March 2016 News and Matters of Interest

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

BETO to Host Bioenergy 2016, Releases Multi-Year Program Plan Update

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that its Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) will host the ninth annual conference on July 12–14, 2016: Bioenergy 2016: Mobilizing the Bioeconomy through Innovation. Partnering with the Clean Energy Research and Education Foundation (CEREF), this year's conference will focus on opportunities to grow future feedstock supplies and break through technology barriers to achieve a stronger bioeconomy. BETO has also just released the 2016 update of the BETO Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP). The MYPP serves as an operational guide to help BETO manage and coordinate its activities as well as a vehicle to communicate BETO’s mission, goals, and plans to stakeholders and the public. It details BETO’s research, development, demonstration, market transformation, and crosscutting activities for the coming years and outlines how they are important to meeting the nation’s energy and sustainability challenges. 03/31/2016

Tytec Recycling Launches Green OTR Tire Recycling Solution

The new Australian company Tytec Recycling is launching environmentally friendly off the road (OTR) tire recycling process this year. Through the use of Edison Award-winning technology from Green Distillation Technologies Corporation (GDTC), Tytec offers a one-step process to convert OTR tires into high-quality steel, diesel oil, and carbon. The current six-step recycling process that is typically used is time-consuming, energy intensive and expensive. The larger the tire, the more costly, maintenance intensive and difficult each step becomes. Tytec's Destructive Distillation process allows a whole OTR tire to be recycled in a single step. The result from the distillation process is reclaimed steel, carbon, and diesel of saleable quality. Tytec Recycling is a collaboration between Tytec Group and GDTC. 03/31/2016 

Orange County Landfill Gas to Energy Facility Powers Up

A ribbon cutting ceremony has been held to officially open the Bowerman Power Project renewable energy facility at the Frank R. Bowerman landfill in Orange County east of Irvine, California. The $60 million, 113,000 sq ft, state-of-the-art facility occupies 2.6 acres of the landfill, and was developed and is owned and operated by Bowerman Power, a subsidiary of Pennsylvania-based Montauk Energy. It generates electric power by capturing landfill gas created by the millions of tons of waste buried at Bowerman. The facility is the first to combine three proven technologies in a state-of-the-art renewable energy project meeting all environmental requirements, including seven Cat® reciprocating engine-generators with gas clean-up and emissions reduction technologies. It is the largest landfill gas to energy project in California and Montauk's largest power project to date. With the completion of this project, all large landfills in California now operate landfill gas-based, renewable energy plants. 03/30/2016

Rivertop Renewables and DTI Facility Exceeds Nameplate Capacity

Montana based Rivertop Renewables has announced that it exceeded the nameplate capacity of its first commercial production facility during benchmark testing. At full capacity, the plant operated by Danchem Technologies & Innovations (DTI) in Danville, Virginia, is now capable of producing more than 9 million dry pounds of sodium glucarate product per year, an increase of approximately 15 percent over original design projections. Additionally, last month the plant received its first supplier "Recommended" rating in a quality and supply chain audit by a leading water treatment industry customer. Construction of Rivertop's facility at DTI began in December of 2014 and the first commercial production runs of glucarate-based products began in August of 2015. The first sugar acid products produced at the facility are salts of glucaric acid, recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy as one of the top 12 "value added chemicals from biomass." 03/30/2016

ElectraTherm Power+ Generators Shipped to Biomass Plant in Italy

Nevada based ElectraTherm has shipped two Power+ Generator 6500’s to a biomass facility site in Italy. Located in the city of Messina, the facility will utilize waste heat from the biomass boiler to generate emission-free electricity. Slated for a spring 2016 commissioning, each Power+ Generator will generate onsite power, and the residual heat remaining after power generation will be used to increase the site’s efficiency and total thermal utilization. ElectraTherm utilizes Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) and proprietary technologies to generate power from low temperature heat ranging from 77-122°C. At this site, woody biomass fuels a boiler to heat water to run the Power+ Generator at 116°C and 22 liters/second, producing clean electricity that is sold back to the utility at an incentivized rate. The remaining heat from ElectraTherm’s condenser helps dry and treat the wood as part of the biomass processing. 03/29/2016

Farmers and Comet Biorefining to Develop Biomass Supply Chain

Canada based Cellulosic Sugar Producers Cooperative has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Comet Biorefining to collaborate on the development of a sustainable agricultural biomass supply chain in southwestern Ontario. Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC) put together the project. Dave Park, President, Cellulosic Sugar Producer's Cooperative and Director, Grain Farmers of Ontario: "Producers need to take an active role in developing new markets based on new technologies coming to market. BIC approached a group of farmers in the area and we formed the cooperative approximately two years ago to enable this opportunity to develop." Comet Biorefining recently announced Sarnia, Ontario as the location of its commercial-scale biomass-derived sugar facility. The plant will require over 60,000 tonnes of corn stover or wheat straw per year to produce dextrose sugar. The production of these sugars and co-products would support the production of bioproducts such as biochemicals and biofuels. 03/28/2016

