October 2011 News and Matters of Interest
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SSEto
Construct 108MW Multi-Fuel Biomass / Waste-to-Energy Facility in UK
The United Kingdom’s 2nd largest generation business, SSE Generation, has received a letter of approval on the authority of the Secretary of State of the
Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to construct and operate a £250
million, 108 megawatt (MW) multi-fuel (biomass and refuse derived fuel) generating station adjacent to the
existing Ferrybridge coal plant in West Yorkshire, with all planning permission granted. SSE Generation, is the wholly owned electricity generating
business of Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE); the company filed application for
the new plant in October 2009, starting three years of environmental impact assessment and formal public inquiry
led by Wakefield Metropolitan District Council, the regional planning authority. A joint venture agreement with
the waste management company Shanks Plc secures up to a million annual tonnes of post-recycling
municipal solid waste derived feedstock from three regional Councils. In responding to public concerns regarding
potential negative impacts on regional recycling and composting, the Secretary noted that, “…a significant
proportion of waste is not capable of being reused or recycled; that the Landfill Directive imposes limits on
the amount of waste which should be sent to landfill; and that the recovery of energy from the combustion of
waste ranks above landfill (though below reuse or recycling) in the “the waste hierarchy”. Construction starts in 2012, with projected
completion and operation in 2015, coinciding with potential closure of SSE’s adjacent 1,000 megawatt coal
powered facility. More details on the plant are available at the SSE Ferrybridge project website. 10/31/2011
BlueFire Signs MOU for
Chinese Investment in Integrated Biorefinery in Mississippi
California-based BlueFire Renewables, Inc., has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China Huadian Engineering
Co., Ltd, for investment in its Fulton, Mississippi multi-feedstock integrated biorefinery. Huadian will
initially invest in company equity and holds the option to later provide Fulton project debt financing. On
successful development of the MS facility, the MOU outlines intention for further support from Huadian for five
more US plants, and potentially development of a joint venture for Chinese plant development. China Huadian
Engineering is one of the country’s largest utilities, generating more than 75,000 megawatts of electricty; its
parent China Huadian Corporation holds assets valued at over $51 billion. BlueFire completed site preparation for the Fulton project in June 2011,
utilizing its technology platform combining concentrated acid hydrolysis for
cellulosic sugar release with precision fermentation to a wealth of short-chain alcohols and foundation chemical
commodities. The Fulton plant is designed to use regional waste wood and other non-food cellulosic feedstock to
produce ethanol; once the MOU produces a definitive agreement and financing closes, BlueFire can complete the 19
million gallon per year facility. This collaboration is partly the result of the low carbon development program
launched jointly in late 2009 between the non-profit National Center for Sustainable Development in Washington, DC and the
CDM Fund, supervised by the Ministry of Finance in Beijing, China. 10/31/2011
MagneGasSecures $2.7MM Private Placement for Commercial Development
Florida’s plasma waste to energy technology developer MagneGas Corporation has announced a $2.7 million private placement common stock transaction.
Funds will be utilized to install refinery / MagneGas supply stations in the Detroit area and to augment the
company’s inventory of fuel gas storage and delivery cylinders. The MagneGas Plasma Arc FlowTM process is used to gasify a variety of
liquid wastes to produce a syngas useful for metal working, transport fuel and for combined heating and cooling
applications (CHP). The process can use many types of waste as feedstock including sewage, sludge, animal
manure, glycerin, used antifreeze, some oil based liquids and waste water; the product is a hydrogen based fuel
that has a combination of hydrogen, carbon monoxide and inert trace gases. "This catalyst event is an exciting
one for MagneGas and its shareholders," stated MagneGas President Scott Wainwright. "Unlike with many renewable
technologies, we do not need capital to further an idea but to satisfy demonstrated commercial demand. With this
infusion we intend to substantially expand our gas production and delivery capacity, monetizing the previously
unmet appetites of existing customers. Concurrently, we have been resolutely cultivating relationships with much
larger fuel consumers -- this expanded capacity is the final piece necessary to progress these relationships
from the testing phase to volume fuel sales. We believe that this growth capital is the first trigger to
realizing our immediate and ongoing commercial potential." 10/29/2011
Gevo’sIsobutanol Outperforms Ethanol in Small Engine Blended Fuel Tests
Colorado’s advanced renewable chemicals and fuels company Gevo Inc. has announced success in third party testing of its bio-sourced isobutanol
as a gasoline blending additive. Gevo recently provided its biofuel to the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) and to Briggs & Stratton (B&S) to conduct a parallel series of third
party validation tests in B&S small engines. The testing was conducted side-by-side with ethanol-blended
gasoline and verified that the isobutanol shows none of the poor performance issues associated with ethanol
blends. Assessment indicates a blend of 12.5% isobutanol to gasoline could aid market transition to higher
biofuel blending rates with no risk or reduced performance in small engines. Unlike ethanol, isobutanol does not
absorb water, avoiding common seasonal and storage problems of ethanol blends. "These results show us that
isobutanol could be a biofuel alternative that can be introduced into the existing supply chain without the
potential for disruption and harm to our outdoor power equipment engines," said Kris Kiser, President and CEO of
OPEI. "In the economic interest of our members and the safety interest of consumers, we need to be open to a
biofuel that can perform reliably in the millions of products on the market -- lawnmowers, chainsaws,
motorcycles, snowmobiles, ATVs and UTVs, boats and older cars." 10/29/2011
EBMUDApproves Lease for Viridis Fuels 20 MGD Biodiesel Plant
The Board of Directors of the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD)
passed a resolution at last week’s regular meeting approving a lease
agreement with Viridis Fuels of two 3-acre parcels for the construction of the firm’s biodiesel processing
facility. The land is part of the District’s recently acquired Oakland Army Base property, adjacent to the EBMUD
Main Wastewater Treatment Plant (MWWTP). Viridis Fuels submitted toward a
2009 EBMUD request for proposal, concurrent with the District’s preparation of a Draft Environmental Impact
Report for the MMWTP Land Use Master Plan. The Master Plan addresses overall MMWTP development plans and two specific
land-lease projects: biodiesel facility production and food waste pre-processing. The Board certified the CEQA
document in its June 28 2011 meeting. Viridis Fuels can now develop and operate a 20
million gallon per year (MGD) biodiesel plant using its waterless technology with methanol catalyst
recycling, on feedstock initially comprised of waste vegetable oil and animal fats. The facility will have an
on-site community education center for tours and outreach events. 10/29/2011
PlascoReceives Approval for Ottawa Canada Waste Conversion Facility
Plasco Energy Group Inc. has received Certificates of Approval from the Ontario Ministry of the
Environment for operation of its Trail Road plasma waste conversion facility in Ottawa, Canada. Plasco’s process separates and recovers recyclables from mixed
municipal solid waste, sending all residuals through a high-temperature plasma assisted gasification retort. The
approval was issued after the final Environmental Screening Report was filed, completing the region’s
Environmental Assessment process. The small plant has approval for 85 tonnes per day through-put rate, with
options for expansion after a period of successful run-time. “We are very pleased with the environmental
performance of the plant and with its efficiency in recovering net saleable energy from the waste processed. Its
approval from the MOE will now permit Plasco to proceed with permanent operation of the Trail Road plant,”
according to Plasco’s CEO, Rod Bryden. 10/28/2011
GreenfreakSecures Styrofoam Thermal Treatment Contract with Recology
Yuba City, California start-up company Greenfreak Recycling, LLC has
signed a contract with Recology, Inc to process Styrofoam or expanded polystyrene (EPS) in
Yuba, Sutter, and Butte counties using Greenfreak’s Chinese-sourced mobile thermal densification equipment.
Recology provides waste management services for the three county area. The pre-treatment processing gently melts
the EPS at 350° F, reducing volume by about 90% and extruding a dense plastic ready for further handling. EPS is
classically difficult to recycle; the new contract allows Recology to eliminate bulk EPS disposal to its Ostrum
Landfill and expand to establish customer EPS drop-off programs in the three county service area.
Greenfreak’s EPS Diversion Plan manages much of the collection, processing and
re-manufacturing supply chain and includes profit sharing with waste management partner companies. The start-up
already has identified various EPS resin formed products and is running an Eco-Innovator Contest to expand its product portfolio. The resulting
densified EPS is ready for remolding; Upon inspection at Grenfreak’s booth at the recent SARTA Clean Tech
Showcase, the chipped material also appears to be an excellent feedstock for thermal conversion to foundation
chemicals and fuel precursors. The company hopes to expand activity throughout Recology’s four-state territory
and beyond, and to obtain processing contracts with non-competing waste management firms.
10/28/2011
ZeaChemRaises Additional $19MM to Advance Cellulosic Biorefinery Platform
Cellulosic biorefinery firm ZeaChem has announced raising an additional $19 million in Series C investments to advance its commercial production of parallel
fermentation and thermochemical processing to advanced biofuels and biochemicals. ZeaChem's technology platform reduces carbon dioxide (CO2) problems associated
with traditional and cellulosic based biorefinery processes while maximizing yield. Headquartered in Lakewood,
Colorado with lab facilities in Menlo Park, California, the company has begun construction of a 250,000 gallon
per year integrated biorefinery in Boardman, Oregon and contracted with Pacific Ethanol for the plant’s operations, maintenance and accounting
services. ZeaChem’s technologic capacity can produce a wide array of foundation chemicals and fuel precursors
including ethanol, ethylene glycol, lactic and propionic acid, butanol and hexanol. Investment this round was
led by Birchmere Ventures, bringing the firm’s partner Sean Sebastian onto
ZeaChem’s Board of Directors. "As an industry leader in the advanced biofuels and bio-based chemicals
industries, ZeaChem's proven capability to produce economical and sustainable petroleum alternatives is an
innovation we are pleased to add to our portfolio," said Sean D. S. Sebastian, partner of Birchmere Ventures.”
10/28/2011
CR&RWaste to Energy Project Nears CEQA Certification
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works has provided the county’s
Board of Supervisors with an update on Phase III and IV of its Southern California Conversion Technology Demonstration Project,
singling out CR&R Waste and Recycling Services for its progress as one of the
three teams signatory to April 20, 2010 Memoranda of Understanding. CR&R is in the design and permitting
phase of its 150 ton per day municipal solid waste (MSW) conversion plant at its materials recovery facility
(MRF) in Perris, Riverside County, California. The company received a $4.5 million grant from the California Energy Commission this past
February in support of its MSW-to-BioMethane project. LA County staff is currently reviewing a proposed change
in CR&R’s selection of conversion technology platform from the previous Arrow Bio systems to the DRANCO
technologies offered by the firm Organic Waste Systems. The City of Perris released a draft California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) impact report last month for the proposed development. A public hearing is now
scheduled for November 16, 2011 before the city’s Planning Commission for possible certification of a mitigated
negative declaration of impact and a modification to the existing conditional use permit to encompass the new
operations. Once certified, CR&R’s application for modification of its solid waste facility permit can be
completed and reviewed by the Riverside County Local Enforcement Agency (LEA) and CalRecycle at the state level.
