March 2011 News and Matters of Interest
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DOE Eases Patent and National Lab Access
The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced launch of a new program designed to dramatically lower the
cost of acquiring federal patent rights. The start of the “ America’s Next Top Energy Innovator” program is part
of the Obama Administration’s Startup America Initiative, and is designed to give start-up companies
the opportunity to license groundbreaking technologies developed by the national laboratories for $1,000,
instead of the usual $10,000 to $15,000 fee. The program will also reduce about one third of the up-front cost
of doing business with National Laboratories. About 10% of the 15,000 federally held patents have been licensed
to be commercialized. Participants in the new program can review available patents now through the DOE’s
Energy Innovation Portal. A quick review of the Biomass and Biofuels category finds 50 Technology Marketing Strategy summaries, including Idaho National
Lab’s “Bio-Syntrolysis” methods patented in March 2010 for conversion of
waste biomass to synthetic fuels. DOE will post application templates on May 2nd and participants will have
until December 15th to secure rights. Energy Secretary Chu stated, "Today, we're challenging them to create new
businesses based on discoveries made by our world-leading national laboratories. Because we've cut the upfront
fees and reduced the paperwork, we'll make it easier for start-up companies to succeed and create the new jobs
our economy needs. Our goal is simple: unleash America's innovation machine and win the global race for the
clean energy jobs of the future." 03/31/2011
Weltec Begins Construction on Biopower Plant in Hessia
German company Weltec Biopower has begun construction on a large biogas to grid project in the new nation of
Hessia, established in 2007. The bio-gas processing plant will include refinement of the anaerobic digester’s
residue for fertilizer. In Weltec’s process, 140 million cubic feet of biogas will be scrubbed to natural gas
grade by treatment with amine which chemically binds the carbon dioxide and increases the methane content. The
higher methane content reduces the need for conditioning gas in the grid feed-in plant. The project development
company ALTUS AG from Karlsruhe, Germany expects commissioning in 2012. The
facility will generate power and heat for about 3,000 households and help meet the goal of the municipality of
Ebsdorfergrund to convert their entire energy supply to locally produced regenerative energies by 2020.
03/30/2011
Pilot Waste to Energy Project in Romania Receives Construction Funding
TransGlobal Assets has announced provision of $500,000 to its joint venture partner,
India-base Helios Inc. for construction of a 250 kilowatt electric (kWe) biomass waste pilot project for the
Romanian municipality of Acatari. The modular conversion system uses the patented “MSW-TO-ENERGY SYSTEM”
invented by Helios Inc, and is the smallest unit of the series that they manufacture. The project will be run to
demonstrate efficient conversion of municipal solid waste (MSW) to energy for Acatari. Pending demonstration
outcome, other Romanian municipalities have committed to the purchase of additional units. Helios and
TransGlobal Assets are ramping up their production to build (15) 1-megawatt units and (10) 5-megawatt units.
03/30/2011
SNV World Completes Preliminary Design for Remote Peruvian Biogas Project
The Netherlands humanitarian organization SNV World has announced completion of preliminary design for community biogas
generation systems as part of a feasibility study for the isolated community of Santa Rosillo in the Peruvian
Amazon. The small daily biogas production from anaerobic digestion of local animal manure will fuel an off-grid
16 kilowatt (kW) generator. The project is funded by the Fact Foundation and CORDAID, and is now ready for implementation. The project includes
local training on the construction, operation and maintenance of the system so locals can replicate it in other
communities. SNV is a non-profit organization established in the Netherlands and is
now operating in 35 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Balkans. 03/30/2011
Neste Oil Secures R&D Funding for Renewable Fuel Development
Scandinavian Neste Oil has announced an agreement with Nordic Investment Bank for a €50 million
loan to fund further research on extending the range of renewable raw materials used in producing biodiesel. The
company has been increasing the amount of waste used in biodiesel production as reported here. An R&D focus on nonfood materials and inputs, including
research into microbial and algae oil and the use of wood-based biomass, will reduce the amount of land used and
cut greenhouse gas emissions. "The loan underlines our commitment to research on renewable raw materials," says
Neste Oil's Senior Vice President, Technology and Strategy, Lars Peter Lindfors. "The additional funding that it
will provide will secure the continuation of our cutting-edge R&D work and the future development of our
NExBTL renewable diesel technology." 03/28/2011
New Chinese Ethanol Plant Will Use LanzaTech Offgas-to-Fuel Technology
New Zealand based LanzaTech, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and the steel and iron conglomerate Baosteel Group Corporation have begun construction of a 100,000 gallon per year ethanol plant that
will use LanzaTech’s gas fermentation technology to make fuel ethanol from the flue off-gas emissions produced
by Baosteel’s steel mill. LanzaTech entered into a joint venture with the world’s third largest steel producer
in February of this year for the demonstration plant. In a ceremony in Shanghai today, former British Prime
Minister Tony Blair (consulting to LanzaTech), primary investor Vinod Khosla and CEO Dr. Jennifer Holmgren
joined the President of Baosteel Group, Mr. He Wenbo, and the President of CAS, Dr. Bai Chunli, to launch the
start of construction. The six month expected construction phase should see the plant operational late in the
third quarter of this year. 03/27/2011
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community
College Students Learn to Make Biodiesel
Florida Biodiesel Inc will provide a modular biodiesel system to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College to demonstrate Green Fuel
technology for on-campus activities, and show students how to make renewable energy. The B-60 Biodiesel
processor made by 70centsagallon.com Biofuel Technologies requires 60 minutes of
assembly time and will allow students to safely produce 45 gallon batches of Biodiesel. “The students will
process the oil they collect from the cafeteria into Biodiesel fuel for use in campus vehicles,” says Victor
Garlington, Director of Client Services at 70CentsaGallon.com. “The B-60 is very user friendly and great for
students to learn Biodiesel basics.” 03/27/2011
ECRI Explores Large Scale Collection and Composting of Food Waste
The Environmental Council of Rhode Island (ECRI) held a community meeting last week to explain and explore the potential
for collection of the community’s food waste and conversion to compost and renewable energy as an alternative to
landfill disposal. Greg Gerritt, the ECRI’s Compost Initiative Coordinator, introduced
the concepts and the day’s speakers, to include the Mayor of Providence, the Rhode Island Resource the state
Department of Environmental Management Recovery Corporation and the New England Region 1 EPA, who presented on
the EPA’s Food Recovery Initiative. Gerritt told the audience, “All over the
world communities are composting. From backyard compost piles to large electricity
production facilities based on methane collected by anaerobically digesting source separated food scraps,
communities are seeing the future.” 03/27/2011
DTSC Announces Green Chemistry Initiative Sub-Committee Meetings
The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has
announced meeting agendas for the three recently-formed sub-committees
within their Green Ribbon Science Panel (GRSP). The working groups have been formed to more thoroughly explore
the many issues regarding the Green Chemistry Initiative raised by the public, the GRSP and agency
staff. Each team will hold two teleconferenced meetings prior to returning to the full GRSP panel meetings
scheduled for May 5 and 6, 2011 in Sacramento. Sub-committee meetings and the general meeting are open to the
public and time will be allotted for public comment. Team #1 will examine Chemical Identification and
Prioritization (meeting April 4 and 13, 2011), Team #2 will focus on Product Identification and Prioritization
(April 11 and 19, 2011), and Team #3 will address De Minimis and Unintentionally-Added Chemicals (April 6 and
18, 2011). Nine teleconferenced locations around California will be available; please advise DTSC staff if you
wish to participate in person. For further information contact Kathy Barwick at (916) 323-3381, or e-mail at
KBarwick@dtsc.ca.gov. 03/26/2011
MSU now Licensing Fuel-Additive Producing Fungus
Researchers at the Montana State University (MSU) have announced that their Eucalyptus-oil-producing fungus
Hypoxylon sp. is now ready for licensing. Teru Talk reported on MSU’s initial discovery and again when the Sandia National Laboratory stepped in to refine the production of fuel
additives derived from the fungus. The fungus produces cineole, also known as eucalyptol, which can be used as
an octane boosting fuel additive, along with other useful fuel additives. Before discovery of the fungus,
eucalyptol was only available as an extract from Eucalyptus tree leaves and bark, and could not be produced in
commercial amounts. MSU and Sandia joint research now facilitates high-volume production and broad commercial
application. Licensing interests should be directed in writing to Nick Zelver, MSU Technology Transfer Office at
(406) 994-7868, http://tto.montana.edu or by e-mail at nzelver@montana.edu. 03/26/2011
Highmark Receives US, South African Integrated bioRefinery Patents
Canadian biorefinery developer Highmark Renewables has received US and South African patent assurances for their newest
waste-to-energy Integrated bioRefinery technology platform. These new patents become part of their Integrated
BioMass Utilization System (IMUS) family of inventions. Their approach enables anaerobic digestion
of high-solids animal manures and other difficult to manage biomass. Biogas cleaning and reforming can produce
ethanol, while the biosolids are treated (including prion destruction) for sanitized fertilizer and soils
amendments. The flexible processing configuration can be adapted for a wide variety of feedstock types, and for
production of diverse commodities including nutraceuticals, high-value oils, ethanol and biodiesel. Highmark now
has seven IMUS patent “families” either granted or in process, and will file for an eighth later this year.
