December 2015 News and Matters of
Interest
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Remember to check our Highlights for new postings on other areas of
Teru Talk.
Dyadic Closes Sale of Industrial Technology Business to
Dupont
Dyadic International, Inc has completed the closing of the previously announced sale of substantially all of the assets of its Industrial
Technology business to DuPont’s Industrial Biosciences business for $75 million in cash. The
sale includes substantially all of Dyadic's enzyme and technology assets, including its C1 platform, which is a technology for producing enzyme products used
in a broad range of industries. As previously announced, following the closing,
Dyadic intends to focus exclusively on its biopharmaceutical business. In connection with the closing of the
Transaction, all of Dyadic’s outstanding debt has been paid off or converted into shares of Dyadic’s common
stock. The remainder of the net proceeds from the Transaction will be used to fund the previously announced
stock repurchase program, ongoing professional liability litigation, the ongoing biopharmaceutical business and
for general corporate purposes. 12/31/2015
Ener-Core Signs Definitive Agreements for Private Placement
Transaction
California based Ener-Core, Inc has announced that it entered into definitive agreements on December 30,
2015, with certain institutional and other accredited investors for a private placement of 625,000 shares of
common stock. Ener-Core announced the launch of an underwritten public offering of 2,250,000
units the first week of November 2015. The private placement stock is priced at $4.00 per share and five-year
warrants to purchase up to an additional 312,500 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $5.00 per share
for an aggregate offering amount of $2.5 million, before deducting placement agent commissions. As part of the
terms of the private placement, Ener-Core has agreed to file a registration statement to register for resale the
shares of common stock and the shares underlying the warrants issued in the private placement. The private
placement is expected to close on or about December 31, 2015, subject to satisfaction of customary closing
conditions. Ener-Core intends to use the proceeds from the private placement for general corporate purposes and
to continue supporting the fulfillment of product deliveries against closed commercial orders. Ener-Core
provides Power Oxidation technology and equipment that generates clean power
from low-quality waste gases and is deployable in a wide variety of industries.
12/31/2015
Blue Sphere Increases Working Capital with $3M Financing
Blue Sphere Corporation has announced that it closed on a debt financing round on December 23,
2015 of US $3,000,000, consisting of company Notes and warrants to purchase shares of Common Stock. The Notes
sold in the financing have a face value of $3,000,000 and after commissions and selling expenses,
Blue Sphere received net proceeds of $2,672,000. Blue Sphere worked
with Maxim Group, LLC, a New York based investment banking firm to offer and sell the Notes. The proceeds of the
financing will be used for general business activities. This financing at the corporate level will allow Blue
Sphere to further focus on its pipeline of acquisition targets in Italy as well as further develop opportunities
in the United States. As previously reported, the Company has recently acquired four biogas facilities in Italy and continues to develop Anaerobic Digester facilities in the United States.
12/30/2015
GM Now Has 131 Landfill-Free Facilities Globally
General Motors Company (GM) has announced the addition of six landfill-free sites in Mexico and
England, making a total count of 131 landfill-free facilities. The Luton Assembly plant and Ellesmere Port
Assembly plant were two of the six sites to most recently achieve landfill-free status, and that makes all 18
Opel/Vauxhall manufacturing plants in Europe landfill-free. Being “landfill-free” means daily waste is recycled,
reused, or converted into energy. Part of this initiative includes the washing of solvent-drenched rags and
making shoe soles out of recycled material. The 16 facilities at GM’s Toluca, Mexico complex work closely with
resource management suppliers to find higher uses for their byproducts, such as turning polystyrene foam
packaging into footwear. This is done by taking the material to a warehouse where it is baled and sent to be
crushed and densified into pellets, which are then combined with other polymers to create shoe soles. GM’s goal
is to achieve 150 landfill-free sites globally by 2020. 12/30/2015
New Pretreatment Process Improves Conversion of Woody Biomass to
Biofuels
Researchers at Chonnam National University, South Korea, have published a study on a new pretreatment process for woody biomass that
enables efficient and cost-effective separation of lignin from cellulose and hemi-cellulose materials.
The paper explores development and use of a reagent combining hydrogen
peroxide and acetic acid (HPAC). Compared to organo-solvent pretreatment under the same conditions, the HPAC
pretreatment was more effective at increasing enzymatic digestibility. The newly developed HPAC pretreatment was
highly effective for removing lignin from lignocellulosic cell walls, resulting in enhanced enzymatic
accessibility of the substrate and more efficient cellulose hydrolysis. In addition, HPAC pretreatment enables
year-round operations, maximizing utilization of lignocellulosic biomass from various plant sources.
Fermentation of the pretreated biomass resulted in the equivalent ethanol production of up to 85.0 % of the
maximum theoretical yield, based on the amount of glucose in the raw material.