CR&R hopes to start construction next year and be in operation in 2013. 10/28/2011
CaliforniaInvestor Seeks Opportunities in Water, Energy, or Ag Technologies
The Water, Energy and Technology (WET) Center of the Central Valley Business Incubator (CVBI) is assisting a local investor
to assess potential equity investments of up to $3 million each. Companies located in the California counties of
Fresno, Madera, Tulare or Kings that have innovative technologies and/or business solutions to meet needs in
areas of water, energy or agriculture are encouraged to contact the Center. Interested firms will submit a 1 to
3 page executive summary to be screened and reviewed by the WET Center leadership, who will identify
high-potential investment opportunities. Those passing the screening process will receive full-presentation
guidelines and an opportunity to schedule a “pitch”. The Claude Laval WET incubator program is based in the
BlueTechValley tuition-based business training facility in Fresno, one of many regional satellite offices of
CVBI in partnership with the University of California, Merced regional network of the California Small Business
Development Center (SBDC), which provides entrepreneurial businesses with start-up
assistance at no charge. 10/27/2011
Joint EU Biorefinery Vision
for 2030 Predicts Increased Use of Cellulosic Biomass
The Strategic Research Targets for 2020 – Collaboration Initiative on
Biorefineries (Star-COLIBRI) project has released the report, Joint European Union Biorefinery Vision for 2030. Star-COLIBRI is a
Coordination and Support Action funded for 2 years starting on November 2009, by the European Commission’s 7th
Framework Programme. The project involves five key European Technology Platforms and five major European
research organizations. The Vision document outlines the key information and tools necessary for policy makers
to build this key part of the overall European evolution of a Knowledge-Based Bioeconomy. Among the study’s
findings: “After 2020, there will be an increasing use of dedicated lignocellulosic crops, both from farms and
short rotation plantations on woodland, assuming that technical and economic hurdles have been overcome by then
… Starting from a process stream based on starch and sugar crops, the plants will progressively use
lignocellulosic feedstocks and integrate the fractionation processes by 2030. The first step will be the
integration of cereal straw into the supply chain ... In 2030, biorefineries processing a range of
lignocellulosic biomass will be well established.” 10/27/2011
GeorgiaCounty Breaks Ground on Landfill Gas to Renewable Fuels Facility
DeKalb County, Georgia held a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Renewable Fuels Facility that will
convert landfill gas to fuel. Methane-rich gas extracted from the Seminole Road Landfill will be cleaned and
compressed as renewable natural gas to fuel up to 70 county vehicles. The Seminole Road Landfill is DeKalb County’s only sanitary landfill, and
accepts only municipal solid waste generated within the county. The project was co-funded by the county and US
Department of Energy through a stimulus program grant. The county‘s economic assessment indicates a savings of
$3 million over the next eight years. The DeKalb County Department of Sanitation is in a partnership with
the Clean Cities Atlanta Petroleum Reduction Program, a $40 million
initiative with the goals of increasing the supply and availability of renewable fuels and decreasing the demand
for petroleum fuels in the metro Atlanta region. Clean Cities is the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) flagship
alternative-transportation deployment initiative, sponsored by the Vehicle Technologies
Program. 10/27/2011
Successful Plasma Conversion
of Waste to Energy + Fuel Cells in Korea
Canadian fuel cell development company Ballard Power Systems has announced successful operation and export of power to South Korea’s
electricity grid. Ballard’s fuel cells are installed in GS Platech's plasma waste conversion pilot plant in Cheongsong, the
country’s first plasma gasification and vitrification system. Coupling plasma torch array with cyclonic plasma
gasification, the processing converts solid waste to syngas with a high hydrogen content, sufficient to generate
50 kilowatts of zero-emission power. GS Platech now plans to market the combined application throughout the
Asian region. The effort was sponsored as a national research project by the Korean Ministry of Knowledge and
Economy with funding from the Canadian Department of the Environment, under the framework of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate.
Dantherm Power, Ballard’s back-up power supply development partner
with its headquarters in Denmark, has supplied the Ballard fuel cell stacks for the project. “This is the first
ever demonstration of a waste-to-energy system incorporating both of these technologies,” said Jesper Themsen,
Managing Director and CEO of Dantherm Power. “The successful operation of the system is a significant milestone
in the development of waste-to-energy solutions and speaks to our strong partnership with GS Platech.”
Concurrently, Ballard announced that Dantherm has secured a 150 kilowatt fuel cell power
supply agreement with Anglo American Platinum, considered the world’s largest primary
platinum production company. 10/27/2011
CaliforniaFire Safe Council Announces 2012 WUI Grants
This year, the California Fire Safe Council (CFSC) received 196 proposals totaling more than $16.5 million in
requested support for the USDA Forest Service State Fire Assistance (SFA) grant funding to be
distributed in 2012. With the Chairman’s message announcing review completion is a list
of the 39 organizations whose proposals have been preliminarily
selected by grants review committee, representing an even distribution of about $4.1 million through the Coastal, Sierra
and Southern California regions. CFSC grants managers will now work with selected winners in the second step
of the SFA program to finalize budgets and pre-award reports, due to CFSC by November 4, 2011. According to
the California Fire Alliance, the SFA program assists state forestry
agencies in wildfire response coordination and delivery, compliance with the national safety and training
standards that ensure state and local crew deployment to federal fires and other emergency situations, hazard
assessments, fuels treatment projects, and public education efforts especially within the Wildland / Urban
Interface (WUI). The CFSC helps administer the SFA program by soliciting proposals from local Fire Safe Councils
and similar stewardship organizations, and providing an on-line Grant Writing Handbook. The program’s hands-on community level
interaction also constitutes the very front end of an important biomass supply chain for those interested in
sourcing sustainable “waste biomass” for conversion to electricity, fuels and other commodities. The program
thus provides excellent points of contact for separately-funded biomass removal efforts, a key to coordinating
community support and biomass feedstock acquisition logistics. 10/26/2011
UMaineResearchers Develop Contaminant-Tolerant Biomass to Liquid Fuel
The University of Maine Chemical and Biological Engineering Department has
announced successful development of a two-step biomass to liquid fuel
conversion mixed carboxylate platform that is resilient to contaminants and flexible in feedstock. The process
developed by associate professor M. Clayton Wheeler with his team first converts cellulosic
biomass to organic acids such as levulinic acid, then with the addition of calcium hydroxide and at about 450º
Celsius produces a dark amber colored oil with little entrained oxygen. The deoxygenation is the key, as the
removal of both carbon dioxide and water without requiring addition of hydrogen retains almost all of the
original energy density of the biomass in the produced bio-oil. “Biomass has a lot of oxygen in it. All of that
oxygen is dead weight and doesn’t provide any energy when you go to use that as a fuel,” Dr. Wheeler says. “If
you’re going to make a hydrocarbon fuel, one of the things you have to do is remove oxygen from biomass. You can
do it by using hydrogen, which is expensive and also decreases the energy efficiency of your process. So if
there’s a way to remove the oxygen from the biomass chemically, then you’ve densified it
significantly. Our oil has less than 1 percent oxygenates. No one else has done anything like
this.” Dr. Wheeler has successfully converted unsorted, “dirty” biomass from grocery store food wastes and
packaging into fuel; the lab is now capable of producing several liters of fuel per month and planning next step
scale-up using standard industry equipment such as common to the region’s pulp mills. Dr. Wheeler and colleagues
published on the core of their work last year in the journal Green Chemistry, available on-line. 10/26/2011
UK’sHuhne: Renewable Technologies Will Deliver Third Industrial Revolution
The Secretary of State of United Kingdom’s Department of Energy and Climate Change
(DECC) gave a key speech today, addressing attendees at an annual Renewables
conference with strong support for renewable energy technology and waste conversion. Minister Chris Huhne called
renewable technology development the Third Industrial Revolution, with a "simple argument" that it had already
begun. His attack on Nay-Sayers was forceful and direct: "Renewables are too expensive", they cry. “They cannot
deliver energy at scale."They are uneconomic, unreliable and unwanted." It is time to retire these myths… Last
year, global investment in renewable energy rose by 32% to $211 billion. And $142 billion of that was new
financial investment, which excludes government and corporate R&D.” Last week, the DECC started a
formal consultation process that proposed new support levels for large
scale renewables that are intended to result in 70 to 75 trillion watt hours of renewable electricity generation
by 2017, 70% of the roadmap target for 2020. Assessing the programs and the Minister’s
speech, Charlotte Morton, CEO of the Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association, said: "Chris Huhne's focus on
the economic benefits of renewable energy is welcome. If fully supported, biogas alone could contribute over
£2bn a year to the UK economy, and create 35,000 jobs - as well as the chance of valuable export markets for UK
manufacturing. With concerns about energy security, fossil fuels getting ever more expensive and consumer energy
price rises following, we cannot afford not to invest in renewable energy." 10/26/2011
ConocoPhillips2011 Energy Prize Awards Include BioChar, Biofuels
Congratulations are certainly due to the Aerostat inventors who won this
year’s ConocoPhillips / Penn State Energy Prize awards just announced, but we’re partial to the first and second place
runners-up. First runner up was Jason Aramburu, founder and CEO of the start-up company re:char, who took home $75,000 to further his effort “Biochar Production for Climate Change Mitigation”, aimed at
commercialization of cheap home and farm production of biochar for the masses. Second runner up Mark Mascal, professor of Chemistry at the University of California,
Davis, was awarded $50,000 for his chemical approach to the deconstruction of waste biomass materials in his
submittal, “Conversion of Plant Carbohydrates into a New Generation of Biofuels and Substitutes for Petroleum
Products.” The ConocoPhillips Energy Prize is a joint initiative with Penn State College begun in
2008 to recognize and reward innovative ideas for the development of new energy sources for improvements to
energy efficiency and for better ways to combat climate change. "The world needs clean energy concepts moving
from the drawing board and into the home, office, field and factory, with an increasing urgency,” said Merl
Lindstrom, interim senior vice president, Technology, ConocoPhillips. “We believe the ConocoPhillips Energy
Prize is playing its part in providing a much-needed focus on developing these game-changing ideas.”