Oregon Council Schedules Biomass Market Fundamentals Workshop

The Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC) is hosting the Biomass Market Fundamentals Workshop as part of the Central Oregon Woody Biomass Cluster Development Project (Project). The goal of the Project is to improve the market-based utilization of woody biomass material in Central Oregon from federal and other land ownerships. Topics on the agenda include biomass heat and power generation, liquid fuels, bio-products, and biochar. The workshop will be held on Friday, April 15, 2016 from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM (PDT) at the Redmond Public Works Department in Redmond, Oregon. The event is free and open to the public, but online registration by Friday, April 8, 2016 is required. 03/28/2016 

CalRecycle Hosts Composting, Recycling and Solid Waste Facility Workshops

The California Department of Resources and Recycling (CalRecycle) will conduct the first two workshops in a series for stakeholder feedback on regulation development for the new recycling and disposal reporting requirements per Assembly Bill (AB) 901 (Chapter 746, Statutes of 2015). CalRecycle staff will provide an overview of the law, topics for which regulations are needed, and preliminary draft language for consideration and comment. Both workshops will be webcast. The northern workshop in Sacramento is scheduled for April 19, 2016 from 1:00 to 4:30 pm; the southern workshop will be held in Diamond Bar on April 26, 2016 from 1:00 - 4:30 pm. Subscribe here for the CalRecycle’s AB 901: Recycling and Disposal Reporting Listserv for updates on this topic. Contact  <> for more information. 03/25/2016

CBEA Supports AB 2700-Energy Procurement to Update California's RPS

The California Biomass Energy Alliance (CBEA) is supporting Assembly Bill (AB) 2700 - Energy Procurement, introduced by Assembly Member Rudy Salas last month to update the Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to provide an incentive for utilities to procure biomass resources. Existing law establishes procurement requirements that electrical corporations and public utilities must meet in order to attain, or exceed, a target of 50% renewable generation in their electricity supply portfolios by 2030. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) specifically requires that investor owned utilities procure resources that are the least cost, best fit alternatives (LCBF). The procurement of biomass and geothermal renewable resources has significantly declined over time, and California is in danger of losing the only asset it has to divert wood waste materials. To date, California has closed five biomass facilities, a loss of 108 megawatts of renewable power and hundreds of jobs. AB 2700 requires the CPUC to update the LCBF criteria so that this analysis comprehensively reflects the values appropriately outlined in statute of particular renewable resources. 03/25/2016

Aemetis Licenses LanzaTech and Edeniq Technologies for Cellulosic Ethanol

Aemetis, Inc. has announced the acquisition of exclusive rights to LanzaTech's patented technology for the conversion of agricultural waste, forest waste, dairy waste, and construction and demolition waste (CDW) to ethanol in California. The LanzaTech gas-to-ethanol technology enables Aemetis to convert these local California biomass wastes to advanced ethanol. The first phase of the adoption of the LanzaTech technology by Aemetis will be an eight million gallon per year processing unit related to its Keyes plant in California. The agreement provides for an expansion to 32 million gallon per year process unit, as well as licenses for units that would be installed at other existing ethanol plants. Aemetis has also entered into a License Agreement with Edeniq to deploy its Pathway technology at the  Keyes facility. The Pathway technology utilizes existing fermentation and distillation equipment to produce up to 2.5% cellulosic ethanol and a 7% increase in overall ethanol yield. 03/24/2016

Pork Power Gets New Meaning with Duke Energy Deal in North Carolina

Duke Energy has announced that it will buy swine and poultry waste power from a facility planned for eastern North Carolina using the captured methane gas to generate renewable electricity at four power stations. Carbon Cycle Energy will build and own the facility. The location has not been announced, but is expected to be in eastern North Carolina. Under North Carolina's Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (REPS), Duke Energy companies must meet specific compliance targets for swine and poultry waste. Duke Energy is already buying electricity generated from other facilities in the state. Under a 15-year term, Carbon Cycle Energy is expected to produce more than 1 million MMBtus of pipeline-quality captured methane a year. Duke Energy should yield about 125,000 megawatt-hours of renewable energy a year – enough to power about 10,000 homes for a year.  03/23/2016  

CEC Workshop Seeks Stakeholder Input on Biofuels Program Investments

California Energy Commission (CEC) staff will conduct a public workshop on March 30, 2016 from 9am to 1pm in Sacramento for the Biofuels Program of the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP). The purpose of the workshop is to establish a permanent, regular public forum for planning and strategizing California biofuel investments. One of the goals for the workshop will be to gather input for an upcoming solicitation in biofuel production and discuss the development and formation of industry sector specific working groups. This workshop will discuss funding strategies and eligibility requirements, consider evaluation criteria, discuss emerging issues and opportunities, and respond to public comment and questions. Access to the workshop will be available by computer or phone through WebEx. Comments must be submitted at the workshop or no later than April 6, 2016. 03/18/2016

