November 2012 News and Matters of Interest

Ameresco's Butte County Landfill Gas to Energy Plant Grand Opening

Massachusetts based Ameresco, Inc has announced a December 5, 2012 ribbon cutting ceremony at the company's new Butte County, California landfill gas to energy plant. US Congressman-Elect Doug LaMalfa and local leaders will join Ameresco executives for a ceremony to recognize the completion of construction on the project at Butte County’s Neal Road Waste and Recycling Facility (NRWRF). The facility is scaled initially to generate around 2.2 megawatts of electricity (MWe), with plans for expansion to 4.3 MWe. Ameresco designed, built, owns, operates, and maintains the facility; a portion of the revenues from the sale of power will be returned to the County for the duration of the 25-year contract. In 2006, the Butte County Board of Supervisors endorsed pursuing renewable "energy farm" projects. The County selected Ameresco to collect methane gas produced by decaying organic materials at the NRWRF and combust it to generate electricity. Steve Lambert, Chair of the Butte County Board of Supervisors: “After years of hard work, I am really pleased with the completion of this project. This innovative public-private partnership further increases the County’s renewable energy production while generating revenues for the County. I want to thank all those who made the project possible including the Board of Supervisors, Ameresco, PG&E, permitting agencies as well as County staff.” Contact Bill Mannel ( ) at Butte County for more information by email or at (530) 879-2350. 11/29/2012

UK's DECC Launches Energy Bill, Delivers Annual Energy Strategy

Edward Davey, Secretary of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)  in the United Kingdom, delivers the annual Statement on Energy Policy to Parliament today. An announcement from the DECC explained that the annual report is concurrent with the launch of a new Energy Bill. Secretary Davey: “The Bill will support the construction of a diverse mix of renewables, new nuclear, gas and CCS, protecting our economy from energy shortfalls and significantly decarbonising our electricity supply by the 2030s as part of global efforts to tackle climate change." Reacting to the launch of the Energy Bill, Charlotte Morton, chief executive of the Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association (ADBA) said: "Agreement on funding for renewables in the Energy Bill could be used to provide much needed clarity to the sector, as it is only through clear long term policy that the AD industry and other renewables can attract the investment to deliver their potential for energy security, carbon reduction and economic growth. Proposals in the Bill could go further, however. Commitment to a 2030 decarbonisation target and recognition of the benefits of green gas over shale and other fossil fuel gases would help deliver further certainty to investors. The Energy Bill also represents an opportunity for considering the interaction of energy with other policy areas, and joining up thinking across energy, waste, farming, land use, transport and economic growth in order to ensure that the UK meets its long term objectives." 11/29/2012

Due 01/08/2013: Letter of Intent to NSF for STTR FY-2013 Solicitation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has released the Fiscal Year 2013 Small Business Technology Transfer Program (STTR) solicitation, this year focused on Accelerating Sustainability using Enabling Technologies (ASET). Section A. 10 of the STTR 2013 Solicitation defines the ASET Research Topic, requiring that proposals "focus on technologies aimed at attaining environmental and economic sustainability" and must address one of six subtopics, Sustainable Energy, Sustainable Chemistry, Education for Sustainability, Predictive Information Systems, Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing, or Sustainable Biotechnology Applications. In addition, proposers must clearly identify the intended commercial outcome of the research: product, process or service. For the Sustainable Energy subtopic: " Proposed projects may include new critical devices, components, systems and materials for sustainable energy in any of the following areas: energy harvesting and conversion from renewable resources, (including, for example, biological pathways but excluding solar technologies); sustainable energy storage solutions; nature-inspired processes for sustainable energy solutions and carbon storage; reducing carbon and resource intensity of hydrocarbon extraction, energy conversion and use; and new technologies that support smart infrastructures (such as materials, sensors, devices and control systems) to ensure efficient and sustainable energy transmission, distribution, monitoring and management." A Letter of Intent is mandatory and is due January 8, 2013. The full proposal must be submitted between January 6, 2013 and February 6, 2013. See the solicitation's web page for contacts and further information. 11/29/2012

CleanWorld Schedules Inaugural Open House for 2nd Sacramento Biodigester

California based CleanWorld has announced an open house to celebrate launch of its 2nd organic waste recycling center in the Sacramento region, established in conjunction with the Sacramento South Area Transfer Station. CleanWorld's high-solids anaerobic digestion (AD) plant will convert around 25 tons per day (10,000 tons per year) of food waste and other organics from area restaurants, food processing companies, and supermarkets into methane-rich biogas. The company broke ground for the facility this past June. Next year, the company plans to expand operations to process almost 40,000 tons per year. Onsite operations for upgrading, compressing, and dispensing the produced biogas are also expected to be completed in 2013 to fuel the local hauling company's fleet along with agency clean-fuel vehicles. CleanWorld will also use a portion of the biogas to produce electricity to run the facility. CleanWorld’s systems are based on AD technology developed at the University of California, Davis that converts food waste, agricultural residue and other organic waste with up to 50 percent solid content into renewable energy, fertilizer and soil enhancements, without adding water. Financing provided by Synergex, Five Star Bank, Central Valley Community Bank, California Energy Commission, CalRecycle, and California Office of State Treasurer. The inauguration ceremony starts at 10am; parties interested in attending should contact CleanWorld () at (800) 325-3472. 11/28/2012

GreenAngel Energy Seeks $100K Private Placement

Canadian investment company GreenAngel Energy Corp has announced the launch of a non-brokered private placement to accredited investors to raise a maximum of $100,000 from the issuance of one million units at a price of $0.10 per unit. Proceeds from the private placement will be used for general working capital and to consider additional investments in emerging clean energy technologies. GreenAngel's investments to date include the waste conversion startup Paradigm Environmental Technologies with their patented "micro-sludge" technology for turning sewage sludge into biomethane and biochemicals, as well as six other energy-related companies: Delaware Power Systems, Mazza Innovation, Light-Based Technologies, Habitat Carbon Assets, Rapid Electric Vehicles, and DPoint Technologies. The firm has also launched GreenAngel Energy Ventures (VVC) Corporation as an angel fund to invest solely in Clean Energy Technology startup ventures in B.C. Primary investors in GreenAngel Energy include TMX Group, owners and operators of the Toronto Stock Exchange and the TSX Venture Exchange, and SEDAR, the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval developed to enable the public dissemination of Canadian securities information collected in the securities filing process and provide electronic communication between electronic filers, agents and the Canadian securities regulatory agencies. The GreenAngel Energy private placement is subject to receipt of necessary stock exchange approvals. 11/28/2012 Update: GreenAngel Energy Corporation has announced that it has completed its non-brokered private placement of 1,000,000 units for gross proceeds of $100,000. The private placement was fully subscribed. As part of the offering, the directors of GreenAngel purchased 690,000 of the available units. Each unit is comprised of one common share in the capital of GreenAngel and one non-transferable common share purchase warrant. Each warrant entitles the holder to acquire one common share at an exercise price of $0.10 during the first two years of the warrant term. 12/03/2012

FortisBC Begins Operation of Landfill Biogas Upgrade Plant for Grid Injection

The Canadian utility FortisBC has announced that raw biogas extracted from the Salmon Arm Landfill will be upgraded and injected into the local natural gas distribution system as the first such project in British Columbia. The landfill is owned and operated by the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD. The collaborative project received support from the BC Bioenergy Network and the Province of BC's Innovative Clean Energy Fund (ICE) following approval of an application filed by FortisBC with the British Columbia Utilities Commission in 2011. FortisBC’s biogas plant will scrub out the impurities in the gas to make it usable by customers. Once upgraded, there is no difference between renewable natural gas from the landfill and natural gas that is delivered to people’s homes. The displacement of fossil fuel with renewable natural gas, a carbon neutral source of energy, is expected to initially save about 1,250 tonnes of carbon dioxide greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere per year, with potential generation capacity of 25,000 gigajoules (GJs) annually. Michael Weedon, Executive Director: "BC Bioenergy funds best-in-class, first time demonstration biomass energy projects that can be replicated across the province – and this project ticks all the boxes. FortisBC and the CSRD have shown how we can both reduce methane emissions and create a clean renewable gas supply for the province of British Columbia." 11/26/2012

Asian Development Bank Signs $800MM in Loans for Chinese Waste to Energy

The Asian Development Bank has announced four loans of around $200 million each to support waste to energy (WtE) projects in the People's Republic of China (PRC) to subsidiaries of China Everbright International Ltd. The PRC intends to install agricultural waste-to-energy capacity of up to eight gigawatts by 2015, focused on conversion of agricultural wastes. China Everbright is currently operating municipal WTE plants supported by the ADB, but limited access to finance in the agricultural WTE sector has prevented it from branching out into the agriculture sector. The ADB’s assistance will allow it to expand into plants which utilize a wide variety of agricultural waste, including straw, stalks, and tree bark. It will also target more municipal WTE plants utilizing all forms of combustible household and non-hazardous commercial waste. The overall project goal is to treat about 7,300 tons of waste a day, generating around 1,240 gigawatt-hours of electricity a year by 2016. Greenhouse gas emissions are also expected to be slashed by about 638,000 tons per annum by 2018. The PRC is the world’s biggest producer of agricultural waste, with around 700 million tons of crop straw produced in 2010 alone. It also generates about 200 million tons of municipal solid waste every year. Untreated disposal is increasing contamination of soil and groundwater nationwide. Incineration is recognized as a particularly effective method for waste treatment since it reduces waste volume by 90% and eliminates methane emissions. “The WTE option is very attractive for the PRC since the government has set the development of a recycling economy as a national goal,” said Shuji Hashizume, Investment Specialist in ADB’s Private Sector Operations Department, during the signing ceremony. 11/26/2012