10/25/2011
TGEGGets
One Billion Euro Credit Line for MSW Gasification to Energy
True Green Energy Group (TGEG) has confirmed an agreement with the CJ consortium for a 1 billion Euro
line of credit (about US $1.35 billion) to expand their business development globally and fund Bio Green power
plants. TGEG purchases landfills, runs the incoming municipal solid waste through a Materials Recovery Facility
(MRF), then shreds and pelletizes the residual for use and/or sale as refuse-derived fuel (RDF). The company’s
BioGreen gasification systems can convert the RDF to syngas that can be used as fuel for power generation or
fuel / chemical production by catalysis. The agreement includes TGEG’s construction and operation of an
integrated $25 million facility in San Fernando, Philippines; a stakeholder visit to the new site is scheduled
for November 5, 2011. With its partner Spectrum Blue Steel, TGEG owns a number of landfill sites and
operations and expects next month to announce new partnerships with other gasification systems providers in the
United States, Korea and China. Blue Steel is focused on “de-carbonizing” power generation by shifting from
petroleum to waste-sourced feedstock, following the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the Renewable Energy Law (RA 9513 of the Philippines wherein energy
generated from waste is deemed renewable. California-native Ronald Flynn, founder and Chairman of the Board,
said, "With the combination of TGEG viable renewable energy resources and landfill sites, coupled with energy
efficiency, conservation and smart grid development for low cost housing we could lead the world in energy
independence and a cleaner, more sustainable energy infrastructure — but also to what will soon prove to be the
greatest investment opportunity of the 21st Century." 10/25/2011
FlotechShifts Focus toward GreenLane Biogas Expansion
The Flotech Group, internationally known for gas compression, cooling, and
heat exchange systems, has announced a shift in the firm’s growth strategy more focused on its
subsidiary GreenLaneTM Biogas. With operations in North America,
Europe and Asia in addition to home-base New Zealand, the vertically-integrated company now sees its
standardized and modular biogas upgrading packages poised to claim a major part of the global market for
conversion of landfill gas and bio-digester methane into fuel grade compressed bio-natural gas and other
products. Fiscal analysis of heavy investment during the last year has driven the decision. “Results also
reflect the process of change as we shifted from a projects-driven, compressor dominated business to marketing
the Greenlane™ standardised solution,” Group Managing Director Steve Broadbent said. “This change focused on
growing the potential of Greenlane™, which now dominates sales.” Earlier this year, GreenLane confirmed a contract to install a “Totara+” biogas upgrading system at
the Fair Oaks Dairy Farm in Fair Oaks, Indiana, to be integrated with
a UTS Residuals Processing anaerobic digestion facility. The GreenLane
module will process up to 1500 standard cubic feet per minute (scfm) of methane rich digester biogas into
renewable bio-natural gas for fuelling the dairy’s fleet of 42 milk hauling trucks; excess will be injected into
the regional natural gas pipeline grid. Sean Mezei, President of Greenlane North America said: “This project at
Fair Oaks will be a significant milestone for renewable vehicle fuelling in the US. We are
looking forward to replicating in the US our years of experience providing high quality vehicle fuel in Europe,
Japan and other countries.” 10/25/2011
PacificEthanol Contracted to Run ZeaChem’s Oregon Biorefinery
California company Pacific Ethanol has announced a contract between
the firm’s Management Services subsidiary (Pacific Services) and Colorado based ZeaChem to provide operations,
maintenance and accounting services for the firm’s 250,000 gallon per year advanced biofuel refinery in
Boardman, Oregon. The ZeaChem plant is adjacent to the Columbia ethanol plant, one of four facilities operated
and partially owned by Pacific Ethanol. ZeaChem is developing and commercializing a hybrid
cellulosic biofuel and biochemical production platform that integrates parallel biochemical and thermochemical
processes, where about two thirds of the fuel energy comes from fermentation of sugars and one third is derived
by steam gasification of lignin to produce hydrogen. Earlier this year, ZeaChem was selected as one of the
advanced biofuel facilities to benefit from the US Department of Agriculture’s Biomass Crop Assistance Program
(BCAP), which supports regional
biofuel development. Neil Koehler, Pacific Ethanol’s president and CEO, stated: “This agreement reflects the
value of our diversified business model as we extend our asset management expertise beyond the four Pacific
Ethanol plants to provide plant operating and maintenance services to ZeaChem. We are well positioned to
leverage our extensive knowledge of low-carbon renewable fuel production to operate and maintain ZeaChem’s
advanced cellulosic biorefinery.” 10/23/2011
AmyrisSigns MOU with Brazilian ETH Bioenergia for Biofene Production
California’s Amyris, Inc has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Brazilian biofuel and
biochemical producer ETH Bioenergia, a subsidiary of Odebrecht S.A., with the intent to form a joint venture (JV) for
production of Amyris’ Biofene®. Amyris Biotechnologies platform utilizes genetically engineered yeast strains to produce
renewable isoprenoids, including farnesene. Amyris is building up a production base for Biofene in Brazil, Europe and the United.
ETH operates nine facilities for development of new applications for ethanol and sugarcane-based products. The
company has committed a total of R$ 8 billion to scale up all its units to their maximum production capacity of
3 billion liters of ethanol and 2,700 gigawatt hours of electricity by 2013. The JV would have access to up to
two million tons of ETH’s Brazilian sugarcane crush capacity per. Amyris will have exclusive marketing rights
for the Biofene produced, with an expected start date in 2014. “ETH has been at the leading edge of sugarcane
ethanol production in Brazil and now, with our technology, Amyris will be able to market renewable products made
from Biofene produced at one of ETH’s new mills,” said John Melo, CEO of Amyris. “Through this joint venture
with ETH, and other agreements already announced in Brazil, Amyris now has access to 15 million tons of
sugarcane crush capacity for our production.” 10/23/2011
UniversityResearchers Characterize High-Lignin Biomass Feedstock Pyrolysis
Researchers from the Department of Horticultureand
the Center for Applied Energy Research, University of Kentucky, and the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of
Massachusettshave published their work on the
identification and characterization of compounds produced during pyrolysis of high-lignin biomass feedstock.
Coupling pyrolysis with gas chromatography, the team compared numerous biomass sources, comparing these to
results for switchgrass. Cell wall molecular components vary between plants, and their thermochemical
deconstruction products vary accordingly. The study sought to identify plant feedstock with particularly high
lignin content, including representative field crops, shrub and tree species and extending well beyond the
usual plants considered “energy crops.” Coconut shells and peach pits ranked highest, approaching 50% by dry
weight lignin. By comparison, switchgrass ranges from 15 to 29% lignin and Poplar averages 25%. High-lignin
drupe endocarp feedstocks appear to be a good source of the renewable production of phenol, 2-methoxyphenol,
2-methylphenol, 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol and 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol. The paper “Identification and
thermochemical analysis of high lignin feedstocks for biofuel and bio-chemical production” is
available on-line.
10/23/2011
KoreanAward Honors Waste to Bioenergy Research
National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) Professor Wen-Teng Wu has been honored with a Research Exchange Award from the Korean Society for
Biotechnology and Bioengineering (KSBB) for his work promoting international collaboration among Asian
countries for biotechnology development. As the only recipient of the prestigious award for 2011, Professor Wu
said In his acceptance speech before the Society, “The development of renewable energy is a popular subject
nowadays. We should make use of agricultural, industrial and urban wastes at lower cost to develop biomass
energy, a critical renewable resource in the future.” Wu is the current director of the NCKU’s Research Center for Energy Technology and Strategy. Just this month,
Congress approved the US-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA), along with FTAs with Panama
and Colombia; Korea’s National Assembly is now reviewing the agreement with a US Delegation. Last week,
President Obama and President Lee Myung-Bak of the Republic of Korean toasted the agreement at a White House
state dinner. 10/21/2011
NesteOil
Wins Top 2011 International BioFuels Technology Award for Jet Fuel
Finland’s Neste Oil has received first place at the International Biofuels 2011 Awards as
Biofuels Technology of the Year, recognizing the company’s successful development of the NExBTL aviation fuel platform. The international award ceremony was
held during the World Refining Association’s annual Biofuels conference Awards in Amsterdam. NExBTL can convert
a wide variety of virgin and waste sourced bio-based oils into low carbon, to-specification transportation fuels
and fuel additives; aviation fuel has been successfully trialed for use in Lufthansa’s jet engines without need
for engine modification. Neste Oil successfully started up Europe's largest renewable diesel plant in Rotterdam in the Netherlands in September
for production of NExBTL renewable diesel. Speaking of the award, Kaisa Hietala, Neste
Oil's Vice President of Market Development said, "Receiving an accolade like this from the leaders in the field
is a great achievement," says. "We have used NExBTL technology to produce renewable diesel since 2007, and this
year we introduced aviation fuel based on the same technology. Thanks to our capacity to produce NExBTL
renewable aviation fuel in commercial quantities, we were able to launch a pioneering biofuel project with
Lufthansa this summer." 10/21/2011
Ferrum College Starts
Construction on Waste Biomass Boiler for New CHP Facility
Virginia’s Ferrum College has begun construction on a biomass boiler for its new biomass fueled
combined heat and power (CHP) facility, called the English Biomass Energy and Research Complex (designed by the
Richmond, Virginia firm English Boiler and Tube, Inc). Construction began on the facility in August and is
expected to be completed in March 2012. U.S. Rep. Robert Hurt (R) VA 5th District participated in the
announcement ceremony today for the biomass boiler. Lumber industry wood waste conversion will provide about 65%
of the campus space heating and hot water demand, and around 800 kilowatts of electricity, also for campus use.
“We are proud to be building a facility that serves as an example of Ferrum’s commitment to sustainable
initiatives,” said College President Jennifer Braaten, who noted that the facility will also include an
instructional area and research boiler to provide Ferrum College faculty and students with a working lab in
which to study green energy technologies. Founded in 1913, four-year Ferrum College is located in the foothills
of the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia between Roanoke, Virginia and Greensboro, North Carolina.
10/21/2011
CalRecyclePlans Cleanup of Waste Management Regulations
At an informal afternoon workshop following the department’s October 18,
2011 monthly meeting, Department of Resources
Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) staff presented a suite of twelve key Issues
regarding inadequacies and conflicts within the State’s Title 14 and Title 27 regulatory areas, along with
potential approaches for developing draft changes to address the conflicts. The Issues covered problem areas
related to Compostable Materials, Transfer Processing, Permit Application Form, and Permit Exemptions.
The workshop notice provides access to a supplemental document
detailing the Draft Regulatory Issues and Potential Approaches. Staff noted intent to thoroughly vet the topics
and establish a firm scope early in 2012, and are kicking off with this forum well in advance of beginning the
formal rulemaking process. A good public turnout afforded lively and detailed exploration of the dozen suggested
issues. Highlights: Issue 1 dealt with the accepted short-comings of definitions of “food waste” in current
regulations; Issue 5 brought out challenges and opportunities in addition of food waste, fats oils and grease to
anaerobic digestion systems at publicly owned treatment works. Issue 7 focused on the lack of an acceptable fit
for anaerobic digestion within the current permitting structure, while Issue 8 introduced the complexities
occasioned by overlapping regulatory purview of the California Department of Food and Agriculture
regarding waste meat management. Information regarding the upcoming rulemaking
process is also available on the Compostable Materials, Transfer/Processing Home Page, and written comments may be sent
to. 10/21/2011
CyclonePower Successfully Tests All-Fuel Waste Heat Engine
A major step toward commercialization has been announced by Florida-based Cyclone Power Technologies, with successful testing of the firm’s
all-fuel Waste Heat Engine WHE-25 in partnership with Phoenix Power Group LLC. The collaboration is focused on integration
of Cyclone’s externally heated WHE-25 with a widely used EPA-compliant waste oil furnace to form the Phoenix-10 Waste Oil Power Generator, scheduled for production next
year. The coupled system will be a combined heat and power package (CHP) generating 7.5 kilowatts of grid-ready
electricity and recoverable heat when fueled on used automotive oil, designed to serve auto garages, car
dealerships and similar businesses. Cyclone is poised for international growth, receiving 10 European patents earlier this month. Doug Petty, Phoenix Power’s
Vice President, commented, “We’ve made significant progress in a short period of time, and we’re very pleased
with the results Cyclone is achieving. Among the critical connections we’ve made in the past few months was
matching the Cyclone steam generator with our partner’s EPA-compliant and UL-rated waste oil furnace, which we
believe will expedite our path to product commercialization.” 10/20/2011
AB 341 Moves Proposed Regs
for Mandatory Commercial Recycling to CalRecycle
On the second day of the California Air Resources Board (ARB) public hearing scheduled for October 20 and 21, 2011, staff of the ARB
and the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) will provide the ARB with an update on how requirements
of Assembly Bill (AB) 341 will now fit with the ARB’s implementation of
AB 32. When Governor Brown signed AB 341 into law on October 5th, it changed responsibility for implementation
of the mandatory commercial recycling program required under AB 32 from the ARB to the CalRecycle, and added
additional requirements for multifamily complexes. The ARB’s AB 32 Scoping Plan was approved in 2008 and
designated the CalRecycle as the lead for recycling solutions, including the proposed regulation to Reduce
Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions by Requiring Mandatory Commercial Waste Recycling. The proposed regulation was
developed as a collaborative effort between ARB and CalRecycle staff. The 45 day review period for
formal rulemaking ended today, and ARB staff was originally scheduled
to present the proposed regulation for possible adoption at this Friday’s ARB public hearing. The agenda item
has been cancelled and instead, staff will present an informational update on ARB and CalRecycle staff
collaboration and the current status of regulatory activities. The presentations developed for the agenda item
will be made available on-line on the day of the ARB meeting at the time the item
(#11-8-3) is heard. The ARB no longer has authority to approve the regulation and ARB staff believes its
proposed rule-making regulatory development is no longer needed. On October 6th, CalRecycle staff
provided public notice to begin its own formal rulemaking process for the
proposed regulation completed with ARB staff and revised to reflect AB 341 provisions. The CalRecycle’s 45 day
comment period is expected to begin in late November 2011. 10/19/2011
CaliforniaDFA Schedules Inedible Material (Food Waste) Disposal
Workshop
The California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Meat, Poultry and Egg Safety Branch (MPES) will meet on October 27, 2011 to discuss the current regulatory framework
related to handling meat-based food waste and kitchen grease. Coordinating closely with Department of Resources
Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) efforts toward streamlining food waste regulation, the
CDFA seeks to clarify administrative and inspection roles for both state departments and for local enforcement
by minimizing or eliminating regulatory overlap. The MPES licenses and inspects meat processing facilities not
under US Department of Agriculture inspection programs and licenses field inspectors. The branch also provides
oversight and licensing over many types of wholesale and retail establishments and activities that are sources
of food waste, including collection and transport of “inedible kitchen grease” (waste cooking oil). This initial
meeting will provide background and outline areas where issues are recognized, laying a framework for future
solutions. The meeting is open to the public and seeks stakeholder comment. Direct questions about the meeting
and the process to Dr. Douglas Hepper, Chief, Department of Food and Agriculture, Meat, Poultry and Egg Safety
Branch, 1220 N Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, telephone (916) 900-5004 or email.
