November 2014 News and Matters of Interest

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