July 2015 News and Matters of Interest

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

DECC Releases 2014 Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics

The United Kingdom Department for Energy & Climate Change (DECC) has released their annual Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES). The report notes a 21% overall increase in renewable energy generation between 2013 and 2014, now accounting for a 19% share of all generation, to reach 64.7 terrawatt hours (TWh). Capacity grew by 24 per cent (to 24.6 GW) over the same period. Generation from bioenergy sources was 25 per cent higher in 2014 compared to 2013, mainly due to the conversion of a second unit at Drax power station to dedicated biomass. Fossil fuels remain the dominant source of energy supply, accounting for 84.5 per cent, though this is a record low level. The United Kingdom Statistics Authority has designated the annual DUKES reports as the official National Statistics. 07/31/2015

SSE, Wheelabrator's Commercial Ferrybridge Multifuel Power Plant Starts Up

The Ferrybridge Multifuel 1 (FM1) project, a 50:50 joint venture project between SSE and Wheelabrator Technologies Inc., has successfully completed its commissioning phase and has now entered full commercial operation. FM1 takes waste derived fuels from various sources of municipal solid waste, commercial and industrial waste and is now capable of contributing around 70MW of electricity to the National Grid, enough to power around 160,000 homes. The new power station, which is located on land next to Ferrybridge ‘C’ Power Station, has been under construction for over three years by Hitachi Zosen Inova (HZI), the prime contractor. Commercial operation marks the culmination of months of commissioning activities to prove the new power station's capabilities. HZI have now handed over full responsibility to the 46-member Multifuel Energy operational team who will now run the FM1 facility. The final milestone in the commissioning works was reached on 31 July when HZI completed a series of operability tests. 07/31/2015

Global Bioenergies' Bio-Isobutene Process Hits 70% of Commercial Yield

French company Global Bioenergies has announced that its Bio-Isobutene process has reached 70% of the commercial yield at R&D scale. The targeted commercial yield is 3.84 tons of low-cost, industrial-grade sugar for 1 ton of high-purity high-value bio-isobutene. Romain Chayot, head of the metabolic engineering department: "This is a huge milestone. Yield was our priority, and we have been working hard to reach these performances on time. Now, while keeping on increasing this yield, we will intensify our efforts aiming at accelerating the process flux, using first and second generation sugars." Global announced in March that it has produced its first “second generation” isobutene using non-edible waste biomass. Global expects to reach commercial performance at demo plant scale by mid-2017, which will trigger the milestone for construction of the company's first bio-isobutene commercial plant. 07/30/2015

UPS Announces 3 New Renewable Fuels Agreements for Up to 46M Gallons

United Parcel Service of America, Inc (UPS) has announced agreements for up to 46 million gallons of renewable fuels over the next three years, constituting a 15-fold increase over prior contracts and making UPS one of the largest users of renewable diesel in the world. The agreements with three leading suppliers of renewable fuels secure access to an advanced renewable diesel fuel in order to meet the company’s objectives for alternative fuel utilization. Neste, Renewable Energy Group (REG), and Solazyme will supply renewable diesel to UPS to help facilitate the company’s shift to move more than 12% of its purchased ground fuel from conventional diesel and gasoline fuel to alternative fuels by the end of 2017. UPS has previously announced a goal of driving one billion miles with its alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles by the end of 2017. 07/30/2015

Bank of America Announces $125 Billion Environmental Business Initiative

Bank of America has pledged to increase the company’s current environmental business initiative from $50 billion to $125 billion in low-carbon business by 2025 through lending, investing, capital raising, advisory services, and developing financing solutions for clients around the world. The announcement was highlighted at the White House’s American Business Act on Climate Pledge event on July 27, which recognized corporations for their support of action to address climate change. The event brought together 13 executives from various industries including Alcoa, Apple, Bank of America, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Cargill, Coca-Cola, General Motors, Goldman Sachs, Google, Microsoft, PepsiCo, UPS, and Walmart, as they pledged their support of an agreement in advance of the climate change talks in Paris scheduled for later this year. Bank of America has provided more than $39 billion in financing for low-carbon activities since 2007, including $12 billion in 2014 alone, of which forty percent went to renewable energies including solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, advanced biofuels, or mixed portfolios. All inquiries on Bank of America’s new Environmental Business Initiative should be emailed to <> where a team is standing ready to route to the appropriate internal divisions. 07/30/2015 

Greenleaf Finalizes Acquisition of Plainfield's Power Plant in Connecticut

California based Greenleaf Power announced that it has finalized the purchase of the Plainfield Renewable Energy Plant located in Plainfield, Connecticut from Leidos, Inc, which has owned and operated the plant since it became operational. The Plainfield Renewable Energy Plant has a net electricity generation capacity of approximately 37.5 megawatts. It is capable of providing baseload renewable energy for as many as 280,000 homes. The plant uses wood available from construction and demolition debris, recycled wood pallets, and land clearing materials to produce energy, and sells its electrical output to Connecticut Light and Power under a long-term offtake agreement. Greenleaf Power is focused on investing in and developing projects that gather biomass that would otherwise be openly burned or landfilled and converting it to renewable energy. Greenleaf Power’s facilities prior to this transaction are located in California and Quebec, Canada. 0729/2015

DOE to Issue Funding Opportunity for Clean Energy Projects on Indian lands

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs (Office of Indian Energy) has announced that it intends to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement entitled “Deployment of Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Projects on Indian Lands”. In support of the offices’ objectives, the Office of Indian Energy intends to solicit applications from Indian Tribes to install clean energy and energy efficiency retrofit projects for tribal buildings ( Area of Interest 1); and to deploy clean energy systems on a community-scale (Area of Interest 2). The purpose of this Notice is to provide potential applicants advance notice that the Office of Indian Energy, on behalf of the DOE, intends to issue a FOA titled, "DE-FOA-0001390 - Deployment of Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Projects on Indian Lands". DOE plans to issue the FOA in or around the last calendar quarter in 2015. 07/29/2015