10/19/2011
Abengoato
Construct $120MM Integrated Biorefinery in Uruguay
The international sustainable development company Abengoa will construct a US $120 million integrated biorefinery for Alcoholes
del Uruguay (ALUR) in the Department of Paysandú, Uruguay. The contract includes a multi-grain fermentation
bioethanol facility and a thermal conversion biomass combined heat and power (CHP) plant. The 70 million liter
dry mill ethanol plant will use wheat, maize, barley and sorghum feedstock and produce an additional 50,000 tons
annually of DDGS to be manufactured into animal feed. A co-located 8 megawatt CHP facility will run on biomass
residuals to steam heat and power the bioethanol operations. Abengoa and ALUR will form a joint venture to
operate and maintain the plant, while ALUR will be responsible for supply and sales. ALUR is a biofuels
development division of the Administracion Nacional de Combustibles, Alcohol y Portland (Ancap), Uruguay’s state oil and gas company. Abengoa has been
operating in Uruguay since 1980 providing services for water and energy development.
10/18/2011
BenchMarkEnergy Corporation to Acquire 49% of Energy Partners
Newly formed Texas renewable energy company BenchMark Energy Corporation has announced an agreement to acquire 49% of Indiana-based Energy Partners
LLC with an option to purchase the remaining 51%. Energy Partners has been in discussion with the City of Grand
Fork, North Dakota, to develop a glycerine processing plant, and has now received facility planning and
financial approval from the Grand Forks Growth Fund committee and the Jobs Development Authority. The plant
should be completed by mid-2012. Upon completion in middle 2012, the facility should process approximately nine
million (9,000,000) gallons of glycerin annually with an average value of $1.80 per gallon. The Grand Forks
facility would process the glycerine by-product of regional biodiesel production; raw glycerine is produced at
the rate of about one pound per gallon of biodiesel from regional biodiesel plants. The company has had about
$750,000 in glycerin sales in the last three quarters. Benchmark is expanding its glycerine market entry both national and internationally, seeing the
market for refined glycerol increasing sharply. In addition to existing uses as an animal feed supplement, in
production of pharmaceuticals and as a foundation chemical for myriad commodities, Benchmark is also interested
in very recent developments in the catalytic processing of glycerol to biofuels. The company plans to be a
leader in the integration of glycerin into traditional global product streams. 10/18/2011
MaerskLine
and US Navy to Use Emsys to Test Marine Biofuels Emissions
Maersk Line, has selected Virginia-based W.R. System’s Emsys™ laser-based emissions monitoring system (EMS) in its
collaboration with the US Navy to test emissions of marine biofuels for long-term use. Maersk Line is the global
containerized shipping division of A.P. Moller – Maersk Group based in Denmark. Maersk had already conducted two
successful trials of the EMS to prove system efficacy under the comprehensive marine Type Approval process under
the supervision of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). Emsys™ allows operators to continuously monitor,
analyze, and record emissions from all engine exhaust stacks simultaneously, testing for nitrogen oxide (NO),
nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and carbon dioxide (CO2), particulate matter (PM), and other
gases such as CO. Exhaust gases are measured “hot and wet”, reducing gas condition systems requirements, and PM
testing occurs outside and above stacks, allowing use of a single sensor for multiple measurements. The entire
system has very low maintenance requirements and stabile configuration, critical attributes in harsh marine
environments. W.R. Systems has a long track record of service navies and marine companies around the world; the
firm’s Engineering & Science for Defense division supports the navy,
Coast Guard, Department of Homeland Security and Special Forces. 10/18/2011
Envergentand Green
Fuel Nordic Sign MOU for Biomass to Biofuel in Finland
Envergent Technologies LLC has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Finland’s Green Fuel Nordic Oy to collaborate on
conversion of forest biomass residues to liquid fuel. Envergent is a joint venture between Honeywell's UOP and Ensyn that was formed to commercialize its rapid thermal processing (RTPTM) for
upgrading pyrolysis oil to transportation fuels. Green Fuel Nordic is planning to develop a number of RTP
facilities in Finland to supply biofuel for district heating systems that heat residential and commercial
buildings. "Envergent RTP™ commercially proven technology could provide a great opportunity to establish
distributed biorefineries in Finland and meet the country’s broader strategy for local energy production. Green
Fuel Nordic's biorefinery investments in Finland will provide a strong roadmap to produce liquid biofuels
leveraging local forest-based feedstock" said Vesa Kainulainen, chairman of the board for Green Fuel Nordic Oy.
Finland has set a 38% by 2020 renewable energy goal.10/17/2011
Due 11/30/2011: Proposals to Maryland
for Renewable Energy from Animal Waste
Maryland’s Department of General Services (DGS) has announced release of request for proposal
(RFP) #001IT818620 to generate renewable energy from animal waste as
part of the state’s Clean Bay Power project, an effort to increase renewable energy while reducing nutrient
run-off into the Chesapeake Bay. The project is a collaborative effort between DGS, the Departments of
Agriculture, Natural Resources, Environment, the Maryland Energy Administration, and the University System of
Maryland. Suppliers need to generate up to 10 megawatts of electric energy from clean conversion of animal
wastes as the primary fuel, such as poultry litter and livestock manure, qualify as a Tier I renewable energy
resource under the state’s current portfolio definition, and be operational and interconnected to the regional
grid by December 31, 2015. Maryland is technology-neutral and open to proposals for direct combustion,
gasification and anaerobic digestion to biogas for electricity generation. A pre-proposal briefing is scheduled
for October 18, 2011. DGS maintains the eMaryland Marketplace (eMM) and will post all RFP materials to the site, under the
solicitation number. A summary of the RFP is available on-line, with supporting documents.
For further information and to be listed as a prospective contractor, contact the solicitation’s procurement
officer Debbie Pecora at (410) 767-4945,.
10/17/2011
Due10/24/2011: Comments to Proposed Amendments to California’s LCFS
The California Air Resources Board (ARB) held its third and
final Public Workshop on Friday, October 14, 2011 to discuss proposed
amendments to the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) regulation. ARB staff has amended the 2010 regulation
based upon the recommendations of the LCFS Advisory Panel, the Workgroups and feedback from stakeholders;
the proposed regulation was presented at the workshop. Comments on proposed changes and matters discussed in
this final workshop are due October 24, 2011 in order to get the ARB's own review completed and reports
submitted on time to the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) in January. The formal 45 day rulemaking and
comment period prior to the formal Board hearing begins immediately following the close of this comment
period. See Teru's Focus Report, Update on California's LCFS,
for more information. Questions should be
directed to Floyd V. Vergara, Chief, Alternative Fuels Branch at (916) 327-5986 or via email
at, or Ms. Aubrey Sideco, Air Resources Engineer, Substance Evaluation Section, at
(916) 324-3334 or via email at. 10/16/2011
NASand
DoD Use Different Scales to Measure Value of Renewable Fuels
The National Academy of Science (NAS) Research Council's Committee on Economic and Environmental
Impacts of Increasing Biofuels Production has published "Renewable Fuel Standard: Potential Economic and
Environmental Effects of U.S. Biofuel Policy (2011)." The report finds our rate of progress wanting: "Only in an
economic environment characterized by high oil prices, technological breakthroughs, and a high implicit or
actual carbon price would biofuels be cost competitive with petroleum-based fuels." Yet the Department of
Defense (DoD) measures environmental and economic cost of fuel differently: while the RFS2 requires 50%
reduction of GHG emissions compared to petroleum based fuels, the DoD simply asks that they be no worse, and
emphasizes the cost of security. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus said in promoting alternative energy initiatives earlier this year that fuel supplies
make up the most truck convoys in Afghanistan, and one U.S. Marine is killed by an insurgent attack for every 50
convoys that make the long trek through Afghanistan. Secretary Mabus joined the Secretaries of Energy and
Agriculture in signing a sustainable commercial biofuels development Memorandum of Understanding this past June, committing over $500
million in total to the effort. The Navy held its third annual Naval Energy Forum on October 13 and 14, 2011, in Washington D.C. with
the by-line "Smart Energy Choices Can Save Lives, Improve Combat Capability". On November 3, 2011, the Army will
host the Energy Initiatives Task Force Summit for non-military personnel;
Secretary of the Army John McHugh said last year: "As long as we're dependent on those
fossil fuels, we're dependent on the Middle East. If we are not victims, we're certainly captives."
10/16/2011
California’sNet Metering Program Now Includes Small Scale Biomass/Biogas
Governor Brown signed the Renewable Energy Equity Act, Senate Bill 489 (Wolk), expanding California's Net Energy Metering
(NEM) program beyond wind and solar to include small scale biomass,
biogas and other forms of renewable power generation. On-site projects generating up to 1 megawatt can now be
credited for electricity sent to the utility, offsetting the customer's power bill. Generating facilities must
select from methods listed by the California Energy Commission as fitting the Renewable Resources Energy Program. The most recent Renewables
Portfolio Standard Eligibility Guidebook defines eligible renewable energy
resources by the source feedstock or fuel rather than the technology, with certain legislated prescriptive
exceptions and conditions, including specific caveats regarding conversion of municipal solid waste. From the Eligibility guidelines,
NEM options now might include power derived from biodiesel, biogas, biomass, conduit hydroelectric, digester
gas, fuel cells using renewable fuels, geothermal, hydroelectric incremental generation from efficiency
improvements, landfill gas, municipal solid waste, ocean wave, ocean thermal, and tidal current, photovoltaic,
small hydroelectric (30 megawatts or less, with no negative impact), solar thermal electric, and wind. Fuel cell
installation requirements have been conformed to those for the newly-reauthorized Self-Generation Incentive
Program (SGIP). Residential, agricultural, municipal and industrial projects
can all benefit from conversion of waste and biomass to electricity at scales much smaller than previously
considered economical, sizing project generation capacity to the annual load rather than the peak demand.
