November 2014 News and Matters of
Interest
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Remember to check our Highlights for new postings on other areas of
Teru Talk.
Lincolnshire County Celebrates Launch of New Energy from Waste
Facility
Lincolnshire County, England’s new Energy from Waste (EfW) facility in North Hykeham was
officially launched by Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and
Skills, Vince Cable, during an opening ceremony last Thursday. Speaking at the event Dr Cable said: "This plant
is saving masses of waste from going to landfill and at the same time generating power. I don’t think there is
any risk of the lights going out." Since the beginning of operations in March, 123,000 tonnes of non-recyclable
waste have been processed and over 58,000 MW of electricity have been produced. The facility is run by FCC
Environment under a 25-year residual waste contract for the authority. FCC Environment is proposing to develop
facilities to treat, recycle, and dispose of waste materials arising from the EfW facility, and planning and Environmental Permit applications have
been prepared and submitted. The proposed developments include an Incinerator Bottom Ash Recycling Facility at
the North Hykeham Landfill Site and Air Pollution Control Residue
Pre-Treatment and Landfill Disposal Facility at Whisby Landfill Site. 11/30/2014
Polystyrene Recovery Program at LaSalle Ecocenter Gets Five Year
Extension
The City of Montreal and the Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA) have announced a five-year extension of the polystyrene recovery and
recycling program at the LaSalle Ecocenter. This announcement follows the very successful pilot
project – “In search of number 6” – which, between October 2013 and September 2014, saw the recovery of more
than two and half tonnes of polystyrene, diverting this material from landfill sites. the event also announced
the addition of a new partner to the program. Polyform is a Granby-based company who will use the polystyrene
collected at the LaSalle Ecocenter in the manufacturing of durable construction
products.The program “In search of number 6” allows
Montreal residents to bring back their polystyrene items to the LaSalle Ecocenter. Polystyrene can be recognized by a triangle with the number 6
inside. 11/30/2014
ACT Crowdfunds to Commercialize Cellulose Mining from
Wastewater
California based Applied CleanTech (ACT) has begun an EquityNet crowdfunding campaign to attract investment in their
patented Sewage Recycling System (SRS), joining a growing number of companies
turning to crowdfunding to raise capital. ACT recovers cellulose fiber called Recycllose from wastewater
treatment plant, converting standard sewage treatment to "sewage mining" for resource recovery and generating
around $7 annual profit per capita. SRS captures fibrous cellulose from wastewater prior to entering the
wastewater treatment plant's digester systems, reducing treatment volumes by 30% and reducing loading to the
digesters by up to 50%. International testing shows the Recycllose is a functional and cost effective source of
fiber for insulation, for biopower and biofuels generation, for conversion to bioplastics and as stock for the
pulp and paper industry. 11/26/2014
Alternative Environmental Systems Applies for Tire Pyrolysis AQ
Permit
The Idaho Department of Environmental
Quality (DEQ) has circulated notice that Nevada based Alternative Environmental Systems,
LLC (AES) has filed an application for an Air Quality Permit to replace an existing pyrolysis
pilot plant with a small commercial scale dual retort batch processing train. AES intends to convert waste tires
and other carbon bearing waste materials into commodity oil. The proposed permit will regulate emissions from
the Mayfield, Idaho facility. A public comment period will be provided on the proposed permit if a written
request is submitted to DEQ by 5 p.m. MST, Thursday, December 11, 2014. Submit requests for a 30-day public
comment period and questions regarding the public comment process by mail or email to Tessa Stevens, Air Quality
Division, DEQ State Office at <>. 11/26/2014
Vega Biofuels to Test Vencor's Torrefied Wood to Augment Its Own
Supply
Norcross, Georgia based Vega Biofuels, Inc has announced that demand for Bio-Coal has outstripped its current
production capacity, and it is exploring options to increase both capacity and supply. Vega recently announced
a Joint Venture (JV) to build and operate a Bio-Coal manufacturing plant
in Allandale, South Carolina. When completed, the manufacturing plant will use special torrefaction technology
to produce the product from timber waste that will then be sold to power companies around the world.
Representatives of Vega are currently in discussions with Colorado based Vencor International, Inc. to provide
Vega a torrefied product that meets the specifications of the Company's
Bio-Coal product. Vencor is currently testing its product pursuant to strict specification requirements provided
by Vega. Bio-Coal has a high energy density of up to 13,000 BTUs/Lb and is considered a renewable energy fuel
that meets the Renewable Portfolio Standards and Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) in the United States.
11/25/2014
Vitruvian Energy Crowdfunds for Sewage-to-Biofuel
Commercialization
Seattle, Washington based Vitruvian Energy, SPC has launched an IndieGogo crowdfunding campaign to raise $200,000 for "Community
Sourced Biofuel". The funds are need to develop Vitruvian's pilot plant for microbial conversion of wastewater
plant biosolids into biofuel. The company has completed extensive bench testing and filed patents, partially
paid for with a grant from the California Energy Commission. Biosolids and other organic residues are first
fermented with specialized bacteria to produce PHA, a bio-plastic. the intermediary compound PHA is then reacted
with ethanol to produce ethyl-3-ethoxybutyrate (EEB) biofuel. Vitruvian says EEB can be blended up to 20 percent
with gasoline or diesel without any engine modifications. EEB's carbon footprint is 70 percent less than that of
fossil fuels; future testing will determine if EBB can be used on its own to power vehicles or burned to produce
electricity for the grid. 11/25/2014
Poll Shows Canadians Overwhelmingly Support
Energy-From-Waste
The Canadian Plastics Industry Association commissioned a poll in April 2014 to determine the public's impression
of energy-from-waste (EFW). The poll undertaken by Nielsen included 1,044 respondents from across
the country with a +/- 3.0% margin of error 19 times out of 20. The results clearly shows that two thirds (66%) of Canadians
have a favorable impression of EFW technologies. Across the EFW range of technologies, gasification and
feedstock recycling received most positive support at 60%, followed by solid recovery fuel (59%). Even mass burn
combustion achieved 50% support. Moreover, EFW as an energy source merits a higher overall impression than other
power sources. Seven-in-ten (69%) said they had a warm or favorable impression of EFW, while natural gas trailed
at 59%, with oil at 37%, nuclear at 34%, and coal at just 19%. Only solar (90%) and wind (75%) ranked higher.