EPA Hosts Workshop on Biomass in Stationary Source Carbon Strategies

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is hosting a public workshop for states and stakeholders to share their successes, experiences, and approaches to deploying biomass in ways that have been, and can be, carbon beneficial. The workshop entitled 'Fostering Constructive Dialogue on the Role of Biomass in Achieving Clean Power Plan Goals' is designed to support efforts to further evaluate the role of biomass in stationary source carbon strategies. The workshop will be held on April 7, 2016, from 9am to 4pm in Washington DC. The event may be attended in person or via webinar. Email <> for more information about the workshop. 03/18/2016

BNDC Hosts Biomass Heating for Remote and Rural Communities Workshop

The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry's Biomass North Development Centre (BNDC) is presenting a workshop focused on biomass heating for rural and remote communities. The Bioheat Opportunities for Remote and Rural Communities Workshop will address: Community energy planning with bioheat; Technology applications and fuel types; Legislations and regulations for heating with biofuels in Ontario; and Lessons learned from past and current biofuel heating installations. The event will be held on  April 19, 2016, from 8:30am to 4:45pm at the Valhalla Inn in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. The cost of admission is $20, which includes entry, lunch, and refreshments. Online registration is available, and tickets may also be purchased at the door. 03/17/2016

Researchers Look at Generating Electricity from Tomato Waste

A team of scientists is exploring an unusual source of electricity that uses damaged tomatoes that are unsuitable for sale at the grocery store. Their pilot project involves a biological-based fuel cell that uses tomato waste left over from harvests in Florida. The researchers will present their work at the 251st National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS) held March 13-17, 2016. Namita Shrestha, graduate student in the lab of Venkataramana Gadhamshetty, Ph.D., P.E., at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology: "We have found that spoiled and damaged tomatoes left over from harvest can be a particularly powerful source of energy when used in a biological or microbial electrochemical cell. The process also helps purify the tomato-contaminated solid waste and associated waste water." Gadhamshetty began working on the topic as a professor at Florida Gulf Coast University. The State of Florida generates 396,000 tons of tomato waste every year, but lacks a good treatment process. 03/16/2016

Hertfordshire Council Accepts Veolia’s Revised Waste Recovery Proposal

Hertfordshire County Council has accepted in principle a revised project plan put forward by Veolia ES Hertfordshire Limited for the treatment of the county’s residual waste. The alternative proposal approved by Hertfordshire’s cabinet includes plans for an energy from waste facility at Rye House in Hoddesdon on land owned by Tarmac Aggregates. A previous application for a site at New Barnfield, Hatfield was refused by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, primarily on green belt planning grounds, despite it being allocated in the Waste Site Allocations Local Plan. Veolia plans to develop a high efficiency energy recovery facility based on modern incineration technology, and designed to meet R1 recovery status1 under the Waste Framework Directive. The facility would be Combined Heat & Power (CHP) ready and with recovery/reprocessing of Incinerator Bottom Ash (IBA) derived from the processing of residual waste streams. Veolia will now begin work on a planning application which it hopes to submit towards the end of the year. 03/15/2016

WRAP Unveils Courtauld Agreement 2025 to Reduce Food Waste

The United Kingdom's (UK) resource efficiency charity WRAP has unveiled a pioneering commitment, which brings together organizations from across the food system for the first time to make food and drink production and consumption more sustainable for the future. The Courtauld Commitment 2025 is a voluntary agreement to work along the entire food chain to reduce the environmental impact of food and drink, from farm to fork and beyond. Signatories announced at the launch of the agreement include the world’s largest food and drink manufacturer, and all the major UK retailers representing over 93% of the 2016 UK food retail market. The commitment goes further than ever before with three ambitious targets:    a 20% reduction in food and drink waste arising in the UK; a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas intensity of food & drink consumed in the UK; and a reduction in impact associated with water use in the supply chain. 03/15/2016

BIODEX-SA First Company in Tunisia to Earn RSB Certification

The Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) has announced that BIODEX-SA, the first company to collect waste oils and transform them into biodiesel in Africa is also the first in Tunisia to earn RSB certification. BIODEX-SA's plant, converts the used cooking oil to biodiesel, which is then sold to the European market. Pr. Dr. Mounir Bezzarga, BIODEX-SA’s CEO: "BIODEX-SA is proud to be the first RSB certified organization in Tunisia. RSB certification shows our commitment to respecting the sustainability criteria of waste and the environment." 03/14/2016

IBI Now Offers Online Training Course on Biochar

International Biochar Initiative (IBI) has announced its online biochar course, Biochar Training for Environmental Sustainability and Economic Development, an intensive training series on all aspects of biochar, presented by leading biochar experts. Students will have the opportunity to learn about best-science updates on biochar to promote the uptake of biochar production and use, and actions necessary to overcome the barriers to commercialization of the biochar industry. Topics will include biochar production technologies; physicochemical properties; standards, classification, and certification; biochar effects when used as a soil amendment; biochar carbon persistence in soils, carbon accounting, and climate change; and commercialization of the biochar industry. The cost of the course is US$600 for IBI members (or those who donate $75 and over) and US$750 for non-members. Once you register and pay, you will be taken to the online course module to get started. 03/14/2016