12/26/2015
Bio-on and Gruppo
Plan Facility in Italy to Produce Bio-Plastic from Glycerol
An agreement signed by Bio-on and S.E.C.I. S.p.A, part of Gruppo Industriale Maccaferri, will see Italy's and world's first
facility for the production of PHAs bioplastic from glycerol, a biodiesel production co-product. The two
companies, operating in sustainable biochemistry and industrial development of levulinic acid with Eridania
Sadam, will work together to build a production site with a 5 thousand tons/year output, expandable to 10
thousand tons/year. Requiring a 55 million Euro investment from S.E.C.I., the facility will be located at an
Eridania Sadam site and will be the world's most advanced plant producing PHAs biopolymers from glycerol. PHAs,
or polyhydroxyalkanoates, are bioplastics that can replace a number of traditional polymers currently made with
petrochemical processes using hydrocarbons. 12/26/2015
California Air Resources Board Posts FAQ on New Alternative Diesel
Regs
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has posted a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document to assist regulated parties
in complying with the Regulation on the Commercialization of Alternative Diesel Fuels (ADF regulation) that was
adopted by the Board in September 2015. The ADF regulation contains recordkeeping and reporting requirements
applicable to entities in the biodiesel industry. Effective January 1, 2016, biodiesel producers,
importers, and blenders are required to report and keep records concerning biodiesel production, sales, and
blending. Biodiesel distributors and retailers are only required to keep records. For more information on the
ADF regulation, visit the web site or contact Alexander "Lex" Mitchell at 916-327-1513
or. 12/23/2015
NIB Finances Biomass Combined Heat and Power Plant in Sweden
Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) and the municipality of Jönköping have agreed on a long-term loan for SEK 100 million (EUR 10.8 million)
for the construction of a combined heat and power (CHP) plant, and the expansion of the local fiber optic cable
network. The 25-year-maturity loan has been provided for financing Torsvik 2, a newly constructed biomass heat
and power plant, located 10 kilometers outside of Jönköping. The 110-MV power station was commissioned in autumn
2014, and is operated by Jönköping Energi AB. Torsvik 2 is fuelled by residue from the regional forestry
industry and otherwise unrecyclable waste. The plant’s capacity for annual heat production is 340 GWh, and it
can generate 120 GWh of electricity. This corresponds to about 50% of the region’s requirements. Approximately
30,000 households connected to the district heating and energy network are supplied by the plant’s output.
Additionally, the loan finances the expansion of Jönköping Energi’s city fibre cable network, providing
operator-neutral Internet access for 26,000 households and small and medium-sized enterprises.
12/23/2015
BETO Announces NOI to Develop Pathways to Biofuels and
Bioproducts
The US Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) has announced its intent to issue a funding opportunity announcement (FOA)
entitled "MEGA-BIO: Bioproducts to Enable Biofuels." This FOA supports BETO’s
goal of meeting its 2022 cost target of $3/gallon gasoline equivalent for the production of hydrocarbon fuels
from lignocellulosic biomass. The intent of this FOA is to identify research and development projects that
develop biomass to hydrocarbon biofuels conversion pathways that can produce variable amounts of fuels and
products based on external factors, such as market demand. These pathways could consist of a route to a platform
chemical that could be converted to products or fuels or a route that coproduces chemicals and fuels. The FOA is
expected to be posted on the EERE Exchange in or around January 2016. 12/23/2015
Ramboll Environ Shows Dairy Digesters are a Good Investment for
California
According to a new study by Ramboll Environ, dairy methane digesters are among the most
cost-effective investments the State of California can make to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and help achieve the
state's climate change prevention goals. The study prepared for Sacramento based Dairy Cares indicates that projects currently funded by the state
provide a return on investment ranging from as low as $2 to as much as $1,250 per metric ton of carbon dioxide
equivalents reduced. Dairy digesters represent one of the most cost effective investments of state funds with a
rate-of-return of just $7 per ton of reduction. Equally important, because dairy digesters destroy methane, a
short-lived climate pollutant, the value to the state's efforts to address climate change is much greater
because climate-forcing emissions reductions can be realized sooner. When these short-term investments are factored in, the cost
per ton of reduction is closer to $2, and as a result, even more cost effective.
12/23/2015
RES Polyflow Will Build Commercial Waste Plastics-to-Fuel Plant in
Indiana
Ohio based RES Polyflow LLC has announced that Ashley, Indiana has been selected as the location for
its Midwest plastics-to-fuel production facility. Groundbreaking is scheduled for the second quarter of 2016.