10/14/2011
Alter NRG and Coskata
Complete Successful Waste Conversion to Ethanol Testing
Canadian plasma developer Alter NRG Corp, owner of the Westinghouse Plasma technology,
has completed successful testing for plasma conversion of waste feedstock
to ethanol. The trials took place in the firm's Plasma Demonstration Center in Madison, Pennsylvania, and were
conducted as a partnership between Alter NRG, Coskata and Flex Ethanol Australia, an industrial consortium that
includes GM Holden, a General Motors (GM) Corporation company, Caltex, brand name of Chevron Corporation, and Phoenix Energy Australia Pty Ltd. GM also has an undisclosed strategic
ownership interest in Coskata. Various feedstock blends including simulated municipal solid waste, sewage sludge
and tires were first gasified to clean syngas using Alter NRG's plasma torch processing, then converted to
ethanol via Coskata's proprietary fermentation-based gas to liquid process, housed in the company's
FlexEthanolTM facility adjacent to Alter NRG's Plasma
Center. Once molecular bonds are broken by the plasma gasification, microorganisms consume the carbon monoxide
and hydrogen and exude ethanol, which is then recovered by distillation. Success in testing this waste-to-fuels
conversion platform is seen as a key element in the Australian partnership's project planning. "Conducting a
test at Alter NRG's demonstration plant was a critical component of Flex Ethanol's project development plan",
stated Peter Dyson, Managing Director of Phoenix Energy. "The successful test results have given us the
confidence to continue the development of our project to be located near Melbourne - a project that will convert
up to 2000 tonnes per day of waste to ethanol." Phoenix Energy Australia is the exclusive
licensee of Alter NRG’s Westinghouse Plasma gasification technology in Australia and New Zealand.
10/14/2011
WasteManagement Takes Direct Equity Stake in InEnTec for Waste to Fuels
Waste Management, Inc (WM) has announced the trade of its equity interest in S4 Energy for a direct
ownership of equity in InEnTec, Inc. S4 Energy was formed in 2009 as a joint venture between
WM and InEnTec to design, construct and operate a waste gasification plant at WM’s facility in Arlington,
Oregon. The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has now issued all necessary operating permits for the
fully constructed demonstration plant. InEnTec's advanced plasma enhanced melter (PEM®) technology super-heats feedstock to over 10,000 degrees
Fahrenheit, breaking molecular bonds and producing a clean syngas and an inert slag. The syngas, primarily
carbon monoxide and hydrogen, can then be converted to fuels or foundation chemicals, or used to run engines for
combined power and heat generation. InEnTec's PEM at its testing and demonstration facility in Richland,
Washington has been in active use since starting operations in 1997. PEMs are also in operation in Japan,
Taiwan; a commercial facility in Missouri is in final testing, and has recently been selected as the operating
system for Fulcrum Bioenergy's Sierra Biofuels plant in McCarran, Nevada. WM's equity position in
InEnTec is the most recent addition in a program of expansion from its core business of waste collection,
resource recovery and disposal, with strategic alliances and investments in numerous clean conversion companies.
10/14/2011
LondonReleases Shortlisted Proposal Details of Residual MSW to CHP Projects
The North London Waste Authority (NLWA) has announced project details of three proposals for long term and
sustainable use of Solid Recovered Fuel (SRF). Short-listed companies in the Authority's procurement request for
waste to energy conversion of the SRF include Covanta Energy, E.ON/Wheelabrator Technologies and Veolia Environmental Services (UK) Plc. The procurement contract is
for use of 250,000 to 300,000 tonnes per year of SRF to be developed from the unrecyclable fraction of North
London's municipal solid waste (MSW); the SRF will be produced under a separate procurement request for waste services. Covanta proposes a
Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant to serve the energy demand of the Tate & Lyle sugar refinery in
Silverton, barging waste from North London to the eastern London site. The E.ON / Wheelabrator team has proposed
use of the SRF at a CHP plant for DS Smith Paper's Kemsley Mill in Kent, the United Kingdom's largest waste paper
recycler. The feedstock would be shipped by rail to the proposed paper mill power plant which has already
received planning and operating permits. Veolia also proposes a CHP facility with rail transport of the
feedstock, to an existing asphalt, aggregate and concrete production industrial site in Hertfordshire. NLWA's
selection will compare carbon impacts, cost and quality; a selection is expected in October 2012 with contract
in early 2013. 10/14/2011
MeadowLake Tribal Council Plans 36 MWe Mill Waste Biopower Plant
Saskatchewan's utility company SaskPower has signed a letter of intent with the Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) to negotiate a 25-year power purchase agreement for a 36
megawatt biomass fueled power plant. The MLTC includes nine First Nations communities among 74 eligible for
membership in the First Nations Power Authority (FNPA) of Saskatchewan, a non-profit corporation established this
spring to facilitate power project development. The biomass power plant known as the Meadow Lake Bioenergy
Centre is being developed by the MLTC, the regional government of Saskatchewan and FNPA, and is the first power
project FNPA has brokered with SaskPower. The biomass plant will be co-located with the NorSask Forest Products
Mill to make use of the bark, branches, sawdust and other woody residues from the lumber mill operations that up
until now have been sent to an on-site beehive burner. FNPA Executive Director Jason Pollock offers,
“Congratulations to MLTC on their hard work and dedication to make this project a reality. Their vision and
leadership has not only resulted in a much needed renewable power project for the province of Saskatchewan but
also the creation of this organization (FNPA) which will serve to assist many other First Nations in becoming
involved in the power generation industry.” 10/13/2011
ChemopolisAmong Top 3 Biofuels Finalists in Global Cleantech Competition
The Finnish biorefinery specialist Chemopolis Ltd announced its selection as one of the top three firms in the category
of Renewable Energy, Biofuels in the Global Cleantech Cluster Association (GCCA) 2011 competition. Chempolis provides pre-treatment /
fermentation based solutions for conversion of biomass into electricity, fuels and other chemical commodities,
through two patented biorefining technology platforms: formicobio™ for the co-production of cellulosic ethanol and
biochemicals, and formicofib™ for the co-production of a papermaking fiber source and
biochemicals. Chemopolis is now among the top 30 firms in a suite of 185 to advance to the Finals from 4,000
company entries evaluated for business model, market position and technologies. The GCCA assesses companies in
ten categories including renewable energy, waste management, water quality and green buildings. Winners will
receive international exposure and business support coordinated by GCCA's own core investors to include
Generation’s Climate Solutions Fund (Al Gore’s investment Firm), The Rockefeller Foundation, Dow Venture
Capital, BASF Venture Capital and others. Awards will presented November 14, 2011 and hosted by the
Dublin's An tSli Ghlas, or "The Green Way" cluster of clean tech companies in
Ireland's first official green economic zone. 10/13/2011
ChemtexJV Formed to Commercialize PROESA for Cellulosic Biofuels
Italy's Gruppo Mossi and Ghisolfi (M&G) through its Chemtex subsidiary
has formed the joint venture BETA RENEWABLES with TPG Capital and TPG
Biotech (collectively "TPG") for exclusive licensing of Chemtex' PROESA® cellulosic biofuels and chemicals
platform. The partners are investing a total of €250 million in the JV with M&G holding the majority stake,
including transfer to BETA RENEWABLES of M&G's pilot plant in Tortona, Italy and the 40,000 metric ton per
year industrial scale cellulosic ethanol plant being built in Crescentino, Italy, scheduled for completion in
late 2012. The Chemtex PROESA processing utilizes enzymatic hydrolysis to
cost-effectively reduce a wide variety of biomass to low-viscosity sugar intermediary, and proprietary
simultaneous fermentation of both C5 and C6 sugars to beverage and fuel-grade ethanol, ASTM D6751 and EN14214 specification
compliant biodiesel, and/or other bio-sourced chemicals,
including ethylene, ethylene oxide, and ethylene glycol. Chemtex
plants also can integrate thermal conversion of biomass residuals for plant heat and power. “TPG has evaluated a
large number of opportunities in the renewables space and we believe that the PROESA® technology represents the
most viable and practical cellulosic sugar technology platform on the market today,” said Dr. Patrick McCroskey,
TPG Biotech. “BETA RENEWABLES is in position to broadly deploy this advanced technology into the global
marketplace and we expect that it will quickly establish a leadership position in this regard.”
10/13/2011
CleanMetricsReleases Waste Reduction and GHG LCA Modeling Tools
Tracking and estimating the carbon footprint, waste reduction
options, greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and energy efficiency profile for industry has just received a boost with the release
of two new value chain modeling-software packages from Oregon-based CleanMetrics Corporation. The company just unveiled MetaFlowScopeTM technology to analyze flows of materials and energy from source
to end-of-life to quantify the economic and environmental impacts of resource use and to find where productivity
can be increase while waste is reduced and diverted from disposal and costs are reduced. The technique
integrates material flow analysis, industrial metabolism, life cycle assessment (LCA) and value chain analysis
capable of clarifying complex value chain relationships. Specific examples for Food Service, for Manufacturing
(Barbie Dolls) and for Construction show how the package provides a top-down estimate of material quantities
ending up in an industry's waste stream, with full economic and LCA environmental impacts of waste of materials
and a detailed breakdown of that waste material composition. A second package now available is the FoodCarbonScope TM technology for modeling and analysis of life cycle GHG emissions, water use and
energy use in a variety of food and beverage production industrial sectors. CleanMetrics maintains one of the
most complete databases of food related industrial sector data available; default values in the analytical
programs drawn from the database can be modified to reflect project specific data.
10/13/2011
PrimusGreen Energy Pilot Produces and Tests Drop-in Bio-Gasoline
Primus Green Energy has completed successful production and testing of a high-octane drop-in
gasoline from conversion of cellulosic biomass at the firm's expanded New Jersey pilot. Testing of the 93 octane green gasoline was
accomplished in an unmodified engine and achieved 25% longer run-time than the same quantity of
petroleum-derived regular unleaded gasoline. Primus will increase its sample production volume and seek
certification under the relevant America Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) specifications. The processing
is feedstock flexible and can use any form of wood waste including mill and forestry residues, agricultural
bi-products and purpose-grown non-food energy crops. Biomass is chipped, dried and pelletized, then converted to
synthetic gas by high-temperature steam reforming gasification. The raw produced gas is cleaned of particulates
and carbon dioxide, and then catalytically upgraded to the final drop-in gasoline in Primus' proprietary
methanol to gasoline (MtG) process. Variations on the catalysis step can also produce other fuels including
to-specification jet fuel. Primus' majority equity partner is IC Green Energy (ICG), the renewable energy investment arm of the Israel Corporation.
