September 2014 News and Matters of Interest

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

Neste Oil to Recover CO2 at its Singapore Renewable Biodiesel Refinery

Neste Oil Singapore Pte Ltd and National Oxygen Pte Ltd (NOX), a wholly owned subsidiary of Japan company Taiyo Nippon Sanso Corporation, have signed an agreement to install a carbon dioxide (CO2) recovery and liquefaction plant at Neste Oil's renewable diesel refinery in Singapore. Construction is planned to commence in the fourth quarter of 2014 and the plant, which will process an average 40,000 tons of CO2-rich gas from the refinery yearly, is expected to be completed and fully operational by the fourth quarter of 2015. Jussi Hintikka, Vice President in Energy in Neste Oil: " I am very happy to announce this agreement with NOX. The new recovery plant will improve the refinery's resource efficiency and see one of our sidestreams become a valuable raw material for NOX." 09/29/2014

Republic Services Opens Two Bay Area Landfill Gas-To-Energy Projects

Arizona based Republic Services, Inc has announced its latest Landfill Gas-To-Energy (LGTE) projects at its Forward and Vasco Road Landfills in the San Francisco, California Bay Area. The combined projects will generate 8.6 megawatts of energy for the local electric grid, equivalent to enough energy to power more than 5,100 area homes annually. These projects involve extracting gas from within each landfill, processing the extracted gas, and then distributing the processed gas to a generator where it is converted into energy that supplies the local electric grid. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that 8.6 megawatts of energy produced from landfill gas is equivalent to removing carbon emissions from 47.6 million gallons of gasoline consumed. Republic Services partnered with Ameresco, Inc on the design, development and management of the new projects. Republic Services and Ameresco have partnered on seven other projects nationwide, generating more than 65 megawatts of power. 09/29/2014

Anaergia Biogas System Starts Up at California’s Victor Valley WWTP

The Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority (VVWRA) held a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Friday, September 26, 2014, to mark the successful start-up of its new OmnivoreTM biogas production system, supplied by Anaergia Inc. The new biogas system was funded in part by the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program. The start-up of the VVWRA Omnivore project is significant to the CEC and to Anaergia because it demonstrates how wastewater treatment plants can increase digester loading and biogas production using existing infrastructure. The  innovation includes Anaergia’s high solids mixers and recuperative thickener, which change an ordinary digester into a high-solids OmnivoreTM digester. The OmnivoreTM retrofit enables VVWRA to triple the digester’s solids content and biogas production rate. VVWRA will convert the additional biogas into electricity to meet part of the wastewater treatment facility’s electrical demand. Though Anaergia has provided high solids digestion technologies to meet the needs of customers in Europe, the VVWRA retrofit is the first in North America. 09/29/2014

Due 10/09/2014: Comments to Placer County APCD on Biochar Carbon Offsets

The Placer County Air Pollution Control District (APCD) partnered with the International Biochar Initiative and the Prasino Group to adapt the Biochar Carbon Offsets Methodology currently undergoing the evaluation and approval process with the American Carbon Registry (ACR) for potential use in California. Placer County's APCD is seeking to adapt the protocol for use in the California Air Pollution Control Officers Association Greenhouse Gas Registry (CAPCOA GHG Rx). Upon adoption by Placer County, the protocol will be available for adoption by any California county. A webinar to review the protocol was held on September 6 for Placer County stakeholders; the agency’s website contains a recording of the webinar, a copy of the draft protocol, a link to the PowerPoint presentation utilized during the webinar, and a link for further information on the CAPCOA GHG Rx on its website. Comments are due on or before October 9, 2014 and may be emailed to. 09/29/2014  