03/25/2011
Butamax Receives New Patent for Bio-Butanol Production Methods
Wilmington,
Delawarebased Butamax Advanced Biofuels has announced that the US Trade and Patent Office has granted a patent for
their proprietary isobutanol production methods, covering a key step in their biobutanol production pathway
using genetic constructs with highly active enzymes. Kingston Research Limited is constructing the Butamax
biobutanol technology demonstration plant in Hull, United Kingdom. “We pioneered microbial production of
isobutanol as a single fermentative product and we are pleased that the US patent office has recognized our
inventive contributions in this field again,” said Tim Potter, Butamax CEO. “This patent protected technology is
important because it enables commercially viable production rates.” Butamax is a joint venture between
BP and DuPont, and anticipates commercial launch during 2012/2013.
03/24/2011
DOE Fully Funds Commitment to EdeniQ and Logos for CCM Pilot Biorefinery
Logos Technologies Inc has announced that their partnership with cellulosic fuels company
EdeniQ has received full commitment of $20.5 million from the US
Department of Energy (DOE) under the Integrated Biorefinery Program. The funds were awarded in 2009 to aid
development of the team’s corn-to-cellulose-migration (CCM) program, starting with construction of a new
research and development pilot plant on EdeniQ’s property in Visalia, California. The DOE initially released
$2.8 million under the cooperative agreement, and has now committed to the remaining $17.7 million. EdeniQ had
commercialized tools and techniques as add-ons to existing standard dry mill ethanol facilities that allow
producers to convert the corn kernel cellulose along with the standard starches. The CCM Project will help today’s corn ethanol industry “migrate” toward
cost-effective production of ethanol from non-food biomass including corn stover, switchgrass, and
woodchips. “This project is part of the ongoing effort to reduce U.S. dependence on
foreign oil, spur the creation of the domestic biorefining industry, and provide new clean-tech jobs throughout
the country,” said the DOE project officer, Gene Petersen. 03/24/2011
Delta Diablo Sanitation District Receives $1MM for Gasification Project
In yesterday’s Business meeting, the California Energy Commission
(CEC) unanimously approved an award of $999,924 to the Antioch-based
Delta Diablo Sanitation District to develop, demonstrate, and
implement a system to turn biosolids into energy. The district leads the collective efforts of 16 San Francisco
Bay Area agencies joined as the Bay Area Biosolids to Energy Coalition (BAB2E), who released a request for Qualifications in February of last
year for the project. The total cost of the project is $4,738,924, with the remainder of costs coming from the
selected clean energy development company, Intellergy Corporation of Richmond. The project will demonstrate use
of Intellergy’s gasification to steam/carbon dioxide reforming technology on biosolids conversion. Funding comes
from the CEC’s Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program; for more information, contact Delta Diablo or the PIER
program staff. 03/24/2011
Free Gasification Technology Workshop Scheduled for Regulators
The Gasification Technology Council (GTC) has announced their 2011 Gasification Technology Workshop schedule, this
year to be held April 6-7 in Tampa, Florida. A discussion of the use of gasification for recovery of energy from
biomass and municipal solid waste is on the agenda. A tour of a large-scale gasification power station will be
included. The non-profit organization provides the annual workshop to decision-makers affecting
siting/permitting of gasification plants. The free training is restricted to local, state and federal regulatory
staff, and GTC member companies; reimbursement for travel expenses may be available. For more information visit
the GTC website or contact Marie Kent at 703-276-0110 or e-mail at
mkent@gasification.org. 03/23/2011
3-Diary Digester Project Kicks Off in Washington State
NativeEnergy has announced their partnership with Rainier BioGas and three Washington
state dairies to build a 1200-cow manure digester which will generate 1 megawatt of electricity for sale to
Puget Sound Energy and reduce over 4,000 tons of greenhouse gas emission annually. The agricultural community
near Enumclaw has been organizing to build a methane digester for nearly a decade. Financing through
NativeEnergy will be backed by carbon credit sales verified by the Climate Action Reserve with funding assistance from state and federal
agencies. The project includes three family farms: Ritter Dairy, Wallin Dairy, and the DeGroot Brothers Dairy.
Kevin Maas of Rainier Biogas, the project developer, noted: “The community has supported this project because
everyone will benefit from it. It will reduce greenhouse gas emissions; it will protect the area’s sensitive
rivers and streams; and it will provide nutrient management and low-cost bedding for local farmers.”
03/23/2011
US EPA Hosts Free Co-EAT Webinar
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will host a free training webinar on
March 31, 2011 for their Co-Digestion Economic Assessment Tool. The EPA’s Pacific Southwest Regional Office
(Region 9) developed the on-line project analysis package last year.
Dubbed “CoEAT”, the free software program is available as an Excel spreadsheet download and comes with an instruction manual. CoEAT assesses the initial economic
feasibility assessment of food waste co-digestion at wastewater treatment plants for the purpose of biogas
production. The agency stresses that this model is not intended to be a final evaluation of a food waste
co-digestion project. Co-digestion is the anaerobic processing of energy-rich organic materials like food waste
with less energy-rich organics like manure and sewage. Register online for the webinar or contact the program’s EPA Region 9
contact: Laura Moreno, Solid Waste Specialist, moreno.laura@epa.gov, 415-947-4240 for further information.