Once operational, phase one of the facility will produce 17.0MM gallons of ultra-low sulfur diesel and gasoline
blendstocks annually for the petroleum market from the conversion of 100,000 tons of plastic scrap utilizing the
company’s patented process. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) offered RES Polyflow up to $900,000 in conditional tax credits and up
to $100,000 in training grants based on the company’s job creation plans. A local economic development package
valued at $4.4MM offered by Steuben County and the Town of Ashley complemented the state’s investment
offer. Company officials estimate
that a second phase of the project planned for completion by 2021 will double the capacity of the plant. The
Ashley, Indiana facility is the first commercial facility featuring the RES Polyflow plastics-to-fuel conversion technology. 12/22/2015
US Biodiesel Production and Blender's Tax Credit Reinstatement
Approved
The US Biodiesel Production and Blending Tax Credit (BTC) was passed on December 18, 2015 by Congress as part of the budget
package just before their holiday recess. The reinstatement provides $1.00 per gallon of 100% pure biodiesel
(B100) or renewable diesel (produced by processes other than transesterification of used vegetable and animal
oils). Support is available to qualified biofuel blenders retroactive for 2015 and extends through 2016. The US
Department of Energy's (DOE) Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC) maintains a free-access database of state and federal support. Both domestic and foreign
biofuels producers immediately saw benefits. Finnish company Neste Corporation expected the BTC to improve profits substantially, while US base
Renewable Energy Group (REG) stock prices rose a full 5% just after the House and Senate reached the spending
agreement. The US mandates refiners use increasing amounts of biodiesel, more expensive than standard petroleum
diesel with the current low per-barrel prices. The tax credit, paid to companies that blend biodiesel with
diesel, is designed to make renewable fuels usage more economically attractive.
12/21/2015
Mitsui and Avantium to Commercialize bio-based FDCA and PEF in
Asia
The Netherlands company Avantium has signed an agreement with Mitsui & Co., Ltd, to commercialize 100% biobased chemicals FDCA
(2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid) and PEF (Polyethylene Furanoate) in Asia. Avantium's YXY technology platform uses 1st and 2nd generation carbohydrates as
feedstock to produce a wide range of 100% biobased materials and products. As part of this agreement, Mitsui has
been granted a right to purchase a sizable volume of FDCA from the first commercial FDCA plant to be constructed
by Avantium. Currently Avantium is in the preparation stage of the construction of the first FDCA production
plant and plans to share further details on the capacity, location, and time lines for the construction in Q1
2016. Avantium and Mitsui have entered into a development and roll out agreement for PEF thin films in Asia and
PEF bottles in Japan. Given its barrier performance, Avantium research demonstrates PEF can bring significant
benefits as packaging material for oxygen sensitive goods such as food, beer and health care products. The
parties are also partnering to launch and grow the market for other FDCA-based applications such as
co-polyesters. 12/21/2015
Construction of Global Bioenergies' Demo Plant in Germany Ahead of
Schedule
France based Global Bioenergies has announced the installation of the central unit at its demo plant in Leuna, Germany 40 days
ahead of schedule. The core of the demo plant’s central unit is a stainless steel 5,000 liters fermenter,
representing 10 times the volume of the pilot currently up and running in Pomacle, near Reims in France. The
early installation puts Global Bioenergies 40 days ahead of its construction schedule. Connection of the
downstream unit, which will purify isobutene up to 99.7%, is scheduled for Q2 2016, closely followed by start-up
of the demo plant in the summer. Construction of the plant was announced in March of this year.
12/17/2015
MagneGas® Fuel to be Part of $100M Kennedy Space Center
Project
Florida based MagneGas Corporation has announced that S&R Enterprises LLC, a lead sub-contractor for a major $100 +
million Kennedy Space Center build-out project, has placed their first order
for MagneGas2® fuel. The purpose of the 2-year project is to modify the
vehicle assembly building for the space launch system. The fuel will be used for the metal cutting portion of
the project which is anticipated to be significant. S&R was first introduced to MagneGas® about 3 weeks ago
during a demonstration arranged by a MagneGas partner, Suwannee Ironworks. Suwannee is MagneGas's partner in a
MagneGas subsidiary, ESSI of North Florida. Immediately after the demonstration, S&R chose to switch to
MagneGas2® and requested pricing and training for its personnel. In addition, S&R also chose to purchase
their other welding supplies from the Company. 12/17/2015
Reverdia and Omnia Collaborate to Distribute Biosuccinium in Africa,
Australia
Reverdia and Protea Chemicals, a division of Omnia, have announced an exclusive strategic collaboration agreement to distribute
Biosuccinium™ in Africa and Australia, as well as for potential investment in and off-take from future
Biosuccinium™ plants. The two
companies will work closely together to develop the African and Australian markets for bio-succinic acid.
