced sale of Wheelabrator Technologies, Inc to an
affiliate of Energy Capital Partners (ECP) for a cash sales price of approximately $1.94 billion.
Wheelabrator creates clean, renewable energy from
residential and business wastes, and will operate as a stand-alone company. Wheelabrator
has a current platform of 15 energy-from-waste facilities, four independent power-producing facilities, four ash
monofills and three waste transfer stations. WM will continue to be a core Wheelabrator customer under long-term
waste supply agreements. Energy Capital Partners is an energy-focused private equity firm with
over $13 billion in capital commitments, and offices in Short Hills, New Jersey, Houston and San Diego.
12/23/2014
Neste Oil and REG Enter into Settlement and NEXBTL License
Agreement
Neste Oil Corporation of Finland and Renewable Energy Group, Inc (REG), headquartered in Ames, Iowa, USA
have entered into a Settlement Agreement in which the parties have settled Neste Oil's US patent infringement
lawsuits against REG and REG's Singapore patent infringement lawsuits against Neste Oil. In addition, REG has
licensed certain Neste Oil NEXBTL technology and intellectual property rights for use at REG Geismar. REG became
the owner of the former Dynamic Fuels facility in Geismar, Louisiana in June, 2014. REG inherited the US and
Singapore patent lawsuits that are now settled as part of the acquisitions of Syntroleum Corporation and Dynamic Fuels. 12/23/2014
Corn Stover Harvest Trials Run in Iowa for Cellulosic Ethanol
Refineries
In two Iowa cornfields in early November, Leifmark, LLC and New Holland Agriculture teamed up to test equipment and methods used to gather, bale, and
store the corn stover left behind after the grain harvest. Paul Kamp, Leifmark's Chicago-based partner,
coordinated the 520-bale collection. "Using local specialists and best practices, we showed stover harvesting on
area farms is very practical. That's good news for three ethanol producers now considering new businesses making
cellulosic ethanol from biomass. Developing more efficient methods and equipment brings down the overall cost of
stover." 12/23/2014
Shanks Selected for Surrey Organics Biofuel Processing Facility in
Canada
Shanks Group plc has announced that Iris Solutions, a consortium led by Orgaworld Canada,
part of Shanks' Organics Division, has been selected as the preferred proponent for the Surrey Biofuels
Processing Facility project in Canada. Shanks will build the biofuel processing facility, which will process
115,000 tonnes of residual kitchen and garden waste from Surrey each year. The process will create a renewable
natural gas which can then be used to power the city's natural gas waste collection trucks. The facility will
also produce a compost product that will be suitable for landscaping and agricultural applications. Iris
Solutions, led by Orgaworld Canada, was one of three businesses shortlisted for the contract, which originally comprised eleven
different bidding companies. The final contracts are expected to be signed early next year, with design-build
activities getting underway shortly thereafter. The facility is expected to become fully operational by late
2016. 12/19/2014
Renmatix Acquires REAC Fuel's Intellectual Property
Pennsylvania based Renmatix, Inc has announced its acquisition of the intellectual property rights and
know-how of Swedish company REAC Fuel. Based in Sweden, REAC has developed intellectual property
that complements Renmatix's expertise and its existing portfolio of supercritical technology patents and
applications. The acquisition expands Renmatix's value proposition for licensing their Plantrose™ Process to produce cost-competitive cellulosic sugars. The
REAC IP portfolio will expand Renmatix's current cellulosic technology holdings and rights on supercritical
hydrolysis. The company acquired REAC's 68 applications, which include 54 national filings. Mike Hamilton, CEO
of Renmatix: "REAC's technology package is complementary to Renmatix's already substantial intellectual property
investments and expands the footprint of our lowest-cost biomass hydrolysis technology."
12/19/2014
WERF Funds Research for Recovery of Commodities from
Wastewater
The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) has awarded contracts for three new projects that examine wastewater
as a resource. Two of the projects seek to show that materials in wastewater can be commoditized. The third
project explores a new method of reducing phosphorus in wastewater. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will
explore the "Production of Bioisoprene from Wastewater" (WERF project # NTRY6R14). Greeley and Hansen is
conducting research on "A Multi-Platform Approach to Recovering High Value Carbon Products from Wastestreams"
(WERF project # NTRY4R14). Northeastern University will investigate a promising new sidestream enhanced
biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) process. 12/19/2014
Bioenergy Association of California Applauds CPUC Decision on
Bioenergy
The Bioenergy Association of California (BAC) applauds the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) for its
December 18, 2014 decision to advance community scale bioenergy development. The
decision launches a 250 megawatt feed-in tariff program for small-scale bioenergy projects, which convert
organic waste to energy. The decision, which is required by Senate Bill (SB) 1122 (Rubio, 2012), will help California to meet its
clean energy, greenhouse gas reduction, and landfill diversion goals. SB 1122 requires 250 MW of electricity
generated from organic waste, including: 110 MW generated from organic waste that would otherwise be landfilled;