Due 04/06/2016: Response to DOE's RFI on Integrated Biorefinery Optimization

The US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) has issued Request for Information (RFI) DE-FOA-0001481 to request feedback on issues related to "challenges encountered with the successful scale-up and reliable operation of integrated biorefinery plants (IBRs)." Specifically, BETO is seeking information that will help it understand additional areas of research, capabilities, and yet to be addressed barriers and opportunities for stakeholder engagement pertaining to technology development and engineering solutions for the reliable operation of IBRs to produce biofuels, biochemicals, and bioproducts.  This RFI is not a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA); therefore, EERE is not accepting applications at this time. Responses are due by April 6, 2016 at 5:00pm ET. 03/14/2016 

ReFED Releases Roadmap to Solve the Food Waste Dilemma

 Rethink Food Waste Through Economics and Data (ReFED) has created "Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste" that details 27 ways to cut food waste nationwide. ReFED claims that implementing these strategies would reduce food waste by 13 million tons annually (or 20%), create over 15,000 jobs, and overall generate $100 billion in economic benefits, all while helping achieve the nation’s food waste reduction goal of 50% by 2030. New investments are required that amount to $18 billion and an estimated $100 million to $200 million a year for development and troubleshooting. ReFED is a collaboration of over thirty business, nonprofit, foundation and government leaders committed to reducing food waste in the United States. 03/12/2016

Due 04/10/2016: Round 2 Proposals to DOE's Small Business Voucher Pilot

The US Department of Energy (DOE) awarded nearly $7M in Small Business Vouchers (SBVs) in Round 1. Approximately 50-60 vouchers remain for Rounds 2 and 3 of the SBV Pilot. US small businesses may request assistance for a clean tech product or process in one or more of these nine areas: Advanced manufacturing, Bioenergy, Building technologies, Fuel cells, Geothermal power,   Solar power, Water power, Wind power, or Vehicles. Over three rounds, the DOE will provide up to $20M to support ~ 100 small businesses by issuing national lab vouchers valued between $50,000 and $300,000 per company. Round 2 is open March 10-April 10, 2016. All requests Are due By 11:59 P.M. EDT on April 10,2016. See the Notice Of Opportunity for more information. 03/12/2016

Honeywell UOP Technology Powers California Commercial-Scale Biorefinery

Honeywell UOP has announced that AltAir Paramount LLC is using Honeywell UOP’s proprietary renewable jet fuel process technology to convert a variety of sustainable feedstocks into Honeywell Green Jet Fuel™ at the world’s first dedicated commercial-scale renewable jet fuel production facility. The plant, located near the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), has also produced Honeywell Green Diesel™, a drop-in replacement for diesel made from petroleum, using the same process technology. The renewable jet fuel process makes Honeywell Green Jet Fuel as well as Honeywell Green Diesel from a range of sustainable feedstocks such as used cooking oil, inedible corn oil, tallow, camelina, jatropha and algae. AltAir and United Airlines have collaborated since 2009 with a common goal of bringing an ongoing source of sustainable aviation biofuels to an airport. United Airlines just made history by becoming the first US airline to begin use of commercial-scale volumes of sustainable aviation biofuel for regularly scheduled flights with the departure of United Flight 708 from LAX. 03/11/2016

InSinkErator and City of Philadelphia Pilot Reduces Food Waste to Landfill

The City of Philadelphia has completed a pilot project with InSinkErator® that demonstrated the potential of food waste disposers to reduce the amount of food waste sent to landfills. The city recently enacted a new building ordinance calling for installation of food waste disposers in construction of all new homes within its boundaries. The ordinance comes on the heels of the more than two-year pilot project conducted by the city and InSinkErator, a business of Emerson, to assess the impact of the food waste disposer use on the city’s solid waste stream, resulting in a 34 percent overall reduction in food waste put in the trash. The program illustrated how, with widespread use of food waste disposers, the city could potentially reduce food waste by about 19,000 tons annually. That would save about $1.1 million in waste disposal and other costs, while also opening new opportunities to generate renewable energy via biogas. 03/11/2016  

ESA Calls for Next Scottish Parliament to Realize Circular Economy Potential

The Scottish Environmental Services Association (ESA) has released a short Manifesto, "Making a Success of the Circular Economy", in advance of the upcoming Scottish Parliament elections. The Manifesto outlines policy recommendations that ESA says must be considered if Scotland is to fully realize the benefits of the circular economy. The report recommends (a) Parliament should recognize that waste and recycling industry is at the heart of the circular economy, (b) public procurement of recovered materials should help boost demand, (c) emphasize recyclate quality, (d) recognize the role of energy from waste, (e) make Scotland an active part of the international circular economy, and (f) empower the Scottish EPA in fighting waste crime. The 2016 Scottish Parliament election is to be held on Thursday 5 May 2016 to elect 129 members to the Scottish Parliament. It will be the fifth general election since the parliament was established in 1999. 03/10/2016