Succinic acid is a chemical used directly in a variety of applications, such as pharmaceuticals, food, and
automotive, and also as an intermediate for the production of several polymers and resins. Until now succinic
acid could only be produced from crude oil and natural gas. Biosuccinium™ succinic acid however, is produced via
fermentation of sustainable, bio-based feedstocks. Reverdia received approval from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2014
to label its biomass-based succinic acid as a Certified Biobased Product.12/17/2015
US Federal Agencies Release Update on National Biogas
Activities
The US Department of Energy (DOE), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and US
Department of Agriculture (USDA) have jointly released the Biogas Opportunities Roadmap Progress Report, updating the federal
government's progress to reduce methane emissions through biogas systems since the Biogas Opportunities Roadmap
was completed by the three agencies in July 2014. This new report highlights actions taken, outlines challenges
and opportunities, and identifies next steps to the growth of a robust biogas industry. The 2014 roadmap
identified more than 2,000 sites across the United States that produce biogas, as well as the potential for an
additional 11,000 biogas systems. Since July 2014, the DOE, EPA, and USDA have revised their programs and
policies to further support the growth of the biogas industry, such as improving the application process for
various biogas funding and financing programs, and including biogas as a cellulosic advanced fuel under the
Renewable Fuel Standard. 12/16/2015
Chempolis Partners with Avantha to Extract Ethanol from Cellulosic
Bio-Waste
Finland based Chempolis Limited has entered into a partnership with Avantha Group’s research wing
Avantha Centre for Industrial Research & Development (ACIRD) in
India to offer technology to extract ethanol from
various agricultural residues for blending with petrol. India is a leading agricultural
country producing large amounts of bagasse, cane trash, and rice and wheat straw whose disposal is an
environmental problem. The partnership will help to deliver biorefining technology to India to convert various
agri-residues, such as bagasse, cane trash, rice and wheat straw, corn stems, grasses, and bamboo to clean
sugars, which can then further converted to cellulosic ethanol and other biobased chemicals.
12/16/2015
ZooShare Offers New $2.2M Bond Round for Toronto Zoo Poo
Digester
The Toronto Zoo's ZooShare program has announced that new bonds are being offered to help finance its
proposed Zoo Poo and Food Waste Digester. When ZooShare sold out of bonds in March, demand kept growing, so a plan was developed to offer
new bonds that will earn 5% each year for 5 years. These bonds have no construction risk: They will be held in
an escrow account until after the biogas plant is built and will be used to repay the construction loan provided
by its technology supplier. ZooShare had originally intended to borrow these funds from a commercial lender,
however, due to overwhelming demand for ZooShare bonds, the decision was made to issue another $2.2M worth of
bonds. Each year, the proposed digester will recycle 3,000 tonnes of animal manure from the Toronto Zoo and
14,000 tonnes of inedible food waste from local grocery stores into 4.1 million kilowatt-hours of renewable
power for the Ontario grid. 12/16/2015
RESYNTEX Project Is Launched to Convert Textile Waste to New Raw
Materials
RESYNTEX is an €11 million research project created with the
core objective to create a new circular economy concept for the textile and chemical industries. Through
industrial symbiosis, the project aims to produce secondary raw materials from textile
waste. The EU-funded project
will hold its first executive board meeting on December 18, 2015 in
Bled, Slovenia. Each of ten work packages focuses on a specific goal such as the development of industrial
applications for recovered feedstocks or the assessment of the economic and environmental performance of newly
developed processes. After the successful launch in June, work package leaders will meet to evaluate the
project’s progress. The project co-coordinator IOS (Institute for Environmental Protection and Sensors) is based
in Slovenia and will host the meeting. RESYNTEX is led by the SOEX GROUP, a German company active in high quality collection,
sorting and processing of used textiles at global level. The project has 20 partners from across 10 different EU
member states, which include industrial associations, businesses, SMEs and research institutes.
12/15/2015
Community-Owned Biodiesel Plant in Massachusetts to Open Early
2016
Massachusetts based Co-op Power's partner Northeast Biodiesel, LLC is constructing a biofuel manufacturing plant
at the Greenfield Industrial Park. The plant will use waste cooking oil from restaurants, schools, and
institutions in the area (instead of virgin oil), and will initially produce 1.75 million gallons annually. An
expansion to 3.5 million gallons is planned within a year of launch. Northwest Biodiesel will be the first
locally owned biofuel facility in the region. Co-op Power is investing $3.5 million to build the plant and says
the 14 people who end up working there will also have shares in the cooperative.
12/15/2015
UK GIB and Foresight Back Northern Ireland On-Farm Energy
Project
UK Green Investment Bank plc (GIB) and Foresight Group LLP (Foresight) have committed £1.7m to the construction of a £3.4m anaerobic digestion
plant (AD) in Armagh, Northern Ireland. The investment is being made through the Foresight-managed Recycling and
Waste LP (RAW) fund, in which GIB is a cornerstone investor. SQN Capital Management will also invest £1.7m in
the 0.5 MW plant, which will be built and operated by Northern Irish engineering company Williams Industrial
Services. Once operational, the plant is expected to generate around 3,600 MWh of renewable electricity, and
save around 2,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum. Silage, slurry, chicken litter, and beet will be used to generate a
biogas that will produce renewable electricity when combusted in a gas engine. The digestate produced by the
plant – around 18,500 tonnes annually – will be used as fertilizer on local fields. This is the third Northern
Irish AD project that GIB and Foresight have funded, the others being located in County Tyrone and County Down.