90 MW from dairy and agricultural waste; and 50 MW from forestry waste from high wildfire hazard zones.
12/19/2014
Iogen and Raizen Start Commercial Production of Cellulosic Ethanol in
Brazil
Iogen Corporation and Raízen have announced that they have begun production of cellulosic ethanol on
schedule at Raízen's newly expanded Costa Pinto sugar cane mill in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. Raízen
broke ground on the $US100 million "biomass-to-ethanol" expansion just
over one year ago, and it is the first large-scale commercial implementation of Iogen Energy's cellulosic ethanol technology. The new facility will convert
cellulosic biomass such as sugar cane bagasse and straw into 40 million litres per year of advanced, second
generation biofuel. Pedro Mizutani, Raízen's Executive Vice President: "Continuous commercial production will
commence with the upcoming 2015 harvest season. We plan to be producing up to 1 billion liters of cellulosic
biofuel from bagasse and cane straw by 2024." Raízen has already announced that, given a success at Costa Pinto,
it intends to deploy Iogen Energy's technology in seven more Raízen sugar cane mills.
12/18/2014
Vega Biofuels Contracts with
Vencor to Meet Bio-Coal Demand
Norcross, Georgia based Vega Biofuels, Inc has entered into a five year Agreement with Colorado company Vencor
International, Inc that will provide Vega with sufficient Bio-Coal to meet its current demand. Vega
Biofuels announced last month that it was testing Vencor's Bio-Coal product to
determine if it would meet Vega's specification requirements. The Bio-Coal is produced through torrefaction, a
partial carbonization process that takes place at temperatures between 475 - 575º in a low oxygen environment
that makes the physical and energetic properties of the biomass much more comparable to traditional coal. The
biomass is then compressed into briquettes called Bio-Coal to be sold to the end user. Existing coal-fired power
plants do not need to retrofit their existing plants to accommodate the torrefied Bio-Coal. The Agreement will
allow Vega to begin filling orders prior to the completion of its Allendale facility. The Agreement will continue to supplement the
production capacity of the Allendale plant for the next five years. 12/18/2014
International Study Reports 5
Trillion Plastic Pieces Afloat in World's Oceans
Open access journal PLOS One has published an internationally collaborative study led by Marcus Eriksen
of the Los Angeles based Five Gyres Institute entitled, Plastic Pollution in the World's
Oceans: More than 5 Trillion Plastic Pieces Weighing over 250,000 Tons Afloat at Sea. The report collates and
analyzes data from 24 marine expeditions between 2007 and 2013 to provide the most detailed and accurate
estimation of mariner plastics pollution yet available. Five Gyres Institute and the Canadian Plastics Industry
Association supported Upcycle the Gyres Society are two active examples of global
efforts underway to categorize, estimate amounts, create collection methods, and consider waste to resource
conversion alternatives. 12/18/2014
Guelph Researchers Have Recipe for Wet Farm Waste: Cook into
Energy
University of Guelph (UofG) researchers are studying how to make biofuels from farm waste, especially “wet”
waste that is typically difficult to use. They have developed a fairly simple procedure to transport waste and
produce energy from it. Scientists have struggled to find uses for wet and green waste, including corn husks,
tomato vines and manure. Dry farm waste, such as wood chips or sawdust, is easier to use for generating power.
Often, wet farm waste materials break down before reaching their destination. Researchers led by engineering
professor Animesh Dutta, director of the Bio-Renewable Innovation Lab (BRIL) at UofG, have found a solution:
pressure cooking. Cooking farm waste yields compact, easily transportable material that will not degrade and can
be used in energy-producing plants. Dutta said the research, which is published this week in the journal
Applied Energy, shows that in a lab setting, biofuels can produce the
same amount of energy as coal. 12/18/2014
ATS Pilots Recyllose Recovery Process at Scottish Wastewater Treatment
Plant
California based Applied CleanTech (ACT) has announced that its pilot project to test its SRS sewage recycling technology for wastewater being conducted
with Scottish Water is showing promising results. The pilot is being
conducted at Dunbar and Aviemore Waste Water Treatment Works in Scotland, and is the first installation of ACT's
Sewage Recycling System (SRS) in the United Kingdom (UK). Scottish Water has been testing whether value can be
recovered from sewage while reducing maintenance and power costs. George Ponton, Head of Innovation at Scottish
Water: "In a nutshell, ACT's SRS technology is a very fine filter that captures all the cellulose and some of
the fats, oils and grease coming into the waste water treatment works. The solids are then pasteurized producing
a pellet material called Recyllose™. These pellets could then be used as a raw material in
paper, plastic, construction, energy and other industries." 12/17/2014
BioNitrogen Contracts With Saipem for EPC Services to Furnish Urea
Plants
Florida company BioNitrogen Holdings Corp has announced that it has signed an agreement with Italy based
Saipem to provide BioNitrogen with engineering, procurement, project
management and construction services (EPC) for its urea manufacturing facilities. Under the terms of the
agreement, Saipem will carry out the engineering design of BioNitrogen's plants, procure all the equipment and
materials necessary, and construct the facilities. Carlos Contreras, Sr., CEO of BioNitrogen: "After completion
of the FEL 2 feasibility study, we have selected Saipem to be the lead EPC contractor. We look forward to Saipem
working with our best in class technology providers and with AMEC who has performed the engineering on our
plants to date." 12/17/2014
Pacific Ag Seeking Growers for Residue Management Pilot
Program
Oregon based Pacific Ag, LLC has announced that it is seeking High Plains corn growers within a
100-mile radius of Hugoton, Kansas, to participate in a residue management pilot program. Growers will need to
provide soil samples before and after 2015 planting and harvest, and also allow Pacific Ag to collect treatment data including fertility treatments,
moisture data, location, and tillage practices. The goal of the pilot is to understand the benefits and
challenges with residue management as the company is preparing to launch a balanced residue management research
program that studies the impact of various tilling and removal techniques on soil health. Pacific Ag was
contracted by Abengoa to provide ag residual for the start up of
Abengoa's biomass-to-ethanol biorefinery in Hugoton, which was scheduled to be
in production by the end of 2014. Growers interested in participating in the residue management pilot program
should contact Kari Bryant at (806) 632-0787 or kari.<>.