03/22/2011
RSB Launches Voluntary Certification System for
Biofuels
The international organization Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels
(RSB) will publically launch its global standard and certification
system at the World Biofuels Market event in Rotterdam, Netherlands on March 23, 2011. “RSB Services,” the
business arm of the RSB, will manage applications for RSB certification, and issue the license for use of the
RSB logo on certified biofuels. The RSB has also just received provisional approval from the German government
by their recognition of RSB certified biofuels as qualifying for the German biofuel sustainability requirements.
For further information, watch the RSB website. 03/22/2011
UK AD & Biogas 2011 Expo &
Conference July 6-7, 2011 in Birmingham
The Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association (ADBA) is hosting their 2nd annual industry event this July 6-7, 2011 in Birmingham,
United Kingdom. This year’s UK AD & Biogas 2011 Expo and Conference theme is Decarbonizing the Gas and
Electricity Grids – and ADBA promises to bring “all you need to know about AD under one roof”. As the only
trade show focused completely on anaerobic digestion (AD) and biogas, the UK AD & Biogas 2011 will bring
together farmers, landowners, operators, developers, councilors, local authorities and organic waste producers
who are actually procuring, building or operating AD plants with those who want to or will be adding AD into
their development. The comprehensive two-day conference brochure explains how in-depth panel discussion and real-life case studies will present
“Life Cycle of an AD Plant”, taking attendees through every stage of an AD project. Day One will discuss
Planning, Regulation and Economics; Day Two will address everything from sourcing and securing feedstock, to
commissioning and operating safely and maximizing outputs. The vast exhibition area will showcase over 100
leading AD suppliers; among those that have already booked space are BD Agro Renewables, Enpure, HotRot Organic Solutions, Monsal, and WELtec Biopower. Primary sponsors include Enpure and British Gas; sponsorship opportunities at many levels are still open. Floor plans, exhibitor
and sponsorship rates, conference registration and further information are available at ADBA’s website. 03/22/2011
FuelMatic Biodiesel Processor Manufacturing Moves to
Nevada
Green Fuels America (GFA) will manufacture their 5,000 gallon per day FuelMatic and other commercial biodiesel processors in their Sparks, Nevada headquarters.
GFA is a wholly owned subsidiary of Green Fuels, based in the United Kingdom, where the commercial processors
have previously been manufactured. The processors can use a variety of waste and new vegetable oils, and range
in output from 12,000 gpa, the 5,000 gpa unit, a 2,000 gpa system and even residential scale fuel pods. Green
Fuels currently have 21 FuelMatic biodiesel systems operating world-wide, including one to be installed in
Massachusetts this spring. “We believe that we will be able to manufacture six of these commercial biodiesel
processors in Nevada this year using local sub-contractors, the majority will be for export. We estimate that
this decision will create at least 10 new jobs in 2011 in the Reno/Carson City region in manufacturing,
engineering, and production control between Green Fuels and our sub-contractors/vendors said Greg Springer, VP
and GM, of Green Fuels America.” 03/21/2011
Design Phase Begins on Waste Plastics to Fuel Plant in
Ireland
Swiss engineering giant Foster Wheeler AG announced earlier this month that their firm has been selected for process engineering
design services on Cynar Plc’s 6000 ton per year facility for conversion of waste plastics to liquid fuel. The
plant will use Cynar’s pyrolysis / distillation technologies, augmented by Foster-Wheeler’s refining knowledge. Cynar’s first demonstration plant is located in
Portlaoise, County Laois, about 50 miles southwest of Dublin in central Ireland. Foster Wheeler and Cynar have
collaborated to improve the quality of the fuel produced; the pilot work has identified needed modifications to
now be incorporated into the design for the new plant at the same location. "Cynar chose Foster Wheeler to
assist with our technology development because of their wide ranging engineering expertise and in particular
their oil refining knowledge and capability. Currently all end-of-life plastic ends up in landfill and Cynar's
technology can go some way to reducing this ever increasing problem whilst providing an alternative to fossil
fuel. We are very pleased with Foster Wheeler's participation and contribution in our journey to provide a
solution to a significant worldwide issue," said Michael Murray, Cynar Plc’s Chief Executive Officer.
03/20/2011
New Biofuels Cluster to Produce Fuel from Plant
Waste
The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
has launched the new Cluster on Biofuels to focus on development and use of enzyme
biotechnology techniques to produce liquid fuels from the cellulose and lignin solids of waste plant feedstocks.
The Cluster is a three-year biofuels research and development collaborative effort between the CSIRO’s Energy
Transformed Flagship program, the Australian National University (ANU), RMIT University, the University of
Queensland and the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom (UK). The A$8.3MM Cluster received an initial
A$3.7 million through the CSIRO Flagship Collaboration Fund. The Director of CSIRO's Energy Transformed Flagship Dr
Alex Wonhas said, "The Cluster on Biofuels brings together a unique group of leading Australian and
international scientists to develop new and competitive solutions for sustainable biofuel production which
should position domestic companies for global success." Further information on partnering with the Biofuels
Cluster is available on-line. 03/19/2011
Lignol and Novozymes
Complete Cellulosic Ethanol Production R&D Phase
Lignol Innovations, Ltd and Novozymes have successfully completed a major phase of cellulosic ethanol production research and demonstration
(R&D). Lignol Innovations, Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lignol Energy Corp. The R&D collaboration
is a result of the joint research and development agreement between Lignol and Novozymes to make biofuel from wood chips and forestry waste with the aim of producing
biofuel (cellulosic ethanol) at production costs competitive with gasoline and corn ethanol. The first phase of
the project included producing cellulosic ethanol from hardwood at Lignol's Burnaby, British Columbia
pilot-scale biorefinery. The next phase will focus on enzyme and substrate optimization for overall cost
reduction. Ross MacLachlan, President and CEO of Lignol, said, "Over the coming months we will continue to work
closely with Novozymes with the objective of further reducing the cost of producing cellulosic ethanol from
hardwoods and laying the foundation for large scale commercial deployment." 03/19/2011
Google Ventures Backs
CoolPlanetBiofuels
Google’s investment arm, Google Ventures, has announced their investment in the Camarillo, California advanced biofuels company CoolPlanetBiofuels, backing the company’s development of technology for conversion of
low-grade biomass into high-grade fuel and biochar. CoolPlanetBiofuels had previously raised $8MM through
Energy Technology Ventures. The technology uses fast thermal / mechanical fractionation
which directly inputs raw biomass such as woodchips, crop residue, and algae, and produces multiple distinct gas
streams for catalytic upgrading to conventional fuel components and biochar, a kind of solid-carbon charcoal.