Due 08/14/2015: Comments on CEC RFP for Advanced Energy Communities

The California Energy Commission (CEC) is developing a competitive grant solicitation for the development and deployment of Advanced Energy Communities. The CEC plans to offer grants totaling $47 million to encourage creation of communities where electricity demand is met through efficiency, renewable energy, and storage. The draft solicitation requires that the communities be located in the service territories of California’s three major investor owned utilities, and serve disadvantaged communities or involve infill or Greenfield development. The funds will come from California’s Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC). The CEC is seeking input from interested stakeholders on aspects of the draft solicitation. Please submit comments by August 14, 2015 to Marija Krapcevich at <>. 07/29/2015  

New Holland Partners with State University of New York on Biomass Research

New Holland Agriculture has announced plans to assist State University of New York (SUNY) researchers in a project that seeks to develop ways to reduce the cost of delivering biomass for refinement. The United States Department of Energy (DOE) awarded SUNY up to $3.5 million last December to fund the research project to lower the delivered cost of short rotation woody crops. New Holland Agriculture will provide SUNY with an FR9080 self-propelled forage harvester with 130FB coppice header for use in the DOE research project. The forage harvester and header are used to harvest willow and other short rotation woody crops for biomass applications. The New Holland 130FB coppice header is the culmination of the efforts of Posselius, his team of Innovation Engineers, and the Belgium design team. The header made its world premiere at SIMA in Paris, France in 2009, followed by public demos in Belgium, the United Kingdom, and the United States. 07/27/2015

Xebec's First Chinese Landfill Gas Upgrading Project Has Begun Deliveries

Montreal based Xebec Adsorption Inc has announced that it has commenced operation of its first commercial landfill gas to CNG upgrading system with deliveries to taxi fleets in Anshan, North Eastern China. This landfill gas upgrading system is based on Xebec's fast cycle pressure swing adsorption (PSA) technology, assembled and integrated at Xebec's Shanghai facility according to Chinese code and certification requirements. The upgrading system is operating within a variable pressure envelope of 90 to 120 psig and dynamic feed flow parameters between 500 and 1300 m3/h. In addition, Xebec is deploying a kinetic adsorption process to continuously remove varying amounts of nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2), while maintaining corresponding recovery rates of 83 to 91%, and product gas purity levels of 94 to 98.6% methane (CH4). The high quality product gas will be used to power natural gas taxis that operate in the City of Anshan. 07/27/2015  

Brazilian Cellulosic Ethanol Facility Officially Opens with Iogen Technology

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff launched Raizen's new cellulosic ethanol facility adjacent to its Costa Pinto sugar cane mill in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil on July 22, 2015. The advanced biofuels facility is the first large-scale commercial implementation of Iogen Energy`s (a joint venture between Raízen and Iogen Corporation) cellulosic ethanol technology, which the company developed and has extensively proven in its Ottawa, Canada demonstration facility. President Rousseff: "The production of second generation ethanol from sugarcane bagasse is the realization of a dream for the country. The collaboration between the State and Raízen is part of the government's commitment to ethanol production as a strategic measure for economic development." Iogen and Raízen broke ground in November 2013 on the $US105 million advanced biofuel facility, and completed construction on time and on budget in December 2014. The facility converts biomass such as sugar cane bagasse and straw into advanced, second generation cellulosic biofuel. Raízen had previously announced that, given a success at Costa Pinto, it intends to deploy Iogen Energy's technology in seven more Raízen sugar cane mills. 07/24/2015

MagneGas Forms Joint Venture for Expansion into Louisiana and Texas

MagneGas Corporation has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Green Gas Supply, LLC to expand into Louisiana and Texas with sale of a $550,000 Plasma-Arc Gasification system. The MOU includes future royalty payments, profit sharing rights, and an initial 300 cylinder gas order to seed the territory. A new joint venture company (JV) will be established in Louisiana to own and operate MagneGas® gasification systems to produce and sell MagneGas2® into the metal cutting market.  MagneGas will own 50% of the JV and will receive minimum royalty payments of 5% of gross revenue plus equal profit sharing rights. The MOU calls for the sale of additional equipment to expand into Texas and other states under the same royalty payment and profit sharing rights. As part of the MOU, Green Gas has paid a deposit and definitive agreements with full payment are expected to be signed within 90 days. 07/24/2015

IEEP Report - Delivering Low Carbon Transport Fuels for Europe Post 2020

The Institute for European Environmental Policy’s (IEEP) Summer newsletter introduces a report released earlier this month entitled Low Carbon Transport Fuel Policy for Europe Post 2020. The report analyses a range of policy tools and mechanisms that could be employed to deliver greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions. The report was funded by Transport & Environment and drafted in collaboration with the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) and Transport & Environment Policy Research (TEPR). It takes as its starting point an analysis of the need to decarbonize transport fuels and promote low carbon alternatives. One need identified is that Europe must differentiate between biofuels based on the risk. Biofuels risk is predominantly linked to the feedstock material used to produce the fuel, and the metrics of associated land use and indirect land use change consequences. The analysis argues for an increase in investment and governmental support for biofuels made from wastes and residues. 07/24/2015

LA County Blasts CalRecycle for Lack of Transparency in 250% Fee Increase

The Los Angeles County (LA County) Solid Waste Management Committee / Integrated Waste Management Task Force (Task Force) has submitted comment to California Governor Brown and the Senate Chair of the State’s Environmental Quality Committee voicing strong opposition to proposed Assembly Bill 1063 (AB 1063) as amended July 15, 2015. The bill would raise per-ton fees over 250% for disposal facility operators while additionally imposing a new tax on residential and commercial waste generators to fund the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery’s (CalRecycle) annual operation cost and the agency’s discretionary waste management programs. The Task Force deplores the lack of transparency and stakeholder engagement, claiming, "The July 15, 2015, amendments were developed with little engagement of the select-stakeholders and appear to have solely been developed by CalRecycle staff and a chosen few…" and that despite the agency’s understanding of "structural problems" in the bill’s language, "… they are proposing to penalize jurisdictions for their success in reducing their disposal tonnages via AB 1063 as amended on July 15, 2015." The Task Force has made nine carefully developed recommendations, noting that they welcome "…a transparent process for this proposal and would appreciate inclusion thereof." Questions regarding AB 1063 and the LA County Task Force’s position should be directed to Mr. Mike Mohajer of the Task Force at <> or at (909) 592-1147. 07/23/2015