12/17/2014
MagneGas Deploys Manure Sterilization System to Major US Hog
Farm
MagneGas Corporation has announced that it has completed construction of its Venturi™
sterilization system at a major hog farm in Indiana that raises over 40,000 pigs per year. The farm has a
minimum of 18,000 pigs on hand at any given time, making it one of the largest in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
The sterilization system is expected to process hog manure, converting it into a high
quality, low-odor fertilizer. In addition, MagneGas® fuel will be produced as a byproduct that can be co-fired
with propane or natural gas to reduce other fuel needs. In July 2014, MagneGas confirmed that the fertilizer
meets EPA 503.32 by sterilizing hog manures taking coliform bacteria counts to "Undetectable Levels". The
company believes meeting this rule transforms this Class B Manure into Class A suitable for land application and
in some cases fertilization. Following a successful demonstration, the Indiana farm owner plans to purchase the
system to use for his manure sterilization needs and partner with MagneGas to launch the market for the use of
MagneGas systems in the agricultural industry world-wide. 12/15/2014
US EPA Releases "Definition of Solid Waste" 2014 Final
Rulemaking
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a Final Rulemaking on the Definition of Solid Waste (DSW) as part of the
national Resource Conservation and Recycling Act (RCRA), together with an Environmental Justice (EJ) analysis.
The EPA issued the DSW rulemaking in 2008, revising RCRA to encourage the safe recycling of hazardous secondary
materials, whether converted on-site or transported to off-site recycling and resource recovery facilities.
Petitions filed by the Sierra Club and others subsequently sought to overturn the new rulemaking; years of
negotiations brought about the EJ analysis. The rulemaking thus addresses the "Potential Adverse Impacts Under
the Definition of Solid Waste Exclusions (Including Potential Disproportionate Adverse Impacts to minority and
Low-Income Populations)". The Executive Summary provides the five key Findings contained in the DSW
Rulemaking. Finding 1: Hazardous Secondary Material Recycling Does Pose Significant Potential Hazards. Finding
2: Possibility of Hazards from Hazardous Secondary Materials Recycling Adversely Impacting Human Health and the
Environment is Increased under the 2008 DSW Exclusions. Finding 3: Many of the Communities Potentially Impacted
by this Increase in Risk of Adverse Impacts are Minority and Low-Income Communities, and in Some Cases the
Populations Potentially Impacted are Disproportionately Minority and/or Low Income. Finding 4: Underlying
Vulnerabilities Traditionally Associated with Minority and Low-Income Communities Pose the Potential to
Exacerbate Potential Adverse Impacts of the DSW Rule. Finding 5: The 2014 DSW Final Rule Includes Preventative
and Mitigative Steps to Address the Potential Adverse Impacts to Minority and Low-Income Communities. The final
DSW Rulemaking has been released in a pre-publication version. The docket for this rulemaking is
EPA-HQ-RCRA-2010-0742 and can be accessed at Regulations.gov. Documents supporting the final rule will be
available after the final rule Federal Register Notice is published. 12/15/2014
WM Releases 2014 Sustainability Report: Creating a Circular
Economy
Houston, Texas based Waste Management, Inc has released its 2014 Sustainability Report titled “Creating a Circular Economy,” which documents the company’s progress
on recycling, energy production, transforming waste into valuable resources, and helping businesses move toward
zero waste. David Steiner, Waste Management president and CEO: "We believe we can reuse materials in a ‘circular
economy’ that operates as a true closed-loop system, where little is wasted. There’s a lot of work ahead to make
this vision a reality, but we’re committed for the long run because we see the potential to radically transform
the way we all define — and interact with — waste." WM's Sustainability Report covers five key topics: (1)
Reducing waste; (2) Growing recycling; (3) Extracting value from organics; (4) Lowering emissions; and (5)
Harnessing energy at the landfill. Also included in the report are a number of statistics on the company’s
environmental performance, from fleet emissions to wildlife habitat protection to the variety of materials
managed each year. 12/15/2014
Rivertop Renewables Begins Construction of Commercial Manufacturing
Plant
Montana based Rivertop Renewables has begun
construction of its first commercial plant, located at DanChem Technologies, Inc's (DTI) facility in Danville, Virginia. DTI
is expected to begin production of Rivertop’s sustainable glucaric acid-derived products beginning in the summer
of 2015. At full capacity, the plant will produce up to 10 million pounds of product per year. Among the
products to be produced will be Rivertop's Riose® detergent builder and Headwaters® corrosion inhibitor, both of which are based on salts of
glucaric acid. The US Department of Energy has recognized glucaric acid as one of the top 12 "biobased building
block chemicals." Traditional pathways of producing glucaric, other sugar acids, and their salts have been
costly, energy intensive, and environmentally challenging, relegating their use to pharmaceutical and
nutraceutical applications. By applying proven science to renewable resources, Rivertop is creating an abundant
and far more economical supply of glucaric acid and other green chemicals and bioproducts. Mike Knauf,
Rivertop's CEO: "Partnering with DTI for contract manufacturing both lowers the cost and speeds time-to-market
for our novel performance chemicals." DTI began manufacturing for Rivertop under contract in 2012.