12/15/2015
City of Austin Awards $10K for Spent Grain Brewnola Bars in [RE]Verse
Pitch
The first-ever [RE]Verse Pitch Competition awarded a $10,000 innovation prize to Austin, Texas resident
Brandon Ward for his idea of turning spent grain, a byproduct from the brewing process, into “Brewnola” granola
bars. Ward is one of eight finalists who presented ideas on how to repurpose byproducts at the final competition
Dec. 9 at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. He presented alongside two team members, Matt Miller and Ceschino
Brooks de Vita, who are his classmates at the UT McCombs School of Business. The winning pitch proposes to
create a company that would pay employees $24 per hour, locally source ingredients for the granola bars, use
compostable packaging, and donate a portion of proceeds to Austin-area homeless shelters. The [RE]Verse Pitch Competition is a one-of-a-kind social innovation
program to turn valuable raw materials that are currently leaving local businesses, nonprofits and institutions
as waste into the foundation of new social enterprises. 12/15/2015
HeidelbergCement and Joule Partner to Mitigate CO2 in Cement
Manufacturing
Massachusetts company Joule Unlimited, Inc and Germany based HeidelbergCement Group have
announced a partnership designed to explore application of Joule’s
technology to mitigate carbon emissions in cement manufacturing. This initial relationship fits well with
Joule’s strategy of turning waste CO2 into liquid fuel. A successful partnership between Joule and HeidelbergCement could over time result in the co-location of Joule’s
Helioculture Technology at one or more HeidelbergCement sites around the world. Joule's Helioculture process
directly and continuously converts sunlight and waste CO2 into infrastructure-ready fuels, including ethanol and
alkanes that serve as highly blendable feedstock for diesel and jet fuel products. The technology only requires
abundantly available inputs, including sunlight, brackish or sea water and waste CO2.
12/11/2015
Shell India Markets to Build IH2 Technology Demo Plant in
Bangalore
Shell India Markets Pvt Ltd (SIMPL) will proceed with the installation of a 5 tonne/day IH2 technology
demonstration plant on the site of its new Technology Centre in Bangalore, India. SIMPL will build, operate, and
own the demonstration scale IH2 plant. IH2 technology is a continuous catalytic thermo-chemical process which
converts a broad range of forestry/agricultural residues and municipal wastes directly into renewable
hydrocarbon transportation fuels and/or blend stocks. The IH2 technology was developed by US-based Gas
Technology Institute in 2009 and is being further developed in collaboration with CRI Catalyst Company (CRI), Shell’s Catalyst business. CRI will supply the proprietary catalysts
for the unit. The Basic Engineering Package for the plant will be provided by Zeton, Inc of Ontario, Canada.
12/11/2015
Ensyn Receives Conditional Loan Guarantee to Build Georgia Biofuel
Plant
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced a conditional commitment for a $70 million loan guarantee to
help build a cellulosic biorefinery in central Georgia. Ensyn Georgia Biorefinery I, LLC (Ensyn) will construct
and operate a cellulosic biofuel refinery in Dooly County, Georgia. The company will produce 20 million gallons
of renewable fuel per year employing its Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP) technology. RTP uses a fast thermal
process to convert non-food-based feedstocks into biobased fuels. Ensyn will convert 440 dry tons of woody
biomass into a renewable fuel oil (RFO) product. There is an abundant supply of woody biomass near the plant due
to excess forest materials in the region. Ensyn can also use a variety of other non-food cellulosic feedstocks.
Ensyn received regulatory approval last month from the US Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) for RFGasoline, its drop-in renewable gasoline product. USDA is providing the loan
guarantee conditional commitment through its Biorefinery Assistance Program. 12/11/2015
European Investment Bank Releases Circular Economy Financing
Reports
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has released two reports addressing the institution’s current
and projected plans for investment in support of the circular economy. The first short report,
"The EIB and the Circular Economy", outlines a clear need for
investments in separate collection infrastructure for materials and bio-waste, and related treatment facilities
for such streams. While in the past the EIB has mainly focused on municipal waste management projects, there is
now both a need and potential to expand the lending to projects targeting commercial and industrial waste
streams, in particular for the recycling and recovery of such waste. The associated market risk is different
than for municipal waste, but can be managed under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) and other
risk mitigating instruments. The second and much more detailed report, "Assessment of access-to-finance conditions for projects supporting Circular
Economy", was co-authored with the bank’s advisory body the InnovaFin. The EU bank,
owned by the 28 EU Member States, provides finance and expertise for projects in Europe and beyond; projects
further EU policy objectives. The bank is the largest multilateral lender and borrower in the world with
headquarters in Luxembourg and a network of some 30 local offices. A key element of the investment plan
addresses ways that advanced waste management can now close the loop in the circular economy. The report’s
release coincides with opening of the banks’ collaborative conference, "Financing the Circular Economy", held December 10,
2015 at their Luxembourg headquarters. 12/11/2015
PTG
Contracts to Reduce Golden Road Brewing's Energy Costs by >50%
Pasteurization Technology Group (PTG) Water & Energy has been selected by Golden Road Brewing to provide onsite power and hot water at its craft
beer production facility in Los Angeles, California. By integrating PTG’s system into its production process, Golden Road will generate the bulk
of its electric power needs onsite and will use the thermal energy that is co-generated from the Combined Heat
and Power (CHP) process to produce the lion’s share of its hot water for free. Golden Road calculates that the
PTG system will pay for itself in less than three years by reducing its facility’s energy costs by more than
50%, while efficiently producing thousands of gallons of hot water without consuming additional energy
resources. 12/10/2015
Forester Releases New Report: From Waste to Energy to Zero
Waste
Forester Media has released a special report entitled " From Waste-to-Energy to Zero Waste:
Opportunities and Challenges in Solid Waste Management" from MSW Management that provides a practical roadmap
through the controversy. The free special report digs into the myriad issues and opposing viewpoints in the zero
waste debate, and deliver a vast array of opinions from waste management professionals around the world. Despite
all of these challenges, there are many creative solutions to the thorny question of landfill versus
waste-to-energy versus zero waste. The report goes on to take the question of zero waste one step further, how
to implement such programs when most solid waste management professionals are traditionalists who entered the
field during the last great upheaval and innovation in solid waste management during the 1970s and early ‘80s.