“We are very pleased to complete this financing with a high-caliber partner known for its tremendous support in
helping companies grow,” said Mike Cheiky, CoolPlanetBiofuels President and Chief Executive Officer. “While we
have made significant progress over the past couple of years, this new infusion of capital, coupled with the
expertise of the Google Ventures team, enables our team to scale even faster.” 03/19/2011
ZeroPoint’s Initiative
Supports On-Landfill Biomass Gasification
New York headquartered biomass gasification company ZeroPoint Clean
Tech, Inc has announced their Renewable CHP Solution initiative for integration of biomass gasification on
landfill sites to support expansion of renewable energy generation. In ZeroPoint’s landfill-support model,
clean-burning synthetic fuel gas (syngas) is produced by gasification of biomass and fed directly into existing
landfill-gas fueled engine generators. Other models include combined heat and power (CHP) units, and Clean Water
and Electricity generation from biomass conversion. The company is currently working on advanced catalytic
biomass to liquid fuel systems. Landfill model scale ranges from 1 to 15 megawatts (MWe) of electricity, from
conversion of waste biomass already being brought to the landfill property. In addition to on-board cleaning of
the syngas, ZeroPoint’s systems also produce a clean agricultural grade biochar. The company has been deploying
its Renewable CHP Solution in the United Kingdom, and has joint ventures in Northern Europe, the U.K., South
America, and Southeast Asia. The new initiative signals active systems deployment and project development in
North America. 03/19/2011
UK’s Aston University Developing Pilot
Bioenergy-Bioproducts Plant
Aston University in
Birmingham, United Kingdom (UK), announced that they are developing a £16.5m renewable low carbon technology laboratory,
which will include a small scale biopower plant integrated with algae photo bioreactors. The combined heat and
power (CHP) system will be fueled using algae, sewage sludge, and wood and agricultural waste as sources of
fuel, generating hydrogen for low carbon vehicles or fuel cells and Biochar. The plant, due to open on Aston’s
campus in October 2012, is seen as a pilot for a “thermal ring” of small scale industrial power plants around
Birmingham, for conversion of biodegradable waste to electricity for the National Grid. Professor Andreas
Hornung, Head of Aston University’s European Bioenergy Research Institute (EBRI), said, “EBRI will be using
these laboratories to develop biomass technologies which in no way conflict with food production and are solely
planned to operate on biogenic wastes. We want to divert waste materials from going directly to landfill or
incineration for example, and harness the enormous untapped resources of biomass. Our new facility will showcase
to industry how biomass can produce real-life solutions to tackling waste, with both environmental and financial
benefits.” 03/18/2011
EPA Proposes 3 Year CO2 Emissions Permitting Deferral for Bioenergy
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would defer, for a period of three years,
Title V and other greenhouse gas (GHG) permitting requirements for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from
biomass-fired and other biogenic sources. In a parallel but separate action, the EPA announced that it has postponed all other GHG reporting requirements until September 30,
2011. During the three year bioenergy and biogenic source deferral period, the EPA will conduct a detailed
examination of the science associated with biogenic CO2 emissions from stationary sources. The EPA is also
making a guidance document available, “Guidance for Determining Best Available Control Technology for
Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions from Bioenergy Production”, to assist facilities and permitting authorities
with permitting decisions until the Proposed Rule is finalized. A 45 day comment period will start once the Rule
is published in the Federal Register. The pre-publication version is available for early review. For background details on the Prevention of Significant
Deterioration (PSD) and Title V programs and the July 2010 Call for Information on CO2 emissions associated with bioenergy and other biogenic
sources, see the FAQ sheet on the New Source Review (NSR) program website. 03/18/2011
UK’s Bore Hill Farms Redevelopment to Integrate Biogas Plant for CHP
United Kingdom (UK) based Malaby Biogas announced that redevelopment of the long-idle Bore Hill Farm complex in Wiltshire will
include integrated combined heat and power supplied by anaerobic digestion of local and regional commercial
organic food waste. Malaby Biogas describes their three stage biogas plant design: (1) organic wastes are blended, hydrolyzed
and (where necessary) pasteurized; (2) mesophilic acidogens break down the long molecular chains, then (3)
thermophilic methanogens convert the slurry to methane, carbon dioxide and water. The methane biogas will be
scrubbed to fuel on-site engines. The project will provide green heat and electricity to the farmstead
redevelopment as well as exporting the excess electricity to the local electricity grid. The traditional
farmstead layout will be retained and redeveloped to provide sustainable business units powered and heated by
the biogas plant. Detailed information on the design and the planning process, including DEFRA compliance, can
be downloaded from the company’s website. 03/18/2011
Ballard & GS Platech to Demonstrate MSW Plasma Conversion for Fuel Cell
Canadian fuel cell company Ballard’s Power Systems division has announced their partnership with Korean company GS Platech to demonstrate plasma conversion of municipal solid waste (MSW) to hydrogen for
fueling Ballard’s fuel cells. GS Platech's pilot plant in Cheongsong, South Korea can plasma-process a modest 5
tons per day of MSW, producing sufficient high purity hydrogen to generate 50 kilowatts (50kW) of clean power.
Ballard will supply a fuel cell, based on their Dantherm Power DBX5000 technology. Once proven, this first
integrated plasma-fuel cell demonstration will become the reference plant for GS Platech’s planned global waste
to energy development. Support for the project came in part from the Government of Canada’s Department of the
Environment, under the public-private Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (www.asiapacificpartnership.org).
03/18/2011
Greenleaf Biofuels Receives Initial Funding for 10 MGY Biodiesel
Plant
Connecticut based Greenleaf Biofuels has received a “pre-seed” investment to support final engineering work
and provide working capital for development of an initial 10 million gallon per year (MGY) biodiesel processing
operation at New Haven Terminal, with a groundbreaking planned within 90 days. The announcement comes from Advantage Capital Partners, who with investment management firm
Ironwood Capital, selected three firms for early-stage funding. Founded in 2004 and one of the first wholesale
and retail distributors of biodiesel in New England, Greenleaf converts waste vegetable oil (WVO, or “yellow
grease”) into biodiesel. The company’s primary target market is supply of heating oil, a 4.1 billion gallon per
year market. The new plant will be sited within the fuel tank storage farm area of New Haven harbor – the
largest such fuel storage farm between New York and Boston. The company states that there are 7.1 million
household that use heating oil in the Northeast, 75% of the entire U.S. market. 03/16/2011
Korean Biogas Plant Converts Livestock Manure to
Energy
As part of their global sustainability efforts, Cargill announced that they have helped fund and develop a pilot biogas plant on the Korean island
of Jeju. The plant will use local hog manure, reducing odor and pollution for the tourist community while making
methane for generation of over 25 megawatts of electricity to be sold to the regional grid. Cargill partnered
with Jeju National University to establish a model that could be duplicated in other parts of
Korea. The Jeju biogas plant is managed by Jeju Livestock Bio Co, Ltd. and was made possible by contributions
from Cargill, Jeju National University, the Jeju provincial government, Unison High Tech and Farm Corporation -
YoungJoo Green. Revenues from the sale of electricity and by-product organic fertilizer will be used to reinvest
in the development of other biogas projects. “This is another example of a commercially and environmentally
sustainable solution that uses renewable raw materials,” said David Kim, chairman of Cargill Korea. “Cargill is
proud to support a project that will benefit local livestock producers and the environment.”
03/14/2011
Envergent Selected for Malaysian Palm-oil Biomass Waste
Conversion
Illinois based Envergent
Technologies, a joint venture between Honeywell’s UOP and Ensyn Corp, has announced selection of their rapid thermal processing (RTP) technology for conversion of
biomass wastes from Malaysian palm oil processing. The company Premium Renewable Energy (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
will start development of Malaysia’s first facility to utilize the RTP conversion technology, as part of the
government’s Economic Transformation Program. The RTP technology rapidly heats biomass to generate liquid
biofuel which can be then used to fuel generators or burned for heat. “This project is a milestone using palm
biomass, particularly the empty fruit bunches, to generate renewable heat and power and demonstrates how
Envergent’s technology can be used in different regions with a variety of feedstocks,” said Dave Cepla, managing
director for Envergent joint venture.” Envergent is also focused on catalytic upgrading of the
biofuel into green transportation fuels, and is currently designing a demonstration of this drop-in fuel
technology in Kapolei, Hawaii under a Department of Energy grant. 03/13/2011
Bhutan Becomes SNV’s
8th Country for Rural Biogas Production
The SNV Netherlands Development Organisation has announced “Blue Flames for Bhutan”, their eighth effort in Asia to oversee development of
rural biogas installations to convert manure and biomass into clean-burning cooking gas, in order to reduce the
negative health and environmental impacts of wood cooking fire usage. The Government of Bhutan’s Department of
Energy selected the SNV to provide local “capacity building” for public-private project development under the
Bhutan Biogas Programme (BBP). The BBP partnerships will result in installation of domestic biogas units.