DOE BETO Schedules Waste-to-Energy Roadmapping Workshop

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO) wants to identify and address key technical barriers to the commercial deployment of liquid transportation fuels from waste feedstocks.  As a part of this effort, BETO is organizing a Waste-to-Energy Roadmapping workshop. Workshop participants will join facilitated breakout sessions to discuss anaerobic digestion, hydrothermal liquefaction, and other processes that make productive use of wastewater residuals, biosolids, foodstuffs, and organic municipal solid waste.  These discussions will be synthesized and used in developing a waste-to-energy technology roadmap. Information gathered during the workshop on the challenges and barriers related to the efficient production of biofuels and bio-based chemicals from wet waste feedstocks will be summarized in a report to be made publically available several weeks after the event. The workshop is scheduled for November 5, 2014 at the DoubleTree Hotel Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia. On the morning of November 6th, an optional tour of DC Water’s Blue Plains Facility is available for those who are interested. The tour is expected to conclude by noon. Registration for this workshop is free, but space is limited. To register, please visit the Waste to Energy Roadmapping Workshop registration webpage. 09/28/2014

GranBio Begins Producing Second-Generation Cellulosic Ethanol in Brazil

Brazilian biotech company GranBio Investimentos S.A. has initiated production at the first commercial-scale plant for second-generation (2G) ethanol in the Southern Hemisphere. The Bioflex 1, unit built in São Miguel dos Campos, Alagoas, Brazil, has an initial production capacity of 82 million liters of ethanol per year. The 2G ethanol produced by GranBio makes it possible to increase Brazilian production capacity per acre by 50% using agricultural waste such as straw and bagasse, without need of expanding the cane fields. It is the cleanest fuel produced on a commercial scale in the world in carbon intensity - 7.55 gCO2/MJ, an indicator confirmed by the Air Resources Board (ARB), from California. GranBio’s facility uses the PROESA® pre-treatment technology from the Italian company Beta Renewables (a company in the M&G Group), enzymes from Novozymes in Denmark, and yeast from DSM in Holland. GranBio is a Brazilian industrial biotech company, controlled by GranInvestimentos S.A. 09/28/2014

Southwest Airlines Will Purchase Jet Biofuel from Red Rock Biofuels

Texas based Southwest Airlines® Co. has signed an agreement with Colorado company Red Rock Biofuels LLC (RRB) to purchase low carbon renewable jet fuel, made using forest residues. The airline's agreement with RRB covers the purchase of about three million gallons per year. The blended product will be used at Southwest's Bay Area operations with first delivery expected in 2016. RRB's first plant will convert approximately 140,000 dry tons of woody biomass feedstock into at least 12 million gallons per year of renewable jet, diesel, and naphtha fuels. RRB's proven process technology platform is based on gasification, Fischer-Tropsch conversion and product upgrading, producing renewable, ASTM-specification jet and diesel fuels. Southwest is a long-time member of Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) which is a government and industry coalition for the development and deployment of alternative jet fuel for commercial aviation. 09/28/2014  

Proterro Will Conduct Waste CO2 to Sucrose Pilot at Bunge's Brazil Facility

New Jersey based Proterro, Inc and Bunge Global Innovation, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bunge Limited (Bunge), will conduct a pilot study of Proterro’s sucrose-production technology in Brazil under a joint development agreement. A pilot plant is now being commissioned at Bunge’s Moema Fazenda sugarcane mill, where two of Proterro’s photobioreactors have been installed to cultivate Proterro’s cyanobacteria for production of fermentable sugars for ethanol production. Proterro's technology uses a patented, scalable biosynthetic process to convert waste CO2, sunlight, and water into a fermentation-ready sucrose stream, rather than a mixture of sugars, allowing simple, low-cost downstream processes. The Bunge pilot plant will replicate the operations of Proterro’s US pilot plant in Orlando, Florida, where four photobioreactors are currently deployed. 09/27/2014