12/10/2015
Congresswoman Pingree Introduces Bill Designed to Reduce Food
Waste
Maine Congresswoman Chellie Pingree has introduced a bill in the United States Congress aimed at reducing the
amount of food that is wasted each year in the United States. The Food Recovery Act (HR 4184) includes nearly two dozen provisions to
reduce food waste across the economy. Pingree's bill tackles wasted food in four areas--at the consumer level, in grocery stores and restaurants,
in schools and other institutions, and on the farm. Congresswoman Pingree: "Wasted food costs us over $160
billion a year in this country. That works out to about $125 a month for a family of four. We can save money and
feed more Americans if we reduce the amount of food that ends up getting sent to landfills."
12/10/2015
SJVAPCD to Host Meeting on Alternative Fuel Infrastructure
RFP
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) in California is hosting an informational meeting
to address questions regarding the Request for Proposal (RFP) to accept proposed projects for alternative fuel
infrastructure under its Public Benefit Grants Program. The meeting will be held Thursday,
December 10, 2015 at 1:00 PM in the District’s Central Region Office VTC Room at the District Central Region
Office, 1990 E. Gettysburg Ave., Fresno, CA 93726. The Alternative Fuel Infrastructure RFP is available on the District's
website. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP to the
following program staff: Ms. Ashley Burrow, Phone: (559) 230-5869 - Email: <>
or Mr. David Lopez, Phone: (559) 230-6144 - Email: <>.
12/09/2015
First Global Green Bank Network Is Planned to Accelerate Shift to Clean
Energy
A group of six green banks and two leading non-profit groups have announced they are establishing a Green Bank Network to help meet the
urgent need of increasing and accelerating investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency worldwide. Green
banks are public entities created to partner with the private sector to increase investment in clean energy and
bring clean energy financing into the mainstream. They are a relatively new phenomenon that has been successful
in the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Malaysia and several US states. The founding partners of this major
clean energy initiative are the UK Green Investment Bank, the Connecticut Green Bank, NY Green Bank, the Green Fund (Japan), Malaysian Green Technology
Corporation and Clean Energy Finance Corporation (Australia), and the network plans to
expand rapidly. The banks have appointed the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Coalition for Green Capital (CGC), which are experienced in the
development of green banks, to spearhead the creation of the network. ClimateWorks Foundation has agreed to provide seed funding.
12/08/2015
WELTEC BIOPOWER Erects Its Second Biogas Plant in South
Korea
Germany based WELTEC BIOPOWER has announced that its second biogas plant in South Korea is under
construction. In October 2015, construction work began for the 450-kW anaerobic digestion plant, and is
scheduled to go live in the early summer of 2016. The plant site is located about 80 km north of the capital
Seoul, in Gyeonggi-do province. South Korea with its population of 51 million is one of the world's 10 largest
power consumers. However, the country does not have any significant fossil resources and is forced to import 97
percent of its conventional energy sources. Beginning in 2016, the operator will supply the stainless-steel
digester with its capacity of almost 4,000 m³ with 100 tons of organic waste a day, of which 70% is pig manure.