California Releases Plan to Guide the State’s Climate Change Adaptation

Following the California Governor’s executive order last year establishing an  ambitious greenhouse gas reduction target, the state's Natural Resources Agency released a final plan for how California will prepare for the extreme effects of climate change, including increasingly extreme weather and sea level rise. Divided by ten sectors that include water, agriculture, and biodiversity, the report, Safeguarding California: Implementation Action Plans, takes the ecommendations from the 2014 Safeguarding California: Reducing Climate Risk report and shows the path forward by presenting risks posed by climate change, adaptation efforts underway, and actions that will be taken to safeguard residents, property, communities and natural systems. The report has been informed by public comments gathered last fall, including at workshops held around the state. 03/10/2016

Due 05/10/2016: Proposals to NRCS for 2016 Conservation Innovation Grants

The US Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has announced the availability of Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies. Proposals will be accepted from any of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Caribbean Area (Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), or the Pacific Islands Area (Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands). NRCS anticipates that the amount available for support of this program in FY 2016 will be up to $20 million. Proposals are requested from eligible governmental or non-governmental organizations or individuals for competitive consideration of grant awards for projects between 1 and 3 years in duration. For more information, contact Mike Bennett, National CIG Program Manager at (202) 720-1895 or <>. Proposals must be received by NRCS before 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on May 10, 2016. 03/10/2016

Emerson Will Automate Hitachi Zozen Inova's Energy from Waste Projects

 Emerson Process Management will provide process automation technologies and services for current and future waste-to-energy projects of Hitachi Zosen Inova under a global framework agreement. The agreement formalizes the relationship between the two companies following a successful project at Perlen, near Lucerne, Switzerland. The US$319 million (CHF 320 million) Perlen project is the largest climate protection project in central Switzerland. The facility is set to produce 155,000 MWh of electricity per year, covering the energy requirements of nearly 38,000 households, and will supply 320,000 MWh of steam to an adjacent paper mill. Hitachi Zosen Inova supplied a complete advanced combustion system, boiler and flue gas treatment at the Perlen plant, while Emerson provided engineering, installation, commissioning, startup and servicing of over 600 critical measurement instruments. Using Emerson’s advanced measurement technologies that incorporate a range of diagnostic functions, operators will be able to optimize plant performance and minimize maintenance. 03/09/2016

Lakeshore to Hold Ribbon Cutting for New $8.5M Machinex® Recycling System

Chicago, Illinois company Lakeshore Recycling Systems (LRS) and Closed Loop Fund have announced a ribbon cutting ceremony and tour of the new $8.5M Machinex® single-stream recycling system at LRS' Heartland Material Recovery Facility on Wednesday, March 16, 2016. The new 40,000 square-foot single-stream recycling system harvests over 110,000 tons of high-grade residential and commercial single-stream recyclables, and sorts, separates and allocates over 20 tons of waste per hour. The installation and ongoing operation of the new system will result in more than 100 well-paying jobs in Cook County, and reinforces LRS' commitment to diverting more waste from landfills than any other waste and recycling services provider in the region. 03/09/2016

Due 03/31/2016: Applications for Summer Internships with Biodico

Santa Barbara based Biodico, Inc is seeking up to 10 interns for the summer of 2016 in Fresno and Ventura Counties, California. Four students will be placed at the company’s laboratory at Naval Base Ventura County at Port Hueneme, and six students will be placed at the company’s “Westside” facility in the San Joaquin Valley located at Red Rock Ranch in Five Points. Following completion of the internship, students may be considered for employment opportunities. Interns are exposed to an array of biofuel and bioenergy technologies, including biodiesel production, anaerobic digestion, gasification, solar cogeneration and wind, as well as cultivation of biofuel crops and laboratory work. Students will be placed based upon their field of study and interests. Several of the jobs at Westside were created in partnership with West Hills Community College in Fresno County, a region with historically high employment rates. Biodico developed an internship program specifically for West Hills’ students, and hires graduates of the school’s two-year Industrial Technology Program. Biodico Westside, the world’s first liquid biofuel production facility that operates entirely on renewable heat and power generated on-site, is expected to create 45 direct jobs in the next two years. For more information about applying for the program, email <>. Applications for the summer of 2016 are due March 31, 2016. 03/09/2016  

Comet Biorefining Awarded $10.9M SDTC Grant for Bio-Based Chemicals Plant

Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) has awarded a grant of CA$10.9 million to Comet Biorefining, Inc for the construction of its first-of-a-kind advanced bio-based chemicals plant in Sarnia, Ontario. The plant will use proprietary conversion technology to transform corn stover, an agricultural residue, into high-purity dextrose sugar. Comet's technology enables sugars to be produced cost- competitively with corn or sugarcane-derived dextrose, the conventional raw materials for today's biochemical production. Comet's facilities may be built on a small scale that enables flexibility to locate production close to biomass supplies, reducing transportation costs. In February 2016, Comet Biorefining announced its plans for the construction of the 60 million pounds per year commercial sugar plant, which is scheduled to come online in 2018. 03/07/2016