Mexican Researchers Convert Distillery Waste to Methane Using UASB Reactor

Collaborating researchers in Mexico have published their research on the use of modified anaerobic digestion for treatment of hydrous ethanol vinasse, the stillage generated during production of hydrous ethanol from sugar cane molasses. While the acidic molasses is aerobically fermented for ethanol production, the vinasse can be anaerobically digested due to the high-solids loading to avoid the need to dispose of the wastes and to convert it into methane and stabile soil amendments. Hydrous ethanol production residuals from sugar cane molasses are more complex than those generated as stillage from wine and beer production. The vinasse has been reported to be used for irrigation and fertilization due to its high nutrient and organic matter content. Nevertheless, the presence of phytotoxic, antibacterial and recalcitrant compounds such as phenols, polyphenols and heavy metals has been observed to cause negative effects on microorganisms and plants in discharge areas. The team used a modified upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactor to determine the optimal organics loading rate for vinasse digestion. The UASB reactor was modified to allow the vinasse slurry to be added undiluted, reducing the total process water demand and effluent water treatment requirements. Findings indicated that at an optimal solids loading rate of 17 kilograms of vinasse per cubic meter per day, generating a biogas with a very high methane content of 84%. The resulting digestate showed a modest 69% chemical oxygen demand reduction while retaining high percentages of useful nutrients. The peer-reviewed article is available at no charge on-line in the journal "Biotechnology for Biofuels" 2012, 5:82. 11/25/2012

Suiker Unie, GasTerra, BioMCN Sign Biogas Supply Agreement

Dutch biogas production and distribution company BioMCN has announced entering into an agreement to purchase biomethane generated by the firm Suiker Unie from anaerobic digestion (AD). The agreement also covers transport and delivery of the biogas by GasTerra. The agreement was announced at the grand opening of Suiker Unie's plant at Vierlaten, the Netherlands. Sudie Unie's AD plant will digest around 100,000 tons of vegetable residues, such as sugar beet tails and leaves that remain when processing sugar beet into sugar. The production is certified by DEKRA in accordance with the NTA 8080 sustainability scheme, which verifies the sustainability of the production chain. GasTerra will deliver the biogas to BioMCN with Vertogas biogas certificates. The certificates provide clarity and authentication for producers, traders and purchasers regarding the origin of the biogas. BioMCN processes the biogas into second generation bio-methanol. Bio-methanol is an important renewable raw material for various applications, such as biofuels, plastics and paints. The new plant increases biogas production capacity to a total of 25 million m3, making Suiker Unie, part of the Dutch firm Royal Cosun,  one of the largest producers of biogas in the Netherlands. 11/25/2012

German Biogas Project Developer agri.capital Expands into UK Market

The International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) reports that one of the largest German anaerobic digestion (AD) project developers, agri.capital GmbH, has signed a Framework Agreement with London area AD development and management company BioWatt Ltd. The mutual cooperation agreement provides the German company an immediate presence with a pipeline of AD and biogas projects in the United Kingdom (UK). BioWatt provides engineering, development, operations and maintenance, and financing solutions for the composting and anaerobic digestion industrial sector in the UK. The agri.capital Group develops, plans, and operates biogas plants for combined heat and power, including the production of biomethane to feed into the natural gas grid. Currently agri.capital operates biogas plants in 80 locations, for a combined capacity of around 70 megawatts. The companies said that agri.capital's initial objective is to secure a 50 MW capacity in the UK through majority ownership of biogas projects and BioWatt will offer long-term facilities management of its own and third party projects where required. Dr. Anton Daubner, CEO of agri.capital: "We believe biogas and biomethane will be critical to Europe reaching its renewable energy and greenhouse gas reduction targets for 2020 and beyond. We have built a substantial business in the EU, principally in Germany, and we are very pleased to be able to partner with BioWatt as our first step into becoming a significant player in the UK market." 11/25/2012

DOE Webinar Scheduled on Collaboration to Advance Bioenergy Research

The US Department of Energy's (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Biomass Program has announced a live webcast titled "Global Solutions for Global Challenges: International Collaboration to Advance Bioenergy Research" on December 5, 2012 from 1:00 to 2:30pm, eastern time. The webinar is free but space is limited and advance on-line registration is required. The webcast will highlight the progress of ongoing research collaboration among scientists supported by the Energy Department and researchers from China, Brazil, Canada, Finland, and other countries. DOE National Laboratory scientists will discuss their collaboration on feedstock logistics and biomass conversion technologies that will accelerate the commercialization of advanced biofuels. The webinar will feature the International Organization for Standardization, an initiative to foster robust international sustainable biofuels markets through better performance metrics. The DOE's Biomass Program is focused on forming cost-share partnerships with key stakeholders to develop, demonstrate, and deploy technologies for advanced biofuels production from lignocellulosic and algal biomass. The program works with a broad spectrum of industrial, academic, agricultural, and nonprofit partners across the United States to develop and deploy commercially viable, high-performance biofuels, bioproducts, and biopower from renewable biomass resources in America to reduce our dependence on imported oil. 11/23/2012

University of Wisconsin GVL Solvent Process Simplifies Biomass Pretreatment

The University of Wisconsin - Madison has announced that a research team in its Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering has developed a streamlined process for cellulose and hemicellulose pretreatment prior to production of biofuels and bio-sourced chemicals. Professors James Dumesic and Michel Boudart, and members of their research group described the process in a paper published online in the journal "Energy & Environmental Science." Co-processing of hemicellulose and cellulose, which have significantly different physical and chemical properties, is accomplished using the organic solvent gamma-valerolactone (GVL). In this strategy, the intermediary biosourced solvents are separated from the degrading biomass and recycled to further the pre-treatment. Professor James Dumesic: "You'd make the solvent as part of the process. Water is used now, but it leads to low rates and low yields of desired products." Following the γ-valerolactone (GVL) production from LA and levulinate esters, GVL is converted to butene, hence providing the butene required for esterification and butene oligomers. The team also completed an economic assessment of the process potential, concluding that the minimum selling price of butene oligomers from a 1365 dry tons per day of loblolly pine processing facility was $4.92 per gallon of gasoline equivalent, and that the biomass feedstock price is the main cost driver. Dumesic says the process could scale to a continuous-flow reactor. 11/23/2012

Base Structures Awarded Technology Research Grant from Innovate UK

United Kingdom (UK) biogas storage company Base Structures has announced receipt of a research grant from the Innovate UK program. The grant will facilitate collaboration with a research institution to systematically analyze process efficiencies in the firm's tensile-fabric biogas storage modules, including the design and manufacture of a biogas storage membrane for use as a gas accumulator in the anaerobic digestion (AD) process. Methane gas is stored within the accumulator in a factory sealed fabric ‘bag’. Excess biogas generated from an AD plant is pumped into one of two bags within the tensile fabric containment; a second bag is filled with air which is released as more biogas is stored. When the fuel gas is needs, the air bag is inflated to deliver pressurized and closely metered biogas on demand. By developing new fabrics it will be possible to reduce costs and inefficiencies in the AD system and therefore improve the financial viability of all AD operations. Earlier this month, Base Structures announced new triple-membrane biogas containment systems contracts in France for a large on-farm anaerobic digestion facility, and the United States for multiple smaller 25 and 50 cubic meter modules. The company gained further recognition with receipt of a 2012 International Achievement Award from the Industrial Fabrics Association International during ceremonies in Boston on November 7th. 11/23/2012

Big Dutchman Partners with MT-Energie for Biogas Plant Development

German animal husbandry equipment supplier Big Dutchman has announced a new partnership with biogas facility company MT-Energie GmbH for development and sale of anaerobic digestion to biogas projects. Concurrently, Big Dutchman has detached all biogas business relations from its own subsidiary BD AgroRenewables GmbH & Co KG (BD Agro). The subsidiary company will be taken over by a previous manager and continue biogas project development in Germany, under a new name. In the collaboration, Big Dutchman customers will work with MT-Energie for construction of biogas plants. The partners plan to increase activity in non-EU markets, providing MT-Energie a growth avenue without having to invest in their own sales infrastructure in each market. Big Dutchman profits from the high technical and commercial expertise of MT-Energie, and has invested in a 5% shareholding position in the company. Torben Brunckhorst, managing director of MT-Energie GmbH: "For MT-Energie the cooperation is proof of the success of our business model. Of special interest to us are the markets Russia, Brazil, North America and Asia. In addition we also expect synergy effects in EU-markets like France, UK or Italy." 11/23/2012

FuelCell Energy to Deliver Biogas Power to Microsoft Data Center in Wyoming

Connecticut based fuel cell developer FuelCell Energy, Inc. has announced provision of renewable power to Microsoft Corporation's latest data center research project in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The 200 kilowatt electric (kWe) Direct FuelCell® (DFC®) power plant will be installed at Cheyenne's Dry Creek Water Reclamation Facility by spring 2013 in a modular facility housing Microsoft's servers. Power generated above the electrical demand of the data center will be provided to the water reclamation facility to offset their electric costs, and will be designed to provide stand-alone power during regional electrical outages. DFCs efficiently convert renewable biogas from wastewater treatment into continuous baseload power virtually absent of pollutants. Prior to being used as a fuel source for the Direct FuelCell, the humidity and sulfur must be removed, but the DFC technology does not require the removal of the CO2. Partners in the project include the Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities, Cheyenne Light, Fuel and Power Company, Western Research Institute, the University of Wyoming, the Wyoming Business Council, and Cheyenne LEADS, the economic development organization for Cheyenne and Laramie County, Wyoming. The City of Cheyenne applied for a $1,500,000 Community Readiness grant through the Wyoming Business Council's Business Ready Communities program earlier this year to fund the needed infrastructure to support the Data Plant project. The application has been recommended by the Business Council board at its November 6, 2012 meeting and is on the December 6, 2012 agenda for the Wyoming State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB) for a final decision. "Although still in the application phase and the final decision has yet to be made, this is a great project and an example of our broad efforts in advanced energy technologies and clean carbon conversion in Wyoming," said Bob Jensen, Chief Executive Officer, Wyoming Business Council. "Our board approved this application and it will be voted on by the State Loan and Investment Board December 6 for its final decision." 11/21/2012