USDA Awards Vega Biofuels' JV Pilot Plant a $200,000 Producer Grant

Georgia based Vega Biofuels, Inc has announced that its Allendale, South Carolina Joint Venture (JV) project with Agri-Tech Producers, LLC (ATP) has been awarded a Value-Added Producer Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the amount of $200,000. Vega recently announced it has entered into the JV to build and operate a pilot manufacturing plant in Allendale to produce Bio-Coal. When completed, the manufacturing plant will use special torrefaction technology to produce the Company's green-energy Bio-Coal product from timber waste and bio-crops that will then be sold to power companies around the world. An alternative to traditional coal, Bio-Coal has a high energy density of up to 13,000 BTUs/Lb and is considered a renewable energy fuel, which meets the Renewable Portfolio Standards and Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) in the United States. 09/27/2014  

Cambi System Will Treat 50 Dry Tonnes/Day of Sludge at Greek WWTP

The Greek construction company Aktor has awarded Cambi a contract for the installation of Cambi’s Thermal Hydrolysis THP B6 system at Psyttalia Island Wastewater Treatment Works in Athens. Serving 5.6 million people, Psyttalia is the largest wastewater treatment plant in Greece and one of the largest in Europe. When operational in 2015, the Cambi system will treat about 50 dry tonnes of biological sludge per day. Ioannis Margiolos, Aktor’s Water Business Unit Director: "The most important reasons for choosing the Cambi process is that it will drastically improve the dewatering efficiency, reduce the energy need for the existing drying plants and increase the gas production from biological sludge. Overall it will result in a strong reduction of energy consumption and reduced disposal costs." 09/25/2014

CEC Schedules Workshops on ARFVTP Grant Solicitation Process

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has scheduled five staff workshops to share information and answer questions about the Alternative and Renewable Fuels and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP) grant funding process. The purpose of these workshops is to reach a broad and diverse set of potential applicants, and to assist them in understanding how to find and apply for ARFVTP grant funding opportunities from the CEC, and to serve as a forum for questions and answers relating to the general ARFVTP grant solicitation process. Participation in one of the workshops is encouraged, but not required for application to any ARFVTP grant solicitations. The workshops are scheduled on October 6, 2014 in Oakland, October 7, 2014 in Los Angeles, October 8, 2014 in San Bernardino, October 13, 2014 in Fresno with Live Video Feeds in Modesto and Bakersfield, and October 14, 2014 in Sacramento, The Sacramento workshop will also be available online via WebEx. 09/25/2014

UK Partners with Metro Vancouver for 'Love Food Hate Waste' Campaign

In her blog, Dr. Liz Goodman, CEO of the United Kingdom's (UK) Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), announced that their organization has secured a partnership with Metro Vancouver, Canada to bring the UK's Love Food Hate Waste campaign to British Columbia. WRAP's food waste minimization effort is based on the voluntary 2005 Courtauld Commitment to reduce waste in the grocery sector, and the agreement is timed to coincide with Metro Vancouver's sustainable waste management efforts, and their Zero Waste Conference that began September 16, 2014. 09/25/2014

Iona Capital Invests in Second MT-Energie Biogas Plant in Scotland

Iona Capital Ltd has completed an investment in a second anaerobic digestion (AD) plant in Scotland. Iona has once again teamed up with MT Energie, the German AD specialist and Scotia Gas Networks (SGN) who will source the network entry equipment and oversee the projects connection to the gas grid. The plant, located at Charlesfield near St Boswells in the Scottish Borders, will process a mixture of farm based feedstocks and inject biomethane directly into the local gas grid. This project follows on from Iona’s first Scottish project at Coupar Angus, Perth, which is expected to start its commissioning process shortly. The Charlesfield, St Boswells plant is Iona’s eleventh AD project in the United Kingdom (UK) and its second gas to grid facility. The plant is expected to be operational by the end of Q2 2015 and will produce over 3m m3 of biomethane per annum which will be injected directly into the local gas grid. The project was initiated and developed by Iain MacKinnon and Trevor Jackson of Charlesfield First LLP.Biogas Power will be responsible for the day to day operation of the plant. Waverley Farm Contracts Limited sources local feedstock supplies on a long term basis for the plant. 09/25/2014