CRS Develops Green-e International Energy Standard and Certification

The San Francisco based nonprofit Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) has announced the development of the Green-e Energy International Standard for renewable electricity. With strong demand from companies and organizations with global renewable energy targets, the Green-e Energy International Standard will address the existing need for consistent, credible, and impactful purchasing options globally as well as spur market development of new infrastructure, including tradable renewable certificates and tracking systems. The new standard will provide country-specific requirements for renewable energy transactions that occur through utility green power programs, tradable certificate products, direct power purchase agreements (PPAs), and onsite generation. CRS expects to release the final International Standard late in 2016 and to begin certification of renewable electricity transactions outside of North America shortly after launch, adding additional country-specific requirements over time. 03/07/2016  

GIB and Equitix Commit £10m to Expansion of Wick District Biomass CHP Plant

United Kingdom (UK) Green Investment Bank plc (GIB) and Equitix have announced the £10m acquisition of Ignis Biomass Limited, the owner and operator of a 3.5 MW combined heat and power (CHP) plant and associated district heating scheme in the north of Scotland. The Equitix-managed fund Energy Savings Investments (ESI), in which GIB is a cornerstone investor, has committed £4.9m to the project. An additional £5.1m of private capital has been mobilized from the Equitix Energy Efficiency Fund (EEEF). The facility currently provides heat and power to the Pulteney Distillery and heat to local customers, including Caithness General Hospital, Wick Assembly Rooms, residences owned by Cairn Housing Association and approximately 200 other domestic residences. Plans are in place to upgrade the heating infrastructure at the plant and expand the district heating system with the aim of reaching an additional 150 customers by March 2017. Plans are also in place for the implementation of at least four new smaller-scale stand-alone CHP systems for major heat users in and around Wick, typically in the care home sector, for whom connection to the existing network is not viable. 03/05/2016

Alberta Bio-Industrial Opportunities Schedules BIO WEBinar Spring Series

The Alberta, Canada, Agriculture and Forestry Department has announced its up-coming no-cost BIO WEBinar Spring Series 2016, presented by its Bio-Industrial Opportunities Branch. Three webinars are scheduled during the months of March and April. 1) March 15, 2016, 10:30 am MST – National Industrial Symbiosis Program (NISP): A proposed NISP Canada pilot program is coming to Canada and the webinar will examine the NISP model and global programs with international examples of interest to clients in agriculture, forestry, food, cosmetics, and bio-industrials. 2) March 22, 2016, 10:30 am MST – An Organic Waste Inventory for Alberta’s Agri-Food Sector: The webinar looks at whether residues left behind from Alberta’s organic waste streams from livestock, food processing, groceries, and residential yards present a missed opportunity. 3) April 14, 2016, 10:30 am MST – Bio-Industrial Opportunities Branch: The BIO Branch plays a key role to diversify Alberta’s bioeconomy and to maximize the value of Alberta’s renewable resources while increasing efficiency and bringing new concepts to market. The webinar will highlight the services available. Pre-registration on-line is required to attend each webinar. Contact Patti Breland at <> or 780-853-8181 or more information. 03/05/2016

Due 05/31/2016: Blue Sky Renewable Energy Proposals to Pacific Power

Pacific Power, a utility serving areas of Oregon and Washington, is seeking proposals for the 2016 Blue Sky funding awards, which cover up to 100 percent of the capital costs to install qualifying, new renewable energy systems at non-residential sites within the Pacific Power service area. Eligible technologies include wind, solar, low-emissions biomass, wave, landfill gas, certified low-impact hydro, pipeline or irrigation canal hydropower and geothermal. Heat generation systems are excluded. Project must be new or a new addition to existing project using new equipment and have a capacity of less than 10 MW. Projects must be operational by December 31, 2017, with the possibility of extension. Submittal deadline is May 31, 2016 by 5 p.m. (PT). The application form and instructions are available online. 03/05/2016

Study Identifies New Process For Bioethanol Production From Potato Waste

The results of a new study on An environmentally friendly and productive process for bioethanol production from potato waste have just been published in the online journal, Biotechnology for Biofuels. Sweet potato residues (SPRs) separated after extracting starch account for more than 10 % of the total dry matter of sweet potatoes. In China, more than 2 million tons of SPRs cannot be utilized, and the unutilized SPRs are perishable and result in environmental pollution. The results of the study showed that 79.00 g/L of ethanol could be obtained from high-gravity SPRs using enzyme hydrolysis. The concentrations of glucose and ethanol produced from potato wastes were the highest in this study. Compared with other processes, the processes described appear to have an enormous potential for industrial-scale production of bioethanol because they are environmentally friendly, highly productive, of low cost, and easily manipulated. 03/04/2016  