10/12/2014
Florida County Selects Covanta to Operate Resource Recovery
Facility
New Jersey based Covanta has announced that it has assumed operations of the Pinellas County
Resource Recovery Facility located in St. Petersburg, Florida. The company was selected to operate the facility
for a 10-year term after a competitive procurement process. The contract was approved by the Board of County Commissioners on November 3, 2014. In
addition to operations, Covanta has also commenced a number of capital projects to improve operations of the
facility. The Pinellas County Resource Recovery Facility provides sustainable waste
management services to residents of Pinellas County by processing approximately 3,150 tons of solid waste per
day into enough clean renewable energy to power approximately 40,000 homes. The facility also recovers
approximately 26,000 tons of metal annually for recycling. 10/12/2014
Due 02/06/2015: Applications to CEC for Advanced Clean Energy from
Biogas
The California Energy Commission (CEC) has released Program Opportunity Notice PON-14-505, "Advanced Clean Energy from Biogas, Biomethane and Natural
Gas. The purpose of this solicitation is to fund research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) projects
that address the barriers to increased market penetration of renewable energy. Up to $5.5 million is available
for PON-14-505 grants, and will be divided between three topic areas: Topic A: Development and demonstration of affordable technologies and strategies for biogas cleanup
and upgrading to biomethane or renewable natural gas for clean power generation. Topic B addresses demonstration
of bottoming cycle solutions as supplemental power generation for highly efficient use of natural gas, while
Topic C explores development and demonstration of micro-scale and other novel systems for small -scale combined
cooling, heating and power applications. Match funding of at least 20% will be required. A pre-application
workshop is scheduled for December 22, 2014, and will be webcast. The deadline to submit applications is
February 6, 2015 by 3:00 pm. 12/12/2014
Due 02/13/2015: EOI for UK Advanced Biofuels Demonstration
Competition
The United Kingdom (UK) Department for Transport, Ricardo-AEA, and E4tech have announced launch of a £25 million advanced biofuels demonstration
competition to support the development of a domestic advanced biofuel industry. The launch was accompanied by
publication of the independent feasibility study documents exploring various aspects of into the
project and the opportunities available for UK industry. According to the feasibility study, gains from the
domestic supply of converting low value waste to high value transport fuel could be worth up to £130 million
gross value added to the UK by 2030, and potentially up to £500 million per year including exports. Alongside
the competition, the Department for Transport has also established a Transport Energy Taskforce to consider
options for supporting advanced biofuels through policy mechanisms. We are also supporting a sub target at EU
level. Expressions of Interest (EOI) are now being sought from potential bidders until February 13, 2015;
shortlisted projects will then be invited to submit full proposals. 12/12/2014
UK DECC Publishes Review of RHI Biomethane Injection to Grid
Tariff
The United Kingdom's (UK) Non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) was
introduced in 2011 to incentivize the uptake of renewable heat in industry, businesses and public sector
organizations. The Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) has released the Government Response to review of the biomethane injection to grid tariff earlier this year.