Reverdia Is New Partner in ADMIT SuccInnovate Consortium

The Netherlands based Reverdia has joined the consortium ADMIT BioSuccInnovate, an innovative Climate-KIC initiative funded by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT), along with the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University and other European partners. The Consortium will explore with CIMV, a biorefining company, the use of locally-available lignocellulosic feedstock, such as wheat straw or miscanthus to produce bio-based, biodegradable plastic packaging for consumer markets in association with United Kingdom retailer Waitrose and food tray producer Sharpak. The project is in line with Waitrose’s sustainable packaging strategy. Reverdia contributes its Biosuccinium™ sustainable bio-succinic acid technology to help build a truly sustainable packaging value chain. The company's Biosuccinium™ received US Department of Agriculture (USDA) approval as a Certified Biobased Product last year. Reverdia is a joint venture between Royal DSM, the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences Company and Roquette Frères, the global starch and starch-derivatives Company. 07/22/2015

GlucanBio Wins Sofinnova Partners Renewable Chemistry Start-Up Award

Paris based renewable chemistry venture capital firm Sofinnova Partners has announced that Glucan Biorenewables LLC (GlucanBio) is the winner of the prestigious Renewable Chemistry Start-Up Award. Following a public vote with almost 8,000 votes cast, the Top-5 companies were shortlisted. These companies then presented to a jury of industry experts at the BIO World Congress in Montreal. Missouri based Glucan Biorenewables produces furan derivatives from biomass, and the furfural platform will be used to launch other value-added co-products: 5-hydroxyl-methyl furfural (HMF) and downstream derivatives. The other four shortlisted start-up companies: Eggplant converts wastewater to bioplastics; GFBiochemicals produces levulinic acid directly from biomass, Leaf Resources Ltd's pre-treatment process converts plant biomass into cellulose products; and Syngulon is developing genetic technologies to improve the efficiency of microorganisms involved in industrial bio production. This award was supported by Sustainability Consult, the bioeconomy communications and public relations agency committed to building the biobased industries. 07/21/2015

Red Rock Biofuels Contracts with FedEx to Provide Renewable Jet Fuel

Colorado based Red Rock Biofuels LLC has announced that it has contracted to produce approximately three million gallons of low-carbon, renewable jet fuel per year for FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. The agreement runs through 2024, with first delivery scheduled for 2017. FedEx joins Southwest Airlines in purchasing Red Rock’s jet fuel, which together amounts to its total capacity. Red Rock’s first refinery, funded in part by a $70 million Title III DPA grant from the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Energy and Navy, is scheduled to break ground this fall in Lakeview, Oregon. Red Rock announced a strategic partnership with Flagship Ventures in March, leading toward construction of the facility. The refinery will convert approximately 140,000 dry tons of woody biomass into 15 million gallons per year of renewable jet, diesel and naphtha fuels. In addition to reducing lifecycle carbon emissions, Red Rock’s production process will reduce the risk of forest fires in the western United States by decreasing the amount of waste woody biomass in surrounding forests. 07/21/2015

DEINOVE Unveils Bio-Based Muconic Acid Production Program

Paris company DEINOVE has announced that it has completed conclusive proof of concept for the production of muconic acid by a Deinococcus bacterium and has decided to launch a new research and development (R&D) platform in this field. Using its proprietary metabolic engineering tools, DEINOVE R&D has successfully designed a Deinococcus bacterium capable of producing renewable muconic acid, a particularly sought-after chemical intermediate, from a variety of biomass feedstocks. Proof of concept has been reached and will be followed by engineering phases aimed at increasing the strain’s performance under conditions closer to industrialization. Spread over a few years, and benefiting from the pioneering foundation work of the DEINOL platform, DEINOVE expects to develop this program at a competitive pace. In parallel, the company has engaged in discussions with several interested industrial contacts that would bring significant and synergistic upsides to this new DEINOVE program. 07/21/2015 

GFBiochemicals Starts Producing Levulinic Acid from Cellulosic Biomass

Bio-based chemical company GFBiochemicals has begun commercial production at its 10,000 MT/a capacity levulinic acid plant in Caserta, Italy. GFBiochemicals is the first company to produce levulinic acid at commercial scale directly from biomass. the company's proprietary technology platform is based on the chemical conversion of cellulosic biomass. The company made the announcement at the BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology, Montreal. Levulinic acid is a versatile platform molecule that is recognized by the US Department of Energy as one of the top ten bio-based Chemicals of the Future. Among its end products can be fuel or fuel additives. Founded in 2008, GFBiochemicals retrofitted and adapted an existing plant in Caserta to meet its needs. 07/202015

Genomatica and Cargill Collaborate to Bring Renewable Chemicals to Market

Genomatica and Cargill have announced entering into a collaboration agreement to accelerate the production of renewable chemicals for industrial applications. The collaboration will give chemical producers, distributors, and users access to a reliable, cost-effective source of carbohydrate feedstocks, co-location support services, and production partnerships, based on GENO™ process technologies. Combining Genomatica’s technologies with Cargill’s global strength in carbohydrate feedstock, risk management, operational expertise, and readiness to build, own, and operate plants worldwide for select customers, has the potential to help the bioeconomy expand more rapidly. The GENO™ process can produce chemicals from a range of alternative feedstocks including conventional sugars, sugars from cellulosic biomass, or waste. The companies will co-market Cargill’s feedstock and production services to current and prospective Genomatica licensees, and chemical users and distributors. To further strengthen the companies’ collaboration, Cargill made an equity investment in Genomatica and secured rights to make additional investments. 07/20/2015