When it comes to feedstock, an overwhelming 89% of Canadians prefer that non-recyclable plastics go to an EFW
facility rather than landfill. 11/24/2014
Chempolis and i3L Team to Develop Biorefinery Projects in
Indonesia
Finland based company Chempolis Ltd has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Indonesia International Institute for Life-Sciences (i3L) to promote and develop commercial
biorefinery projects. They also have agreed to jointly form a research centre with a focus on investigating the
technical, economic, social, and policy aspects of developing sustainable biorefineries to catalyse the
development of bioeconomy in Indonesia. The MOU was signed in Jakarta, Indonesia by Angelique Aryanto, the
Founder of i3L, and Mr. Pasi Rousu, President, Asia–Pacific & Americas, Chempolis. Chempolis’ formicobio™
biorefining technology is based on selective fractionation of biomass and co-production of multiple products in
a sustainable way. In addition to bioethanol, sugars and lignin can be used as feedstocks to a myriad of
different products. 11/24/2014
DOE Releases November Update to Multi-Year Bioenergy Program
Plan
The US Department of Energy's (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) has released a major update to its Multi-Year Program Plan (MYPP), clarifying goals and structure and
identifying the research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) activities the BETO will focus
on over the next five years. The November Update outlines why these activities are important to meeting the
energy and sustainability challenges facing the nation. The BETO manages a diverse portfolio of technologies
across the spectrum of applied RDD&D. The Office portfolio is organized according to the
biomass-to-bioenergy supply chain—from the feedstock source to the end user, with major focus on feedstock
supply and biomass conversion. This MYPP is intended for use as an operational guide to help the BETO manage and
coordinate its activities, as well as a resource to help communicate its mission and goals to stakeholders and
the public. 11/24/2014
IBM and Veolia Partner for Smarter City Water, Energy, and Waste
Services
The international Smart Cities Council (SCC) has highlighted news that SCC member IBM has announced a partnership with
Paris-based Veolia to transform City energy, water, and waste management services. The team will implement new
solutions that integrate digital technologies into urban services. First up are new solutions for smarter water,
with cities in Lyon, France and Tidworth, England as early adopters where Veolia is currently providing advanced water and wastewater management
technology. IBM expects that integrating data across municipal management systems and applying advanced
analytics to spot trends and patterns, will allow city staff tomake predictions and provide a systems-level view
of operations. Veolia and IBM will also introduce new digital solutions and services for energy management and
waste management, areas in which Veolia has deep operations experience and IBM has proven technology. The
digital water solution is immediately available from Veolia.
Additional solutions are expected to be available in 2015. 11/24/2014
CalRecycle Proposes $19.5MM in Awards for Organics and Recycling
Projects
The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) has announced $19.5 million in proposed grant awards from the state’s
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Reduction Fund. Awards are based primarily on contributions to the state’s targets, and are
important to reach the statewide goal of 75 percent recycling, composting, and source reduction by 2020. Under
CalRecycle’s Organics Grant Program, five awardees were selected: (1)
CR&R Incorporated - $3 million to double capacity at its current
anaerobic digestion facility at the Perris Transfer Station and Materials Recovery Facility. (2)
Colony Energy Partners, LLC - $2.9 million to build a high-solids
anaerobic co-digestion facility that will divert more than 110,000 tons of waste from landfills each year.
(3) Mid Valley Disposal, Inc. - $3 million for a new covered, aerated,
static-pile composting operation at its materials recovery facility and transfer station. (4) Recology East Bay Organics - $3 million to extract organic material
from mixed solid waste, to be anaerobically digested to produce biomethane, which will be used to power the East
Bay Municipal Utility District wastewater treatment plant. (5) Burrtec Waste Industries, Inc - $2.5 million to build a covered,
aerated, static-pile composting operation and a mixed-waste processing facility. Under the Recycled Fiber, Plastic, and Glass Grant Program, three awardees were
selected: (1) Command Packaging - $3 million to produce bags with higher recycled
content that can be reused up to 125 times and ultimately be recycled, and help expand Salinas-area Encore
Recycling facility. (2) Peninsula Plastics Recycling, Inc - $1 million for equipment that will
enable it to recover approximately 45 percent of its current recycling process by-product and recycle it into
landscaping material. (3) Sonoco Products Company - $1 million for new equipment to recover and
process more recyclable fiber and for new paper-drying equipment to accelerate and thus increase production.
11/20/2014
Renewable Energy Group Cuts Ribbon at Geismar Biorefinery in
Louisiana
Renewable Energy Group, Inc (REG) celebrated the grand opening of its Geismar biorefinery in Louisiana
yesterday, which began producing renewable hydrocarbon diesel (RHD) in commercial-scale quantities on October
14, 2014. The event marked the successful start-up of the 75-million gallon nameplate capacity plant that
REG acquired in June. REG Geismar, LLC has already produced more than 4.7
million gallons of REG-9000™/RHD, renewable fuel that meets or exceeds ASTM D975 standards. The Geismar
biorefinery, REG’s largest, is the company’s first plant to produce RHD using Bio-Synfining™ technology
developed by REG Synthetic Fuels, LLC in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The process converts a
wide range of feedstocks, such as animal fat, inedible corn oil, used cooking oil and vegetable oils, into
renewable fuel. In addition to RHD, the Geismar facility produces renewable naphtha and liquefied petroleum gas.