WBA Issues New Factsheet on Global Biomass Potential Towards 2035

The World Bioenergy Association (WBA) has announced the release of the factsheet ‘Global biomass potential towards 2035’ – the ninth in the series of publications. In this factsheet, the WBA studied the realistic contribution of biomass to the global energy supply by 2035. Biomass for energy predominantly origins from 3 different sources: agriculture, forestry, and waste streams. In the year 2012, the global supply of biomass was 56.2 exajoules (EJ) and the WBA estimates that this can increase to 150 EJ by 2035. About 43% coming from agriculture (residues, by-products and energy crops), 52% from forests (wood fuel, forest residues and by-products of the forest industry) and 5% from waste streams. Typical feedstock for energy generation from waste can be seen as: organic fraction of landfills, sewage sludge, municipal solid waste (MSW), organic fraction of agroindustry waste and unused food. 03/03/2016

Canada's BNDC Will Lead Bioeconomy Trade Mission to Nordic Countries

Canada's Biomass North Development Centre (BNDC) will lead a Canadian delegation of up to 25 people on Nordic Bioeconomy Trade Mission 2016 to Sweden and Finland from May 22 to May 29, 2016. The BNDC is currently accepting registrations for the trip. The purpose of the mission is to investigate an advanced bioeconomy with decades' worth of bioenergy applications, leadership in research and innovation, unique entrepreneurship models, and adaptive policy measures. The trip will begin in Stockholm, Sweden for the first-ever International Wood Biorefining (IWB) Week, which this year combines three events - International Pulp & Paper Week, World Bioenergy, and Bioeconomy Innovation Forum - into one major international conference for the wood-based biorefining sectors. Following IWB Week conference, the delegation will fly to Helsinki, Finland for a series of facility tours, B2B meetings, and presentations with a focus on the Finnish forest bioeconomy. The final day to register for the trip is April 8, 2016. 03/03/2016

Mid American Agri Products/Wheatland Brings Edeniq Cellunators Online

California company Edeniq, Inc has announced that Mid American Agri Products / Wheatland (MAAPW) has installed Edeniq’s Cellunator technology at its ethanol and biodiesel plant located in North Platte, Nebraska. The Cellunator milling equipment will increase the plant’s 44 million gallons per year (MGPY) of ethanol production capacity by pretreating the corn slurry to liberate additional starch. The MAAPW facility also produces three MGPY of biodiesel. Robert Lundeen, CEO of MAAPW: "We selected Edeniq’s Cellunator technology because of its proven track record at accessing residual starch and its ability to also pretreat corn kernel fiber to enable production of cellulosic ethanol at our plant." In addition to installing Cellunators, MAAPW has an option to license Edeniq’s Pathway Technology that integrates Edeniq’s Cellunator equipment with cellulase enzymes to convert corn kernel fiber to cellulosic ethanol. 03/03/2016

Forester Media Hosts Waste Gas-to-Energy Project Webinar

Forester Media is hosting a webinar on March 22, 2016 at 11:00 am - 12:30 pm PDT exploring waste gas-to-energy applications, technologies, real-world case studies (e.g., DC Water and Hickory Ridge Landfill), and how you can select, design, and implement waste gas-to-energy at your waste site. The webinar will start with gas analysis fundamentals, waste gas streams (e.g., components, types, etc.), and what is needed to convert these to energy. Next will be a look at waste gas-to-energy systems, including key components, regulations, and considerations, as well as the opportunities for repurposing this energy on-site or on the grid. The speakers will then go through the process of analyzing your waste stream, selecting and designing the best waste gas-to-energy system for your site, and the best practices for successful implementation. The speakers will dig into siloxanes (what they are, where they come from, etc.) and how you can handle these non-toxic, corrosive compounds. The webinar will then take you on a tour of current waste gas-to-energy installations successfully recovering and repurposing waste gas into clean energy. Registration for the no cost webinar is available online. 03/03/2016  

Another 10,000 Biogas Plants Will Be Installed in Tanzania

The Tanzania Domestic Biogas Programme (TDBP) will continue to install 10,000 more biogas plants over a two-year period (2016-2017), following the implementation of 12,000 bio-digesters that have already benefitted more than 70,000 Tanzanian people. Tanzania’s Rural Energy Agency (REA) is supporting the project with a contribution of approximately USD 1.6 million that will mainly be used to provide investment discounts to households who plan to buy a biogas plant. These discounts will be channeled through the private enterprises that build the biogas plants. So far, more than 60 enterprises have already been established through the TDBP program. In addition to the investment discounts, the REA financing aims to expand the biogas market to new areas and facilitate the use of biogas in institutions like schools and prisons. The REA-financed project is managed by SNV, building on the operational capacity of TDBP. TDBP started operations in 2009 as part of the Africa Biogas Partnership Programme (ABPP). 03/02/2016