This feedstock will be converted into biogas and high-quality fertilizer by anaerobic digestion. The generated
biogas will be used to operate a combined heat and power plant with an electrical output of 450 kilowatt. The
power will be fed directly into the power grid, and the heat will be used to heat the company buildings and for
internal processes. 12/08/2015
Outotec Contracts for Two More Waste Gasification to Energy Plants in
UK
Finland based Outotec Oyj has been awarded two more contracts for the design and delivery of
waste-to-energy plants to be built in the United Kingdom (UK). Outotec has also received 12-year operation and
maintenance (O&M) contracts for these two plants. Within a year, Outotec has won already seven
waste-to-energy or renewable energy plant orders in the UK. Outotec's scope of delivery for both plants covers
the license for Outotec fluidized bed advanced staged gasification technology, engineering and delivery of the
main process equipment for 10 MW (net) energy, as well as advisory services for installation, commissioning and
start-up. Once fully operational in 2017, both plants will consume annually about 80,000 tonnes of processed
waste wood and/or refuse-derived fuel. Outotec also provides comprehensive operation and maintenance services
for both plants. After two years' preliminary work including the design process, Outotec's personnel will
operate the plants for ten years. 12/08/2015
Solvay Subsidiary Receives RSB Certification for Epicerol®
Solvay subsidiary Advanced Biochemical Thailand Co, Ltd. (ABT) has received certification from the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) for the production
of Epicerol®, a bio-based building block for renewable chemicals and
resins. The certificate covers the manufacture of bio-based epichlorohydrin (ECH), using Solvay’s innova-tive
technology, from vegetable glycerol derived from biodiesel and oleochemical production. Epicerol® is a chemical
intermediate for a wide range of industries, including epoxy resins for coatings and composites. ABT has been
operating its manufacturing unit using Solvay’s proprietary technology in Thailand since February 2012. ABT is
the first bio-based chemical operator in Asia to obtain RSB certification. RSB certified the first Smallholder Project in Southeast Asia in October
2015. 12/07/2015
Republic Opens Advanced Residential Recycling Center in
Nevada
Arizona based Republic Services, Inc has opened the Southern Nevada Recycling Center serving Clark County,
which is capable of processing two million pounds of recyclable material per day, or 70 tons per hour, and is
expected to double recycling capacity in the area. The Southern Nevada Recycling Center features several
advanced recycling technologies, including five optical sorters which use 2D and 3D technologies to make
material separation decisions in milliseconds. The Center's recycling systems also provide operators with a
highly automated, touch screen control system, as well as tablet-based capabilities that allow for real time
systems management and monitoring, data acquisition and remote access. Republic also installed a Learning Center
that features sustainability oriented educational displays and community videos, as well as a live video stream
of recycling operations. The Southern Nevada Recycling Center is located next to an existing 88,000 square-foot
recycling facility. Together, they comprise the largest known residential recycling operation in North America.
12/07/2015
Boeing, Canadian Aviation Industry Launch Sustainable Biofuel
Project
Boeing, the University of British Columbia (UBC) and SkyNRG, with support from Canada's aviation industry and other
stakeholders, are collaborating to turn leftover branches, sawdust and other
forest-industry waste into sustainable aviation biofuel. Canada, which has extensive sustainably certified
forests, has long used mill and forest residues to make wood pellets that are used to generate electricity. A
consortium that includes Boeing, Air Canada, WestJet, Bombardier, research institutions and industry partners will assess
whether forest waste could also be harnessed to produce sustainable aviation biofuel using thermochemical
processing. A 2015 Boeing-sponsored study by UBC found that aviation biofuel made from forest waste could meet
10 percent – about 46 million gallons, or 175 million liters – of British Columbia's annual jet fuel demand.
These efforts could also supply biofuel to ground and marine vehicles, saving about 1 million tons of CO2
emissions per year on a life cycle basis across the transportation sector, the study found.
12/04/2015
CEFC Commits $100M
to New Australian Bioenergy Fund
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) is aiming to accelerate investment in Australia’s bioenergy sector through a $100
million cornerstone commitment to the new Australian Bioenergy Fund. The Australian Bioenergy Fund will support
investment in a broad range of projects seeking to produce energy from agricultural, council, forestry and
mining waste streams. It is aiming raise more than $200 million in equity and will be managed by the
Foresight Group (Foresight). The Australian Bioenergy Fund will invest
in a range of technologies including: energy from waste, anaerobic digestion, sustainably sourced biomass-to-energy
projects, landfill gas capture, wood pelletization (where forestry plantation waste is converted into pellets
that can be burned as fuel), and the production of biofuels. Foresight, which manages funds on behalf of the UK
Green Investment Bank and the European Investment Bank, has invested more than $1 billion in bioenergy and
energy from waste projects. 12/04/2015
SEaB Energy Receives EU Funding to Boost Expansion into New
Markets
United Kingdom (UK) based SEaB Energy Limited has received European Union (EU) funding that will
help it accelerate the adoption of its innovative, waste-to-energy technology across Europe and international
markets. SEaB’s patented micro-power plants, housed in standardized shipping containers, turn food scraps, grass
clippings, and animal waste into heat, electricity, and water directly on the site where the waste is produced.
This generates an attractive revenue stream, eliminates the need to transport food waste to distant processing
plants and significantly reduces the site’s carbon footprint. The grant has been awarded by LoToNo; a ground breaking regional project to help nurture innovative
business that develop low-carbon solutions in Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. Funding for the project
has come directly from the EU and will provide SEaB Energy, along with 24 other regional businesses creating
novel solutions to sustainability challenges, with access to technological and design expertise and a network of
research organizations, as well as a valuable injection of cash.