11/20/2014
North London to Replace Edmonton EfW Plant with Energy Recovery
Facility
The North London Waste Authority (NLWA) has announced the start of the North London Heat and Power Project - a £450-500 million Energy
Recovery Facility at the Edmonton EcoPark in the London Borough of Enfield. The proposed facility would replace
the existing Energy from Waste (EfW) plant at the EcoPark that has served North London well for around 45 years,
but is coming to the end of its operational life. The replacement energy facility will use waste left over after
recycling as a fuel to create electricity and generate heat for local homes and businesses. The NLWA will
demolish the existing EfW plant after moving operations to the new one in around 2025. First of two phases of
consultation to help shape the proposals will begin on November 28, 2014 and end on January 27, 2015. The second
phase is for planned for May - June 2015. 11/20/2014
Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant Offers SME Support for Bio-Based
Innovations
Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) can now access ‘Innovation Coupons’ worth up to 30.000€ to assess the
feasibility of an innovative bio-based process at Bio Base Europe Pilot Plant in Northwestern Europe (Bio Base NWE) in
Ghent, Belgium. These Innovation Coupons are an initiative of Bio Base NWE, a project to support the development
of the bio-based economy in North West Europe (NWE). So far, the partnership has granted fifteen innovation
coupons worth 10.000€ to smaller SMEs to validate bio-based ideas. Among the early applicants was Celtic Renewables, who received €1,5 million
investment earlier this year to support their conversion of distillery residuals to fuels and chemicals. Raising
the value of the coupon to a potential amount of 30.000€, provides Bio Base NWE with an extra tool to also
assist larger SMEs looking for process-validation and to shorten the time-to-market for bio-based products.
Applications will be accepted until June 2015. 11/19/2014
WELTEC Builds Multiple Biogas Plants in Greece
WELTEC BIOPOWER has announced that it has installed seven stainless-steel biogas plants
with a total capacity of 2.75 MW in Greece so far, and is in the process of rolling out four additional biogas
projects with its distribution partner Tetoros Machinery S.A. The order pipeline in Greece contains two 500-kW
plants, one 300-kW plant, one 250-kW plant, and a 250-kW-CHP project. One of the 500-kW plants is located in
Ptolemaida in the region of West Macedonia. The scope comprises a digester with a capacity of 4,438 m³, several
mixers and pumps for three existing slurry stores, a macerator, and a 500-kW CHP plant. Cattle manure and
abattoir waste will be used as feedstock. The project location is a region that is considered the Greek energy
center. No less than 70 percent of Greek power is generated in this province, though still primarily from brown
coal. Because a lot of agricultural waste in Greece remains unused, the biogas plant has the potential for
becoming something like a multiplier of renewable energies in a center of conventional power generation.
11/19/2014
Lockheed Martin and Concord Blue Plan New Bioenergy Facility in
Germany
Lockheed Martin and Concord Blue have announced a new contract to build a power generation facility that
will provide a new, clean energy source to meet the needs of 5,000 homes and businesses in Herten, Germany. The
five-megawatt power generation facility will transform forestry waste to power using Concord Blue’s Reformer®
technology, which converts waste to energy through advanced gasification. Under this engineering, procurement
and construction (EPC) contract, Lockheed Martin will provide overall project management, engineering and
design, procurement, and construction for the new facility. Concord Blue’s Reformer technology is feedstock-flexible, converting nearly any kind
of organic waste into clean, sustainable energy. Unlike other available waste-to-energy processes, Concord
Blue’s unique process employs a patented technology called steam thermolysis to convert waste material using
heat transfer instead of incineration. Lockheed Martin and Concord Blue joined forces last year to advance waste conversion
globally.11/19/2014
BAC Releases Report on Decarbonizing California's Natural Gas
Sector
The Bioenergy Association of California (BAC) has released a report on Decarbonizing the Gas Sector: Why California Needs a Renewable Gas Standard, that presents a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase energy security and jobs, and
diversify California’s energy sector. Among the paper’s key findings: California imports more than 90
percent of the natural gas it uses; Natural gas causes more than a quarter of the state’s greenhouse gas
emissions; Organic waste alone can produce enough renewable gas to replace 3/4 of all the diesel used by motor
vehicles in California or enough electricity to power 2 to 3 million homes. The BAC proposed a Renewable Gas
Standard (RGS) modeled after California’s Renewable Portfolio Standard, which has increased renewable
electricity from 10 to more than 20 percent in just over a decade. The proposed RGS would require a small but
increasing share of the state’s natural gas supply to be renewable. The BAC is an association of public
agencies, local governments, private companies, environmental groups and others working to promote sustainable
bioenergy development in California. 11/18/2014
Energy Vision's Leadership Awards Will Honor Waste-to-Fuels
Champions
The national non-profit organization Energy Vision will present its 2014 Leadership Awards in the renewable energy field
on November 18, 2014 in Manhattan's West Village. Awardees are directing innovative projects to scale-up
Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) made from organic waste such as food, farm and yard waste, and wastewater treatment
products. Three teams will receive accolades: Kathryn Garcia, New York City Sanitation Commissioner will receive
one of the Energy Vision Leadership awards for the Department's mandatory commercial organic waste recycling plus voluntary
residential organic waste recycling programs. Richard M. DiGia, President/CEO, Aria Energy and Harrison Clay, President, Clean Energy Renewables will each receive Energy Vision Leadership
awards for their joint project at the Seneca Meadows Landfill in Seneca Falls, the first New York State
operation converting landfill biogas into vehicle fuel. Mel Kurtz, President, Quasar Energy Group, will receive an Energy Vision Leadership award.
Quasar is the largest US operator of "complete mix" anaerobic digesters, and recently joined Chevrolet in
announcing the "bi-fuel" Impala, the first production sedan that runs on compressed natural gas as well as
gasoline. Energy Vision is a non-profit analyzing and promoting rapid transition
in the US to the clean, petroleum-free transportation fuels of the future.
11/17/2014
European Waste Management Industry Supports Circular Economy
Package
The European Federation of Waste Management and Environmental Services (FEAD) representing the private waste management industry has come out in strong support of the recently released Circular Economy Package proposed by the European Commission (EC).