Blue Sphere to Develop Waste-to-Energy Project in The Netherlands

Blue Sphere Corporation has announced that it has entered into a non-binding Letter of Intent (LOI) with BTPB Holdings BV, a private company incorporated under the laws of the Netherlands to develop a waste-to-energy facility in the Brabant province of the Netherlands. BTPB is establishing an integrated waste solution in Brabant, Holland and intends to work with Blue Sphere to construct and operate a waste-to-energy plant. As part of the agreement with BTPB, Blue Sphere will enter into a long term lease agreement with BTPB. Blue Sphere will develop, own and operate the Anaerobic Digester plant that will generate at least 2.5MW of electricity and 1,500 m3/h of upgraded biogas. Pursuant to the LOI, the contemplated facility would cost approximately $24,250,000 to construct and would take approximately twelve months to build.  03/02/2016

Due 07/01/2016: Offers to SDG&E for 2016 Preferred Resources LCR

San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) issued its 2016 Preferred Resources Local Capacity Requirement (LCR) Request for Offers (RFO) to solicit bids  in accordance with Decision (D.) 14-03-004 – Decision Authorizing Long-Term Procurement for Local Capacity Requirements due to Permanent Retirement of the San Onofre Nuclear Generation Station (the “Track 4 Decision”) on February 26, 2016. SDG&E is requesting offers for the following resources: Energy Efficiency (EE), Demand Response (DR), Renewables, Energy Storage, and Distributed Generation (DG). SDG&E is seeking up to 140 MW in aggregate from all product types included in this RFO. SDG&E is interested in resources that can begin deliveries as early as 2018 but will consider later start dates, is not specifying any required term, but some portion of the delivery term must encompass all of calendar year 2022. The non-mandatory Pre-Bid Conference / Bidder Outreach Event will be held on April 13, 2016.  Questions should be submitted to SDG&E’s RFO team by email at <>. The deadline to submit questions is June 17, 2016. Offers must be uploaded to and received on the PowerAdvocate ® platform no later than 1:00 PM Pacific Prevailing Time on July 1, 2016. 03/02/2016

Toronto Environmental Alliance Releases Zero Waste Toronto

The Canadian non-profit Toronto Environmental Alliance has released a brief report providing concepts for the city's waste management strategies over the next 50 years. The report is in response to the city's own release early last month of a draft Long Term Waste Management Strategy, which continues assessments and public reviews since 2013, and initiates a formal six month public consultation period. The city's draft plan offers a new "5Rs" strategy: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Recover, Residual Disposal. The city's Public Works and Infrastructure Committee presented a staff report for consideration on March 1, 2016 describing the draft strategy and was adopted without amendment. For more information about the Waste Strategy contact: Robyn Shyllit, Public Consultation Unit, <> or call 416-392-3760. 03/01/2016

EPA SBIR Funds Small Businesses to Develop Environmental Technologies

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced eight contracts to small businesses to develop innovative technologies to protect the environment, funded through EPA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program. The phase II contracts will provide the companies $300,000 to further develop and commercialize their products and ideas. Phase II awards are only available to companies that previously submitted research proposals for their innovative technologies and were awarded phase I contracts up to $100,000. The technologies of two of the eight awardees are focused on waste conversion: Environmental Fuel Research, LLC,Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for developing a system to produce biofuel from grease trap waste; and Sustainable Bioproducts, LLC, Bozeman, Montana, for developing a low-cost, simple, and scalable microbial process for conversion of municipal solid waste to fuels using fungus. 03/01/2016

Anellotech Granted Patent for Process to Convert Biomass into Biochemicals

New York based Anellotech, Inc has announced that it has been granted US Patent Number 9,249,080 that describes a catalytic process for converting non-food biomass into a wide range of intermediates for the chemical industry. The 18 claims in the patent are particularly focused on the production of intermediates such as p-xylene, terephthalic acid, styrene, cumene, and adipic acid that are utilized at large scale for polymer production. Anellotech's core technology, thermal catalytic biomass conversion (Bio-TCat™) for production of chemicals from renewable, non-food biomass is being developed by the company. The Bio-TCat technology is covered under issued patents and filed patent applications owned by Anellotech as well as those licensed on an exclusive and global basis from the University of Massachusetts. 03/01/2016

Due 04/13/2016: Canadian SME Tech Proposals to Reduce GHG Emissions

The Climate Change and Emissions Management Corporation (CCEMC) and the Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) organization have jointly released a Call for Funding Applications, seeking pre-commercial stage development proposals from Canadian small and medium enterprises. The CCEMC manages a fund as a key element of Alberta’s overall Climate Change Strategy, and have committed $350 million toward 107 clean technology and climate change adaptation projects its inception in 2009. This call for applications is intended for Canadian Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) to develop and demonstrate new and innovative technologies that have strong potential to result in significant, verifiable and sustainable greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions in Alberta and Canada. Four Strategic Investment Areas have been identified: Cleaner Energy Production and Usage, Methane Reductions, Energy Efficiency and Conservation, and New and Better Uses for Carbon Dioxide. The solicitation requires applicants to form a consortium with at least one non-related partner. Up to C$40 million is available, with no more than C$10 million available for any one project. Submission deadline is April 13, 2016 using the on-line SDTC Application Portal. Questions should be submitted via email to <>. 03/01/2016

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