Kroger Releases 2014 Sustainability Report and Sets 70% Diversion Goal

Ohio based Kroger Corporation has released its Sustainability Report for 2014 and set steep waste management and energy goals for the future. In 2014, 27 of 32 plants were designated as “zero waste” facilities. In 2014, Kroger manufacturing plants reduced the amount of waste sent to landfill by 1.3 million pounds (13.84% waste reduction from 2013) and recycled more than 307 million pounds of material. In 2015, the company expanded its diversion goals to 70% enterprise-wide. Kroger’s Anaerobic Digester continues to convert food waste into heat and power for its Southern California Distribution Center. Kroger is the fifth largest retailer in the world, spanning 34 states with store formats that include grocery and multi-department stores, convenience stores and jewelry stores. Kroger employs nearly 400,000 associates who serve customers in 2,626 supermarkets and multi-department stores in 34 states and the District of Columbia under two dozen local banner names including Kroger, City Market, Dillons, Food 4 Less, Fred Meyer, Fry's, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, QFC, Ralph's, and Smith's. 07/20/2015 

DuPont Signs Deal to Bring Cellulosic Ethanol Technology to China

DuPont and Jilin Province New Tianlong Industry Co., Ltd., (NTL) have announced a licensing agreement to begin the development of China’s largest cellulosic ethanol manufacturing plant, located in Siping City, Jilin Province, China. The agreement allows NTL to license DuPont’s cellulosic ethanol technology and use DuPont™ Accellerase® enzymes to produce renewable biofuel from the leftover biomass on Jilin Province’s corn farms. NTL is working to secure the necessary government approvals and support to implement the agreement. Officials from DuPont, NTL, Siping City, and Lishu County in Jilin Province praised the announcement as a milestone in the global renewable fuel marketplace. Combining NTL’s ethanol production expertise with processing technology, technical support, and world-class enzymes supplied by DuPont, NTL will be able to produce cellulosic renewable fuel for the rapidly growing Chinese liquid biofuel market, which is projected to exceed 1.7 billion gallons per year by 2020. 07/17/2015

HZI to Furnish Swiss Technology to Russia for Energy from Waste Project

Zurich, Switzerland based Hitachi Zozen Inova AG (HZI) has signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Government of the Moscow region of Russia and the Russian State Corporation Rostec for Energy from Waste (EfW) development. The pact will provide for development of an integrated system for energy recovery from the waste utilization in the Moscow region. The subsidiary of the State Corporation – LLC RT-Invest will be the entity implementing the project. Within the project implementation 15 modern facilities for municipal solid waste (MSW) thermal treatment will be built, which will be used to generate electricity and heat. HZI, together with RT-Invest subsidiary of the Rostec Corporation, will be providing the engineering and will act as turnkey supplier of the thermal MSW treatment technology. The main objective of the project is to achieve zero landfilling volume by 2025 but also to keep the most of the investments inside of Russia through the businesses programs aimed at the manufacturing. The implementation of the project will depend upon the adoption of the decision on the green tariff by the Russian government. 07/17/2015

Due 08/17/2015: SBIR/STTR Applications to DOE for Residential CHP Systems

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has released  Funding Opportunity Notice DE-FOA-0001380 for the second round solicitation for 'Generators for Small Electrical and Thermals Systems (GENSETS) -SBIR/STTR.' This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer Research (STTR) program is administered by DOE's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E). The GENSETS solicitation is intended to fund development of potentially disruptive generator technologies that will enable widespread deployment of residential Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems. It is restricted to generators/engines with 1 kW of electrical output (kWe) that have high efficiency (40% fuel to electricity), long life (10 years), low cost ($3,000 per system), and low emissions. Heat engines and generators capable of achieving these targets may include internal and external combustion engines, turbines, and solid state devices such as thermophotovoltaics, thermionic emitters, and thermoelectrics. The full application lists many of the targeted systems; the targets are feedstock neutral and could include solid, liquid or gaseous fuel production and conversion to residential CHP. Submission deadline for applications is August 17, 2015 at 5:00 PM ET. 07/17/2015 

WELTEC Builds Biogas Plant on French Farm with Heat Benefit for Hospital

German manufacturer WELTEC BIOPOWER has announced that it will building a 255-kW biogas combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Mirecourt, Lorraine/France, together with its partner Domaix Energie. The "Méthavigne" project is a heat alliance between the agricultural biogas plant and a psychiatric hospital, significant because society and the environment also benefit from this union of a public institution and a private company. The cultivated area of 375 hectares and 850 cattle allow the Jacquot family farm to produce all the raw materials they need for energy generation. Starting in autumn, the 2,226-m³ stainless-steel digester will be fed with a feedstock mix of cattle manure, maize silage, crop dust, straw, grass, fruit pomace, flotation grease, and food leftovers in the amount of 28 t/day. The medical center (Centre hospitalier Ravenel) of the Département Vosges will benefit from the exhaust heat from the plant, and will be able to cover its entire hot water needs. The medical center is about one kilometre from the biogas CHP plant, and the exhaust heat will be conveyed through a pipeline to be constructed as part of the heat transfer project. 07/16/2015

California Awards Cap-and-Trade Funds for 5 Dairy Digesters in Central Valley

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has selected five projects for approximately $11.1 million in grants to implement digester technology on California dairy operations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) from dairy manure. Financial assistance for the installation of dairy digesters comes from the state’s cap-and-trade program for combating climate change. Through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, CDFA and other state agencies are investing cap-and-trade auction proceeds in projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions while providing a variety of additional benefits to California communities. Recipients of the CDFA grants will provide an estimated $18.9 million in matching funds for the development of the digester facilities. Dairy digesters collect manure in tanks or lagoons for decomposition in an oxygen-free environment and then capture the methane (biogas) produced so none escapes into the atmosphere. That methane can then be used as a biofuel to power generators that produce electricity or fuel natural gas vehicles. 07/16/2015