FEAD members sent letters to the EC stressing that
the private waste management and resources sector plays a key role in achieving a resource efficient Europe by
turning waste into a valuable resource and thus improving the resource resilience of the European Union's
industrial base. The FEAD reiterated that waste management industry welcomes the EC’s circular economy package
designed to improve the efficiency with which resources including waste are managed in Europe. The FEAD
applauded the EC's proposal, noting that the impact assessment accompanying the proposal, backed by various
outside studies, suggest a huge potential for creating jobs and growth as well as environmental benefits if the
proposal is implemented. The FEAD's letters urged the Commissioners to keep the current proposal and work to
make it more effective through minor modifications. 11/17/2014
Black & Veatch, EFT Combine Forces for Multi-Feedstock Conversion
Projects
Black & Veatch has entered into a broad Cooperative Agreement with Emerging Fuels
Technology, Inc (EFT) to provide the engineering, procurement, and contracting (EPC) wrap for EFT's
multi-feedstock conversion gasification-to-catalysis platform. The Agreement makes Black &
Veatch the exclusive representative of EFT technologies in China, Indonesia, India, and the Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) countries (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates). The agreement
will enable an easier, faster, cost effective, and reliable path to implementation of gas to liquids (GTL)
projects. The agreement also covers projects that use a variety of other feedstocks. These include
municipal solid waste (MSW), biomass, and coal, often referred to as XTL. EFT’s proprietary Advanced Fixed Bed
(AFB) Fischer-Tropsch reactor/catalyst system can be applied to synthesis gas (syngas) made from virtually any
carbon-based feedstock. The companies have also identified several cost and efficiency benefits from combining
Black & Veatch’s proprietary gas processing (PRICO-C2™, PRICO-NGL®, and LPG-PLUS™) and PRICO® LNG based
technologies with the EFT platform. 11/17/2014
Global Bioenergies Runs First Successful Bio-Isobutene Industrial
Trial
France based Global Bioenergies has successfully carried out the first isobutene production trial in its industrial
pilot of Pomacle-Bazancourt. Delivered to the Pomacle-Bazancourt site in July, the industrial pilot
installation has since been taken through a series of mechanical and functional validations. A production run
was initiated on November 3, 2014, and resulted in the very first production of fermentative isobutene in an
industrial environment. After a long phase of mechanical and functional validations, Global Bioenergies’
chemical engineering team decided that the required safety conditions were met to carry out a first trial. It
was performed at the very beginning of November over three days. It is the very first time isobutene was
produced by fermentation outside of Global Bioenergies’ R&D laboratories located in Evry near Paris. In the
coming months, a new series of runs will be carried out. The objectives are now the optimization of the process
and the production of samples. These samples will then be shipped to various industrialists, beginning with
Arkema and Audi with whom Global Bioenergies has signed collaboration agreements.
11/17/2014
Institute for Local Government Will Host Webinar on The Future of
Recycling
The non-profit Institute for Local Government (ISL) will host a free webinar on December 2, 2014 on The Future of
Recycling Programs: Sustainable Funding Sources. With recycling laws and technical capabilities going far beyond
the traditional collection of cans, bottles and newspaper, municipalities must rethink overall programs. Funding
such complex efforts has become more challenging, yet there are more sources of recycling program financing open
to cities and counties than ever before. This webinar will explore both the traditional and more innovative
mechanisms that California cities and counties are now using to fund recycling and solid waste programs, and
present as a case study, how Kern County created a program that provides a steady, predictable funding stream.
on-line registration for this free service is now available; presentation materials will be posted in advance to
ISL's website. 11/15/2014
Army Office of Energy Releases Renewable Energy Development
Guide
The Honorable Katherine Hammack, Assistant Secretary of the US Navy has introduced a new guide,
"Developing Renewable Energy Projects by Leveraging the Private Sector", dated November 06, 2014. The Guide, developed by the three-year-old Office of Energy Initiatives (OEI) is subtitled, "Securing Army
Installations with Energy that is Clean, Reliable and Affordable." It has been written to assist Army
decision-makers in navigating renewable energy (RE) generation project development, guiding their work with
industry and other agencies toward creating a resilient, sustainable and energy-secure Army. The Guide outlines
practices, processes, and relevant Army regulations, approvals, and notifications necessary to advance a
privately-financed energy generation project from concept to execution.
11/15/2014
European Biofuels Technology Platform Working Groups Are Seeking
Experts
The European Biofuels Technology Platform (EBTP) Working Groups have made initial contributions
to a proposed update to the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) for Biofuels in Europe. The new update
to the SRA is due to be produced in early 2015. Experts in biomass supply and demand, conversion technologies
and end use are invited to apply to join one of the EBTP Working Groups. Interested parties send
an email with a short CV to the EBTP secretariat at <>. Updates were provided for three key efforts: WG1 Biomass's key
priorities for the months ahead will focus on understand the availability of biomass and facilitate the
development of sustainable and resource efficient supply chains to develop a common view on sustainable biomass
availability across different sectors, and preparing for a 2015 broadly-collaborative workshop. WG2 Conversion
is busy calculating the capacity of advanced biofuels facility required to meet the suggested 0.5% target
proposed by the Energy Council, while WG3 End Use is calculating the volume of biofuels required to meet 2030
emission reduction targets. A detailed comparison of costs, infrastructures and technologies for different
transport modes and vehicle types is required, and will demonstrate the competitiveness of advanced biofuels.
11/15/2014
Ameresco Completes California Landfill Gas to Energy Project
Massachusetts based Ameresco, Inc joined with local California officials and energy
industry leaders last Thursday to commemorate the completion of its 4.3 megawatt (MWe) landfill
gas-to-energy (LFGTE) project at the Foothill Sanitary Landfill near Linden in San Joaquin
County. Desi Reno, Integrated Waste Manager for San Joaquin County: "The facility on the Foothill Landfill is
expected to generate 4.3MWe of clean energy which will provide clean power for more than 2,600 local homes
annually. Between the clean power and our organic approach to vegetation management utilizing sheep to naturally
trim the growing vegetation at the site, we are making great strides towards achieving our environmental goals
and sustainability objectives." The combined direct and avoided emissions reduced for the 4.3 MWe produced from
the Foothill LFGTE project is equivalent to the following annual benefits: CO2 emissions from 23.8 million
gallons of gasoline consumed or carbon sequestered by 173,288 acres of U.S. forests in one year.