This summary sets out DECC decisions adjusting the biomethane injection to grid tariff to implement a three
tiered tariff structure subject to parliamentary approval of the regulations. The tariffs have been modeled
based on a feedstock mix of 70% unpackaged food waste and 30% energy crop. Feedback from the responses have
indicated that it is necessary to include some energy crop in the feedstock mix to hedge against the risk
inherent in short term waste contracts. The tariffs have been based on gate fees of £15 per tonne for unpackaged
food waste and assumed crop feedstock costs of £35 per tonne are reasonable. These new tariffs will apply to all
installations that are registered on or after the regulations have come into force. 12/10/2014
REG Invests in German Firm Petrotec Biodiesel for Expansion into
Europe
Renewable Energy Group, Inc. (REG) and IC Green Energy Ltd. (ICG) have announced that REG, through a wholly-owned subsidiary, will acquire
ICG’s majority equity ownership position in German biodiesel producer Petrotec AG will supply. Closing of the transaction is expected before
year end. ICG, Israel Corporation’s vehicle for investing in the alternative energy market, today formally
accepted an offer from REG European Holdings B.V. to purchase ICG’s 69 percent equity ownership in Petrotec AG
for US $20.9 million, or US $1.235 per share, to be paid in newly issued REG shares valued at the 30 trading day
volume-weighted average for the day prior to signing. Daniel J. Oh, REG President and CEO: "REG’s investment in
Petrotec is a natural extension of our business strategy which should enable us to better capture value from
international trade flows and to participate in European biofuel markets."
12/10/2014
Stora Enso Will Open New Biomaterials Innovation Centre in
Sweden
Stora Enso has announced that it will concentrate its new biomaterials business
development in an Innovation Centre to be located in the Stockholm area in Sweden. The mission of
Stora Enso Biomaterials is to find new, innovative ways to maximize
the extractable value from wood, as well as other forms of ligno-cellulosic biomass. The centre, which will open
during the second quarter of 2015, will host research, application, business development, and strategic
marketing. The centre will boost innovation by identifying business opportunities in the renewable materials
market and linking them with leading innovation and research centres in business and academia. The centre will
be staffed with Stora Enso employees currently working in Sweden, Finland and Germany. It will initially employ
slightly less than 60 people and is estimated to employ around 75 people by year end 2015.
12/09/2014
Total Energy Ventures Invests in Solidia CO2 Cement
Technology
Total Energy Ventures, the corporate venture investment arm of the French energy company Total
S.A., has announced investment in Solidia Technologies cement manufacturing
platform. The new method uses carbon dioxide (CO2) to cure the cement, dramatically reducing water consumption
and chemically binding the CO2 within the cement. Solidia has been working since 2008 to develop new cement
chemistry, using technology based on research conducted by Richard Riman at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
The company, which holds 26 patents, offers a process that reduces the carbon footprint of the end-to-end cement
and concrete manufacturing process by 70%, uses carbon dioxide to cure the concrete, and allows 60 to 100% of
the water used to be recycled. Last month, Purdue University reported on the Solidia process, validating that the product was "as
good or better" than cement cured with water, especially for use in extreme conditions. Total Energy Ventures
minority investments support the development of companies with innovative technologies and business models in
areas such as renewable and alternative energies, oil and gas, energy efficiency, energy storage, waste
recycling and recovery, greenhouse gas reduction, industrial water and sustainable transportation.
12/09/2014
Echogen Power's Waste Heat Recovery System Is Available as Turnkey
Solution
Florida based Echogen Power Systems has announced the commercial availability of its EPS100 heat engine system as a turnkey solution that satisfies energy
demand, environmental requirements, and bottom line cost savings for industrial, power generation, oil &
gas, and marine customers. The system is an advanced Rankine Cycle for usable (waste) heat recovery that uses
industrial-grade CO2 as the working fluid. Echogen's partner, Dresser-Rand, introduced Echogen's new 8 MW EPS100
waste heat recovery unit at its manufacturing and testing facility in Olean, New York this fall. During the
event, Dresser-Rand, a licensee of the technology for the oil & gas industry, and Echogen representatives
demonstrated a factory testing milestone of the highest net power produced by any supercritical CO2 power cycle
system globally. 12/09/2014
Valmet to Supply Flue Gas Scrubber to Fortum's Biomass CHP Plant in
Finland
Finnish corporation Valmet will supply a flue-gas cleaning and condensation plant valued at EUR 8
million to Fortum's combined heat and power plant in Joensuu, Finland. The district heating for the city's
residents and electricity for the national grid produced by the Joensuu power plant are primarily generated using wood and peat. The
plants' heat output is 130 MW and electrical output 50 MW. The improvements will allow Fortum to improve the
energy efficiency of its Joensuu power plant and increase its heat production capacity; heat that was earlier
released into the atmosphere with flue gases can now be utilized as district heating. The new equipment will
also decrease the power plant's flue gas sulfur and dust emissions as specified in the new European Union (EU)
directive on industrial emissions (IED) that will go into force on January 1, 2016. The new flue gas scrubber
will increase the plant's energy efficiency and district heating production capacity and decrease the power
plant's emissions. The plant will be ready for use in the fall of 2015, in time for the start of a new heating
season. In 2013, Valmet supplied a bio-oil plant based on integrated pyrolysis solution technology at the
Joensuu plant. 12/08/2014
MagneGas Invited to United Nations Ebola Crisis Response
Meeting
Florida-based MagneGas Corporation has announced that it has been invited to participate in United Nations
(UN) Ebola Crisis Response high-level meetings being held on Thursday, December 11, 2014 at the UN headquarters
in New York City. The meetings are being held by the UN Global Compact, the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response ("UNMEER"), and the Ebola