Cavanaugh & Associates Wins ACEC/NC Award for Pig Waste to Energy Project

Winston-Salem, North Carolina based Cavanaugh & Associates have announced receipt of the Grand Conceptor Engineering Excellence Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of North Carolina (ACEC/NC). The ACEC/NC annually recognizes the year’s most outstanding engineering accomplishments by awarding projects that demonstrate the highest degree of achievement, value, and integrity. The award was given to recognize the company's work on the Pig Power swine-waste-to-energy project on the Loyd Ray Farms, which is the first pig farm in North Carolina to generate Renewable Energy Credits (REC’s) from pig waste. Begun in 2010, Cavanaugh & Associates commissioned Duke University to develop the anaerobic digestion process for conversion of the manure to biogas to fuel microturbines, generating 500 kilowatts of electricity. Duke University now counts the greenhouse gas emission reductions (carbon offsets) toward its voluntary carbon neutrality goal. This project is expected to prevent the release of the equivalent of 5,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. The region's utility company Duke Energy applies the renewable energy generated by the microturbine toward its Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standard (REPS) requirements. Under the North Carolina Utilities Commission Rule 66, the Loyd Ray Farms project qualifies for Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). Google, Inc.'s Google Green is an investor in the carbon credits generated by the Pig Power project. Cavanaugh’s CEO, Steve Cavanaugh: “Loyd Ray Farms is a testament to the importance of creating sustainable agriculture and Cavanaugh’s commitment to Stewardship through Innovation when it comes to finding ways to keep North Carolina moving forward. Because this is our home too, Cavanaugh welcomes creative partnerships with companies like Google who support the idea of using animal “waste” as an alternative fuel source. It’s truly a win-win scenario for us and our environment.” 11/21/2012

Nanoparticle Research Breakthrough Can Aid Biofuel Production

Researchers at Rice University in Houston, Texas have just announced the publication of findings that describe use of nanoparticles to generate vapor from liquids using only sunlight as an energy source. It is also not necessary to heat the entire volume of the liquid to the boiling point. Details of the solar steam method were published online today in ACS Nano. The team's publication reports that the new "Solar Steam" technology has an overall energy efficiency of 24 percent compared, for example, to photovoltaic solar panel efficiency of around 15%. Rice engineering undergraduates have already created a solar steam-powered autoclave that’s capable of sterilizing medical and dental instruments at clinics that lack electricity. From the paper's abstract: "Solar illumination of broadly absorbing metal or carbon nanoparticles dispersed in a liquid produces vapor without the requirement of heating the fluid volume. When particles are dispersed in water at ambient temperature, energy is directed primarily to vaporization of water into steam, with a much smaller fraction resulting in heating of the fluid. Sunlight-illuminated particles can also drive H2O-ethanol distillation, yielding fractions significantly richer in ethanol content than simple thermal distillation. These phenomena can also enable important compact solar applications such as sterilization of waste and surgical instruments in resource-poor locations." Corresponding authors at Rice University are Naomi Halas ( ) and Peter Nordlander (). 11/20/2012

Leaf Energy's Patent Application for Glycerol Bio-refinery Process Progressing

The Australian company Leaf Energy has announced that patent applications for a novel cellulosic biomass pre-treatment technique are due for Patent Cooperation Treaty publication on December 6, 2012. Publication typically takes place 18 months following the original application filing, and third parties may file observations regarding the "invention" over the next 28 months. The patent application titled “Methods for Converting Lignocellulosic Material to Useful Products” (“Glycerol Bio-refinery process”) describes the process developed by and licensed from researchers at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Biofuels production from waste agricultural biomass requires fiber pretreatment, conversion of the pretreated fiber into sugars and production of ethanol and co-products. The new process uses lower temperatures for enzymatic pre-treatment, requiring less energy and reducing thermal degradation. Data published in the patent specification for the “Glycerol Bio-refinery Process” shows that after 24 hours this process has liberated over 90% of the digestible cellulose; the results have been successfully repeated at pilot scale, at the Mackay Renewable Bio-commodities Pilot Plant operated by QUT. Trials have been conducted using bagasse conversion to sugars; the patents include a broader array of lignocellulosic feedstock. Leaf Energy is working towards the first major Cellulosic Ethanol production project in Australia. It will be a significant opportunity to profile the groundbreaking “Glycerol Bio-refinery Process” in a pilot scale demonstration of cellulosic ethanol production from sugarcane bagasse. 11/20/2012

Scottish Biofuel Programme Launched to Support Biofuels from Waste

The economic development organization Scottish Enterprise has announced the official launch of the Scottish Biofuels Programme with the goal of producing biofuel from wastes and residues. Led by the Biofuel Research Centre at Edinburgh Napier University, the Scottish Biofuel Programme is a partnership between five Scottish Universities and research institutions. The University of Abertay Dundee, Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS), University of Edinburgh, and Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) will work alongside Edinburgh Napier to help small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) develop low carbon technologies, products, and services. SMEs can apply to the program’s Business Innovation Fund, which has a total volume of £70k per year available through competitive grants. The new program will receive £582k of co-funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) over three years, to help meet the European Union's (EU) Renewable Energy Directive which states that 10% of fuel sold in the EU must be biofuel by 2020. Partner institutions will showcase a number of existing projects, including Edinburg Napier's waste-to-biobutanol research, and Abertay University's work with Scottish SMEs on the conversion of organic residues from agriculture and the brewery and distillery industries. Professor Martin Tangney, Director of Edinburgh Napier’s Biofuel Research Centre: “We are mandated by the EU to have 10% biofuel by 2020 and the current debate on biofuel legislation is putting increased pressure on the industry to produce biofuel from wastes and residues. This Government backed partnership is aimed at helping Scottish SMEs to achieve exactly that goal and we will provide a business and R&D support base to grow the biofuel sector in Scotland.” 11/19/2012

Harvest Power Honored by New England Clean Energy Council

Massachusetts based Harvest Power has announced that it has been recognized as "Breakout Company of the Year" by the New England Clean Energy Council (NECEC). The award, announced at NECEC’s fifth-annual Green Tie Gala, emphasized Harvest’s dramatic progress this year, including breaking $100 million in revenue, securing a $125 million Series C funding round, crossing the 400 employee threshold and nearing completion on two of the largest anaerobic digestion facilities in North America. Founded in 2008, Harvest converts organic wastes into energy and nutrient-rich soils, mulches and natural fertilizers from organic materials. Harvest Power was 2010 winner of NECEC’s “Emerging Company of the Year” award, and has since grown to manage more than 2 million tons of organic material through 28 operating sites in North America. Paul Sellew, CEO of Harvest: “We’re honored by NECEC’s recognition, and we believe this year’s success is a sign of even better things to come. Harvest will continue to revolutionize the way people look at organic materials, not just in New England, but across North America." 11/19/2012

Velocys and Ventech Partner to Develop North American Waste Gas to Liquids

Velocys Inc., a subsidiary of the United Kingdom's Oxford Catalyst Group, has announced a partnership with Ventech Engineering International LLC to develop distributed gas-to-liquid (GTL) plants throughout North America. The systems will be based on Velocys' microchannel Fischer-Tropsch (FT) catalytic reactors and provide a modular design minimizing on-site engineering. Applications will focus on conversion of "waste natural gas": stranded gas supplied in remote locations and other small sources at a production scale of 1,000 to 15,000 barrels per day (bpd) that could not be economically distributed through the natural gas pipeline infrastructure. Velocys will become Ventech’s preferred supplier of FT technology for modular GTL plants in North America, and Ventech will design, sell and deliver the GTL plants. Ventech has also contracted for FT reactors for use in the first commercial modular GTL plant, expected to be 1,400 bpd. Ventech's Project Investments division has $200 million in available capital to make equity investments in energy projects, and expects to co-invest in initial GTL plants. 11/19/2012

Due 12/07/2012: Proposals to CEC's Energy Innovation Small Grants Program

The California Energy Commission's (CEC) Public Interest Energy Research, Energy Innovations Small Grants program (PEIR / EISG) released the most recent suite of 2012 Program Solicitation Notices. The EISG program Grants Application Manual contains all current guidelines for the solicitations; proposals must advance science or technology not adequately addressed by competitive and regulated markets, involve an original innovative solution to a significant energy problem, be in the proof-of-concept phase, address a California market need, provide a clear potential benefit to California ratepayers and target one of seven specified PIER Research and development (R&D) areas. Solicitation 12-01 addresses non-transportation electricity grants, while Solicitation 12-01G is specific to non-transportation natural gas grants. Grants directed toward the transportation sector are identified as 12-01T-Electricity and 12-01T-Natural Gas. The EISG Program funds projects that determine the feasibility of energy research and development concepts relating to the Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) Program. The EISG program supports the early development of promising new energy technology concepts, a niche not covered by PIER general solicitations that focus primarily on development of established concepts. The CEC is offering EISG funding through its program administrator, the San Diego State University Foundation. All submissions and any questions should be directed to the EISG Program Administrator ( ), San Diego State University Research Foundation, 5250 Campanile Drive, MC 1858, San Diego, CA 92182-1858 at (619) 594-1049. Proposals are due December 7, 2012 no later than 5:00 PM. 11/18/2012

DoD Selects Sierra Energy for Fort Hunter Waste Conversion Installation

California based Sierra Energy has announced that the US Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded the company a $3 million grant to develop a community scale advanced waste gasification installation on the Army's Garrison Fort Hunter Liggett in Monterey County, California. The DoD has set strategic and achievable energy initiatives to reduce waste and increase renewable energy. The Army has selected the first six pilot installations to be net-zero energy, and the first six to be net-zero waste, by 2020. A net-zero waste installation reduces, reuses, and recovers waste streams by converting them to resource values with zero landfill over the course of a year. Net-zero energy calls for an installation to create as much energy as it uses. Fort Hunter Liggett was selected as both a net-zero energy and net-zero waste pilot site. Sierra Energy's modular and compact FastOx Pathfinder waste gasification system offers opportunities for renewable, distributed generation from clean and efficient conversion of many types of waste. The company conducts much of its research and development at the Army's Renewable Energy Testing Center (RETC) operated by Technikon at McClellan Park, Sacramento. Mike Hart, CEO of Sierra Energy: “We are honored to help the Department of Defense achieve their renewable energy goals. And the prominence of the project will show communities across the United States and beyond the benefits of deploying the FastOx Pathfinder community-scale system.” 11/16/2012

Enviva Secures $120MM for Construction of Two New Pellet Mills

Maryland's sustainable biomass company Enviva has closed on a Senior Secured Credit Facility valued at $120 million, the company's first corporate loan. Barclays Bank PLC, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Royal Bank of Canada, and Citigroup Global Markets, Inc. served as Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Book Runners. The proceeds of the debt offering will be used to complete the construction of two new 500,000 metric ton per year pellet mills, one each in Virginia and North Carolina, and to increase the storage capacity of Enviva’s deep-water port terminal in Chesapeake, Virginia to approximately 100,000 metric tons. This construction and expansion will complement Enviva’s existing manufacturing base and large operating footprint in the mid-Atlantic, Mississippi and Alabama. When complete in 2013, Enviva’s 1.72 million tons of combined annual capacity will help fulfill existing long-term supply agreements for the company’s solid renewable fuels to major European utility customers, including a contracted 240,000 metric ton per year pellet supply agreement with E.ON signed this past February. John Keppler, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Enviva: “As demand for sustainable biomass fuels continues to increase worldwide, the midstream supply sector must continue to grow alongside, aggregating and processing fragmented wood resources into high-quality renewable fuels and storing, terminaling and delivering them reliably to our customers." 11/16/2012