Primus is planning its first commercial scale facility for a Pennsylvania site, partnering with Jaindl Farms and
Eco Therm for siting and feedstock to convert about 40,000 tons of biomass feedstock to 3.2
million gallon per year of green gasoline. 10/13/2011
Bankof
America Poised to Enter US Carbon Market Through California's AB 32
Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofA) has announced an agreement with TerraPass, Inc. to procure and market California-standard carbon
offsets through 2020 with credits generated by agricultural methane facilities (e.g. dairies) from TerraPass' portfolio of US
greenhouse gas reduction projects. The agricultural methane carbon credits meet California's Assembly Bill (AB)
32 mandates and are verified under the terms of the Climate Action Reserve and the Verified Carbon Standard. Under the agreement, the BofA Global
Commodities Group has an option to purchase and bring to market several million tons of California AB
32-compliant carbon offsets from TerraPass through 2020. BofA's Global Commodities Group already participates in
the international carbon market outside of the US, and expects the California Air Resources Board's
(ARB) final approval to create the second largest carbon market in the world and the first multi-sector
mandatory emissions trading program in the US. "We intend to build on the innovative transactions we've
completed in Europe and elsewhere to help U.S. clients hedge their exposure to carbon pricing and source
emission reduction offsets as part of an integrated solution," said Abyd Karmali, global head of Carbon Markets
in the Global Commodities Group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. "By acting as a first mover in California, we
are positioning ourselves as the offset provider of choice for companies that will need to become compliant
under these new regulations." Bank of America Merrill Lynch is the marketing name for the global banking and
global markets businesses of Bank of America Corporation. 10/12/2011
California's SGIP Re-Funded
through 2014 to Support Renewable Energy Projects
Governor Brown signed Assembly Bill 1150 (Perez) into law, re-instating funding for
California's Self Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) and bringing needed support to renewable energy and energy
efficiency projects including combined heat and power (CHP), waste heat recovery, and biogas to fuel cell energy
generation. The legislative extension of the SGIP will provide $83 million per year for three years through
2014. The U.S. Department of Energy Pacific Region Clean Energy Application Center (Pacific RAC) provided the legislature with a critical assessment of the economic impacts of the bill in August
2011. According to the RAC's current newsletter, "Most types of CHP will receive $0.50 per Watt in capital cost
incentives, paid out over several years of system operation. Stationary fuel cell systems will receive $2.25 per
Watt, and energy storage projects will receive $2.00 per Watt. Biogas fueled projects (fuel
cells and CHP) get a $2.00 per watt bonus adder and in-state manufacturers get a 20% additional incentive credit
for distributed power generation in California by providing fiscal analysis of the potential impacts to state
government associated with the bill that includes the public goods charge that agencies pay to fund the
program." 10/12/2011
WasteBamboo-to-Biochar Project Receives USDA Funds
The Pacific Islands Area (PIA) Natural Resources Conservation Service
(NRCS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced the award of four conservation grants, one of which will
support the employee-owned Whispering Winds Bamboo Cooperative in its efforts to convert bamboo
timber processing waste to biochar. 2008 Farm Bill funding comes through the Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG)
program, intended to further the development of practical new methods that can be widely disseminated through
the national agency's manuals and technical guides. PIA funding availability was announced in March for fiscal year 2011 and applications were due by
May, competing for awards not to exceed $75,000 per project. The winning Whispering Winds project will create
biochar from bamboo timber harvesting and processing wastes, utilizing an Adams retort; the product will be used as a soil amendment. The effort
will document project economics and product use effectiveness, including total carbon sequestration. "The
Pacific Islands Area is again offering our cooperators the opportunity to demonstrate new technologies and
approaches in conservation," stated Larry Yamamoto, predecessor to Angela Figueroa, current
Director of the Pacific Islands Area NRCS.” "This grant allows us to showcase unique methods to conserve
our natural resources specific to our islands," he continued. 10/11/2011
California'sAB 341 Signed, Sets 75% Recycling Policy Goal by 2020
Among the plethora of bills signed by Governor Jerry Brown this past week was
Assembly Bill 341 (AB 341) that sets a 75% recycling goal for
California by 2020. AB 341 was developed by recycling advocacy group Californians Against Waste
and sponsored by 1st District Assembly Member Wesley Chesboro (D – Eureka). The bill sets a goal that 75% of all solid
waste generated is source reduced, recycled or composted beginning January 1, 2020. Perhaps the most significant
requirement imposes a state-mandated local program without state reimbursement requiring implementation of solid
waste recycling programs for commercial and public generators, including multi-family housing of 5 units or
more. Local jurisdictions can, however, pass the cost of administering the expanded programs on to the
contracted waste haulers, and then of course, to the customers. AB 341 finds, "Although the state now leads the
nation in solid waste reduction and recycling, the state continues to dispose of more than 40 million tons of
solid waste each year, which is more than the national average on a per capita basis." AB 341 also requires the
Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) to report strategies toward meeting the goal and make
recommendations to the Legislature by January 1, 2014. CalRecycle's next monthly meeting is
scheduled for October 18, 2011; the on-line agenda includes an Informal Workshop on
Draft Regulatory Revisions to Title 14 and 27 (Compostable Materials, Transfer Processing, Permit Application
Form, Permit Exemptions). 10/11/2011
VirginAtlantic and LanzaTech Partner for Waste Emissions to Aviation Biofuel
In a move to reach beyond its commitment for a 30% carbon reduction per
passenger kilometer by 2020, Virgin Atlantic announced its partnership with New Zealand-based LanzaTech for development of an emissions-to-jet fuel platform. Virgin
plans within two to three years to use the new alternative fuel in the airline's flights between Shanghai and
Delhi to London, parallel to LanzaTech's development of steel mill emissions conversion projects in
China, and India. LanzaTech also has a green fuel and chemical partnership with
the Korean firm Posco, and has opened US headquarters in Roselle,
Illinois. The firm's technology platform uses carbon monoxide rich industrial emissions as
feedstock for proprietary microbial fermentation to short-chain alcohols and foundation chemicals; the process
can also ferment syngas from biomass and municipal sold waste gasification. Dr Jennifer Holmgren, Chief
Executive of LanzaTech, said: "This technology will enable airlines to dramatically reduce their carbon
footprint by reusing gases that would otherwise have been emitted directly into the atmosphere. It promotes
sustainable industrial growth, as the process enables manufacturing plants to recycle their waste carbon
emissions. While there is still work to be done and logistical hurdles to cross, we have excellent partners in
Virgin Atlantic, Swedish Biofuels and Boeing and we are confident that we will have a facility with the capacity
to produce fuel for commercial use by 2014." 10/11/2011
IllinoisResearch Team Overcomes Major Barrier in Waste CO2-to-Fuel Pathway
Research by University of Illinois
Professor Paul Kenis's team in collaboration with retired professor Richard
Masel's start-up company Dioxide Materials has resulted in development of a liquid catalyst to improve artificial photosynthesis. The catalyst aids the direct conversion of carbon dioxide found
in industrial emissions into carbon-based foundation chemicals and fuels. With artificial photosynthesis, an
electrochemical cell driven by outside power splits and reforms CO2 first into CO, then into formic acid,
methanol and other small molecules as the basis for synthesizing more complex hydrocarbon fuels and chemicals.
In past pathways more energy was necessary for the initial split than could be stored in the resulting fuel. The
new ionic liquid catalyst greatly reduces the amount of energy necessary for this first step and stabilizes the
intermediary reactions, allowing better control with less energy input for reforming. “More work is needed, but
this research brings us a significant step closer to reducing our dependence on fossil fuels while
simultaneously reducing CO2 emissions that are linked to unwanted climate change,” Kenis said. The research has
been published in the journal Science and is available on-line. 10/10/2011
Biomassand Biogas Carbon Calculator for Carbon Intensity and GHG Released
Great Britain's Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) as released the Biomass and Biogas Carbon Calculator, an on-line tool for determining
carbon intensity (CI) and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) savings developed along the entire supply chain when
using biomass and biogas for heating and electricity. The modular program is intended for use by plant operators
who generate heat, electricity and biomethane to be introduced into the national grid infrastructure; The Ofgem
has also released a User's Guide for the interactive program. The flexible format allows month-by-month carbon
calculations resulting from multiple feedstock usage, summing toward overall production systems values. CI and
GHG default values are provided and can be amended using actual data and the program allows development of
summary reports. Examples are provided for determining the CI and GHG values for use of municipal solid waste
and for waste wood feedstock. The graphical supply chain approach follows the life cycle assessment methods
outlined in the 2009 Renewable Energy Directive of the European Parliament and
Council, including recommendations of the European Commission in their report on sustainability requirements for solid and gaseous biomass. The Ofgem
is the government regulator for the electricity and downstream natural gas markets in Great Britain.
10/10/2011
ConstructionStarts in Sri Lanka on 1,000 Tons per Day MSW to Energy Plant
The Malaysian based company Octagon Consolidated Berhad held a ground breaking ceremony at Karadiyana, Kesbewa, Colombo, Sri Lanka,
for a US$ 248 million plasma gasification facility. The fully permitted plant is designed to convert up to 1,000
tons per day of municipal solid waste (MSW) into a minimum of 40 megawatts of electricity (MWe) for sale to
Ceylon Electricity Board. The operator, Orizon Renewable Energy (ORE), is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Orizon
Consolidated Limited, which in turn is a joint venture between Octagon's subsidiary Green Energy and Technology
Bhd (GreenTech) and the Bahrain investment firm Tadhamon Capital. GreenTech entered into a systems development agreement for the gasification reactor with
KNM Process Systems last month and is in negotiations with that firm
to provide engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning (EPCC) services. The Sri Lankan government
has initiated a renewable energy program targeting 10% green power generation by 2015; construction of the ORE
plant should be completed in early 2014. 10/10/2011
CECEnergy Innovation Small Grants Include Biopower and Biofuels Projects
The California Energy Commission (CEC) awarded twelve grants totaling $985,490 from the Public Interest
Energy Research (PIER) division's Energy Innovation Small Grants (EISG) program, including two grants of $95,000 each supporting
research and development of biomass energy and fuels processing sub-systems. The Cha Corporation based at the
privatized Air Force Base, McClellan Park, within the US Army's Renewable Energy Testing Center
(RETC) will demonstrate use of its precision WavePackTM microwave technology for production of hydrogen
from biogas, for use in reciprocating engines and fuel cells. Cha has explored many aspects of biogas clean-up
and upgrading; microwave driven hydrogen generation from biogas once again extends the firm's range of biogas
management applications. In a second award, the University of California at San Diego's Department of NanoEngineering will receive funds to further
development of methodology for "Tar Removal by Catalyzing Gasification Bed Materials for Power Generation", with
the goal of reducing the cost of biomass power generation by at least 3.3 cents per kilowatt hour. "By funding
the Energy Innovations Small Grant (EISG) program, the Commission is making strategic investments in California.
The EISG program - under the Public Interest Energy Research division -- is an innovative model leveraging
roughly $70 in private funds for every $1 invested," said Energy Commission Chair Dr. Robert Weisenmiller.