Environmental and economic feasibility studies and SNV’s oversight are sponsored in part by the Asian Development Bank’s Renewable energy / Rural Electrification program. In Bhutan, 70% of
the households use fuel wood for cooking and heating. The country has one of the world’s highest fuel wood
consumptions per capita, which results in indoor air pollution and health problems, especially for women and
children. 03/13/2011
Japanese Tangerine Residue Waste-to-Ethanol Plant
Completed
The Japan for Sustainability (JFS) organization has announced that testing has been completed at a pilot plant for manufacturing bioethanol fuel
from the residue from tangerine juice production. The bioethanol produced at the plant will be analyzed and
evaluated at an external laboratory as a transport fuel for use in public vehicles, and as raw material for
cosmetics. The plant is located in the Ehime Prefecture at the Matsuyama Factory of Ehime Beverage Inc., a
manufacturer of citrus juice. Ehime Prefecture produces the most citrus fruits in Japan, 310,000 tons annually.
Around 40,000 tons are turned into tangerine juice, leaving 20,000 tons of residue. The facility is not in the
area directly impacted by the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that struck Japan earlier today. The technology was
jointly developed by Ehime Prefecture, Ehime University, and Ehime Beverage Inc, and was subsidized by the
Ministry of the Environment. 03/11/2011
Viridor Signs WtE
Partnership Agreement with Oxfordshire County UK
United Kingdom (UK) based Viridor has announced execution of a 25 year Public/Private Partnership (PPP) contract with Oxfordshire
County to treat the County’s residual waste. Viridor will construct a 300,000 ton/year waste to energy (WtE)
plant at their existing materials recovery facility (MRF) to treat the waste. The company develops MRFs with
integrated recycling and waste to energy (WtE) conversion. Conversion of the County's waste residuals to
energy will provide landfill diversion of up to 95 percent with generation of up to 25MWe to the national grid.
Viridor’s managing director Mike Hellings said, "This first-class project responds to the clear and urgent need
to reduce reliance on landfill disposal while increasing production of energy from non-renewable fuels. It will
complement the already high levels of recycling in the county as well as provide a cost-effective waste
treatment solution. We all look forward to starting work on the preparation for construction and to delivering a
high quality treatment facility and service for the residents of Oxfordshire”. 03/11/2011
United Kingdom Launches
World’s First Renewable Heat Incentive
The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI)
is described as the first financial incentive of its kind to support United Kingdom's (UK) emerging
technologies and businesses with the goal of revolutionizing the way heat is generated and used. UK Energy Secretary Chris Hume said, “Renewable heat is a largely untapped
resource and an important new green industry of the future. This incentive is the first of its kind in the
world. It’ll help the UK shift away from fossil fuel, reducing carbon emissions and encouraging innovation, jobs
and growth in new advanced technologies.” The £860m government program is expected to stimulate a new market in
renewable heat and to increase green capital investment by £4.5 billion up to 2020. The UK’s Anaerobic Digestion
and Biogas Association (ADBA) applauded the included 6 pence per kilowatt hour (p/kwe/hr), 20 year incentive for
biomethane injection to the national gas grid. Incentives for small-scale biomass systems are slightly higher,
set at 7.6 p/kwe/hr. The DECC announcement notes: “…over 95% of heat in the UK is currently produced by burning
fossil fuel … The new financial incentive will encourage installation of equipment like renewable heat pumps,
biomass boilers and solar thermal panels to reduce emissions and support the existing 150,000 jobs in the
heating industry.” 03/11/2011
OARDC Research Turns Waste Glycerin to Bio-Polyol for Poly Foam
Ohio State
University’s Agricultural Research and
Development Center (OARDC) has announced an agreement with Mansfield-based Poly-Green Technologies
for supply of OARDC’s patent-pending product bio-polyol. Yebo Li, a biosystems engineer with the university, has
developed a process to convert crude glycerin, a low-value by-product of biodiesel refining, into a renewable
precursor to polyurethane foam. OARDC and Poly-Green Technologies partnered to address Arlington Energy
bio-refinery’s glycerin waste-stream. “Polyurethane foam made with our bio-polyol is renewable, biodegradable
and its quality is comparable to petroleum-based foam,” said Jeff Schultheis, chief operating officer of
Mansfield-based Poly-Green Technologies, LLC, a start-up formed to commercialize Li’s invention. “And while
other bio-polyols now in the market use virgin oils, such as castor bean or soybean, we use a true waste-stream.
This makes our product 5-10 percent cheaper than petroleum-based or natural oil-based foams. So we are competing
not just on being ‘green,’ but also on overall quality and cost.” 03/10/2011
Raptor Signs Biodiesel Plant Fabrication Agreement with Eco Ventures
Florida-based Raptor Technologies Group has announced an agreement for fabrication
of their third biodiesel facility. The new $1.6 MM contract with Eco Ventures Group will develop a 3.6 million
gallon per year biodiesel production plant using Raptor’s multi-feedstock process technologies. The facility
will include a crushing line and extraction process for various oil producing crops, and will not limited to
processing yellow grease. Raptor expects the plant to be producing fuel by mid April, 2011. Last month, Raptor
and Eco Ventures have also agreed to co-develop a facility for processing of
mine-tailings for recovery of precious metals. Raptor Technology Group, Inc. is
finalizing a reverse merger with their parent, Raptor Fabrication & Equipment, Inc. and anticipates the
acquisition to be completed shortly. 03/10/2011
Plasco Makes Progress on Two Waste to Energy
Projects
Canadian company Plasco Energy Group is engaged in environmental reviews focused on their waste conversion
technology in both Ottawa, Canada and in the Salinas Valley of California in the
United States. Plasco's process uses gasification to convert
post-recycled municipal solid waste into syngas, which is then refined using plasma torches. Their Canadian city
partnership called Zero Waste Ottawa has released a Notice of Public Meeting for March 21, 2011 to provide a project update on the Ottawa
project Environmental Screening Process, discuss study results, and seek public input on the Plasco Trail Road
facility. Plasco also notes that the Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority has now selected their waste conversion technology to
be the focus of the required environmental review through the California Environmental Quality Act. "We're
delighted that the Authority chose Plasco as a partner for this project. We look forward to introducing Plasco's
conversion technology, and the economic development that will come with it to the Salinas Valley," stated
Alisdair McLean, VP Strategic Initiatives of Plasco. 03/09/2011
KiOR Signs Renewable Fuel
Supply Agreement with Hunt Refining
Advanced biofuels developer KiOR has announced execution of an off-take agreement with Hunt Refining Company to supply renewable gasoline, diesel blendstocks, and fuel oil
produced at their first commercial facility being located in Columbus, Mississippi. KiOR employs a proprietary
fast pyrolysis for "biomass catalytic cracking" (BCC) to bio-oil. The BCC technology catalytically converts
lignocelluloses biomass into a high quality bio-crude which the company asserts is suitable for refining
directly to standard transportation fuels. “Today’s announcement is an important milestone for the development
of our commercial facilities in Mississippi, and furthers KiOR’s progress towards the commercialization of
gasoline and diesel blendstocks from renewable crude,” said Fred Cannon, President and CEO of KiOR. “We’re
excited to partner with Hunt to bring our renewable fuels to market and begin reducing the country’s dependence
on foreign oil while creating quality jobs and economic development throughout the State of Mississippi.”