Private Sector Mobilization Group. This assembly consists of a coalition of over 35 companies with major
assets and operations in West Africa. The MagneGas plasma arc system converts waste to fuel gas at 12,000
degrees Fahrenheit, sufficient to sterilize medical waste, bio-hazard contaminated sewage, and any other waste
generated during emergency medical response to the Ebola crisis. MagneGas believes that the use of its fuel for
co-incineration with existing systems will increase heat output and reduce emissions further sterilizing waste
as an alternative treatment option. The company also has available a trailer mounted Plasma Arc system that can
be deployed quickly and operated on a local diesel generator. 12/08/2014
NYSERDA Supports BioEnergy for Campus Heating at Paul Smith's
College
The four-year Paul Smith's College in Adirondack Park, New York, has announced an agreement with the New York Energy Research and
Development Authority (NYSERDA) to install a highly sustainable, state-of-the-art wood-pellet boiler system to
heat its three academic buildings. The project is partially supported by the New York State Energy Research and
Development Authority through the Cleaner, Greener Communities Program, which encourages local
communities across the state to become more sustainable and energy efficient. This project is one of the first
uses in New York State of a high-efficiency and low-emission wood pellet boiler heating system to heat multiple
buildings, and one of five sites in the North Country planning to install this technology. The containerized
wood-pellet boiler system will contribute to Paul Smith’s renewable energy and climate change goals, displacing
28,000 gallons per year of heating oil with renewable wood-pellet fuel. Paul Smith's system also makes use of
thermal storage, a technology that increases the efficiency of the boiler. The system will heat a total of
70,000 square feet, saving the college up to $50,000 a year. The total cost of the project is approximately
$600,000. 12/08/2014
UPM and WWF Finland Promote Sustainability of Wood-Based Liquid
Biofuels
UPM and WWF Finland are working together to present a list of joint measures to be carried out to promote sustainability of
wood-based liquid biofuels in Finland. The measures focus on ensuring biodiversity by protecting a sufficient
amount of forests and by adhering to the highest possible sustainability standard in the management of
commercial forests. The wider impact of using residues in biofuels production should be investigated further.
Residue streams of the forest industry, such as tall oil, represent a lower risk wood-based raw material for
biofuels. At the European Union (EU) level, both WWF Finland and UPM promote legally binding, robust, and
ambitious sustainability criteria for biofuels. UPM and WWF Finland are committed to jointly developing the
current practices. Both contribute to the development of the RSB certification for wood-based biofuels. UPM and
WWF Finland also commit to further developing the FSC standard and promoting its credibility and use in Finland.
12/08/2014
FCC Is Preferred Bidder for Zero Waste Recycling and Recovery Facility in
UK
United Kingdom (UK) Zero Waste: Edinburgh and Midlothian Councils has appointed
FCC Medio Ambiente SA as “Preferred Bidder” to build a
state-of-the-art recycling and energy recovery facility for processing household waste. The contract is worth
over £475 million (€570 million) including revenues from the Authorities, sale of heat and electricity and
C&I revenue, over the 25 year contract period. The solution proposed by FCC will process over 135,000 tonnes
of municipal solid waste (MSW) per year serving a population of more than 575,000 inhabitants. The Energy
Recycling and Recovery Facility will have a treatment capacity of over 150,000 tpa for both municipal and
C&I waste and will generate over 13 MW of electricity and potentially provide heat for use in local district
heating. The joint Zero Waste partners plan to sign the 25-year contract in 2015, with FCC operating on site by
2018. The facility will be alongside a food waste treatment plant which is currently under construction on the
Zero Waste Parc next to the Millerhill Marshalling Yard in Midlothian.
12/06/2014
H2 Energy Signs Contract for 43 Bio-Refineries with 2 Sisters Food
Group
Liverpool based H2 Energy Ltd has signed a waste to energy contract with 2 Sisters Food Group for the design, manufacture, construction, and
operation of Bio-Refineries at all 2 Sisters' 43 factory locations in the United
Kingdom (UK). The Bio-Refineries will convert organic waste at each location to generate renewable power and
heat. The first phase will see commissioning of Bio-Refineries at ten 2 Sisters locations over the next three
years. The selected locations will include food manufacturing, poultry, fish, and meat processing sites. Each
Bio-Refinery will be designed and built to the specific feedstock at that location. The design will consider
criteria such as buffering additives, biochemical pre-processing, cell rupture pressure technology and
maceration, pasteurization, sterilization by pressure, aerobic digestion leading to anaerobic digestion, ion
exchange, odor control, and digestate conditioning for PAS110 compliance. When all ten projects are fully
commissioned, Phase 1 is projected to deliver up to 40,000 MWh of electricity and 70,000 MWhth of thermal energy
into 2 Sisters Food Group facilities per year. 12/06/2014
Novozymes' New Enzyme Technology Converts Waste Oils Into
Biodiesel
Denmark based Novozymes has announced the launch of Novozymes Eversa®, the first commercially
available enzymatic solution to make biodiesel from waste oils. The enzymatic process converts used cooking oil
or other lower grade oils into biodiesel, enabling biodiesel producers to reduce their raw material costs. The
resulting biodiesel is sold to the same trade specification as biodiesel created through traditional chemical
processing. Existing biodiesel process designs have difficulty handling oils containing more than 0.5% FFA,
meaning that waste oils with high FFAs have not been a viable feedstock option until now. Novozymes says that
Eversa can work with a broad range of fatty materials as feedstock, but initial focus has been on used cooking
oil, DDGS corn oil and fatty acid distillates. The enzymatic process eliminates the need for sodium methoxide,
one of the most hazardous chemicals in traditional biodiesel plants. Making the change from a chemical catalyst
to the enzymatic process will require retrofitting in existing plants.