Praxair Signs Long-Term Supply Agreement for Refinery’s Carbon Dioxide

Connecticut based Praxair, Inc has signed a long-term agreement with Delaware City Refining Company to purchase crude carbon dioxide from the refinery. Praxair will build, own, and operate a 450-ton-per-day carbon dioxide purification and liquefaction plant at the refinery, producing beverage-quality liquid carbon dioxide for distribution into the Northeastern US merchant market. Praxair already supplies Delaware City Refining with nitrogen for its operational needs. This new carbon dioxide source will begin serving customers in 2016. Praxair previously started up a 450-ton-per-day carbon dioxide purification facility in Hopewell, Virginia, and also operates carbon dioxide facilities in Southeastern Canada. 07/16/2015

UK Railway Stations and Bio-Bean Convert Coffee Waste to Biofuels

United Kingdom company Network Rail has signed an agreement with bio-bean for a new recycling project that is turning coffee waste into fuel and helping cut the cost of running the railway. Following a successful trial at London’s Victoria and Waterloo stations, six of the largest railway stations in Britain will now all be committing their coffee waste to the project. Between them, Network Rail’s six biggest stations (Euston, King’s Cross, Liverpool Street, Paddington, Victoria and Waterloo) generate nearly 700 tonnes of coffee waste each year. Rather than sending it to landfill, this waste will now go to the bio-bean factory to be converted into over 650 tonnes of carbon-neutral biofuels for heating homes, offices and factories, saving more than 5,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year. Each tonne of waste coffee grounds creates over 5,700 kilowatt hours of energy, with the 700 tonnes enough to power 1000 homes for a year. 07/16/2015

Due 09/10/2015: Response to New York City RFI on Renewable Power Supply

New York City has issued a Request for Information (RFI) seeking responses from all entities involved in and supporting the renewable energy sector. This RFI is designed to identify new generation capacity rather than existing sources of renewable energy. The RFI document may be downloaded online. The City will conduct an informational session via the Internet to address its renewable energy goals and how it expects to meet those goals at 11:00 am EST on July 30, 2015. Further information on the informational session will be provided to the prospective respondents and the public in the City Record newspaper and via the City Record Online. All responses shall be submitted electronically to Susan Cohen, the RFI Contact, at <> by 5:00 pm EST on September 10, 2015. In addition, two original paper copies shall be submitted to the RFI Contact no later than September 15, 2015. 07/16/2015 

Newlight Signs 20-Year Contract with Vinmar for 19B Lbs of AirCarbon PHA

California based Newlight Technologies, LLC has signed a master off-take agreement with Texas company Vinmar International Ltd for the sale of 100% of AirCarbon PHA from Newlight’s planned 50 million pound per year production facility for 20 years. AirCarbon is a PHA-based thermoplastic made from greenhouse gas that is used and being developed for use in a wide range of products, including films, caps, and closures, furniture, electronics accessories, bottles, and other applications. Newlight produces AirCarbon by combining a breakthrough high-yield biocatalyst with air and captured methane-based greenhouse gas emissions to produce a bio-based AirCarbon thermoplastic material that is cost competitive with petroleum-derived thermoplastics. Under the terms of the off-take agreement, Vinmar will initially purchase 1 billion pounds of AirCarbon PHA from Newlight. The contract will also cover 100% of the output from a 300 million pound per year AirCarbon production facility and a 600 million pound per year AirCarbon production facility for a total of up to 19 billion pounds over 20 years. 07/15/2015

AnaeCo Completes Biological Ramp-up Phase at WMRC Project in Australia

AnaeCo Limited has announced completion of the Biological Ramp-up phase of commissioning at the Western Metropolitan Regional Council (WMRC) Project in Western Australia, now that the biogas scrubber has been commissioned. The 21st and final batch of municipal solid waste (MSW) contributing to Biological Ramp-up was loaded into a bioconversion vessel in the week beginning June 29. The plant is now undergoing a short maintenance shutdown in preparation for performance trials, the final phase of commissioning under the Design & Construct Contract. This concludes what has been a protracted Ramp-up phase lasting 12 months compared to the originally planned 18 week period. All DiCOM™ bioconversion phases (aerobic/transition/anaerobic) were completed as intended during Ramp-up, producing biogas and an organic bi-product. 484 tonnes of biogas were produced, meeting commissioning expectations. AnaeCo secured a $4.6 million bridge loan in February of this year to fund completion of the WMRC Project. 07/15/2015

Pacific Biodiesel Technologies and Big Island Biodiesel Unite

Members of Pacific Biodiesel Technologies, LLC (PBT) and Big Island Biodiesel, LLC (BIB), unanimously voted to combine the Companies, making BIB a wholly owned subsidiary of PBT as of July 1, 2015. The move unites all members in the Company’s effort to expand biodiesel production in Hawaii and to continue to decrease the state’s dependency on imported fossil fuel. Big Island Biodiesel, which began production in July 2012, is the most recent of 13 facilities designed by Pacific Biodiesel and features fuel distillation and zero-waste processing.  Located on Hawaii Island, the facility has a current production capacity of 5.5 million gallons per year. 07/15/2015 

EPA Honors 20th Annual Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awardees

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing landmark green chemistry technologies developed by industrial pioneers and leading scientists that turn climate risk and other environmental problems into business opportunities. An independent panel of technical experts convened by the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute formally judged the 2015 submissions from among scores of nominated technologies and made recommendations to EPA for the 2015 winners. Among the winners is Florida based Algenol, which being recognized for developing a blue-green algae to produce ethanol and other fuels. The algae uses CO2 from air or industrial emitters with sunlight and saltwater to create fuel while dramatically reducing the carbon footprint, costs and water usage, and with no reliance on food crops as feedstocks. LanzaTech in Illinois is being honored for the development of a process that uses waste gas to produce fuels and chemicals, reducing companies’ carbon footprint. Pennsylvania company Renmatix is being recognized for developing a process using supercritical water to more cost effectively break down plant material into sugars used as building blocks for renewable chemicals and fuels. The Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award winners be honored at a ceremony in Washington, DC. 07/13/2015