VinylLoop Releases White Paper on LCA of PVC Recycling and Reprocessing

Based in Belgium, the recycled plastics specialist VinylLoop has announced release of a White Paper on vinyl recycling and reconstituting based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. The company's process separates the Poly-Vinyl Chloride (PVC) compound from other materials (other plastics, rubber, metal, textile and others) by selective dissolution and filtration. The VinyLoop® R-PVC compounds produced can be processed in extrusion, calendering and injection moulding in various applications, such as hoses, foils, geo-membranes or shoes soles and are the functional equivalent of a ‘virgin’ material in terms of quality and property consistency. The White Paper describes how VinyLoop’s recycled PVC processing compared to producing virgin PVC results in a primary energy demand reduction of 46%, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction of 39% and water consumption by 72%. VinyLoop® Ferrara is a partnership between 2 companies, SolVin Italia, part of the SolVin joint venture (75% Solvay, 25% BASF), one of the largest PVC producers in Europe with the most extensive range of products and Ferrari Textiles, a manufacturer of tarpaulins. “We as a material producer take our responsibility to inform the whole value chain about the environmental footprint,” said Paolo Groppi, General Manager of VinyLoop. “This White Paper aims to create more demand pull for recycling.” 11/16/2012

Merrick to Engineer Sweetwater's 1st Commercial Cellulosic Sugar Facility

Colorado based Merrick & Company has announced that it has been awarded a contract to engineer Sweetwater Energy's first commercial scale cellulosic sugar production facility. Sweetwater uses patent-pending modular technology to produce sugars from several types of biomass including low-value agricultural residues and harvested wood. The purified C5 and C6 sugars are ready for use in advanced biofuel and biochemical production, while leftover lignin is converted to heat and power for the production facilities. Merrick will provide comprehensive facility design services. Sweetwater is scaling up processes proven in its pilot facility which successfully converted lignocellulosic biomass to fermentable sugars from late 2012 through 2011, selling the products to two companies working with the Department of Defense to make bio-based jet fuel. The commercial scale facility should be completed in 2013. “We needed an engineering design firm that understands the unique nature of how we’re trying to replace petroleum with renewable sugars,” says Ron Boillat, chief deployment officer at Sweetwater. “Merrick’s track record spoke volumes. Something as simple as a pump can pose difficulty when you’re dealing with biomass, so we needed a company that knew bioprocessing inside and out.” 11/16/2012

Oregon DEQ Releases Final Draft Conversion Technology Rules

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has released a number of proposed Final Draft rules developed within the agency's Conversion Technology Rulemaking. If adopted, the proposed rules would establish regulatory clarity through performance standards and solid waste permit requirements for conversion technology facilities. This would assure environmental protection, establish an appropriate fee schedule for this new permit category, and provide regulatory certainty for emerging technology providers and DEQ staff. Key changes to the CT Rules include revisions of Division 93: Definitions and Applications, providing clarification in the “feedstock” definitions, establishing a new definition for “treatment facilities” and expanding and clarifying types of sites that may not need a permit. In Division 96: Anaerobic Digestion and Composting, changes include addition to the composting facility performance standards of a requirement to demonstrate ability to store liquid digestate, identification of operational standards to demonstrate pathogen reduction for liquid digestate, and identification of testing standards for liquid digestate. For Division 96: Conversion Technology New Rules, exemption standards have been amended, as have criteria for low-risk facilities and performance standard criteria for conversion technology facilities. Division 97: Fee Rules have also been amended and clarified. Contact Bob Burrows (barrows.bob@deq.state) by email or at (541) 687-7354 for more information. 11/16/2012

Due 12/21/2012: Renewable Energy Proposals to SCE for RAM 3 RFO

Southern California Edison (SCE) has launched its Third Renewable Auction Mechanism Request for Offers (RAM 3 RFO) for Product from eligible renewable resources. The RAM 3 RFO is open to renewable electric energy generating facilities not less than 3 megawatts (MW) and not greater than 20 MW that are located within the service territories of SCE, PG&E, and SDG&E. Additional Offer qualification criteria can be found in the RAM 3 RFO Participant Instructions (RFO Instructions), available in the Documents section of the RAM 3 RFO website. Interested parties must register on the RAM 3 RFO website as an Offeror and complete prequalification in the Offer Management tab. Only those participants who have met the prequalification criteria may submit an. SCE will host an RFO Conference via Webex to discuss the RAM 3 RFO process on Thursday, November 29, 2012 at 9:00 am PPT. Conference details will be available on the RAM 3 RFO website. For an Offer to be considered in SCEs RAM 3 RFO, Offerors must submit complete Offer(s) via the RAM 3 RFO website no later than 12:00 pm (noon) Pacific Prevailing Time (PPT) on Friday, December 21, 2012.  11/16/2012

Energos Receives UK Environmental Permit for Waste Conversion CHP Facility

United Kingdom (UK) based Energos has received a full environmental permit to operate a small-scale municipal waste residuals gasification facility at the Knowsley Industrial Park in Merseyside, Knowsley, outside of Liverpool on England's western coast. The Energos Knowsley Energy Recovery Facility will process 96,000 tonnes of residual waste per year to generate 9 megawatts of electricity (MWe). UK's Environmental Agency opened public consultation on the project in February of this year, and has now set low limits for NOx emissions in recognition of Energos' capabilities of achieving NOx emissions of less than 25% of the EU limit without any form of NOx abatement system. The competed plant will complement local recycling by conversion of non-recyclable waste residuals into combined heat and power (CHP) for use by neighboring businesses. The initial construction stage has been completed; permits will allow start of construction of the final stage early in 2013. Energos' advanced conversion technology has also been selected for the treatment of residual waste at the proposed Milton Keynes Waste Recovery Park and at Viridor's Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre. 11/15/2012

Edeniq Partners with Usina Vale for Brazilian Bagasse to Sugar Demo Plant

California based biofuels company Edeniq, Inc has announced a partnership with the Brazilian ethanol company Usina Vale for development of a demonstration scale plant to convert sugarcane bagasse into fermentable sugars. Cellulosic sugars will be converted into ethanol at the site, showcasing how sugarcane mills can increase ethanol production economically with Edeniq’s patented bolt-on technologies, which break down biomass to liberate cellulosic sugars that can be converted into ethanol and other products. The Brazil plant will also include the company’s proprietary reactor design for continuous enzymatic conversion of biomass to sugar. The plant will handle up to 20 tons per day of bagasse and will be co-located at Usina Vale’s ethanol and sugar production site in São Paulo State, Brazil. Edeniq owns and operates a fully integrated two ton per day pilot plant in Visalia, California, in partnership with Logos Technologies, which is currently in operation converting cellulosic feedstock into low-cost cellulosic sugars and cellulosic ethanol. Key to the process is Edeniq’s proprietary Cellunator™, which mechanically pre-treats biomass so that it can be more easily converted to sugars, increasing sugar yield and thus driving an increase in ethanol yield. Edeniq integrates patented mechanical and biological processes to break down plant material into sugars. The companies have agreed to jointly fund the demo facility. Earlier this month, Edeniq partnered with Aemetis to increase the California based biofuel company's range of acceptable feedstock and production efficiency. 11/15/2012

National Gypsum Waste Heat to CHP Plant Begins Operations in New Jersey

Illinois based Recycled Energy Development LLC (RED) has announced the onset of operations for the waste heat to combined heat and power (CHP) installation at the National Gypsum Company (NGC) wallboard plant in Burlington, New Jersey. RED develops, owns, and operates power projects that harness waste energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and power costs. The cogeneration system captures the excess heat that is a natural byproduct of the gas turbine’s combustion and utilizes it within the manufacturer’s board dryer in order to dry wallboard. The project produces approximately 3.4 megawatts of clean electricity and delivers more than 30 million British thermal units (MMBtu) of useful thermal energy each hour of operation, resulting in an overall efficiency of greater than 90 percent. The project benefitted from a $1.3-million competitive grant administered by New Jersey’s Economic Development Authority and Board of Public Utilities. Earlier this year, RED secured waste heat to CHP agreements with Dean Foods where integrated utilization of waste heat recovered from on-site power generation will similarly increase efficiencies and reduce the company's overall greenhouse gas footprint. The Dean Foods and the NGC facility installations will all save money and cut pollution, demonstrating that waste heat recovery can reduce greenhouse gas emissions profitably. John Corsi, Vice President of Manufacturing Operations and Engineering of NGC: “CHP is benefitting our company’s bottom line. This facility allows the NGC to further strengthen our competitiveness, increase our reliability, as well as improve our environmental stewardship.” 11/15/2012

Due 01/16/2013: Proposals to Maui County for Waste Conversion and Energy

The Department of Environmental Management, County of Maui, Hawaii, has released a Request for Proposals (RFP #12--13/P32) seeking a developer to finance, plan, design, permit, construct, and own a waste-to-energy project at the Central Maui Landfill in Puunene, the largest of four county-run landfills. The plan would include diverting nearly 500 tons of waste from the county landfill and turning it into energy to power more than 10,000 homes. Proposals are due January 16, 2013 by 4:00 pm. This RFP follows the County's landfill gas utilization project solicitation a year ago, and a Request for Qualifications for the Waste Conversion project released in May of this year to develop the County's understanding of what might be possible and commercially available. For this RFP, a non-mandatory pre-bid meeting and site visit will be conducted November 27, 2012; contact Kyle Ginoza, Director of Environmental Management at (808) 270-8230 for meeting details. Interested parties need to contact and register with the County of Maui Purchasing Division; copies of the RFP and all subsequent updates are only distributed after no-fee registration. For technical questions please contact For technical questions please contact Kyle Ginoza at (808) 270-8230. For procedural questions, please contact Greg King at (808) 249-2403 x30. Address requests for a CD of the RFP to Bid Receiver, County of Maui Purchasing Division, 2145 Wells Street Suite 104, Wailuku, HI 96793. Proposals are due no later than January 16, 2012. 11/15/2012 