New York Initiative Calls for BCA for Distributed Energy Resources

In its proceeding on Reforming the Energy Vision, the New York State Public Service Commission has undertaken an initiative to improve the efficiency of the New York electricity system through the promotion of distributed energy resources (DER). This initiative calls for a new, comprehensive benefit-cost analysis (BCA) framework that will provide the Commission and other stakeholders with the information necessary to determine which resources will be in the public interest and will best meet the Commission’s energy policy goals. As part of the initiative, the Advanced Energy Economy (AEE) Institute commissioned a study by Synapse Energy Economics that lays out the BCA framework describing the universe of benefits and costs that should be taken into account and how they can be incorporated, even if they may be hard to quantify. The full report is now available with on-line registration. 09/25/2014 

MagneGas Enters Final Test Phase with New York City's Fire Department

Florida based MagneGas Corporation (MagneGas) has announced that it has received formal confirmation from the Fire Department of the City of New York (FDNY) that it has commenced final testing of MagneGas® for use as a replacement to acetylene. MagneGas has identified fire departments and first responder units as ideal customers for the use of its gas due to the speed of the MagneGas® cut and concentration of the heat affected zone. The reduced heat affected zone as compared to acetylene means the potential for less impact on human life in the vicinity of a cut during extractions. Terry Vernille, Senior Vice President Sales & Distributor Relations for MagneGas: "The FDNY has been conducting testing using MagneGas® for over one year, studying both the safety of the fuel as well as the potential impact on human life during extractions. In addition, the Company has been working with FDNY to design backpacks that can be used with MagneGas® during a fire. The cylinders are lighter than acetylene, making them easier to carry and the fuel dissipates in the event of a leak. This makes MagneGas safer to use in fire zone areas." 09/24/2014

Gaelectric Group Acquires Imperative Energy to Enter Biomass Market

Ireland based Gaelectric Group has announced that it has acquired Imperative Energy Ltd., a leading provider of biomass energy solutions in Ireland and the United Kingdom. Founded in 2007, Imperative Energy Ltd has completed over 70 biomass installations totaling over 40MW in energy capacity, with an additional 10 projects currently under construction. With the Imperative Energy acquisition, Gaelectric Group now has an established presence in four key renewable energy sectors, namely onshore wind on the island of Ireland and the USA, offshore wind in the Irish Sea, energy storage, and biomass energy. Gaelectric Group CEO, Brendan McGrath: "We are delighted to enter the biomass business with the acquisition of Imperative Energy, one of the leading providers of biomass energy solutions in Ireland and the UK. We view this as an important strategic step for Gaelectric that provides us with diversification across renewable energy sectors and access to significant growth opportunities in a biomass market that is continuing to evolve." 09/24/2014

Biogen Becomes First Producer of Certified Biofertilizer in Wales

Biogen’s GwyriAD food waste anaerobic digestion (AD) plant near Caernarfon has become the first in Wales to achieve the Publicly Available Specification PAS 110 status for its biofertilizer. The 11,500 tonne anaerobic digestion (AD) plant at Llwyn Isaf completed commissioning in 2013 and processes food waste from homes and commercial food producers to generate a valuable liquid fertilizer (digestate) and enough renewable electricity each year to power more than 700 homes. Biofertilizer certification demonstrates compliance with the PAS 110 specification, which means that the biofertilizer derived from the AD process is of consistent quality and fit for its purpose, i.e. for spreading to farmland as a replacement for fossil fuel derived fertilizers. Of the 50 food waste AD plants currently operating in the UK, only 18 of these have achieved PAS 110 so far. Julian O’Neill, CEO Biogen: "We are delighted that GwryiAD has become our third AD plant to achieve PAS 110. The fact that the biofertiliser produced by our plants can now be defined as a product rather than a waste can only help boost confidence in our AD process with our partners in the farming community." 09/24/2014