ArcelorMittal, LanzaTech, Primetals Partner to Construct €87m Biofuel Facility

ArcelorMittal, the world’s leading steel and mining company, LanzaTech, the carbon recycling company, and Primetals Technologies, a leading technology and service provider to the iron and steel industry have announced entering into a letter of intent to construct Europe’s first-ever commercial scale production facility to create bioethanol from waste gases produced during the steelmaking process. The bioethanol will predominantly be used in gasoline blending, but it can also be further processed into other products such as drop-in jet fuel. The 47,000 ton ethanol/annum project will demonstrate the added value of recycling waste streams, not only by reducing emissions at source, but by keeping fossil fuels in the ground through the production of commodity chemicals and fuels that would otherwise be made from oil. Approximately 50 per cent of the carbon used in the chemistry of steelmaking leaves the process as carbon monoxide. Now, this waste gas stream is either flared or used to heat and power the steel mill. 07/13/2015

DEINOVE Reaches 3rd Milestone of DEINOL Program Using Waste Biomass

France based DEINOVE has announced that it has reached the third of four milestones of its DEINOL project, which is supported by Bpifrance, and validating the work of DEINOVE's proprietary platform. Achievement of this milestone triggers €1.2m in funding from Bpifrance in the form of an innovation grant. DEINOVE's platform uses Deinococcus bacteria as host strains for the production of biofuels and bio-based chemicals. The DEINOL program, initiated in 2010, aims to develop and market a consolidated, second-generation (2G) bioethanol production process using non-food biomass (agricultural residues, organic waste, etc.) as raw material and to promote the exceptional properties of Deinococcus bacteria. These advances have also materialized in a strong intellectual property: DEINOVE currently has a diverse portfolio of 18 patent families consisting of more than 180 patent applications internationally, particularly in Europe, the USA and China. 07/13/2015 

Industry Groups Fund Study to Improve Efficiencies in Recycling Facilities

Five US trade associations representing a wide range of packaging types joined together to commission a study to find ways to optimize the recycling of their packaging after it goes into the bin or cart. The associations include the American Chemistry Council (ACC), Association of Postconsumer Plastics Recyclers (APR), Carton Council of North America (CCNA), Foodservice Packaging Institute (FPI), and the National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR). The study specifically evaluated where packages end up in a sorting facility, why packages flow in certain ways, and what potential changes to the sorting processes could improve recovery. The 'MRF Material Flow Study' uniquely looks at how numerous materials flow through several different types of materials recovery facilities (MRFs) with the goal of better understanding how to get more recyclables actually recycled. Five U.S. MRFs were selected for the study, representing a range of operations, including those of different sizes and processing, and different recycling streams (single- and dual-stream). Key findings from the study include 1) Size, shape, and material influence flow; 2) Maintaining equipment to ensure efficient sorting is critical; and 3) Optical sorters can help identify material types. 07/11/2015

Due 08/07/2015: Applications for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Funding

The Minnesota Department of Commerce (MnDOC) is soliciting proposals from local government agencies in Minnesota that are seeking low-cost, long-term capital to finance community energy efficiency and renewable energy system projects. The new Rev It Up program allows local governments to compete for funding for community energy efficiency systems and renewable energy production for reductions in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The Minnesota Legislature provided Commerce with authority to issue up to $100 million in revenue bonds: $20 million for community energy efficiency and renewable energy projects taking place in small businesses and public buildings, and $60 million to provide loans or other aids to industrial or commercial businesses and healthcare facilities for cost-effective energy efficiency projects or to install renewable energy systems. This solicitation is only for local government agencies. The MnDOC has also launched the complementary Public Entity Energy Audit and Renewable Energy Feasibility Study Loan Program as a revolving loan fund to help public entities pay for the cost of an energy audit or a renewable energy feasibility study. 07/11/2015  

IEA Releases Bioenergy Task 34 Newsletter on Fast Pyrolysis

Aston University's European Bioenergy Research Institute (EBRI) has announced the publication of International Energy Agency (IEA) Bioenergy Task 34 biennial newsletter. Task 34 is focused on Pyrolysis (program referred to as PyNe) and has continued collaborative research since 1996 on the fast pyrolysis of biomass to bio-oil. The newsletter features articles on the latest global developments in fast pyrolysis. The overall objective of Task 34 is to improve the rate of implementation and success of fast pyrolysis for fuels and chemicals by contributing to the resolution of critical technical areas and disseminating relevant information particularly to industry and policy makers. Aston University maintains the program website as a global information source on behalf of Task 34 of the IEA Bioenergy, as part of IEA's Energy Technology Network. 07/10/2015

Energy from Waste Plant in China will Use Hitachi Zosen Inova’s Technology

Hitachi Zosen Cooperation has been awarded a contract by Human Junxin Environmental Protection Group for Changsha City’s first Energy from Waste (EfW) plant based on technology of Zurich based Hitachi Zosen Inova. Solid waste in Changsha City is now being treated by landfill disposal, so the first EfW plant in the city is expected to play a significant role not only in hygienic aspects but also as a power source of generating 517,500 megawatt-hours electricity each year. This will also make a major contribution to energy supply in the Human province capital with a population of 7.1 million. Hitachi Zosen's contract is for engineering and supplying main equipment for six grate type incinerators with a processing capacity of 5,100 tons per day and a power output of 100 MW. The Changsha City EfW plant would be the 11th installation by Hitachi Zosen with the licensed technology of Hitachi Zosen Inova. 07/10/2015

New Energy Capital Invests in Natural Systems Utilities for Value from Waste

The New Energy Capital Cleantech Infrastructure Fund has announced its investment in Natural Systems Utilities (NSU) to expand opportunities to build, own, and operate wastewater treatment, water reuse, organics reclamation. and energy recovery systems in North America. Previous investors XPV Capital Corporation and ARB, a private investment firm, joined the round. Scott Brown, CEO of New Energy Capital Partners: "Natural Systems Utilities has been at the forefront of designing, building and operating distributed water management and energy systems that derive value from waste." 07/10/2015