03/09/2011
Sapphire Energy Enters Algae Research Collaboration with
Monsanto
The San Diego-based company Sapphire Energy has announced that they have entered a ten-year research collaboration agreement with Monsanto to build upon Sapphire’s “transgenic” algal engineering for biofuels production.
The research will focus on identifying algal genes that increase growth, aiding Sapphire’s progress toward
commercialization of algae as a renewable energy crop, and providing Monsanto with access to Sapphire’s
expertise for carry-over into broader agricultural development. “Monsanto has always been at the forefront of
agricultural technology developments and innovation,” says Jason Pyle, CEO, Sapphire Energy. “Through this
collaborative partnership, we’ll focus our leading-edge research agenda on some of the biggest questions facing
both agriculture and energy. By leveraging our algae platform and tools to improve crop yield and enhance crop
performance, Sapphire will be able to accelerate our ability to produce a renewable crude oil replacement and
reduce our country’s dependence on foreign oil.” 03/08/2011
Solazyme Executive
Elected to RSB Steering Committee
Solazyme has announced that Cameron Byers, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Fuels and
Chemicals, has been elected to serve on the Steering Committee of the international Roundtable on Sustainable
Biofuels (RSB). Solazyme is a San Francisco based engineered-algae-to-biofuels & biochemical
company Of the seven global RSB “Chambers” that represent elements of the supply chain, Byers will co-chair
Chamber 1, representing farmers and growers of biofuel feedstocks. "RSB is at the forefront of establishing a
global standard for a variety of renewable fuels, an initiative that Solazyme is strongly aligned with seeing
developed," said Byers. "We look forward to being a part of RSB and working to support the most sustainable
practices for renewable fuels as the world transitions to next generation biofuel technologies."
03/08/2011
VERBIO Receives OK from
German Government for 2nd Biomass Plant
German company VERBIO AG has received governmental approval to proceed with development of a multi-feedstock biogas
plant. In the second VERBIO biorefinery of this kind, “verbiogas” will be refined to specification and injected
into the regional natural gas supply infrastructure. For this facility, the required sustainable feedstock will
include their own bio-ethanol process residuals, non-merchantable grains, straw and agricultural processing
residuals. For their standard VERBIO plant, the company utilizes “cascade” biorefining to progressively convert
non-food feedstock first to ethanol, with fermentation residuals converted to biodiesel, and the remaining
solids returned to agriculture as fertilizer. “I am very pleased today. Our new technology will revolutionise
biogas production. Our verbiogas is the solution for making biofuels a viable replacement for fossil fuels in
environmental and economic terms”, explains Claus Sauter, CEO of VERBIO. 03/08/2011
UCLA and ORNL Microbes
Make Isobutanol from Cellulose
In a research first, University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) researchers, collaborating with
the Bioenergy Research Center of Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), have succeeded in remaking Clostridium cellulolyticum so it eats cellulose and
directly secretes isobutanol. In nature, some Clostridium species produce butanol, while others only digest
cellulose. No naturally occurring or previously engineered strains could produce isobutanol, an isomer of
butanol. To do so, UCLA Professor James Liao’s team relied on recent gene sequencing for the bacterium available
from the US Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute, and worked with ORNL to reengineer the bacterium.
“…higher alcohols such as isobutanol are better candidates for gasoline replacement because they have an energy
density, octane value and Reid vapor pressure - a measurement of volatility - that is much closer to gasoline,”
Professor Liao said. This is the same UCLA researcher who just announced production of biofuel from proteins
The research is being published in the current volume of the American Society for Microbiology’s journal Applied
and Environmental Microbiology. 03/08/2011
Maverick Biofuels Receives SBIR for Syngas to Biofuel
Reactor
Maverick Biofuels has received a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation for the development of a catalytic syngas
to liquid biofuel reactor system. A North Carolina based “second generation” biomass to liquids (BTL) company,
Maverick focuses on a two-step proprietary catalytic reaction as a back-end subsystem for conversion of
synthetic fuel gas or “syngas” first to olefins, and then to a blend of short-chain alcohols including butanol,
ethanol and acetone. The company says that unlike other syngas to alcohol technologies, Maverick’s
Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) olefin synthesis is conducted at lower pressures, and is both easier and cheaper to
accomplish. The resulting liquid biofuel energy content will be about 85% that of gasoline, with a higher octane
rating. 03/07/2011
UCLA Researchers
Demonstrate Conversion of Proteins to Biofuels
Making biofuel from protein rather than sugars, lipids and
cellulose offers a biofuels pathway using far more abundant natural resources, according to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Henry Samueli School of
Engineering and Applied Science. The successfully demonstrated research approach was just published in the
current edition of the journal Nature Biotechnology. The research team’s artificial metabolic system returns reduced
nitrogen out of cells and recycled it back for the growth of the algae they worked with. "Proteins had been
completely ignored as a potential biomaterial because they've been thought of mainly as food. But in fact,
there are a lot of different proteins that cannot be used as food," said James C. Liao, the Chancellor's
Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at UCLA and senior author of the study. "Our strategy
effectively recycles nitrogen back to the biofuel production process, thus approaching nitrogen neutrality.
Growing algae to produce protein is like putting the interest back into the principal.”
03/07/2011
Adama Tech Signs Romanian MSW Gasification
Contract
Israeli brownfields-remediation company Adama Technologies is expanding into waste to energy, with signing of a final agreement for gasification of municipal solid waste (MSW) residuals in
Romania. Adama’s Molecular Bonding Solution (MDS) is an encapsulation and stabilization process with approvals
garnered through the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) program for heavy metal contaminated waste on-site stabilization. This background will
serve the new MSW gasification project well, as it provides an on-site mechanism for ash and residual
encapsulation. The new project will generate 2.5 MWe from the MSW gasification for electric sale to the regional
Bucharest grid. The company notes that 15% of the needed funding has been received, while both feedstock and
power purchase long-term agreements have been signed. "This is an excellent opportunity for Adama to work with
municipal waste and to generate electricity. This could potentially open up a market for the use of biomass in
countries where municipal waste is huge problem. We look forward to beginning work on this project and will
continue to update our investors about the permit process," said Aviram Malik, CEO of Adama Technologies Corp.
"This also implement our Corporation needs to expend our Clean tech abilities to other sectors."
03/06/2011
ADBA Proposes New
Biomethane Carbon Credit Trading Platform
The United Kingdom (UK) based Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association (ADBA) has proposed adoption of a Biomethane Carbon Credit Trading Platform, as a complement to the
Parliament’s soon-to-be implemented Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). The ADBA reports that part of the RHI is intended to
incentivize the building of Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plants that can produce biomethane for grid injection. The
ADBA feels this is the best way for the UK government to “de-socialise the biomethane element of the cost of the
RHI by creating a tradable product which will have an external value to grid-injecting biomethane producers.”