12/05/2014
Hawaiian
Electric Contracts with Pacific Biodiesel for Locally Sourced Biofuel
Hawaiian Electric and Pacific Biodiesel Technologies have signed a contract for the Maui-based biofuel company to supply
biodiesel processed from waste cooking oil and other local feedstocks.
The biodiesel will primarily be used at the 110-megawatt Campbell Industrial Park generation facility with the
capability for use at other Oahu power plants as needed. The two-year contract is for two to three million
gallons per year and will go into effect in November 2015, subject to review and approval by the Hawaii Public
Utilities Commission. Robert King, president of Pacific Biodiesel: "The new technology installed at Big Island
Biodiesel enables us to process the most degraded feedstock into the highest quality biodiesel available in the
United States. With this new contract, Hawaiian Electric will be purchasing approximately half our production
volume, ensuring the continuous operation of the Keaau facility." Pacific Biodiesel is currently under contract
to supply biodiesel for the State of Hawaii-owned Honolulu Airport Emergency Generation Facility scheduled to be
in service by mid-2015. That 10-MW facility will provide electricity to Hawaiian Electric’s grid to supply all
Oahu customers under normal operations with the ability to isolate itself from the grid to power only the vital
needs of the Honolulu International Airport in an emergency. 12/05/2014
Nevada County Fire Safe Council Releases Biopower Feasibility
Study
The Nevada County Biomass Task Force and the Fire Safe Council of Nevada County, California,
have released a Biomass Feasibility Assessment considering the development of a 3
megawatt (MWe) biomass fueled power plant. The Northern California based TSS Consultants completed the detailed analysis, determining that a
small-scale gasification plant could cleanly and economically convert locally-sourced excess woody biomass to
synthesis fuel gas (syngas) for power generation. The report provides the community and council with siting,
scale, technology platform and economic options, recommending that the Council now focus on site selection from
among the locations closely assessed. Interested parties can contact the Council at P.O. Box 1112, Grass Valley,
CA 95945 or by phone at 530-272-1122. TSS was also instrumental in analyzing the 2 MWe Cabin Creek Biomass Project in neighboring Placer County, addressing
waste woody biomass conversion to power for the Lake Tahoe Basin, a project that is now moving through the
environmental permitting process. 12/05/2014
Edeniq and Global Bio-chem Agree to Jointly Develop Sugar from Corn
Stover
California based Edeniq, Inc has announced signing a Joint Development Agreement with Asian company Global Bio-chem Technology Group Limited (Global Bio-chem) for the
production of low cost sugars from corn stover. Following a letter of intent executed in July, the companies
further cement their cooperation on developing the lowest cost process for converting corn stover to cellulosic
sugars for use in the production of bio-based chemical products. Edeniq and Global Bio-chem plan to integrate
their technologies in a commercial demonstration plant at Global Bio-chem’s facility in the Jilin Province of
China. Construction has been initiated on the plant, with a target to produce 50,000 metric tons per year of
sugars from corn stover. The two companies not only intend to supply the cellulosic sugars to Global Bio-chem
for utilization in its existing sugar-based chemical production facilities, but also plan to forge partnerships
with other companies to enable the production of a broad array of biochemicals and biofuels from its sugars.