Due 12/19/2012: Proposals to SCAQMD for Landfill or Digester AQ Systems

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) has released a Request for Proposals (RFP #P2013-13) to solicit proposals for the deployment of selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) emission control technologies for internal combustion engines operating on landfill and/or digester gas (biogas) to meet SCAQMD’s January 1, 2016 Rule 1110.2 emission limits. The SCAQMD is a regional agency with jurisdiction over air quality in California’s South Coast Air Basin with a boundary that includes over 10,000 square miles and a population of approximately 17 million. Due to the nature of the potential projects, the actual award amount cannot be determined at this time. The successful bidding entities should have proven expertise in working directly with SNCR technologies and biogas renewable distributed electrical power generation. Proposals that include a host site demonstration partner, located in the South Coast Air Basin with landfill or digester gas application will be awarded additional points during the evaluation process. A non-mandatory bidder’s conference will be held in reference to this RFP on Friday, November 16, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. at SCAQMD Headquarters. Proposals must contain completed certification forms, and must be submitted to the SCAQMD on or before 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, December 19, 2012. Questions should be addressed to Alfonso Baez () or (909) 396-2516. 11/15/2012

ACORE Releases 2012 State-by-State Resource for Renewable Energy

The American Council On Renewable Energy (ACORE) has announced release of its 2012 "Renewable Energy in the 50 States", providing a two-page high level assessment of the key developments shaping the renewable energy marketplace in each state. The interactive on-line report comes with an executive summary, a map interface, a User's Guide, and a Glossary and includes information on installed and planned capacity, markets, economic development, resource potential and policy. The report shows that in 2011, the total installed base of renewable electricity exceeded 145 GW in the United States with more than 67 GW from non-hydropower sources. Every region in the country experienced growth in the 2011-2012 period from new wind farms in the Midwest, advanced biofuel facilities in the Southeast, solar farms in the West, to hydropower facility improvements in the Northeast. Washington, California, and Texas led in cumulative renewable power capacity, while Iowa, Nebraska, and Illinois led in renewable fuels capacity. Each state summary includes sections with a Capacity Chart and Resource Maps, and an assessment of Market, Economic Development, and Policies. ACORE, a 501(c)(3) non-profit membership organization, is dedicated to building a secure and prosperous America with clean, renewable energy. ACORE seeks to advance renewable energy through finance, policy, technology, and market development and is concentrating its member focus in 2012 on National Defense & Security, Power Generation & Infrastructure, and Transportation. 11/12/2012

KiOR Starts Operations in Columbus BioEnergy Facility

Texas based advanced biofuels company KiOR has announced start of operations and initial production of bio-oil at its Columbus, Mississippi production facility. News of production status was released with the company's third quarter financial results which showed an overall increase in net loss as all activities remained focused on commissioning and start-up of this first plant. KiOR has now successfully demonstrated the scalability of its Biomass Fluid Catalytic Cracking (BFCC) process, a two-step pyrolytic technology platform capable of converting low-vale agricultural residues and other waste biomass into "green crude" ready for further refining to gasoline and diesel equivalents. Last year, KiOR secured off-take agreements with both Catchlight (a Chevron / Weyerhaeuser joint venture) and FedEx for its advanced biofuels, and received Part 79 fuels certification from the EPA. Fred Cannon, KiOR's President and Chief Executive Officer: "I am pleased to announce that we have commenced operations at the Columbus facility and have produced a high quality oil that is in line with our specifications for upgrading into cellulosic gasoline and diesel. More importantly, we believe the high quality of the oil from the Columbus facility validates KiOR's proprietary biomass fluid catalytic cracking, or BFCC, technology at commercial scale." 11/12/2012

Veolia Signs 25 Year Residual Waste Treatment and Energy Recovery Contract

Veolia Environmental Services has announced signing a contract with the City of Leeds, United Kingdom to manage the City's recycling and residual municipal waste treatment including developments for energy recovery The agreement is a 25-year Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract valued at £460 million. The company was selected as preferred bidder in January of this year for the high-tech recycling and energy recovery facilities, which are estimated to save the municipality around £200 million over the term of the contract compared with the cost of landfilling its residual municipal waste. In order to meet European Landfill Directive targets it is essential to concentrate on converting waste into a resource. The British government estimates that achieving this target will require an investment of £10 billion in waste management infrastructure by 2020. Jérôme Le Conte, CEO of Veolia Environmental Services: " In the United Kingdom, Veolia Environmental Services is currently involved in 12 PFI/PPPs. This type of partnership contract will help make it possible to achieve the targets set under the European Landfill Directive. Veolia Environmental Services made the strategic decision, well before the market, to make waste a resource. In the United Kingdom in particular, clients are turning to us for innovative solutions that enable them to improve their environmental and energy performance." 11/12/2012

Due 11/21/2012: Responses to DOE RFI on Biomass Feedstock Logistic Systems

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the release of a Request for Information (RFI; DE-FOA-0000791) seeking stakeholder and research community input regarding efficient strategies and technologies for reducing the delivered cost of lignocellulosic biomass, increasing industry-accessible biomass volumes, and ensuring input quality specifications required by a variety of biorefinery processes are met. The DOE considers this information of high importance to achieving the 2022 biofuels goals for the Biomass Program under the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA, 2007). Although this is not a solicitation for proposals to be considered for funding, the DOE often follows RFIs with similarly focused Request for Proposals (RFP). The full text of the RFI is available on-line as is a Summary Report from the Biomass Densification Workshop that DOE hosted in Idaho Falls, Idaho in August 2011. The new RFI follows on the Workshop findings, seeking to optimize feedstock supply chain operations to be capable of reliably delivering feedstocks that meet a variety of material specifications, while being capable of reacting to the demands of the evolving biomass processing industry. Responses to this RFI must be submitted in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format by email () no later than 5:00 p.m. EDT on November 21, 2012. 11/12/2012

Praj to Build $30MM Lignocellulosic Biofuels Commercial Scale Demo

India based Praj Industries has announced that it is developing a $30 million commercial scale demonstration biorefinery for conversion of lignocellulosic biomass feedstock to ethanol. The 10 million litre (2.6 million gallon) per year facility will initially be based on a sugar fermentation platform, with the intent to expand India's ethanol production based on non-food agricultural residues. Praj is already engaged in "over 450 ethanol plants in 45 countries across 5 continents" with both beverage and industrial grade alcohol production plants. The advanced biorefinery is being developed at the company's Matrix Innovation Center inaugurated in 2008; construction is expected to break ground early in 2013. Pramod Chaudhari, Executive Chairman of Praj Industries, announced the project during his welcoming address at last week's F. O. Licht World Ethanol Conference in Munich: "The successful demonstration of various parameters at the demo-commercial plant will put Praj at the forefront of the biobased economy and in the race for commercial scale second generation biofuels. While this plant size is appropriate for emerging markets, with our past experience of quick scale up, it will be well within Praj's capability to scale the capacity even up to 10 times. I am pleased to say that Praj will be the first Company in the tropics to set up such an integrated facility." 11/11/2012

Stoel Rives Releases Free "Law of Biorefineries and Advanced Biofuels" Guide

Oregon based legal firm Stoel Rives has announced release of "The Law of Biorefineries and Advanced Biofuels", which covers issues such as early stage financing, business models, intellectual property, regulatory and permitting requirements, real property procedures, contracts and incentives. This is latest in its free "Law Of" series that address topics such as algae, wind, hydro, geothermal, and other legal arenas, and may be downloaded at no charge following on-line registration. The new Biorefineries guide draws on the firm's experience in first-generation biofuels while focusing on the particular challenges and legal issues facing next-generation biofuels and biochemicals. Stoel Rives attorney Graham Noyes, co-editor: "We are in the midst of the rapid commercialization of advanced biofuel and biochemical products. Recent state and federal policies have accelerated the growth of the U.S. advanced biofuel marketplace, and the industry's economics are increasingly attractive. As lawyers and supporters of the biofuel industry since its inception, we wanted to provide those in the industry with our insights into the legal landscape of this unique and dynamic energy source." 11/11/2012

CalRecycle Hosts 2nd MRF Technical Workshop in LA on Standards & Residuals

The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) has announced that it will host the second in a series of workshops on November 26, 2012 at the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Main Building to explore developing possible performance standards for Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs). The workshop will discuss 1) a standard for determining when mixed waste processing can be considered “comparable to source separation” to meet the requirements under the Mandatory Commercial Recycling law (AB 341); and 2) a standard for determining when MRF residuals have been processed such that sufficient recycled/composted materials have been recovered. Staff will present a proposed technical approach and provide a more in-depth analysis of its pros and cons, as well as discuss other possible options. Teru filed comments on the first MRF workshop, held October 5, 2012 in Sacramento; hopefully, the 2nd workshop will better address issues related to reprocessing on the MRF site for completion of the Recycling process. Contact for the Los Angeles workshop: Tranette Sanders (), (626) 458-3562. Sacramento program contact: Michelle Caballero (), (916) 322-4032. Direct questions, comments, and concerns by email (). 11/11/2012

Houston Places in Top 20 of Bloomberg Philanthropies Mayors Challenge

The City of Houston has announced its placement among the top 20 US cities in the Mayors Challenge, the latest initiative of Bloomberg Philanthropies to "spread proven and promising ideas among cities." The Mayors Challenge offers $9 million in prizes with a $5 million Grand Prize; the five "boldest ideas with the greatest potential for impact" will win project funding. Houston's entry detailed an innovative approach to waste management centered on the city's proposed "Total Reuse - One Bin for All" program that will "… eliminate source separation at the household level and achieve high waste diversion and recovery through game-changing technologies and new process systems. By developing the first total material resource recovery facility in the U.S., Houston will improve the health and quality of life of its citizens, divert more municipal solid waste than any other large city in the nation, improve air quality, save money, change the way citizens think about materials, reduce extraction of raw materials, and influence other cities to embrace this transformation. Houston will divert up to 75% of the waste stream, relying on technology, not individuals. Residents will place everything in one bin – allowing access to all materials, recyclables, food waste, yard trimmings, and e-waste – thus maximizing reuse." Annise Parker, Mayor of Houston: “The Challenge tapped into Houston's innovative spirit, asking us to find new solutions to persistent problems. We are an entrepreneurial City—if you can dream it, you can achieve it here. We look forward to Ideas Camp to help turn our dream of full reuse and recycling and improved public health into reality.” 11/10/2012