10/08/2011
EPAForms
Biogenic CO2 Emissions Panel and Schedules First Public Meeting
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science Advisory Board (SAB)
has formed an ad hoc Panel to review the draft Accounting Framework for Biogenic CO2 Emissions from Stationary Sources submitted by the Office of Atmospheric Programs (OAP) in September 2011. The Panel has released the schedule and agenda for its first public meeting to initiate the
review, from October 25-27,2011 in Washington, DC. As background for the meeting, the EPA has published the
agency's review documents including the "Synthesis of Comments Related to Accounting Approaches from EPA's Call
for Information on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Associated with Bioenergy and Other Biogenic Sources." Biogenic
carbon dioxide emissions are defined as emissions from a stationary source directly resulting from the
combustion or decomposition of biologically-based materials other than fossil fuels. The EPA in January
2011 announced a 3-year deferral of enforcement for biogenic CO2 greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions in order to thoroughly study the science. This assessment is intended to develop a set of
"appropriate accounting procedures for biogenic CO2 emissions that satisfy the principles of predictability,
practicality, and scientific soundness." For further information, see the SAB's web page on the Panel's actions. 10/08/2011
FirstReserve Makes €300 Million Strategic Investment in Abengoa
International firm Abengoa has announced an equity investment of €300 million (about USD 398 million)
by First Reserve Corporation (FRC). FRC will initially receive over 17 million Class B unlisted
shares of new equity for an investment of €17.5 per share, plus a position on the Board and rights to purchase
additional shares over time. FRC has raised $23.1 billion in capital during its 30 year history and currently
holds 25 energy companies in its portfolio. Manuel Sánchez Ortega, CEO of Abengoa, said that FRC's investment
was "… an explicit endorsement of the value of the strategy that we have been implementing for some time with
the support of our current shareholders; a show of full confidence in the management and operational capacity of
the company's team of professionals; and clear recognition of Abengoa’s potential for creating value." Abengoa's
subsidiary Abengoa Bioenergy USA secured a US DOE loan guarantee last month, enabling start of
construction of its 23 million gallon per year cellulosic ethanol plant in southwestern Kansas. The multi-technology
fully integrated biorefinery will utilize enzymatic hydrolysis to convert non-food cellulosic biomass to
biofuel, with biomass gasification to syngas fuel for production of steam. 10/08/2011
BioCee Signs License
Agreement for Verenium's Bio-Desulfurization Technology
Minnesota based BioCee Inc. has signed a commercial agreement with San Diego based Verenium Corporation to purchase assets and license the biocatalyst
specialist firm's proprietary organisms and bio-desulfurization technology. Verenium has developed its
proprietary DirectEvolution® platform, coupling high through-put rate
microorganism screening and culturing methods that identify and propagate microbes with useful biological
activities, then allowing isolation and production of specific enzymes and other proteins for commercial
applications. BioCee has developed patented bio-coatings as mechanisms for application of bio-catalytic
micro-organisms to surfaces; access to Verenium's methods will allow BioCee to commercialize sulfur reduction
biocoating applications the company believes are "beyond the scope of conventional technologies." BioCee
coatings employ organisms embedded in polymeric films as biological reactors, which with the new tools from
Verenium can create reactive sulfur “filters” deployable the oil supply chain. “Compared to other more energy
intensive desulfurization processes,” explained BioCee CTO and co-founder Dr. Marc von Keitz,
“biodesulfurization occurs with minimal additional inputs of material and energy, and it allows for considerable
improvement in the carbon footprint of clean fuel production. The combination of Verenium’s biological expertise
with our novel reactor system allows us to offer the industry a truly innovative solution that can cost
effectively improve the carbon balance of petroleum production and refining.” 10/07/2011
UK'sInstitute of Food Research Launches Biorefinery Centre
The Institute of Food Research (IFR) in the United Kingdom has announced the launch of a Biorefinery Centre focused on producing
low-carbon footprint transport biofuel in collaboration with Lotus Engineering and other partners. The core of the new facility is
a Cambi™ sub-critical steam explosion pilot plant that was installed
last year. Steam explosion is used to disrupt plant cell walls in feedstock of food processing
and agricultural wastes and by-products to facilitate extraction of useful materials. The cellulosic biomass
thermal/hydrolysis pre-treatment process operates at up to 230 degrees C, releasing natural sugars and phenolics
such as the antioxidant ferulic acid. Once free of cell wall lignin, the sugars can be treated with enzymes and
fermented with yeast to produce bio-alcohol. "Once the food part of a crop has been exploited, there is a mass
of plant material left behind that is often discarded as waste," explains Professor Keith Waldron, head of
sustainability in the food chain exploitation platform at IFR. “With the launch of the pilot plant and through
collaborations on the Norwich Research Park we have all the expertise necessary to help industry explore ways to
make use of it,” he said. IFR is funded in large part by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research
Council (BBSCR), which has just released the first of three research funding
rounds for UK institutions and research centres: "Industrial biotechnology and bioenergy highlight notice 1: generation of hydrocarbons from
living organisms" seeks proposals for development of novel or improved biological
processes for the production and/or isolation of hydrocarbon-like products from biological feedstocks or living
organisms. The new IFR Centre is open to collaboration with outside researchers; enquiries can be directed to
Dr. Kerry I’Anson, IFR Extra: 01603 255342,.
10/07/2011
CleanEnergy Trust Adds $100K Challenge Grand Prize
Update to our News about the Clean Energy Challenge last month: the Clean Energy Trust (CET) has
added a Grand Prize of $100,000 to this year's Challenge, expanding it to
include the top student business concept. The new Grand Prize award was made possible by selection of the Clean
Energy Trust to represent the Eastern Midwest Region by the Department of Energy; each of six regional clean
energy programs will receive a share of $2 million over three years to host their respective regional
competitions; each federal awardee will also now compete in a national clean energy business competition. The 2012 Clean Energy
Challenge competition is open to businesses and students from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. Applications will be accepted in five categories: renewable energy, low-carbon
transportation, Smart Grid, energy efficiency and carbon abatement. Complete rules and criteria are available on
the Challenge webpage; business plans may be submitted online between November 1 and December 5, 2011.
10/07/2011
Cyclone'sClean Tech Engine Receives Patents in 10 European Countries
Florida's all-fuel clean tech engine specialist Cyclone Power Technologies has received patents protecting its proprietary reciprocating Rankine
cycle engine in ten European countries. The highly efficient externally heated Cyclone Engine design runs on any
heat source and achieves conversion efficiencies of over 30%, better than many internal combustion gas fuels
engines. Cyclone is working with European manufacturing and renewable energy companies including Combilift
(industrial lift equipment) and Renovalia Energy (solar thermal power); as well as global defense integrator
Raytheon, who completed very positive external testing of the Cyclone Engine in
March of this year. "Receiving these new patents is a significant development for our company and shareholders,"
stated Christopher Nelson, Cyclone's President. "Not only are we adding considerable value to our portfolio of
intellectual property, but also patent protection throughout Europe allows us to focus on expanding our
marketing and business efforts now rather than later. We look forward to updating the investment community and
our shareholders as more corporate achievements come to fruition." 10/06/2011
BiotechnologyCompany Dyadic Raises $3MM in Private Placement
Dyadic International has announced completion of convertible private placement notes bringing
in $3 million for use as working capital including research, development and new product placements. The notes
pay an 8% annual interest rate and are convertible to shares of common stock. If the notes are not converted,
they will mature on January 1, 2013. The company specializes in discovery, development,
manufacture and sale of enzyme, protein, polypeptides and small molecules for applications in large segments of
the agricultural, industrial, bioenergy, chemical and biopharmaceutical industries. Dyadic has developed
and patented its C1 strains of the fungus Chrysosporium lucknowense
as an effective host for genetic investigation and expression using their High Through-put Rate Robotic
Screening (HTRS) and "C1 Express" hyper-producing protein expression system. The combined
"one-stop-shop" capabilities allow any useful gene discovery to be first expressed and then mass-produced.
Dyadic works through strategic partnerships to "discover new biomaterials, develop new products, lower costs and
reduce waste, improve yields, enhance the quality of end products, enhance the intellectual property position of
its partners’ gene discoveries and gene products, and manufacture biological products."
10/06/2011
GreenleafBiofuels Secures Full Biodiesel Facility Funding
Connecticut based Greenleaf Biofuels has secured full funding necessary for completing its 10 million gallon
per year multiple feedstock biodiesel production facility. The new facility will be the largest
biofuels facility in New England and the first with deepwater and rail access. The Connecticut Community Investment Corporation (CTCIC), supported by the Small Business Administration's
CDC/504 program, will assume almost half of the current loan debt once
the plant is operational, joining earlier state and private investment. In March, Greenleaf received $150,000 pre-seed investment by Advantage Capital
Partners. The facility is located within the New Haven Harbor fuel tank-farm, the largest fuel
receiving, storage and distribution hub between Boston and New York. New Haven is the storage and distribution
location for about half of the nation's Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve, at 750,000 barrels; Greenleaf
notes that the state uses about 400 million galloons of heating oil annually. Greenleaf expects to host a formal
groundbreaking ceremony in mid-October. 10/06/2011
ShanksEnergen JV Opens Food Waste-to-Biogas AD Plant in Scotland
The Energen Biogas joint venture (JV) with Shanks Waste Management has officially opened a 60,000 tonne per year anaerobic
digestion (AD) facility in Cumbernauld, near Glasgow, Scotland. The plant will convert food waste from both
commercial and local authority customers to more than 22,500 megawatt hours of grid-interconnected electricity,
enough to power more than 3,000 homes. The AD facility treats the waste collected under Shanks' commercial food
waste collection service launched in Glasgow and Edinburgh earlier this year. The AD facility is already
receiving waste and is expected to be running at full capacity within 12 months. Energen's multi-step AD processing accepts food and food processing waste with
or without packaging, segregating and pasteurizing feedstock before microbial conversion. Production of biogas
will fuel on-site combined heat and power generation, completing the cycle in 40 to 80 days. The process also
generates farm-ready bio-fertilizer. On the same day, Shanks also opened a 150,000 tonne per year materials
recovery facility (MRF) at its existing operations site in Blochairn. The new MRF is designed to achieve 95%
recovery from the incoming co-mingled municipal and industrial waste stream; residuals will be converted to
solid recovered fuel as feedstock for combined heat and power. Shanks Waste Management, a subsidiary of
Shanks Group Plc, is Europe’s largest listed independent waste
management business with operations in the Netherlands, Belgium, United Kingdom and Canada.
10/05/2011
ArborGenTeams with University of Florida on Loblolly Pine for Biofuel Project
South Carolina based ArborGen will participate on a University of Florida led research team focused on advancing
pine-sourced biofuels. The work is funded by a three-year, $6.3 million grant from the Department of Energy's Advance Research
Project Agency (ARPA-E) to support the university's "Plant Engineered to Replace Oil" (PETRO) project. The grant
is part of the $156 million package funding 60 clean fuels projects. ArborGen specializes in both conventional
and biotechnological plant breeding to develop seedlings with specifically desired characteristics that improve
the productivity of trees for wood, fiber and energy. The goal of PETRO is to increase terpene storage capacity
five-fold by genetically engineering strains of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda). The higher terpene contents
(up to 20%) would dramatically improve quantities of biofuels made from the pine; the team estimates about 100
million gallons of terpene-based biofuel per year could be produced from less than 25,000 acres of forestland.
Jack Payne, University of Florida senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, noted: “By
working with research entities and companies such as ArborGen to develop the potential of Loblolly Pine as a
sustainable biofuel source, we can add a new dimension to its value, which has long-term benefits to the entire
region and will provide greater economic security for our residents.” 10/05/2011
ThermoEnergy,ProfiNutrients, Multiform Harvest Partner for Nutrient Recovery
Massachusetts company ThermoEnergy have announced a partnership with Netherlands based ProfiNutrient BV for marketing ThermoEnergy's controlled atmosphere
separation technology (CAST) ammonia recovery process (ARPTM) in Europe. ProfiNutrient already is
working with Washington state based Multiform Harvest Inc, whose Struvite recovery systems complement the
ARP process for optimal reclamation of nitrogen and phosphorous from wastewater and anaerobic digestion (AD)
biogas plants. Multiform's patented struvite recovery technology captures up to 80% of phosphorus and 20%
of nitrogen from wastewater and converts it into a slow-release ammonium phosphate fertilizer.
ThermoEnergy's ARP system will then remove up to 90% of the remaining
ammonia/nitrogen and recover it as ammonium sulfate fertilizer. “In combination, these two systems can solve the
problem of nitrogen and phosphate loading into European waterways while producing two valuable fertilizers for
sale that will subsidize operational costs,” said Pieter Teeuwen of ProfiNutrients. 10/05/2011
ToyotaLab Develops New High-Production Cellulosic Ethanol Yeast
Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) showcased new technology at its Toyota Biotechnology and Afforestation
Laboratory in Miyoshi City in the Aichi prefecture, including the development of a new yeast strain for
fermentation of biofuel from cellulosic feedstock. The new yeast strain is highly efficient at fermentation of
xylose, one of the primary sugars produced with the breakdown of plant fibers, while being resilient to high
alcohol levels that would usually kill off the yeast population. By the lab's own survey last month, the yeast
achieves the highest continuous fermentation for ethanol production density now proven, at about 47 grams per
liter. The process is expected to significantly improve yield and reduce costs. The 3,000 square meter
Biotechnology and Afforestation lab facility was established by TMC in 1999. Biofuels research spans the entire
production line including raw material pretreatment, enzymatic saccharification and yeast fermentation with the
ultimate goal of commercializing cellulosic ethanol by 2020. 10/04/2011
ISUResearchers Use Fast Pyrolysis to Convert Biomass to Sugar for Biofuels
Dr. Robert Brown's engineering laboratory at Iowa State University
(ISU) has announced optimization of a thermal conversion technology called Fast
Pyrolysis to break down cellulosic feedstock like straw and corn silage to inexpensively turn biomass into what
he calls "pyrolytic molasses." Fast pyrolysis involves quick heating of feedstock in absence of oxygen to
convert organic compounds into liquids and/or gases, intermediary products to be further refined and reformed
into advanced biofuels, lubricants and other useful foundation chemicals. Dr. Brown presented the team's
findings at the International Conference on Thermochemical Conversion on September
28-30, 2011 in Chicago. Four key steps were depicted: (1) Pre-treatment to neutralize feedstock alkalinity, (2)
Prevent thermal degradation of the product by using rapid through-out, (3) Fractionate the heavy Bio-Oil by
density, and (4) wash soluble sugars from the heavy oils. "The Department of Energy has been working for 35
years to get sugar out of biomass," Brown said. "Most of the focus has been on use of enzymes, which remains
extremely expensive. What we've developed is a simpler method based on the heating of biomass."