11/15/2014
Due 12/30/2014: RFI Responses to DOE on High Impact Building
Technology
The US Department of Energy's (DOE) Building Technology Office (BTO) has released a Request for Information (RFI; DE-FOA-0001226) to augment its High Impact Technology (HIT)
Catalyst framework for accelerating the voluntary adoption of high impact, cost-effective, energy-saving, and
underutilized commercial building technologies. While most attention regarding in-building advanced technology
has been focused on energy efficiency structural and control technologies, Teru Talk finds that building-integrated waste conversion systems such
as modular anaerobic digestion, and algal-based water purification and recycling systems constitute a new field
attracting funding and development. This RFI seeks data, information and feedback on the high impact
technologies included in the BTO's analysis and planning. Information produced through this RFI will enable BTO
Commercial Buildings Integration (CBI) to 1) prime the market for high impact technologies currently under
development; 2) develop a pipeline of underutilized, high impact technologies ready for deployment; 3) better
understand market potential, interest and readiness; 4) connect technology providers with demonstration hosts,
distributors, end users, and tools to assist in the acceleration of market uptake. The DOE is specifically
interested in information and data related to available high impact technologies and market interest in those
technologies. Responses to this RFI must be submitted electronically to no later than
5:00pm (ET) on December 30, 2014.11/15/2014
Oregon BEST Helped Fund Research for Biochar-Coated Seeds
Oregon BEST has provided funds for Walking Point Farms, LLC to test the efficacy of coating seeds and
soil amendments with biochar, a soil additive derived from the pyrolysis of woody biomass. The $91,000 in
funding has supported research and testing by Oregon State University (OSU) professor and dryland cropping
agronomist Stephen Machado, whose preliminary findings show a 26-34 percent yield
increase in red winter wheat amended with a bulk biochar application. The move could lead to larger-scale carbon
sequestration, boost yields of winter wheat while increasing the pH of depleted soils and improve survival rates
of native seeds planted following wildfires. By combining a water-soluble polymer with powdery biochar, the
Tigard, Oregon, farm can agglomerate biochar into prills, or BB-sized pellets, that eliminate dust and improve
handling and application of biochar. The project also proved that biochar can be coated onto seeds and soil
amendments, helping retain moisture, increase soil pH and improve soil structure.
11/13/2014
Waste Management Debuts Renewable Natural Gas Facility at Illinois
Landfill
Texas based Waste Management celebrated the opening of its new Renewable Natural Gas Facility which
creates pipeline-ready natural gas from the landfill gas produced at its Milam Landfill in Fairmont City,
Illinois. In early December, the processed renewable natural gas will be injected into the Ameren Illinois
pipeline for withdrawal at other locations, including some Waste Management facilities. The Milam Renewable Natural Gas Facility
is designed to process approximately 3,500 standard cubic feet per minute (SCFM) of incoming landfill gas. The
existing Milam Landfill-Gas-to-Energy facility produces 2.4 megawatts of renewable energy. The output from this
power plant is now directly connected to the new Renewable Natural Gas Facility, providing the power needed to
run the new facility. The $19 million Renewable Gas Facility was partially funded by a $2.4 million grant from
the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Illinois Energy Office.
11/13/2014
New Process by Purdue Researchers Converts Biomass To Liquid
Fuel
Researchers at Purdue University have demonstrated a new process to convert all biomass into liquid
fuel, and the method could make possible mobile processing plants. The researchers filed a patent application on
the concept in 2008 and have now demonstrated that it works in laboratory experiments. The new method, called
fast-hydropyrolysis-hydrodeoxygenation, works by adding hydrogen into the biomass-processing reactor and is made
possible by development of a new catalyst and innovative reactor design. The method has the shortened name of
H2Bioil (pronounced H Two Bio Oil). Researchers tested the process with cellulose and poplar wood, showing that
it represents a potentially practical new biofuels technology. Findings are described in a research paper
published online in October in the journal Green Chemistry (DOI: 10.1039/c4gc01746c). An electronic copy of the
research paper is available from Emil Venere, 765-494-4709, <>.
11/13/2014
OWS to Supply DRANCO Dry Digestion for Allerton Waste Recovery
Facility
Belgium based OWS has announced receipt of a first order in the United Kingdom (UK) for its patented
DRANCO dry digestion technology. The anaerobic digestion (AD) plant
will be part of a new state-of-the-art integrated waste management facility that will be constructed north of
the city of York. AmeyCespa secured construction funding last week for the integrated facility
that will include a recycling plant, an AD plant, and a waste-to energy plant for the treatment of residual
household waste. OWS will supply the AD plant by AmeyCespa using the DRANCO technology, which is able to handle
contaminated organic fractions from mixed household waste that contains a significant amounts of sand, glass,
and stones. The dry digestion technology employed by OWS allows operation with no or very little addition of
water so that the digestate can easily be incinerated together with the non-recyclable waste. Construction of
the facility is now expected to begin in December 2014 and take approximately 36 months to complete. It will
become fully operational during 2018. Once completed, the facility – Allerton Waste Recovery Park – is expected to process around 320 000
tonnes of household and some commercial waste each year. It will also generate renewable electricity to power
the equivalent of over 40 000 homes. This waste treatment plant is a prime example of the integration of
different waste management techniques: recycling of metal, cardboard and plastics, anaerobic digestion of the
‘wetter’ organic fraction, and co-incineration of the nonrecyclable fraction and the digestate, with energy
recovery in order to make maximum use of a low quality stream such as residual household waste.
11/13/2014
ElectraTherm Green Machine Generates Power from Biomass in
Italy
Nevada based ElectraTherm, Inc has commissioned a Green Machine to generate emission-free electricity
from biomass in Badia Prataglia, Italy. The facility operates a biomass boiler burning a mix of sawdust and
ground up waste wood from a saw mill. The site was challenged with a large amount of wood waste and no means of
disposal or storage. Hauling it away proved too expensive, and the facility’s only option was to burn the wood
with a biomass boiler. ElectraTherm’s Green Machine captures the waste heat from the boiler and converts it to
electricity that is sold to the utility for profit. ElectraTherm’s Green Machine 4400, ElectraTherm’s standard Organic Rankine Cycle
(ORC) generator with electrical output up to 65kWe, feeds off the hot water from the boiler to generate green
energy from heat that would otherwise go to waste. The site generates approximately 46kWe gross.