The Platform calls for one Biomethane Credit (BMC) to be allocated to the producer, for each 5 cubic meters of
grid-injected biomethane gas, which ADBA believes will provide a “liquid, low denomination and easy to access
product to carbon credit buyers.” The ADBA was created to remove regulatory and policy barriers and facilitate
the industry's growth with the aim of building 1000 AD and biogas plants by 2020. 03/06/2011
EPA Holds Public Meetings on SAB Reassessment of
Dioxin
The US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB) has
released their "Reanalysis of Key Issues Related to Dioxin Toxicity and Response to NAS
Comments". The EPA's Office of Research and Development had requested the SAB’s advice on
revisions to its 2003 draft dioxin reassessment, “Exposure and Human Health Reassessment of
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin (TCDD) and Related Compounds”, based on comments provided by the National
Academy of Science (NAS) in its 2006 report, Health Risks from Dioxin and Related Compounds: Evaluation of the
EPA Reassessment. The SAB Dioxin Review Panel held another in a series of public meetings on the 1st and 2nd of
March 2011; the notice for the public meetings appeared in the Federal Register February 8th, and
that brief window for public comment closed February 23, 2011. Comments that were submitted can be
reviewed on-line. Contact Diana Wong, (202) 564-2049, wong.diana-m@epa.gov or Thomas
Armitage, (202) 564-2155, armitage.thomas@epa.gov for information on the next steps. 03/05/2011
Neste Oil Increases Use of Waste in Biodiesel Production
Finland’s Neste Oil announced that they are increasing the percentage of waste as raw material used to
produce their biodiesel product, NExBTL®. Although palm oil will continue to be the primary ingredient refined
to make their biodiesel, plans include use of over 20% of the palm oil production process by-product Stearin in
2011, use of 5-10% process wastes such as of palm fatty acid distillate, and up to 20% of waste animal fat.
Neste Oil produces NExBTL renewable diesel at two existing plants in Finland and one new plant currently opening
in Singapore. A fourth plant in Rotterdam should come on line in mid-2011, bringing NExBTL production capacity
to around 2 million tons per year. With their focus on sustainable, renewable biofuel
production, about 80% of Neste Oil’s annual
R&D expenditure goes to research into renewable raw materials. "We are constantly working to extend our raw
material base," says Matti Lehmus, Neste Oil's Executive Vice President, Oil Products and Renewables. "When
looking at the potential for making use of new raw materials, our primary criteria are whether they are produced
sustainably and the impact they have in reducing raw material-related greenhouse gas emissions. The final
decision is also shaped by a material's security of supply, its availability, and its price."
03/05/2011
RIT Researchers
Develop Biodiesel from MicroAlgae and Wastewater
Researchers at New York’s Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) have announced isolation of small amounts of golden-colored biodiesel produced by the micro-alga
strain Scenedesmus, along with the valuable lipids they normally have been extracting. The lab is using
wastewater effluent from a local plant in Irondequoit. In addition to biofuel production, the team sees high
value in using micro-algae in wastewater processing. “It’s key to what we’re doing here,” says Jeff Lodge,
associate professor of biological sciences at RIT. “Algae will take out all the ammonia—99 percent—88 percent of
the nitrate and 99 percent of the phosphate from the wastewater — all those nutrients you worry about dumping
into the receiving water. In three to five days, pathogens are gone.” Lodge and Master’s student Eric Lannan use
tanks at Environmental Energy Technologies, a firm commercialized in 2004 by RIT and overseen by
Lannan’s graduate thesis advisor Ali Ogut. The researchers plan larger testing this year at the Irondequoit
wastewater treatment plant, using as much as 1,000 gallons of wastewater. Northern Biodiesel will purify the lipids from the algae and convert them into biodiesel for
the RIT researchers. 03/05/2011
Nexterra Raises
$15MM in Equity Financing
Canadian biomass gasification company Nexterra Systems Corporation has announced closing of a $15MM round of equity financing with investors Tandem Expansion Fund and ARC Financial. Nexterra’s proprietary biomass energy systems are designed to provide
combined heat and power (CHP) for universities, municipalities, hospitals and industrial facilities. Colin
Hansen, British Columbia’s (BC) Minister of Finance said, “Tandem and ARC’s $15 million investment in Nexterra
is an excellent example of continued investor interest in innovative BC companies, particularly in newer
industries such as clean energy. This shows the confidence investors have in BC’s economy, our strong business
climate and our leadership in the clean technology sector.” Nexterra CEO, Jonathan Rhone said, “This financing
ensures that we have the resources required to meet market demand, continue to expand, and enhance our product
portfolio and maintain momentum in all aspects of the business.” 03/05/2011
Texas IOF Releases Refinery
Energy-Efficiency Assessment Tool
Measuring energy efficiency of biorefinery and biochemical plants just became
easier, with release of a free new on-line spreadsheet-based checklist by Texas Industries of the Future
(IOF). The Energy-Efficiency Assessment Tool is focused on improving economics and operations under
low-demand operating conditions, a difficult and costly but all too common status. Built for any form of
chemical refinery, whether petroleum based or not, the methodical assessment should provide benefit both where
current operations need optimization and where prospective plants are being designed. The Tool provides
fore-warning of pitfalls encountered during low-flow conditions and advice of possible work-arounds. Texas IOF
was formed in 2001 with DOE funding assistance to facilitate “the development, demonstration and adoption of
advanced technologies and adoption of best practices that reduce industrial energy usage, emissions, and
associated costs, resulting in improved competitive performance for Texas industries.” For more information,
contact IOF’s Project Manager Kathey Ferland at (512) 232-4823, through the University of Texas by email at
kferland@mail.utexas.edu, or via IOF’s website. 03/04/2011
Cyclone Power Engine
Receives 10th International Patent
Cyclone Power has now received its 10th international patent on
its high-efficiency “steam engine” and its components, this time from Mexico. The announcement comes less than a month after the successful completion of the third round of testing on contract to Raytheon for its
Integrated Defense System, or IDS, which are currently focused on developing Undersea Power. The Cyclone Engine is a
Rankine Cycle heat regenerative external combustion, otherwise known as a “Schoell Cycle” engine, after Cyclone
Power’s CEO Harry Schoell. The Cyclone Engine is capable of running on virtually any fuel (or combination of
fuels) including bio fuels, and have been verified to run at over 30% efficiency and are considerably cleaner
than current internal combustion engines, and does not idle, use less fuel for transport during city driving and
traffic conditions. 03/04/2011
California Leads in US On-Farm Renewable Energy
Use
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced results of a decade-long survey of on-farm implementation of renewable energy (RE)
generation systems. The study focused on adoption of solar, wind, and anaerobic digestion for methane generation
providing power for national farming operations, and showed a significant increase over the prior decade.
California scores highest with almost 2000 systems in operation, accounting for almost one quarter of all
national on-farm RE operations; Hawaii, Texas and Colorado farms also showed strong increase in usage. The
2009 On-Farm Renewable Energy Production Survey expanded upon the energy questions asked in
the most recent 2009 Census of Agriculture by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, which can be contacted for additional information.