Pennsylvania Funds Biomass Heating System for School Buildings

Pennsylvania's Governor Wolf has announced that the Commonwealth Financing Authority approved funding to support a new Alternative and Clean Energy (ACE) project with an investment of $500,000 in Clearfield County. West Branch Area School District will receive the $500,000 grant for installation of a biomass boiler system in Morris Township that will be used to heat both the elementary and secondary school buildings. With the current boiler system, West Branch Area School District uses oil for 100 percent of its heating demands. With the installation of the new biomass boiler system, the usage of oil will decrease to 20 percent of the heating requirements for the school, saving approximately 53,832 gallons of oil per year. The biomass system will burn approximately 738 tons of locally grown wood fuel per year and provide annual savings of $137,214 for the school district. 07/10/2015

Due 10/01/2015: USDA Loan Apps for Biorefineries/Bio-Product Manufacturing

The US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Business-Cooperative Service is requesting applications for funds that are available under the Biorefinery, Renewable Chemical, and Biobased Product Manufacturing Assistance Program (Program), formerly the Biorefinery Assistance Program. The funding will provide guaranteed loans to fund the development, construction, and Retrofitting of Commercial Scale biorefineries using Eligible Technology and of Biobased Product Manufacturing facilities that use Technologically New Commercial Scale processing and manufacturing equipment to convert Renewable Chemicals and other biobased outputs of biorefineries into end-user products, on a Commercial Scale. Two separate application cycles have been announced with deadlines of October 1, 2015, and April 1, 2016. 07/10/2015  

Showa Denko Completes Waste Plastic Gasification Facility Expansion

Japanese company Showa Denko (SDK) has announced completion of the expansion of its used-plastic gasification facility at the Kawasaki Plant for production of ammonia from waste plastic. SDK processes used plastic to obtain the part of hydrogen necessary for the synthesis of ammonia. As an industrial material, ammonia is used in the production of synthetic fibers and metal surface treatment for automotive and construction machinery parts. The demand for ammonia used for removing nitrogen oxides contained in exhaust gas from thermal electric power plants and other facilities has been increasing in recent years. Furthermore, SDK’s liquefied ammonia (trade name: EcoannTM) has been approved and rated high as “eco-friendly goods for procurement” by major electric power companies because the product is partly based on used plastic. The method to produce hydrogen from used plastic results in a significantly lower environmental burden compared to the conventional methods to produce hydrogen from petroleum-derived raw materials. 07/08/2015

2015 BCAP Webinar Scheduled for Biomass Project Material Owners

The University of California (UC) Berkeley Wood Resources Group in collaboration with the US Forest Service Region 5, the California State Farm Services Agency Office, and California office of the Bureau of Land Management will host a webinar overview of the USDA Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). The webinar is designed for owners and potential owners of forest biomass from hazardous fuels reduction and insect/disease projects on BLM- or Forest Service-managed lands, and orchard clearings. This webinar will not focus on that part of the 2015 BCAP related to growing energy crops or upcoming sessions to provide input to potential changes in the 2016 program. BCAP was reauthorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. The webinar will be broadcast live at July 20, 2015 at 10:00 AM PST with opportunity for questions from attendees, and will be recorded for later viewing. Registration for the webinar is available online. 07/08/2015

ElectraTherm Commissions First 'Radiator with a Payback'

Nevada based ElectraTherm has partnered with the US Department of Defense (DoD) to commission the first fully-integrated stationary engine and waste heat to power generator. ElectraTherm’s Power+ Generator™ was integrated with a Cummins KTA-50 1.1 megawatt engine to increase fuel efficiency in addition to entirely replacing the engine’s radiator. The Power+ Generator displaces the radiator’s capital cost and parasitic load, generating additional power and marking the first “radiator with a payback.” ElectraTherm utilizes Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) and proprietary technologies to generate power from low temperature heat ranging from 170-252°F. With the typical engine running at about 35% efficiency, there is considerable waste heat between the jacket water and the exhaust. By acting as the radiator for the engine, ORC technology benefits include additional power generation, increased efficiency and reduced cooling loads. The elimination of radiator capital costs offsets up to 20% of the entire ORC project costs, delivering a payback of three years or less for diesel or heavy fuel oil-fired gensets. 07/08/2015 

UK Environment Agency Releases Report on Growth of Refuse Derived Fuels

The United Kingdom (UK) has released a new report that discusses the factors behind the sudden emergence and growth of exports of refuse derived fuel (RDF) from England. The market went from zero in June 2010 to just over 215,000 tonnes in January 2015. The majority of these exports were to the Netherlands with Germany and Sweden starting to increase in importance from mid to late 2013. RDF is defined as material that is produced from waste, has undergone some sort of treatment process, and is intended for use as a fuel. The market began in June 2010 after a regulatory decision by the Environment Agency based on the UK Plan for Shipments of Waste, which allowed the export of RDF. The market grew rapidly because of material being shifted from landfill by the landfill tax and landfill diversion targets, and the lower cost of some continental European EfW facilities. The landfill tax has therefore been a key driver in diverting waste from landfill and consequently for the RDF export market. The full report is available online. 07/07/2015

IRENA Launches INSPIRE Platform to Support Renewable Energy

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has announced the launch of the International Standards and Patents in Renewable Energy (INSPIRE), a new online platform to help users access 400 international standards and more than 2 million patents for renewable energy technologies. The INSPIRE platform is a result of collaboration between IRENA, the European Patent Office (EPO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and has multiple functionalities. The standards section enables users to search through a database of more than 400 internationally used standards and generate reports as needed. The patents section contains information on over two million patent documents relating to carbon mitigation technologies from the EPO’s PATSTAT database, which contains nearly two million patent documents. The combination of resources on INSPIRE will help users analyze various aspects of renewable energy policy and innovation. Users can also perform metadata analysis of technology trends, comparing development within, or between, different technologies. 07/07/2015  