11/12/2014
Saria Hosts Open House at Widnes ReFood Anaerobic Digestion
Facility
United Kingdom (UK) based Saria Limited opened the doors of the ReFood Widnes anaerobic digestion (AD)
facility to the public for the first time since it began operations in June of this year. The two-day event
provided an opportunity for the public, businesses, and suppliers to see how it turns food waste into energy to
power UK homes. Through the AD process, ReFood Widnes generates enough gas to power 10,000 properties each year.
This is achieved by recycling 120,000 tonnes of commercial and domestic food waste and liquids to produce up to
180 million KWh of biomethane, which will be transported directly to the national grid. Andy Smith, CEO of
SARIA: "The development and launch of ReFood Widnes as the UK’s first AD gas-to-grid plant of its kind has been
a remarkable journey." Germany based Saria Bio-Industries acquired a majority stake in UK based Prosper De Mulder (PDM Group) in
2011. The PDM Group changed its name to Saria on March 1 of this year. The PDM Group announced plans to expand the ReFood AD facility program in 2012,
which included the Widnes facility. 11/12/2014
LWARB Launches New
£20 Million Fund for Waste Infrastructure Projects
The London Waste and Recycling Board (LWARB) has announced that £20 million is nwo available to invest in waste-related
projects, and has launched a new call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) from organizations seeking funds.
Compared to previous calls, the new infrastructure fund offers a wider variety of investment opportunities
suitable for projects at different development stages. Suitable projects could include initiatives as varied as
recyclate sorting and separation, secondary material reprocessing or re-manufacturing, anaerobic digestion and
composting facilities or thermal/chemical conversion technologies. For this call, LWARB will also consider
supporting projects based on circular economy technologies, as well as reuse and recycling waste collection
infrastructure. For details on how to submit an EOL, including application guidance and submission criteria,
visit www.lwarb.gov.uk. 11/12/2014
Desso Uses Chalk From Local Water Companies to Manufacture Carpet
Backing
The Netherlands based Desso Group has developed a new material stream for its carpet tiles based on a
partnership with a group of drinking water companies in the Netherlands. In collaboration with Reststoffenunie,
an association of drinking water companies in the Netherlands, Desso has found a way to upcycle re-engineered
calcium carbonate (chalk) from local drinking water companies such as Brabant Water and WML (Water Maatschappij
Limburg). The chalk is positively defined in accordance with Cradle to Cradle (C2C) criteria and is used for the production of
Desso's carpet tiles with EcoBase™ backing, which is C2C Silver certified and 100% recyclable in Desso's own
production process. The result of this new innovation is that Desso's products with EcoBase™ backing will now
contain on average 50% positively defined recycled content. Desso is the first carpet company in the world to
use the upcycled calcium carbonate (chalk), co-created by Desso's R&D team and its partners in the water
industry. It expects to draw as much as 20,000 tonnes of chalk from this circular economy waste stream for its carpet tiles in partnership with
the Dutch water companies. 11/12/2014
GreenMantra Closes on $17MM for Waste Plastics Conversion to
Waxes
Ontario, Canada based GreenMantra Recycling Technologies Ltd. has announced the completion of a series of financings with proceeds in
excess of $17 million. The financing includes equity capital from Cycle Capital Management, a Quebec-based venture fund;
ArcTern Ventures, a unique early-stage investment fund developed
through a partnership with MaRS; and several independent investors, debt finance from Comerica
Bank and Export Development Canada, and financial support from the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation
and Sustainable Development Technology Canada. Over the past few years, GreenMantra has been producing
environmentally friendly waxes using its innovative technology that
produces drop-in replacement waxes and new custom wax formulations from recycled polyolefin plastics. Proceeds
from the financing will be used to expand production capabilities including opening a wax production facility in
Quebec. 11/11/2014
Abengoa Selected to Develop World's Largest Biomass Power Plant in
Belgium
Abengoa has announced being selected by the electricity and gas company, Belgian
Eco Energy (BEE), to develop the largest commercial biomass power plant in the world in Ghent, Belgium. Abengoa
will be responsible for the engineering, design, and construction of the plant at a cost in excess of 315
million euro. The project is expected to create up to 1,100 jobs during the execution phase. Through the
technology of “Circulated Fluidized Bed”, wood chips and agro-residues will be transformed into high pressure
steam, which will subsequently pass through a steam turbine to produce 215 MW of electricity. Approximately 100
MW of thermal energy will be distributed through the district heating system to supply heating to industries and
households in the city of Ghent. 11/07/2014
Himark BioGas Granted Canadian Patent for Mixed Waste Processing
System
Alberta based Himark BioGas International (Himark BioGas) has announced that it has been issued a patent by the Canadian
Intellectual Property Office that covers apparatus, methods and systems for processing waste. The patent for
invention number CA 2710200 is for the High Solids Infeed System (HiSIS), a system for processing open-pen
feedlot manure and Source Separated Organics (SSO) with hard particulates, including sand, rocks, plastic and
metal. The Himark HiSIS enables a hybrid approach that allows for the robustness of a dry system and the optimal
digestion conditions of a wet system. Himark says it offers the only Hybrid Anaerobic Digestion system that
efficiently and effectively processes these mixed waste streams.