03/04/2011
ASU Releases Report on Direct Climate Effects of Perennial Bioenergy
Crops
It’s not just about carbon offsets, researchers at Arizona State University
(ASU) announce. Replacing annual plants with perennial biofuels crops like Miscanthus and
switchgrass over large areas lengthens the growing cycle, and can cool the region by an average of about one
degree. The cooling effect is significant enough to potentially offset projected warming due to regional
greenhouse gas emissions. The ASU modeling work was a collaborative effort with researchers at Stanford
University and the Carnegie Institute. “Almost all of the work performed to date has focused on the carbon
effects,” said Matei Georgescu, a climate modeler working in ASU’s Center for Environmental Fluid Dynamics.
“We’ve tried to expand our perspective to look at a more complete picture. What we’ve shown is that it’s not all
about greenhouse gases, and that modifying the landscape can be just as important.” The report appeared in an
on-line release in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
03/03/2011
Canadian BioEnergy Centre
Opens on University of New Brunswick Campus
The University of New Brunswick (UNB) has announced that their biomass testing laboratory has been opened on the campus of the
Flemming Forestry Complex, in a well-attended ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Canadian BioEnergy Centre (CBEC), the only testing laboratory in Canada that is certified by
the Pellet Fuels Institute, has a mandate to provide technological support to the bioenergy sector in Canada and
beyond. The CBEC’s goal is to promote the sustainable and responsible use of forest and agricultural
bioresources for a diversity of goods and services, with four primary functions: research and development,
product testing and certification (e.g. fuel pellets and biomass combustion appliances), technology transfer,
and training and education. The CBEC received more than $200,000 from the provincial and federal governments and
the UNB to purchase the equipment needed to develop and test biofuels. “It feels great to finally have it
officially open,” said the CBEC’s Michael Albright. “The funding was much, much needed to support this new,
growing bioenergy sector.” The lab has high-tech equipment such as an isoperibol oxygen bomb calorimeter that
can quickly test the amount of energy given off by burning various wood pellets and wood chips. For more
information, contact staff via their CBEC web portal or by phone at (506) 453-4507. 03/03/2011
Genomatica Raises $45MM
for Green Chemical Development
The San Diego based green chemistry company Genomatica has announced that it has raised an additional $45MM less than a month after signing a Joint Development agreement with Waste Management. The company develops organisms and
processes to produce dozens of chemicals from renewable feedstocks, like sugars, and later, from biomass and
syngas. The new investment will be used to complete demonstration-scale production and early commercialization
plans for Genomatica’s first commercial product, a ‘green’ version of 1,4-butanediol (Bio-BDO) made from renewable feedstocks rather than oil or natural gas. “We’re gratified by
the vote of confidence by our new and existing investors,” said Christophe Schilling, CEO of
Genomatica. “We’re focused on delivering superior project rates of return to our
industry partners and building a great company for the long-term – one that will have a lasting impact.”
03/03/2011
TreeFree Biomass
Solutions Joins Seattle’s McKinstry Innovation Center
The McKinstry Innovation Center has brought seven emerging companies within
their incubator service in the year since opening. The Center announced four new companies joining; one of the newest is TreeFree Biomass Solutions, Inc, a firm focused on producing biomass pulp for industrial
paper, energy and biofuels production. TreeFree’s products are made from the giant reed, Arundo
donax, which the company plants, grows, harvests and processes. Using TreeFree technology, per acre net
biomass production is more than 15 times that of trees. Nile Fiber™ can grow up to 30 feet in height in less
than a year. The crop never needs replanting and will continue to grow indefinitely, allowing the harvesting
process to be repeated every 9-12 months. “We spoke of wanting to be a springboard for clean energy and
renewable resource producers, and now we are putting that goal into action as we help these companies come to
market in the Seattle clean technology industry,” said Elsa Croonquist, managing director of the McKinstry
Innovation Center. Ms. Croonquist may be contacted at (206) 832-8049 or elsac@mckinstry.com.
03/03/2011
UC Berkeley Researchers Modify Bacterium to Produce
Butanol
University of
California, Berkeley has announced that researchers have been successful in developing a genetically modified
organism (GMO), modifying the bacterium E.coli to secrete nearly 10 times more n-butanol
than other industrial microbe systems. Other researchers working with E. coli to produce n-butanol experience
enzymatic reversal, reducing the amount of biofuel produced. Chemistry professor Michelle C.Y. Chang and her
grad students avoided this problem so that little is lost through a backward reaction. “Depending on the
specific way an enzyme catalyzes a reaction, you can force it in the forward direction by reducing the speed at
which the back reaction occurs,” Dr. Chang said. “If the back reaction is slow enough, then the transformation
becomes effectively irreversible, allowing us to accumulate more of the final product.” The advance is reported
in this week’s issue of the journal Nature Chemical Biology; the work was supported by UC Berkeley, the Camille and Henry
Dreyfus Foundation, the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation and the Dow Sustainable Products and Solutions
Program. 03/02/2011
Itochu Corporation
Acquires 4% of Benefuel for Asian Biofuels Development
Illinois Based Benefuel Inc. has announced that Japanese commerce giant Itochu Corporation has acquired a 4% interest, in order to utilize Benefuel’s proprietary
bifunctional solid catalyst for Asian biofuels production. Benefuel technology converts difficult to use,
low-quality fat and oil with high fatty acid content, such as residues from food factories or oil plants,
eliminating much of the pre-processing necessary for industry-standard waste oil to biodiesel production.
Biodiesel fuel needs to be manufactured only after fat and oil, the materials, are purified as close to edible
fat. Itochu has partnered with Japanese biodiesel producer Daiki Axis Co., Ltd. for testing and demonstration of
the catalyst, as part of the NEDO Innovation Promotion Program. Commercial production is now anticipated for 2012.
03/02/2011
IBI Releases Biochar Industry 2015 Vision
Document
The International Biochar Initiative (IBI) Board of Directors has released their report of what
it will take to form a successful biochar industry by 2015, the result of a Board retreat sponsored by the
Packard Foundation. The vision document focuses on research (science and technology), policy, and projects, and
outlines routes to success. It also asks questions: what is success, how do we get there, and what is IBI’s role
in achieving that success. Findings include that a viable biochar industry already exists, and the path forward
needs to focus on supporting the implementation of Projects. The organization’s 2015 Vision Report is available as a free download, and they welcome comments or questions about
this document. Contact Shiva Scotti, IBI Administrative Director, at shiva@biochar-international.org for more
information. 03/01/2011
OSGC Selects City of Green
Bay Site for MSW to Energy Facility
The tribally owned Oneida Seven Generations Corporation (OSGC) has acquired property in the City of Green Bay, Wisconsin, for a waste gasification to
energy facility. The plant will receive municipal solid waste, process through a non-combustive pyrolysis to
gasification for production of a clean burning synthetic fuel gas, or “syngas”, as a fuel for power generation.
The facility will be able to reduce local landfill disposal by up to 90%; converting much of the 500-600 tons of
municipal solid waste now transferred daily at the Brown County Waste Transfer Station. The OSGC is tribally
chartered and tribally owned subsidiary of the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin. Revenues generated by this
project will be used for tribal housing, education, healthcare, infrastructure and additional economic
development opportunities. The OSGC took the project before the Green Bay City Planning Commission this past
week, and received approval of their application for a Conditional Use Permit; the application goes before the
full City Council this week. “We anticipate there will be support for this facility,” explained Pete King, III,
OSGC project manager. “It leads the way in renewable energy; it’s safe and will meet all regulatory agency
requirements for construction and operation; plus it provides economic development as well as permanent jobs.”
03/01/2011 Update: OSGC's Conditional Use Permit received City Council
approval.

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