CARB Hosts 2nd 2014 Low Carbon Fuel Standard Advisory Panel Meeting

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has scheduled the second 2014 meeting of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) Advisory Panel for October 6, 2014 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Cal/EPA Building in Sacramento. The CARB approved the LCFS regulation on April 23, 2009, and it became law on January 12, 2010. Title 17, California Code of Regulations, section 95489 requires that the Executive Officer of the CARB complete and present to the Board two reviews of the LCFS regulation. The regulation requires the Executive Officer to establish an advisory panel for these reviews. The first meeting of the Advisory Panel was held on May 19, 2014. At this second meeting, CARB staff will review the Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, cover the purpose of the panel, and conduct a Panel discussion. The public may attend the meeting in person, or via webcast or teleconference. 09/23/2014

The Biochar School Announces Its Inaugural Session in California

The Biochar School has announced that registration is open for its first session on "Appropriate Technology for Small Farms." The session will be held at Swallow Valley Farm in Valley Ford, California on November 7-11, 2014. The course is designed for small farmers; home, community, commercial gardeners; and anyone interested in soils, plants and small scale biomass energy. The faculty consists of 12 experienced biochar practitioners who will present a series of lectures and demonstrations. Labs will be offered on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. You may sign up for the whole school (3 full and two half days) or just sign up for the days you are most interested in. Sign up by October 15th to receive the early bird full rate. Space is limited to 50 persons. 09/23/2014 

Bion Files Patent for Next-Gen Livestock Waste Treatment Technologies

New York based Bion Environmental Technologies, Inc has announced that it has filed a new patent application for its next-generation livestock waste treatment technologies. This technology platform incorporates advancements that will reduce capital costs while increasing system performance for wet livestock waste applications such as dairy and beef cattle. Bion’s next-generation technology platform has been under development for the past two years at the Kreider Farms dairy installation, as well as other offsite locations. The patent application is based on Bion’s "Separate and Aggregate" strategy that was previously announced in August 2012. Bion’s proprietary onsite data-based software that was central in securing verified credit regulatory status at the initial Kreider Farms installation, provided the insight that has driven this technology development program. Final pilot testing will be completed this fall/winter prior to a full-scale installation. 09/22/2014

IEA Bioenergy Task 42 Releases Global Biorefinery Status Review

The International Energy Agency (IEA) Bioenergy Task 42 on Biorefining team has released a review of the global status of biorefinery development completed earlier this month. The report provides detail on 30 operating biorefinery examples from participating countries and provides a summary of more than 100 other efforts on the sustainable and synergetic processing of biomass into marketable food & feed ingredients, chemicals, materials and energy (fuels, power, heat). The report's release is time to coincide with the 2014 European Forum for Industrial Biotechnology and the Biobased Economy (EFIB 2014), taking place in Reims, France from September 30 to October 2, 2014. IEA Bioenergy is an international collaboration set up in 1978 by the IEA to improve international co-operation and information exchange between national bioenergy RD&D programs. 09/22/2014 

Community Support Aids 2014 Restoration Efforts in Kaibab National Forest

The Kaibab National Forest has had a successful summer managing wildland fires, thanks to the commitment of its employees to the important work of forest restoration and to the ongoing support from the communities of northern Arizona. At the heart of the public/private Forest Landscape Restoration Collaboration process (FLRC) is the linkage between newly-approved federal plans enhancing carefully managed wildfires, community scale biomass removal, conversion to energy and fuels, and the close mutual cooperation of a community-to-agency, public private partnership. Following on one of the worst wildfires in this southwestern US region's history, the Kaibab's supervisor Mike Williams has released a short editorial praising the constant  community support that enabled significant restoration to proceed. It is important to recognize that our millions of acres of overgrown forest lands cannot be properly managed by past methods, nor by a single new method such as residuals removal for bioenergy, but must engage and integrate all resources including community support. Mr. Williams' op-ed piece should serve as a wake-up call for the rest of our forest lands management, and especially in the western region as one after another raging firestorm consumes everything in its path. 09/21/2014