11/07/2014
Reverdia's Biosuccinium™ Earns USDA Certified Biobased Product
Label
Netherlands-based Reverdia has announced that it has received approval from the US Department of
Agriculture (USDA) to label its biomass-based succinic acid, sold under the brand name as Biosuccinium™, as
a Certified Biobased Product. Biobased products are finished or
intermediate materials composed in whole or in significant part of agricultural, forestry, or marine
ingredients. The label verifies that Biosuccinium™ bio-succinic acid is 99% biobased. Bio-succinic acid has
applications in a variety of markets, such as biopolymers, polyurethanes, resins and plasticizers for end
products including footwear, paint and packaging. Reverdia's technology platform utilizes a low-pH tolerant yeast strain to ferment
biomass directly into the foundation chemical succinic acid without the generation of salt wastes generated by
bacterially-driven fermentation. Reverdia is a joint venture (JV) between Royal DSM, the global Life Sciences
and Materials Sciences company, and Roquette Frères, the global starch and starch-derivatives company. The JV is
now commercially producing and selling Biosuccinium and licensing the technology platform.
11/06/2014
Due 01/06/2015: Applications to CEC for Renewable Generation, CHP
Demos
The California Energy Commission (CEC) has released Program Opportunity Notice (PON) PON-14-307 intended to fund technology demonstration and deployment
projects that demonstrate and deploy community scale generators. Eligible projects include combined heat
and power (CHP) and renewable generation technologies that are in the pre-commercial stage; and demonstrate and
deploy innovative energy management strategies to facilitate the integration of intermittent renewable energy
and the reduction of peak power and energy demands. The solicitation focuses on the demonstration of advanced
community scale generation projects and innovative strategies that can improve the integration of these
technologies into the current electricity grid by matching generation to customer load, and shifting loads, to
reduce peak energy and power demands for the benefits of the customers. A Pre-Solicitation Workshop is scheduled for November 21, 2014, and will
be webcast. There is up to $21,000,000 available with a minimum funding amount for each project set at $500,000
to a maximum of $3,000,000. Match funding is required in the amount of at least 20% of the requested project
funds. The Energy Commission expects to fund at least seven demonstration projects. During the solicitation
process, direct questions to Cory Irish, Commission Agreement Officer, (916) 654-4739 or
<>. The deadline to submit applications is January 6, 2015 at 3:00 pm PST.
11/06/2014
Cyclone Power Receives $135K PO to Provide Hydrocarbon Extractor
System
Florida based Cyclone Power Technologies, Inc has announced receiving a $135,000 purchase order from Alabama company
Republic Energy LLC for the development and components of a hydrocarbon extractor system, which is used to
extract fuels from biomass. Cyclone Power has developed the technology that heats the extraction tubes evenly by
use of Cyclone's atomizers to a temperature sufficient to release the hydrocarbons from the biomass. Republic
Energy has also agreed to provide funding to become a joint patent holder with Cyclone Power on a gas/oil
heating system which will be integrated with mud oil recovery and the complimentary biomass energy extraction
system. Harry Schoell, CTO of Cyclone: "This project is really exciting as it shows that our patented components
for our engines can also be used and sold for many other applications in the
fuel recovery industry." 11/05/2014
GIB Approves Funding for AmeyCespa's Integrated Waste to Energy
Plant
The United Kingdom (UK) Green Investment Bank (GIB) has announced its £33m investment into the Allerton Waste Recovery Park, a new waste treatment plant in North
Yorkshire with a total project value of £319 million. North Yorkshire County Council and City of York Council
have formally signed the contract with AmeyCespa to design, construct, and operate the integrated waste
management facility. The new facility in Allerton, between Harrogate and York, will be constructed at an
existing landfill and quarry site. Construction of the facility is now expected to begin in December 2014 and
take approximately 36 months to complete. It will become fully operational during 2018. The project includes a
mechanical treatment facility to recover metal, paper and plastic for recycling; an onsite anaerobic digestion
plant to treat organic waste and generate about 8 GWh of renewable electricity per year; and an
energy-from-waste facility to produce steam to feed an electricity generating turbine, generating 203 GWh of
electricity. The project is expected to process up to 320,000 tonnes of household, commercial and industrial
waste per year. It will divert more than 7 million tonnes of waste from landfill over its lifetime, equivalent
to the annual waste from of more than 300,000 households, and recover over 1.5 million tonnes of recyclable
materials. In addition, it will generate 203 GWh of electricity per year, enough to power over 40,000
households. 11/05/2014
Peel Selects BWV's Waste to Energy Technology for Ince Park
Facility
Peel Environmental has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Babcock & Wilcox Volund
(BWV) to provide waste to energy technology for its planned 95 MW waste to energy
facility at the Ince Resource Recovery Park in Cheshire. The proposed facility will
process household, commercial, and industrial residual waste from the region. Construction is planned to start
in 2016 with the first line operational by 2019. The deal will see Peel and BVW work together to pursue the
development, construction, and operation of the consented Energy from Waste plant, which will service local
needs and industry. Ince Park will comprise the waste to energy facility and the Environmental Technologies
Complex – a cluster of waste management and environmental technology facilities. The park will be run by Ince
Park LLP in a joint venture partnership between Covanta Energy and Peel Environmental, a subsidiary of The Peel Group.