12/04/2014
Boeing Conducts Test Flight with Neste Oil's Renewable Diesel-Jet Fuel
Blend
Seattle, Washington based Boeing Commercial Airlines has successfully tested Finnish
company Neste Oil's NEXBTL green diesel fuel as a component of aviation fuel
in the first test flight, which took place in the US using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Further testing is being
planned. The testing is part of Boeing's ecoDemonstrator program launched in 2012 with the goal of investigating
various technologies and materials to reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Neste Oil has been chosen by Boeing
as one of its partners for the program. Neste Oil delivered regular winter grade NEXBTL diesel fuel, normally used in road vehicles, to Boeing's fuel
supplier EPIC Aviation. EPIC Aviation then used the fuel as a component in
their Green diesel supplied to Boeing. Renewable diesel fuel comprised 15% of the fuel used in one of the
plane's two engines. Captain Mike Carriker, Chief Pilot Boeing Product Development and 777X: "The airplane
performed as designed with the green diesel blend, just as it does with conventional jet fuel. This is exactly
what we want to see in flight tests with a new type of fuel." 12/04/2014
US DOE Awards $7MM to Develop Advanced Logistics for Bioenergy
Feedstocks
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced up to $7 million for two projects designed to develop and demonstrate ways to
reduce the cost of delivering bioenergy feedstocks to biorefineries. Examples of bioenergy feedstocks include
corn stover, switchgrass, and woody biomass. By investing in this type of research, development, and
demonstration, the DOE is supporting the production of renewable and cost-competitive biofuels. The projects in
New York and Tennessee will focus on developing advanced machinery for efficient and low-cost harvesting,
collection, and transportation of high-quality bioenergy feedstocks. The State University of New York,
College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse will receive
up to $3.5 million to lower the delivered cost of short rotation woody crops. The University of Tennessee in Knoxville will receive up to $3.5 million
to study how blending feedstocks could play a role in increasing the amount of available feedstock within a
given delivery radius. 12/04/2014
Webinar Scheduled for December 10 on USFS 2015 Wood Innovations
Grant
The University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Woody Biomass
Utilization Group will conduct an informational webinar on December 10, 2014 to assist
in application for the US Forest Service (USFS) 2015 Wood Innovations Grant funding opportunity. Webinar
speakers will include Julie Tucker, the National Lead for Renewable Wood Energy and Larry Swan, the Woody
Biomass and Utilization Specialist for USFS State and Private Forestry at the Region 5 office in Vallejo. Larry
and Julie will be giving short presentations followed by a Q & A session for potential applicants. As
originally announced in October 2014, the USFS is requesting proposals
to substantially expand and accelerate wood energy and wood products markets throughout the United States to
support forest management needs on National Forest System and other forest lands.
12/03/2014
Netherlands Report Released on ACT Sewage Recycling System
Trials
California based Applied CleanTech (ACT) has announced the availability of a third-party verification report on
trials of the firm's patented Sewage Recycling System (SRS). The SRS economically recovers ACT's Recycllose cellulose
product from sewage entering a wastewater treatment plant. The Dutch Waterschap Aa en Maas (WSAM) report
highlights the commercial potential of sewage mining, summarizing that application of SRS was able to reduce
daily operational costs by approximately $2700 (~ EUR2200), reduce sludge by up to 30 percent and increase plant
capacity by 15%. The report also notes that Recyllose™ was suitable for the production of bio-composite
materials, biofuels, asphalt, insulation materials, replacement for fiberglass, and more. An English
summary of the Dutch report is available, as well as a
video of the trials. ACT recently announced a crowdfunding campaign to finance commercialization of the SRS.
12/03/2014
Rookie Wood Stove Makers Get Highest Score in Design
Workshop
The Alliance for Green Heat organized the international 2014 Collaborative Wood Stove Design Workshop held last month at the
US Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory. The goal of the event was to assess innovative
technologies that can help wood stoves reduce real-world emissions that result from poor operation by the
consumer and use of unseasoned wood, both of which are widespread problems. In 2013, the Alliance hosted the
Wood Stove Decathlon on the National Mall in Washington DC. This year, the event was held at the DOE lab so that
stoves could be tested more rigorously and test data could be shared with the participants. Five stoves were
assessed by a panel of judges. The highest scoring stove, the Mulciber, adapted emission control techniques that
are in automobiles, such as an oxygen sensor that controls the fuel-to-air ratio, a continuously engaged
catalyst and an exhaust gas fan. The Mulciber was also tested with unseasoned, 50% moisture content wood and
performed quite well. The team, who had never built a stove before the 2013 Wood Stove Decathlon, overhauled
their first prototype and have now formed the company MF Fire Benefit, LLC to bring the stove to market. Primary funding for
this year's Design Workshop came from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA),
the Osprey Foundation, and the US Forest Service. 12/02/2014
USDA Releases $5.6MM in Grants to Producers of Advanced
Biofuels
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the release of $5.6 million for this year's Advanced
Biofuels Producer grants, supporting 220 companies across the US. The full list of grants indicates that Producer grants ranged from less
than $500 to almost $600,000. Conversion of waste-sourced feedstock to advanced biofuels was most prevalent, and
was shared almost equally for waste vegetable oil conversion to biodiesel, and anaerobic digestion of residual
organics to biogas. Additional awards totaling more than $4 million were announced supporting the National
Biodiesel Board and the University of Idaho under the Biodiesel fuel Education Program. Sun grant funds were
awarded to South Dakota State University in support of collaborative bioenergy and biomass programs, and to Iowa
State University of Science and Technology received support under the Critical Agricultural Materials program
for their work in conversion of glycerol residuals from biodiesel production into paints, adhesives and
coatings. 12/02/2014
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