Cleantech Open's 2012 Global Forum Announces This Year's Finalists

The Cleantech Open has announced "category winners" following last week's Global Forum held in San Jose, California. Finalists will now compete for top prizes in this year's Cleantech Open Business Competition. Two of the finalists are focused on recovering renewable energy from "waste". In the case of New York headquartered Rentricity, that waste is the excess pressure that can be scavenged from existing water and wastewater piping, enabling water utilities to become energy independent. In April of this year, Rentricity received funding from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to integrate the company's PowerGate^TM and PowerWeir^TM modules in the City's water and wastewater piping infrastructure. The second finalist Red Ox Systems of New Haven Connecticut took the Air-Water-Waste category. Red Ox develops and commercializes the Electrochemical Desalination Cell, producing sodium bicarbonate and hydrochloric acid from the desalinization of wastewater, with an initial target market for this technology being wastewater treatment in the oil and gas industry. The Cleantech Open business competition and entrepreneur incubator is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization with a mission to "find, fund and foster entrepreneurs with big ideas that address today’s most urgent energy, environmental and economic challenges." Since 2006, the Cleantech Open has enabled hundreds of clean-technology start-ups to bring their breakthrough ideas to fruition and helped alumni contestants raise over $300M. 11/10/2012

WRAP Releases Household Waste and Recycling Centre Guidance

The United Kingdom Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has announced the release of a new guidance document focusing on best management practices in handling household waste and recycling centers. The guide is intended to assist all those involved in all aspects of waste handling, materials recovery facilities, and re-use and recycling centers. Direction is provided for local authorities on managing efficient and effective household waste and recycling centre (HWRC) services, including examples of good practice, and includes an overview of relevant UK legislation and evidence-based approaches to assessing and improving HWRC performance. Considerable data-rich background is provided to place current recommendations in context. Case studies are offered to document major categories of operations. Waste composition and characterization variability is explored for the entire UK, with examples of resulting impacts to management. Metrics and methods for measurement of Center effectiveness are provided. Key finding: "The single most important type of data for understanding how to improve HWRC performance relates to the composition of residual waste. It is therefore a good idea to monitor the composition of residual waste at HWRCs on a regular basis. As this tends to vary greatly between sites, local authorities operating a network of sites should monitor composition at most or all of the sites. Combining data on residual waste composition with recycling tonnage data can give you an understanding of the overall composition of HWRC throughputs, as well as capture rates for materials currently targeted. This can highlight which materials need a greater focus for recycling. It can also help to build a business case for targeting other materials which arise in significant quantities in HWRC residual waste." 11/10/2012

Covanta Refinancing Three Waste-to-Energy Plants with $335MM in Bonds

New Jersey based Covanta Holding Corporation has announced that it has priced new tax-exempt bonds totaling $335 million and are expected to close later in the month. Proceeds from the offerings will refinance existing tax-exempt project debt at its Haverhill, Niagara, and SEMASS facilities, as well as to fund certain capital expenditures in Massachusetts. The bulk of the refinancing, totaling around $65 million, will support refunding project debt for the Covanta Niagara Energy-from-Waste Facility. The Niagara Facility converts municipal solid waste (MSW) from the greater Niagara Falls / Buffalo Region into heat for steam production to drive turbines, using two 1,125 ton per day processing lines. Steam is also sold to surrounding industrial plants, while energy is sold to the New York State power grid. The Covanta Haverhill Energy-from-Waste Facility in Massachusetts will receive $87 million to refund its project debt. In operation since 1989, the plant converts 1,650 tons per day of regional MSW to generate up to 49 megawatts for sale into New England's power grid. An additional $20 million will be utilized in Massachusetts as new proceeds for qualifying capital expenses (capex). Another $67 million will refund project debt for the SEMASS plant, which converts 3,000 tons per day of processed refuse derived fuel while recovering around 50,000 tons of metals from pre- and post-combustion feedstock treatments. Bank of America Merrill Lynch is acting as lead manager on the transaction. Barclays, Guggenheim Securities and TD Securities are acting as co-managers. 11/10/2012

Edeniq and Aemetis Form Advanced Biofuels Implementation Partnership

California based biochemicals and biofuels specialist Edeniq, Inc has announced an agreement with advanced biofuels producer Aemetis to install Edeniq's biomass pre-treatment technologies in Aemetis' biofuels plant. Edeniq’s Cellunator™ technology produces sugars by milling corn and other plant materials into “right-sized” particles of feedstock that can be more easily converted. Aemetis’ Keyes, California facility currently produces 60 million gallons of ethanol annually using its patented Z-Microbe and ambient temperature starch / cellulose hydrolysis process. Aemetis is also one of three ethanol producers working with Edeniq on the company’s Pathway platform, a patented process that integrates enzymes with the Cellunator™ technology to produce cellulosic ethanol using the existing plant infrastructure. Aemetis is testing the commercial feasibility of the Pathway™ platform on site at their plant. Aemetis acquired the biofuel company Cilion and its Keyes ethanol plant in July of this year after more than a decade of development work with that company. Edeniq launched a pilot / demonstration biorefinery in Visalia, California after receiving a $3.9 million grant from the California Energy Commission. Brian Thome, President and CEO of Edeniq: “One of the benefits of having a location in the Central Valley of California is that we can help our customers take advantage of the agricultural resources this area provides. The installation at Aemetis will allow us to work together to begin to utilize non-food plant material and will further demonstrate Edeniq’s mission of leveraging current industry assets to bring additional unrealized ethanol fuels to market.” 11/10/2012

Due 11/30/2012: Renewable Energy Project Proposals to SCPPA

The Southern California Public Power Authority (SCPPA) has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking renewable energy products as structured projects. The SCPPA would prefer to hold an undivided equity interest in joint ownership of renewable energy projects with authority to sell all of the generated electricity to its members. SCPPA will also consider Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), which may include an option to purchase the project during the term of the agreement. Among the types of projects being sought are baseload technologies; bioenergy projects may include (1) dedicated waste feedstock or energy crops, (2) biogas, including landfill, digester gases and gas conversion or gasification technologies where the conversion to electricity occurs on the same premises as the source of fuel, and (3) biogas only, as previously sought in SCPPA’s June 2012 RFP on BioGas for delivery of pipeline quality fuel through existing infrastructures to be used at SCPPA’s conventional generation plants. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) or Waste to Energy technologies are also eligible that can demonstrate the absence of incineration and are able to obtain certification as a Renewable Resource by the California Energy Commission. Greenhouse Gas reduction projects will also be consider as mitigation measures, including reduction or capture and sequestration technologies. One hard copy including a Transmittal Letter of authentic offer with wet-ink authority signature, and any supporting documentation may be delivered at any time during normal business hours prior to the end of business day (4:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time) on November 30, 2012 to Southern California Public Power Authority, Attention: Kelly Nguyen, 225 S. Lake Avenue, Suite 1250, Pasadena, California 91101. One electronic copy must also be delivered on CD or USB flash-drive to the above address. Clarification questions may be addressed to Kelly Nguyen () at (626) 793-9364. Note: a new RFP will be posted by 01/01/2013 after closing of this RFP. 11/10/2012

Viridor and South London Waste Partnership Sign 25 Year Contract

Pennon Group Plc has announced that its subsidiary Viridor South London Ltd has signed a 25 year waste treatment agreement with the South London Waste Partnership. The agreement requires Viridor to finance, construct and operate a new Energy Recovery Facility (ERF) at Viridor's existing landfill and recycling facilities in Beddington, in the South London borough of Sutton. Viridor was selected as the preferred bidder in December 2011; the project has been undergoing extensive environmental assessment since that time. Viridor submitted formal planning applications in August 2012, and the contract depends upon permitting approval. The Beddington ERF has been designed to process around 275,000 tonnes of non-hazardous residual waste a year, focusing on conversion to energy of the wastes remaining after recyclates and compostable resources have been removed at the recycling facility. Environmental benefits will include landfill diversion of up to 95 per cent of waste delivered to the facility and the generation of up to 26MW of electricity, which will power the facility itself and supply over 22MW to the National Grid. District heating is also under consideration, using excess thermal energy generated in the conversion process. The project requires capital investment of approximately £200 million by Viridor and the plant will be built by the UK/French joint venture Lagan-CNIM as the EPC Contractor, the team selected to develop Viridor's Cardiff Energy from Waste facility in April of this year. 11/06/2012

BioAmber, Faurecia-Mitsubishi Chemical Collaborate for Automotive Bioplastics

BioAmber, Inc has announced that it will supply biobased succinic acid to the Faurecia-Mitsubishi Chemical partnership for production of automotive plastics. Faurecia has been conducting research into bioplastics derived from 100% natural materials since 2006 (BioMat project) and has signed an exclusive industrial partnership agreement with Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation to co-develop bioplastics designed for mass-production for use in automotive interiors. In August 2011, the BioAmber subsidiary Bluewater Chemicals began development of a bio-sourced succinic acid production plant in Sarnia, Canada. The biomaterial supply will enable the joint Faurecia-Mitsubishi Chemical program to develop a polymer that can be used in mass-production for automotive interior parts (door panel trim strip, structural instrument panel and console inserts, air ducts, door panel inserts, etc.) to reduce weight, increase the recyclability of components and improve the environmental impact of the product lifecycle from materials extraction through end-of-life. Nicolas Pechnyk, Vice President Engineering for Faurecia Interior Systems: "This strategic agreement with Mitsubishi Chemical will make Faurecia the first automotive equipment supplier to mass-produce a 100% bio-based plastic." 11/06/2012

Campbell Soup and CH4 Biogas Partner on Ohio's 1st Biogas Power Plant

Campbell Soup Company has announced a partnership with Florida based CH4 Biogas LLC to develop Ohio's first commercial anaerobic digestion (AD) facility for generation of methane-rich biogas to electricity. Feedstock is to be sourced from Campbell's Napoleon, Ohio beverage production facility and augmented with local food processor and dairy waste, converted in a digester with design capacity of up to 450 tons per day. CH4's Napoleon Biogas plant will be located on land across the street from Campbell's facilities in Harrison Township, in western Ohio. Construction is underway and slated for completion in mid-2013. The project is financed by EKF (Eksport Kredit Fonden), the Danish state export credit agency, which will provide a debt guaranty on the financing and with investments from CH4 Biogas and BNB Napoleon Biogas. The site is adjacent to a 60-acre, 9.8 MW solar system constructed by BNB Renewable Energy Holdings for Campbell in 2011 that currently provides 15 percent of power for Campbell’s Napoleon facility. Dave Stangis, Campbell’s Vice President of Public Affairs and Corporate Responsibility: “This new biogas technology will improve Campbell’s Napoleon recycling rate to approximately 95 percent, reaching the company’s 2020 destination goal for the site early." 11/06/2012