12/04/2015
California Will Host Sessions on New US Food Safety Modernization
Act
The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) will host informational sessions on the US Food and Drug
Administration’s (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Final Rules for Produce Safety and Preventive
Controls for Animal Food. The Produce Safety Rule will be presented on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 in Tulare and
both the Preventive Controls for Animal Food Rule and the Produce Safety Rule will be presented on Thursday,
January 14 in Seaside. The FSMA was signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011. It aims to ensure
that the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus of federal regulators from responding to contamination
to preventing it. On September 17, 2015, FDA published the final rule for Preventive Controls for Animal Food,
and on November 27, 2015 they published the final rule for Produce Safety. The final rule becomes effective on
January 26, 2016. The purpose of the informational sessions is to provide industry with an overview of the final
rules and respond to questions. Due to limited space, pre-registration is requested. The FSMA now establishes protocols and baseline requirements for all
fertilizers and soils amendments, as well as for quality of water used for agricultural production. A key tenant
of the FSMA is the requirement for full chain of custody tracking. 12/03/2015
ElectraTherm's Waste Heat Technology Will Use Biomass for CHP in
UK
Nevada based ElectraTherm, Inc has announced shipment of the first Power+ Generator 6500 (up to 110kW
electrical output) to a garden centre in the United Kingdom (UK). Scheduled for commissioning in early 2016, the
facility will use biomass to generate clean electricity. The Power+ also acts as a Combined Heat & Power
(CHP) unit with excess heat from the condensing side to be utilized for heating the garden centre, as well as
drying the biomass fuel to a lower moisture content to increase the boiler’s efficiency. At the garden centre,
ElectraTherm utilizes Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) and proprietary technologies to generate power from low
temperature heat at 119°C. The facility will use wood chips to fuel an Ariterm Bio Boiler. The boiler will heat
water to run the Power+ Generator, and produce clean electricity that will be sold back to the National Grid at
an incentivized rate. The remaining heat from ElectraTherm’s condenser will help dry wood chips as part of the
biomass process. 12/02/2015
Green Biologics' Commercial Bio-Chemical Plant in US is Under
Construction
United Kingdom (UK) company Green Biologics, Ltd (GBL) has announced the start of construction on
its 100% renewable bio-based n-butanol and acetone commercial plant in Little Falls, Minnesota. The existing
manufacturing site, formerly known as The Central MN Ethanol Cooperative (CMEC), was acquired by Green
Biologics in December 2014 and re-named Central MN Renewables (CMR). Permitting was completed in late August
and construction began on September 1, 2015. Commercial production is scheduled to commence in
2016. GBL’s Clostridium fermentation platform converts a wide range of sustainable feedstocks into high
performance green chemicals such as n-butanol, acetone, and through chemical synthesis, derivatives of butanol
and acetone Earlier this year, the company raised $76 million in financing to repurpose the 21 million gallon per
year ethanol plant. Commercial production is scheduled to begin next year, positioning the company to deliver
the first modern commercial plant in the United States to produce these chemicals, which are vital to the
production of paints and coatings, cleaning supplies, cosmetics, and food ingredients. 12/02/2015
CHO Power Achieves FAR Status for Waste to Power Plant in
Morcenx
The French company Europlasma has announced that its subsidiary CHO Power has reached Final Acceptance
with Reserves (FAR) status for its advanced gasification waste to power facility in Morcenx. With completion and
governmental approval of FAR tests completed at CHO Morcenx, all the fundamental parameters of the process are
technically validated and the plant is provisionally delivered. The FAR status means that stable production of
renewable electricity will now begin to generate revenues. System endurance testing was completed in June 2014. The next stage, from FAR to FA (Final
Acceptance), will address economic and environmental optimizations of the process, as the last areas of
improvement before lifting the reserves. CHO-Power's technology platform for thermal conversion of municipal and
agricultural wastes and residuals couples mechanical pre-treatment with gasification, followed by use of plasma
for polishing the raw synthetic gas or syngas. FAR serves as catalyst for development by also approving
advancement of CHO Power's other projects, including CHO Tiper, CHO Locminé (Building Permit was granted
November 26, 2015) and CHO Brocéliande. 12/01/2015
HomeBiogas Launches IndiGoGo Campaign to Fund Home Digester
Israeli company HomeBiogas has launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise $100,000 in partnership with
Tross Creative House to advance production of its
HomeBiogas® biogas systems that turn organic
waste to clean biogas for cooking, and to liquid natural fertilizer for the garden. Within the first 10 days,
the campaign had already reached $134,923. The perk for a donation of at least $945 is a HomeBiogas unit with a
retail price $1,500 and an estimated delivery date of May 2016. Shipping is extra. The system can digest up to 6
liters a day of any food waste, including meat and dairy. On average, 1 Kg (2.2 pounds) of food waste produces
about 200 liters or 7 Cubic feet of gas, which generates around one hour of cooking over a high flame.
Therefore, at 6 liters (1.58 gallons) of food scraps, one can generate 1-3 hours of cooking gas each day - the
perfect amount for three meals. 12/01/2015
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