11/04/2014
Hitachi Zosen Inova Acquires Kompogas for Dry Fermentation
Technology
Hitachi Zosen Inova AG (HZI) has signed an agreement with Axpo Kompogas Engineering AG to acquire the
business under an asset deal. Zurich-based HZI is already a global market leader in thermal energy-from-waste
recovery. By acquiring the patented Kompogas technology, HZI will be able to also offer energy from waste
(EfW) plants based on the Kompogas technology for energy recovery by continuous dry fermentation. The Kompogas
name will be retained, continuing a brand with a strong tradition in biogas generation, and service and
maintenance for existing Kompogas plants will be continued under HZI. Franz-Josef Mengede, CEO of HZI: "The two
technologies complement each other ideally, generating energy from municipal residual and green waste
respectively." Completion of the final closing of the relevant contractual agreements is expected by mid
December. 11/04/2014
LanzaTech and IOC-DBT Researchers Study Conversion of CO2 to
Food
LanzaTech has released a progress report on collaboration with a research group
at India Oil Corporation (IOC-DBT) focused on converting carbon dioxide
(CO2) to lipids, which the team has
found are high in omega-3 oils. Conversion of problematic gaseous pollutants including CO2 into fuels and fuel
additives has been LanzaTech's differentiator. This pathway shows the potential to create
food plus fuel instead of food versus fuel. Recycling CO2 gases as the sole carbon source for continuous gas
fermentation, LanzaTech's microbes produce acetate that is then consumed as energy and carbon by a proprietary
algae developed by the team at IOC-DBT. These algae are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and can be utilized as an
omega-3 rich fish meal substitute, or the algal oil can be extracted and purified as an independent omega-3
lipid product. LanzaTech notes that waste carbon is an important resource for the production of fuels and
chemicals, making it an opportunity instead of a liability as a feedstock. The IOC-DBT Centre for Advanced
Bioenergy Research is jointly funded by Department of Biotechnology, Government of India and Indian Oil
Corporation Limited. The Centre is committed to advanced Bioenergy research addressing second and third
generation biofuels. 11/03/2014
Canada's RIC Centre Highlights Altranex Cold Weather Biofuel
Technology
The Ontario, Canada based Research, Innovation, Commercialization Centre (RIC) has
released an update highlighting Altranex Corp's "deoxygenation"
technology platform. Altranex is a Canadian, bio-based chemicals
company that develops and markets bio-lubricants and commercial transportation fuels that remain liquid at
temperatures as low as -30 degrees Celsius. The company has developed, and is presently licensing, process
technology that can transform biologically-derived virgin and waste oil into sustainable lubricating oils, fuels
for shipping and commercial vehicles and raw materials for polymer production. Chad Joshi, CEO and president of
Altranex: "Biodiesel is at a disadvantage as it is incompatible with the existing fuel infrastructures and
requires specialized piping, storage and distribution systems. Not only are Altranex fuels ideal for colder
climates, they are ready to drop-in to existing fueling infrastructure."
11/03/2014
New Process Converts Lignin in Wood and Crop Waste into Useful
Chemicals
University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) scientists have announced a new method using oxygen to convert lignin, a biomass waste
product, into simple chemicals. Lignin is the substance that makes trees and cornstalks sturdy, and it accounts
for nearly 30 percent of the organic carbon in the biosphere. Shannon Stahl, senior author of a new report in
the journal Nature, notes that lignin is a waste product of the paper industry,
where cellulose is the valuable product: "Lignin is burned as a low-value fuel, but if biofuels are to become a
reality, we need to get more value from lignin." However, lignin is highly resistant to breakdown into the
valuable subunits, especially in a cost-effective way. Stahl's report may change that perception. In work funded
by the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center at UW-Madison, Stahl and his colleagues show that high yields of
the aromatics may be obtained by exposure of lignin to oxygen followed by treatment with a weak acid under mild
conditions. The process is the basis of a patent application filed through the Wisconsin Alumni Research
Foundation. 11/03/2014
Due 11/26/2014: SOIs to SMUD to Develop Biomass Gasification for
CHP
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) is soliciting interest in the implementation of a Biomass Gasification
project for combined heat and power (CHP) application in Sacramento, California. SMUD has released Solicitation
No. 140371.OS, RSOI -DEVELOPMENT OF BIOMASS GASIFICATION FOR COMBINED HEAT & POWER APPLICATION. The purpose
of the Request for Statements of Interest (ROSI) is to identify a qualified and experienced project developer
that will implement a Biomass Gasification project for CHP application in partnership with SMUD and the project
site host. The developer will finance, design, build, own, and operate the project under SMUD’s grant
disbursement and power purchase agreement (PPA) requirements. Contact Oscar Santos at (916) 732-5616
or for more information. The deadline for submission of
Statements of Interest (SOI) is November 26, 2014 at 5:00 pm PST.
11/03/2014
Purdue Validates Solidia’s CO2 Cured Concrete Over Traditional
Methods
Engineers from Purdue University have reported that curing concrete with the problem pollutant carbon
dioxide (CO2) is as good or better than curing with water, especially for use in extreme conditions. Purdue’s
assessment of patented processes under development by New Jersey based Solidia Technologies used the same raw materials and existing
equipment as traditional concrete curing. CO2 curing saves and recycles from 60 to 100% of the water, reduces
carbon emissions up to 70% compared to standard concrete production, costs less to produce, cures in less than
24 hours and sequesters the CO2 within the concrete. In a simple series of steps, Portland Cement and sand are
loosely packed; water and CO2 are added. The cement reacts with the CO2 to form calcium carbonate and silica,
hardening the concrete and releasing the water for recycling. Currently in commercialization for large- and
small-scale applications, Solidia’s collaborators include Lafarge, The Linde Group, DOT’s Federal Highway
Administration, DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, Rutgers University, Purdue University, Ohio
University, and the University of South Florida. Purdue University Professor of Civil Engineering Jan Olek,
Ph.D., P.E., who co-directs the ongoing research with Purdue Professor Jason Weiss, Ph.D. presented their
findings during the American Concrete Institute (ACI) Fall 2014 Convention that took place
last week in Washington, DC. 11/02/2014
DOE Awards $2.5MM to
NatureWorks to Transform Methane into Lactic Acid
Minnesota company NatureWorks LLC has announced receipt of a US Department of Energy (DOE) grant of up to $2.5 million in support
of its ongoing program to sequester and use methane, a greenhouse gas, as a feedstock for the company’s Ingeo™
biopolymers and intermediates. The grant supports an ongoing multi-year joint development program between NatureWorks and California
based Calysta, Inc, with the specific goal of transforming, via a fermentation
process, renewable biomethane into lactic acid, the building block for Ingeo. Ingeo bioplastics and
intermediates are used worldwide in a host of consumer and industrial products. The research and development
(R&D) collaboration with Calysta addresses feedstock diversification, a structurally simplified, lower cost
Ingeo production platform, and leverages Calysta’s Biological Gas-to-Chemicals® platform for biological
conversion of methane to high value chemicals. For NatureWorks, methane could be an additional feedstock several
generations removed from the simple plant sugars used today in a lactic acid fermentation process at the
NatureWorks Blair, Nebraska, Ingeo production facility. 11/02/2014
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