10/04/2011
GevoWill
Supply Alcohol-to-Jet Fuel to US Air Force for Testing
Colorado-based Gevo has been awarded a contract by the Defense Logistics Agency
(DLA) to supply biofuel for a US Air Force (USAF) program of jet engine
testing and flight feasibility demonstration. The contract starts with a shipment of 7,000 gallons of
"alcohol-to-jet" (ATJ) fuel in the first quarter of 2012 with an option for an additional 4,000 gallons for a
possible total contract value up to $600,000. This is the first ATJ fuel supply contract let by the DLJ,
responsible for procuring most of the military's goods; the DLA had recently provided other forms of biofuel to the Air Force for testing. Gevo will produce
isobutanol using its proprietary GIFT® platform of biocatalysis and alcohol/water separation, and then
convert the alcohol to jet fuel at its demonstration plant in Silsbee, Texas. Shipments will be received at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base where the lab and engine testing and flight demonstration program is stationed.
"The USAF is committed to positioning itself to integrate cost competitive alternative aviation fuels for up to
half of its domestic needs by 2016," commented Christopher Ryan, Ph.D., president and COO of Gevo. "Once the
USAF certifies our ATJ fuel, we believe we will have an excellent opportunity to become a supplier of homegrown
and renewable jet fuel to our armed services."10/04/2011
Due10/25/2011: LOI for USDA Sustainable Bioenergy AFRI Grant
Due 12/15/2011:
Proposals for USDA Sustainable Bioenergy AFRI Grant
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and
Agriculture (NIFA) requests proposals for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative - Sustainable Bioenergy (Sol#
USDA-NIFA-AFRI-003536). The $11 million Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) grant program targets
development of regional systems for the sustainable production of bioenergy and biobased products including (1)
Impacts of Regional Bioenergy Feedstock Production Systems on Wildlife and Pollinators; (2) Socioeconomic
Impacts of Biofuels on Rural Communities; and (3) Environmental Implications of Direct and Indirect Land Use
Change. $11 million expected to be available. This AFRI grant follows closely on
USDA's $136 million University-based grants awarded last month to accelerate
development of national advanced biofuels. Eligibility is broader for this new solicitation, extending beyond
universities and institutions to private business and individuals. Letters of Intent (LOI) are required and are
due October 25, 2011, final proposals are due December 15, 2011. A maximum of $10 million may be awarded for any
one project. For more information, contact Mark Poth at (202) 401-5244 or . General
program questions may be addressed to. 10/04/2011
Due11/17/2011: Proposals to NYSERDA for Biofuels & Bioproducts Development
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has released a
Request for Proposals (RFP; reference PON# 2331) "to facilitate the development of innovative and
environmentally responsible biomass feedstock technologies and bioproducts, including biofuels, bioproducts used
for heat or power production, biochemicals and other bioproducts." A total of $1 million is available;
individual grants will not to exceed $250,000 and require a 50% cost share. Projects that are primarily
demonstrative are not eligible; commercialization partners and pathways are desired by not mandatory. Eligible
feedstock include agricultural crops or co-products, grasses, wood, residues from the food processing, paper or
forest products industries, etc, but not sourced from municipal solid waste. Most types of biofuels and
bioproducts and product development activities are eligible; the Summary lists biocatalysis and enzymatics as examples of eligible
bio-based process technology components. For technical questions regarding the RFP, contact Judy Jarnefeld
at and refer to the solicitation number. Proposals are due to NYSERDA by
November 17, 2011. 10/04/2011
AnaerobicAmmonium Oxidation Converts Urine to Rocket Fuel
Researchers at the Water and Wetlands Institute of Radboud University
Nijmegen in the Netherlands report success in determining the molecular mechanism called anammox
(anaerobic ammonium oxidation) that converts ammonia to hydrazine, a compound used as rocket fuel,
N2H4. Under a 2.5 million euro grant in 2008 from the European Research Council
(ERC), Mike Jetten's collaboration with Paques and other universities in the Netherlands, the Max Planck
Institute in Germany, IFREMER in France and the University of California Los Angeles
(UCLA) resulted in development for four anammox reactors. Studies
sampling bacteria in hydrothermal vents indicated that the anammox reaction could be responsible for much of the
nitrogen gas in Earth's atmosphere. The recent research determined the key genetics of K.
stuttgartiensis, identified primary protein structures and purified the enzymes that catalyze N2H4 synthesis
and its subsequent oxidation to dinitrogen gas (N2). The anammox reaction is already used for efficient
breakdown of organics and removal of nitrogen in wastewater and waste gas. The new work should spur interest in
microbial production of biofuels. 10/03/2011
InternationalTeam Identifies Heat Tolerant Fungi for Biofuels Production
An international team of scientists has anounced collaborative results comparing two temperature tolerant
(thermophyllic) fungi whose enzymes very efficiently break down cellulose and hemi-cellulose to fermentable
simple sugars in elevated temperatures common to industrial biofuels production practices, from 40º to 75º
Centigrade. The team includes the US Department of Energy's Joint Genome Institute (JGI) based in Lawrence
Berkeley's Walnut Creek Laboratory (LBL-Walnut Creek). The recently published article in Nature Biotechnology describes and
compares the genomes of two thermophylic fungi, Myceliophthora thermophila and Thielavia
terrestris. The genomes have been described for thermophylic eukaryotes and the first complete
telomere-to-telomere genomes for filamentous fungi. DOE JGI Fungal Genomics head Igor Grigoriev wrote:
"Thermostable enzymes and thermophilic cell factories may afford economic advantages in the production of many
chemicals and biomass-based fuels … These thermophilic fungi represent excellent hosts for biorefineries where
biomass is converted to biofuels as an alternative to modern oil refineries. The fact that these organisms not
only deliver a broad spectrum of heat-tolerant enzymes but can also host new enzymes and be optimized for
industrial processes holds great promise for significant improvements over existing systems." The team includes
longtime collaborators Randy Berka, research Director at Novozymes in Davis, Calif. and Adrian Tsang of Concordia University in
Canada. 10/03/2011
ToiletBike NEO Operates Using On-Board Waste to Biogas AD System
Japan's number one toilet
maker TOTO has designed a toilet-motorcycle hybrid called Toilet Bike "NEO" that runs entirely on
biogas. Actual photos of the vehicle appeared on the Japanese blog TOTO TALK for the first time on October 3rd. TOTO's latest
Green Challenge will soon tour a motorcycle powered entirely on biogas
generated from an on-board anaerobic digestion (AD) system that includes an on-board feedstock delivery module.
Of course, all of TOTO's commodes can be equipped to talk with their users, along with numerous other highly
desirable features shown in their archive of videos. TOTO's Green Challenge corporate program intends to
cut bathroom CO2 emissions by 50% by 2017 compared to 1990 Japanese levels; the NEO tour is intended to educate
the public about the company's green initiatives. The 500-mile rider-fueled tour will begin October 6, 2011 at
the TOTO headquarters in Kitakyushu. New York-Tokyo art blog Spoon & Tamago has provided translations from the Japanese TOTO
TALK. The art blog author adds, "Theoretically, as long as the driver continues to eat and drink, the motorcycle
could run forever!" 10/03/2011
BerkeleyLab Researchers Discover Drop-In Biofuel Substitute for #2 Diesel
Researchers at the US Department of Energy's Joint BioEnergy
Institute (JBEI) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory identify a new microbe-produced advanced biofuel as a direct
replacement for #2 Diesel. The JBEI's metabolic engineering program directed by Taek Soon Lee has engineered two
strains of microbes, a bacteria and a fungus, to produce a precursor chemical in the terpene class; terpenes
occur naturally in plants and are extracted commercially to produce flavorings and fragrances. “Bisabolane has
properties almost identical to D2 diesel, but its branched and cyclic chemical structure gives it much lower
freezing and cloud points, which should be advantageous for use as a fuel,” Lee says. “This was basically the
same platform used to produce the anti-malarial drug artemisinin except that we introduced a terpene
synthase and further engineered the pathway to improve the bisabolene yield both in E. coli and yeast. Enzymatic
hydrogenation of this type of molecule is a very challenging project and will be a long term goal. Our near-term
goal is to develop strains of E.coli and yeast for use in commercial-scale fermenters. Also, we will be
investigating the use of sugars from biomass as a source of carbon for producing bisabolene.” The work was
published this week in the journal Nature Communications entitled “Identification and microbial production of a terpene-based advanced biofuel.” 10/01/2011
NCGRGets
$1.1MM of USDA AFRI Grant for Biomass Gene Research
The National Center for Genome Resources (NCGR) will receive about $1.1 million over four years to provide gene sequencing and analysis
to optimize for characteristics amenable to production of advanced biofuels. The funding is part of the $40
million AFRI grant from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to Washington
State University, primarily to support the collaborative biofuels development efforts of the Northwest Advanced
Renewables Alliance (NARA) of which the NCGR is a member. “Successful development of
biofuels requires us to understand why some tree varieties are better than others for converting woody biomass
into petrochemical replacements. NCGR can provide the molecular characterization needed to identify the most
promising tree lines for selection and breeding,” said Callum Bell, NCGR’s Vice President for Research. “These
studies will expand the available gene catalogs of tree species as well as enable understanding of the
biochemical features that explain amenability of particular wood products to the pretreatment and bioconversion
steps that lead to products that will ultimately burn in jet engines,” he added. NCGR is a private, non-profit
life sciences research institute located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. 10/01/2011
PowerVerde's50kW Renewable Waste Heat System Licensed in Europe
Arizona based PowerVerde Inc has entered into a definitive agreement with the Netherlands renewable
energy investment company Newton Investments BV, dba Newton Greenpower to distribute and manufacture the
"Liberator," PowerVerde's 50 kilowatt (kW) renewable electricity generating waste heat recovery system. The
licensing agreement provides Newton with exclusive manufacturing and distribution rights for all European
countries, with an initial focus on Holland, Belgium, Scandinavia and Germany. PowerVerde designed and developed
an organic rankine cycle engine at initial small modular scales of 10 kW
and 20 kW electric output from conversion of low-grade heat to electricity. The non-combustion engines are
driven by phase change expansion of an organic liquid to high-pressure gas and can run off sunlight or waste
industrial heat as low as 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The first commercial 50kW Liberator was built and shipped
to Newton in July 2011 for extensive testing for a variety of
applications, including biogas, biomass, geothermal and other co-generation applications. Newton, based in
Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, actively pursues green energy in wind, biomass, photovoltaic, and thermal, and has
standing relationships with Dutch and German manufacturers. 10/01/2011
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