Vision Plasma Systems Signs Brazilian Manufacturing Agreement

Nevada based Vision Plasma Systems, Inc. has announced entering into an agreement with the Mayor of Londrina, in the State of Parana, Brazil, promising incentives to develop a manufacturing facility. The company said that the agreement promised financing and tax incentives, as well as land donation to induce it to manufacture the Arc Master I mobile plasma gasification system in Londrina. Londrina is at the center of the South American technology business zone called Mercosul, and offers a modern highway and railroad system that provides direct logistics access to the seaport of Paranagua. The Arc Master I mobile unit converts up to 5 tons per day of hazardous wastes without any air emissions or ash from the gasification process. The unit is built inside two ISO 40 ft metal containers to allow transport by truck, rail, ship, or plane worldwide for a mobile solution to the remediation of all forms of waste. The Arc Master I mobile unit is entirely self-powering, creating its own energy from the waste that it processes, and creating up to 240KW of usable electricity at the site. Vision Plasma Systems signed a $11.6 million agreement in August with Cell Runner of Japan to provide two of its modular plasma waste treatment systems for use in the Fukushima nuclear clean-up operations, and in September, arranged for $1 million in financing with Fairhills Capital of White Plains, New York. 11/05/2012

Renmatix Signs Russian Biochemical and Biofuels Development MOU

Pennsylvania based cellulosic sugar production company Renmatix has announced signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Russian State Corporation "Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs" (Vnesheconombank) and the venture capital firm Bright Capital Management. Under the MOU, the parties will "consider mutually beneficial relationships, potential collaboration and investment" in the biochemical and biofuels industries. The companies will pursue the development of a series of industrial plants that will produce cellulosic sugar from woody biomass. The Russian parties will assist in management of licensing for the Plantrose technology into the Russian Federation and will seek key Russian and international industrial partners. Duncan Cross, Renmatix Director and head of the company's Russian initiatives: "Russia's rich endowment of natural resources offers abundant opportunities for our technology. This MOU marks a step towards increasing the footprint of the Plantrose process. Renmatix's water-based conversion technology quickly and efficiently deconstructs woody biomass -in ample supply throughout Russia- into the affordable building blocks for bioethanol, and other sustainable chemicals and fuels." In January of this year, the chemical company BASF invested $30 million in Renmatix, and in August, the firm signed a collaborative agreement with Waste Management to explore conversion of urban wood waste to sugar. Renmatix's proprietary Plantrose™ technology uses supercritical hydrolysis rather than the more common and more expensive enzymatic hydrolysis methods for breaking down cell walls and converting the long-chain cellulose molecules to fermentable sugars. 11/05/2012

SDSU Researchers Develop Bio-Oil, Biochar, Activated Carbon Process

South Dakota State University (SDSU) researchers in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering have used Sun Grant funds to develop a cost-effective rotating fluidized bed reactor for conversion of agricultural residues and other biomass into bio-oil. Lin Wei, assistant professor in the department explained that their patent-pending system requires no carrier gas to feed the material into the continually processing system, as do many traditional pyrolysis reactors. In addition to bio-oil, the reactor produces syngas and biochar. Wei combusts the syngas to preheat the bio-oil, then processes the oil with catalysts to remove oxygen and other elements to make liquid fuel that is close to gasoline with one-third more energy than ethanol. Wei's next goal is to improve the reactor's conversion efficiency from 30 to 40 gallons of fuel per ton of feedstock to 90 gallons. Department Head Van Kelley explained that assistant professor ZhenGrong Gu has developed a patent-pending process for conversion of the secondary product biochar into activated carbon that can be used for energy storage in capacitors, at 2 percent of the cost of regular batteries. Through another research grant, Gu also devised a method to turn biochar into fertilizer, a technique which has been licensed to a commercial company. The end product, Kelley said, "can be returned to the land as sequestered carbon." The Sun Grant Initiative is a network of land-grant universities collaborating with government agencies and the private sector to develop bio-based transportation fuels. The South Dakota Innovation Partners helps secure seed funds for start-up businesses originating in SDSU research; Senator Tim Johnson sponsored the Sun Grant Initiative funding supporting the research. 11/05/2012

Alter NRG Closes $10MM Strategic Financing Round

Alberta, Canada based Alter NRG has announced an agreement to issue 30,769,230 common shares to three new strategic investors at a price of $0.325 per common share for total gross proceeds of approximately $10 million. The agreement is subject to Canadian trading approvals, and once released, the funds raised will enable market expansion for the Westinghouse Plasma Gasification solution, and strengthen the Alter NRG balance sheet to execute its long-term business strategy. Alter NRG acquired the Westinghouse Plasma Corporation in 2007 along with the plasma gasification technology Westinghouse had been developing. The plasma gasification process produces clean syngas from a multitude of cheap and abundant feedstocks, including waste and biomass, to meet the social and regulatory demand for affordable and clean energy. Following completion of the new financing, it is expected that Ervington Investments Limited ("Ervington") will own approximately 18.2% of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares, and the other two investors, Ms. Zara Shvidler and Eturab Trade Corp. will own approximately 9.1% and 3.0%, respectively. Ervington, whose ultimate beneficial owner is Roman Abramovich, has a complementary investment in the waste to energy sector in a fuel cell development company, which when combined with plasma gasification is expected to significantly improve the overall efficiency of waste to energy facilities. Applications have been filed with the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX); a closure date of January 1, 2013 has been established. In May of 2012, Alter NRG announced completion of testing in the use of the waste-sourced syngas to fuel state-of-the-art Coen boilers for power generation. 11/05/2012

BIOGEN Secures Agreement for 2nd Food Waste AD Plant in Wales

Bedfordshire, United Kingdom based BIOGEN (UK) Ltd has announced an agreement with the North Wales Consortium (representing Denbigshire County Council, Conway County Borough Council and Flintshire County Council) for development of an anaerobic digestion (AD) facility in Waen, St. Asaph, Denbigshire, Wales. The Waen plant will process 22,500 tonnes of locally sourced residential and commercial food waste annually for generation of over 12 megawatt of renewable electricity. Given all planning approvals, the plant should be operational in the first half of 2014. This is Biogen's second food waste AD project in Wales, following agreements for development of a plant in Gwynedd. Richard Barker, Biogen’s CEO said, “Biogen is looking forward to starting construction on our second Welsh AD plant alongside our partners, the North Wales Consortium and Iona Capital. We look forward to becoming leaders in this field in Wales." In a separate announcement, Iona Capital reported on closure of its £7m investment in Biogen Waen Ltd, a joint venture company with Biogen. The awarded contract is for 15 years and was in part dependent on the secured waste feedstock supply provided by the North Wales Consortium. Nick Ross, Director, Iona Capital: “This is a second project we have completed in Wales and we are delighted to have worked successfully again in partnership with Biogen and the Welsh Government. These projects are the first local authority backed schemes focussed on Anaerobic Digestion and we are pleased to have been able to support such an innovative regional infrastructure program.” 11/05/2012

Due 03/01/2013: Long-Term Energy Proposals to Maine PUC

The Maine Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has announced the release of the 2012-2013 Request for Proposals (RFP) for long-term contract proposals from qualified resources for capacity, associated energy and/or Renewable Energy Credits. New and existing resources may participate, with resources including supply-side (renewable and non-renewable) as well as demand-side resources. Bidders selected will enter into long-term contractual arrangements with one or more of Maine’s investor-owned transmission and distribution utilities, Central Maine Power Company (CMP), Bangor Hydro-Electric Company (BHE), and Maine Public Service Company (MPS) (collectively the T&D utilities). The Notice also includes as Appendix A, the required Statement of Commitment. Renewable capacity resources must rely on one or more of the following: fuel cells, tidal power; solar arrays and installations; wind power installations; geothermal installations; biomass generators (including landfill gas); or hydroelectric generators that meet all state and federal fish passage requirements applicable to the generator. The Maine PUC does not recognize as a renewable capacity resource a generator that is fueled by municipal solid waste. All inquiries about the RFP should be directed to Faith Huntington (), Director of Electricity and Natural Gas, Maine Public Utilities Commission, (207) 287-1373. 11/04/2012

RWE Innogy Joint Venture Opens German CHP Bioenergy Plant

RWE Innogy, the renewable energy arm of Germany's gas and electric company RWE Group, has announced that GBE Gocher Bioenergie just celebrated the opening of its biomass fueled combined heat and power (CHP) or co-generation facility on Klever Straße. GBE Gocher Bioenergie is a joint venture between RWE Innogy, the Goch-based food producer Nähr-Engel and the Goch municipal utility. The € 34 million facility will be fueled on "landscaping wood" (green waste), generating 28 megawatts of thermal energy (MWt) to supply the potato processing operations with steam, and around 7.6 megawatts electric energy (MWe) to export renewable electricity to the regional grid. Compared with a conventional plant of the same size, its CO2 savings potential totals approximately 48,000 tonnes per year, while fuel use efficiency of up to 70% can be achieved in the cogeneration plant by the combined production of electricity and heat. RWE Innogy, the Group's "bundled" renewable energy development division, has experience in bioenergy fueling in its cogeneration facilities beyond green waste and urban wood wastes, to include agricultural and forestry residues. The company also owns and operates one of the world's largest pellet fuel production facilities, the Flyer Pellet Plant in Waycross, Georgia in the United States. 11/03/2012