NYC Mayor Proposes Organics Recycling for Large-Scale Food Establishments

New York City's (NYC) de Blasio administration has announced a proposal to require large-scale commercial food establishments to separate organic waste. Food scraps and other organic material makes up one-third of all commercial waste, and diverting this material from landfills is considered to be a critical opportunity for New York City. The separated waste organics can be used as a soil amendment through composting or as feedstock for clean, renewable energy through anaerobic digestion. The City laid out an ambitious plan to send zero waste to landfills and reduce waste disposal by 90 percent relative to 2005 levels, by 2030 in "One New York: The Plan for a Strong and Just City," the administration’s comprehensive plan for a sustainable and resilient city. The proposed rules will be subject to a public hearing and comment period and would take effect six months after they are adopted. From that point, there will be a six-month grace period before any fines can be imposed. 07/03/2015

Canada Fibers Announces Bold Solid Waste Recycling Initiatives

Canada Fibers Ltd has announced that it has taken steps towards the creation of superior value from municipal and commercial solid waste through solid waste recycling initiatives.  Canada Fibers has created an affiliate named Urban Resource Group Inc, which will focus on production of high quality sustainable products from solid waste. Canada Fibers' solid waste recovery operations include four state-of-the-art Municipal Recovery Facilities in the Province of Ontario, as well as two large-scale commercial recovery facilities. Urban Resource Group has entered into agreements to acquire three companies, which will expand the portfolio of products and services available to Canada Fibers' growing customer base. Urban Resource Group recently entered into agreements to purchase the shares of Ecowood Ltd and the shares of All Waste Removal Inc.  Both of these acquisitions are expected to close during July 2015. The third acquisition involves the assets of a manufacturer of wooden fuel pellets, which was completed earlier this year. 07/03/2015  

Food and Drink Waste Could Boost Scottish Economy by Up to £800M

Scotland's Food Secretary Richard Lochhead has announced that waste from the food and drink industry – specifically from the beer, whisky, and fish and shellfish sectors – could help the Scottish economy tap into an estimated £500 million to £803 million each year. A Circular Economy Sector Study published by Zero Waste Scotland found that by better utilizing the waste and by-products produced by the industry, Scotland’s economy could stand to grow massively year-on-year. Research indicates that the bio-waste and by-products can be used for a number of other things including aquaculture and animal feeds, fertilizer and protein food supplements. The circular economy report identifies the level of bio-based waste and by-products within the three sectors identified. Each year the beer sector produces around 54,000 tonnes of bio-based waste and by-products; the whisky sector more than four million tonnes and the fish & shellfish sector an estimated 190,000 tonnes. 07/02/2015

Ellen MacArthur Foundation Launches Circular Economy Toolkit

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has launched the results of its latest research which provides, for the first time, an actionable toolkit for policymakers who wish to embark on a circular economy transition. The toolkit complements the recently published report Growth Within: A circular economy vision for a competitive Europe by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the Stiftungsfonds für Umweltökonomie und Nachhaltigkeit (SUN) and the McKinsey Center for Business and Environment, by offering an actionable ‘how-to’ guide for policymakers inspired by the vision of how the circular economy could look, as explored in the Growth Within report. The report underlines that circular business opportunities are mainly hindered by non-financial barriers and suggests that a sector by sector approach would be the most appropriate to identify the most relevant opportunities, barriers and policy options. Furthermore, system-wide measures, such as broader changes to the fiscal system, could support the transition towards the circular economy. 07/02/2015

ANDRITZ Supplies Power Boiler for South Korean Waste-to-Energy Plant

ANDRITZ has received an order from POSCO E&C to supply key equipment for a 50-megawatt bubbling fluidized bed boiler fired with refuse-derived fuel for the greenfield waste-to-energy plant in Pohang, South Korea. The scope of supply also includes basic engineering as well as supervisory services for erection and commissioning. The plant will utilize 100,000 tons of pre-treated waste per year and generate power for 20,000 homes in South Korea, and saving 85,000 tons of CO2 emissions every year. Start-up is scheduled for spring 2018. 07/02/2015

ADBA Releases UK Anaerobic Digestion Market Report

The Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association (ADBA) has released its July 2015 Anaerobic Digestion Market Report on the occasion of Biogen's commissioning of the 400th ad plant in the United Kingdom (UK). The Market Report provides a comprehensive analysis of the development and potential of the anaerobic digestion (AD) industry in the UK. As well as details of the 400 operational plants, it shows: 60-100 new plants are likely to be commissioned in 2015; 1.6 million tonnes of food waste are now being recycled through AD compared to 0.3-0.4 million tonnes in 2010, but waste policy in England is holding up investment compared to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland; the surge in biomethane to grid projects is continuing – but there is uncertainty around new plants after April 2016, while the industry waits for a decision on future funding for the RHI; there will be a significant fall in sub-500 kWe FIT plants in 2015 compared to 2014 - but still more than in 2013 or any year before that; the sector faces real challenges from 2016, but with reasonable policy changes the sector could still deliver at least 500 more plants by 2020. 07/01/2015

Green3Power Wins Contract to Build Waste Gasification Facility in Florida

BioPower Operations Corporation has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Green3Power Operations Inc (G3P) has been awarded a contract to build a $175 million renewable energy facility which will convert waste into ultra-low sulfur synthetic green No. 2 diesel fuel. The facility will use G3P's exclusively licensed gasification technology and the Fischer-Tropsch process which has been in use for ninety years turning gas into fuel. The facility will be built at the existing St. Lucie County Solid Waste Management Facility and extend the life of the landfill while reducing environmentally harmful greenhouse gas emissions. G3P has finalized negotiations with St. Lucie County on the agreement, which will be presented to the County Commissioners on July 21, 2015 for their consideration. G3P has finalized the site plan. 07/01/2015

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