Groundbreaking Announced for Biogas CHP System at "The Plant" in Chicago

"The Plant," a redevelopment project in the City of Chicago, has announced a November 9, 2012 groundbreaking ceremony for the project's biogas combined heat and power (CHP) system. Illinois-based EISENMANN Corporation is the US branch of the German firm EISENMANN AG; its anaerobic digester is a critical component to The Plant’s goal of being a sustainable, net-zero energy vertical farm and food business incubator. Once completed, the digester will divert 5,000 tons of organic waste from landfills annually to fuel a generator for electricity and heat for The Plant and its businesses, requiring no additional use of fossil fuels. The Plant operates in a 93,500 sq. ft. repurposed meatpacking facility and is a food-focused project, featuring 30,000 sq. ft. of planned aquaponic growing systems and 27,000 sq. ft dedicated to artisanal, sustainable food production. The installation of the renewable energy system provides low-cost electricity and heat, while the reuse of food-grade building materials allows for reduced rent and business incubation. John Edel, Founder and Executive Director of The Plant, purchased the building in 2010 and began deconstruction and renovation. The Plant project has been partially funded through grants by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Food Scrap Composting Revitalization and Advancement Program (F-SCRAP) and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). It has also been supported by a loan from the Chicago Community Loan Fund. 11/03/2012

Elsevier and DOE Collaborate on Free Scientific Research Data Access

Amsterdam based publisher Elsevier, part of the Reed Elsevier Group PLC, has announced reaching a collaborative agreement with the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Scientific Technical Information (OSTI) to add 300,000 of the DOE's full-text technical reports to Elsevier's free on-line search tools, SciVerse Hub and Scirus. The OSTI collects, preserves, and disseminates DOE-sponsored research and development (R&D) results that are the outcomes of R&D projects or other funded activities at DOE labs and facilities nationwide and grantees at universities and other institutions. Elsevier is also including over 100,000 documents from the DOE in Elsevier Biofuel, a research discovery solution tailored to bio-energy and bio-based products. These papers, mostly technical and program reports, contain research, practical information and facts about technology, projects and production around the world. Elsevier works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals and close to 20,000 book titles. Olivier Dumon, Managing Director for Elsevier's Academic & Government Research Markets: "This collaboration will provide both Elsevier and OSTI users with more comprehensive results and improved discoverability of information. We believe the quality content from each source will greatly enhance our offerings." 11/02/2012

CEC Releases Final Documents for Electric Program Investment Charge

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has posted final documents for the Electric Program Investment Charge submitted by the CEC to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Now available: (1) Application of the California Energy Commission - For Approval of Electric Program Investment Charge Proposed 2012 Through 2014 Triennial Investment Plan with Attachment 1: Investment Plan nd Appendices A-F (including Sample PON, Budget Template, and Invoice Template) and Attachment 2: The CEC's Latest Financial Statement; (2) Notice of Availability - Application of the California Energy Commission For Approval of Electric Program Investment Charge Proposed 2012 Through 2014 Triennial Investment Plan; and (3) Certificate of Service. The submissions respond to the CEC's designated portions of the CPUC Rulemaking 11-10-003 and authorized by the CPUC's Phase 2 Decision 12-05-37. The designated areas are administered by CEC under the Electric Program Investment Charge Docket #12-EPIC-01.Finalization of the documents follows the October 31 workshop and reflects all comments received prior to and during that workshop. 11/02/2012

Energos Thermal Conversion Selected for Milton Keynes Waste Recovery Park

The United Kingdom's (UK) advanced thermal waste conversion company ENERGOS has announced its selection for waste treatment in the proposed multi-technology Milton Keynes Waste Recovery Park. Selection of the preferred bidder was a joint decision by AmeyCespa and the Milton Keynes Council. AmeyCespa, a major UK based waste management firm, will develop a three-stage waste treatment process starting with a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) to sort and set aside recyclates, and moving wet organics to anaerobic digestion (AD). Over 90,000 tonnes per year of dry materials will then be treated by the ENERGOS technology, consisting of two-stage gasification and syngas cleanup process train. The clean syngas will be combusted for steam production to drive turbines and generate up to 7 megawatts of renewable energy. The process is flexible, allowing it to adjust to changes in the composition of residual waste or in the type of waste fractions being treated to include municipal solid waste (MSW), residual MSW, solid recovered fuel (SRF)/ refuse derived fuel (RDF) and commercial waste. Nick Dawber, Managing Director of ENERGOS, said: "ENERGOS is pleased to be selected as a partner in the Milton Keynes Waste Recovery Park. We offer an environmentally responsible, community sized energy from waste solution that will ensure the diversion of biodegradable material from landfill. Our facilities generate renewable energy and displace the use of fossil fuels. 11/02/2012

Due 11/30/2012: Applications for West Midlands UK Bioenergy Competition

The European Bioenergy Research Institute (EBRI) headquartered at Aston University, United Kingdom (UK), administers the BioenNW network to "deliver local bioenergy to northwestern Europe." BioenNW has announced the launch of a novel program this month, the Regional Competition for Development of Innovative Bioenergy Schemes. The "Pyroformer" thermal conversion system developed by EBRI will be coupled with anaerobic digestion for the West Midlands bioenergy project. EBRI has developed a pyrolysis system for conversion of waste to combined heat and power, funded largely by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). BioenNW is focused on promoting the use of innovative bioenergy power plants fuelled by waste on a small scale (from 5-10MW output) across the following regions: (1) The West Midlands, UK, (2) Ilede-France (IdF), France, (3) Wallonia, Belgium, (4) Eindhoven, The Netherlands, and (5) North Rhine Westphalia, Germany. This competition is directed toward establishing five waste-to-bioenergy projects in the West Midlands, UK and is open to all stakeholders including developers, local governments, industrial organizations, landowners, and waste and energy companies that have specific sites they feel would best host a bioenergy development. The on-line Expression of Interest form must be submitted by email to the regional Bioenergy Support Centre for the West Midlands at the Birmingham City Council by November 30, 2012 (). Selected applications will then be asked to submit final project proposals by February 28, 2013, with winners announced in April 2013. Direct questions to Joanna Fletcher, BioenNW Project Manager at Aston University () or Richard Rees (), Bioenergy Support Centre, Birmingham City Council. 11/02/2012

Sapphire Energy and ISB Collaborate on Algae-to-Oil Commercialization

San Diego based Sapphire Energy has announceda strategic partnership with Seattle's Institute for Systems Biology(ISB) to advance the research, development, and commercialization of algal biofuels. The companies will focus on applying systems biology solutions to algae with the goal of significantly increasing oil yield and improving resistance to crop predators and environmental factors in order to further the advancement of commercialized algae biofuel production. Sapphire can utilize carbon dioxide from industrial emissions or the atmosphere to drive algal growth; the firm's "green crude" technology platformalso integrates anaerobic digestion of the algal solids left after oil harvesting, providing necessary nutrients and additional CO2. Sapphire recently began operating the first phase of its 300-acre commercial demonstration Green Crude Farm, also known as an Integrated Algal Bio-Refinery, in Columbus, New Mexico, in partnership with the US Department of Energy. The Green Crude Farm is operational, and is expected to be online at production scale of approximately 100 barrels of Green Crude per day by the end of 2014. Sapphire also operates a 22-acre research and development facility in Las Cruces, New Mexico. ISB is a non-profit institute established in 2000 dedicated to application of systems biology, by integrating biology, computation, and technological development, enabling scientists to analyze all elements in a biological system rather than one gene or protein at a time. Leroy Hood, president of Institute for Systems Biology: “Sapphire has embarked on one of the most exciting new technologies of our decade – to produce crude oil from algae at scale. By linking Sapphire’s expertise in algae with ISB’s cross disciplinary approach to biology, we hope to reverse engineer the gene networks in algae and create strategies that will significantly improve the yield of green oil and crop protection and reduce significantly the time to market.” 11/01/2012

Indian River BioEnergy Center Begins Renewable Power Generation

Illinois-based INEOS Bio, part of the global chemicals company INEOS, announcedthat the Indian River BioEnergy Center is now generating renewable electricity sufficient to power its own facility and for export to the regional grid. The INEOS New Planet BioEnergy joint venture project in Vero Beach, Florida was completed in June 2012 and has been undergoing commissioning. The ability to produce renewable power signifies that the plant is now fully operational. Speaking at this week's Advanced Biofuels Markets conference in San Francisco, INEOS CEO Peter Williams noted that now they are "learning to drive the plant." At full production, the Center is expected to produce 8 million gallons of advanced cellulosic bioethanol and six megawatts (gross) of renewable power using renewable biomass including yard, vegetative, and agricultural wastes. INEOS Bio's feedstock-flexible technology platformconverts low-value wastes and residuals in a multi-step process beginning with gasification, followed by fermentation, distillation and on-site power generation. INEOS Bio already has secured Part 79 biofuel registrationfrom the EPA for conversion of non-food vegetative waste materials into cellulosic ethanol. The company expects to expand feedstock into broader usage of municipal solid waste fractions, after full start-up and will serve as a reference facility for future plants developed by INEOS Bio or through its licensing program. Peter Williams: "The production of renewable power is a significant benefit of our technology. The power generated improves the energy efficiency and greenhouse gas savings of the facility while contributing to the base load of renewable electricity for the local community. We look forward to rapidly rolling out this technology globally to provide the benefits of bioethanol and renewable power from waste to local communities." 11/01/2012

REG Acquires Idle 15 MGY Texas Biorefinery to Produce REG-9000® Biodiesel

Iowa-based biodiesel production company Renewable Energy Group (REG) has announced an expansion of its production base to more than 225 million gallons, with the acquisition of a 15 million gallon per year (MGY) biodiesel facility located in New Boston, Texas. The New Boston facility began production in June 2008 and has been idled for approximately four years. Brad Albin, REG Vice President of Manufacturing, said the plant will undergo some construction and minor upgrades prior to the facility’s start-up, which is expected in the first quarter of 2013. REG plans to utilize animal fats and other high free fatty acid feedstocks to produce biodiesel at the refinery. REG paid $300,000 in cash and issued 900,000 shares of its common stock to North Texas Bio Energy for the multi-feedstock biorefinery located about 22 miles west of Texarkana. It is REG’s second Texas biodiesel production facility, following its 2008 acquisition of its Houston-area plant. Utilizing an integrated value chain model, Renewable Energy Group is focused on converting natural fats, oils and greases into advanced biofuels, marketing its REG-9000® biodiesel product line as offering more stringent standards than ASTM D6751 regardless of feedstock. REG has already filed for Part 79 biofuels registration with the EPA; Vice President Albin commented: “The REG technology team will soon be on-site in New Boston to re-start the biodiesel process with a plan to have high quality, REG-9000® biodiesel available in the market upon the completion of the EPA registration process." 11/01/2012