DoD Authorizes Defense Act Awards for Production of 100 MGY of Biofuels

The US Department of Defense (DoD) has completed the award process for three new contracts under the Defense Production Act Title III for the production of over 100 million gallons per year (MGY) of drop-in, military compatible biofuels. Initial production is scheduled to begin in 2016. Contracts for development and production of waste and biomass to drop-in fuels were authorized for: (1)  Fulcrum Bioenergy's Sierra Biofuels plant under development in Storey County, Nevada for conversion of municipal solid waste using modifications of the thermal technology licensed from InEnTec, (2) Emerald Biofuels LLC, toward their Emerald One advanced conversion of fats, oils, and grease (FOG) using the Eni Ecofining biodiesel production technology licensed from Honeywell, and (3) Red Rock Biofuels (IR1 Group) gasification of woody biomass to syngas, catalytic conversion to raw liquid fuels, and hydroprocess refining to drop-in fuels. Under the contracts the biofuels will have a weighted average price of less than $3.50/gallon and at least 50% lower lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions than that of conventional fuel. The new contract significantly strengthens the $105 million loan guarantee from the USDA to Fulcrum announced earlier this month. Completion of the award process was announced at the White House by Secretary Mabus, Secretary Vilsack, and Deputy Secretary Poneman on September 19, 2014. 09/21/2014 

ReEnergy Celebrates Restart of Ashland Maine 39 MWe Bioenergy Plant 

ReEnergy Holdings LLC will be celebrating the restart of its Ashland, Maine, 39 megawatt biomass to electricity plant on for October 2, 2014 between 10 am and 2 pm, which has stood idle since  March of 2011. The Ashland facility generates renewable energy from responsibly harvested forest residue biomass and is rated to produce up to 284,000 MWh of electricity each year. The public restart event is also intended as an early celebration of National Bioenergy Day, which will take place October 22nd. As part of this second-annual National Bioenergy Day, companies engaged in biomass management, forestry products, and wood fuel pellet production are joining trade associations, schools, and universities across the country and in Canada to hold events celebrating nature's energy source and raising awareness about the benefits of bioenergy. To attend the restart event, register online, or RSVP to Andrea Hadfield at (207) 473-7592 or <>. 09/19/2014 

FCC Environment Will Convert Wigan Council's Residual Waste to RDF

United Kingdom based FCC Environment has signed a 25 year residual waste contract with Wigan Council to divert an estimated 90% of the borough’s non-recyclable waste from landfill. From April 1, 2015, FCC Environment will process around 80,000 tonnes of post-recycling residual waste a year  The waste will be converted to an engineered refuse derived fuel (RDF) to generate energy in UK's waste to energy facilities. It is estimated that this will save Wigan Council approximately £1 million each year. FCC Environment will continue to manage the council’s Kirkless transfer station in Ince and three household waste recycling centers (HWRCs) in Atherton, Ince, and Leigh. The layout and infrastructure of the HWRCs will be redeveloped to increase the range of materials which can be recycled. The transfer station in Kirkless will be improved to maximize recycling as well as for the production of RDF. The RDF production is part of the Wigan Council's 2009 to 2030 Waste Management Strategy. 09/18/2014

Canada’s Clean50 Names This Year's Sustainability Champions

For the fourth year, Canada’s Clean50 organization has selected 50 outstanding leaders across 16 categories of Sustainability, 10 "Emerging Leaders" from across Canada ranging in age from 15 to their early 30s, and 15 innovative projects. The projects have been undertaken by organizations in the past two years that have the ability to inform, and the power to inspire Canadians and help them understand that sustainability does not equal more expense. Among the awardees in the Clean Technology category are dPoint Technologies, whose membrane technology developed for hydrogen fuel cells, is now being applied to energy recovery in buildings to recapture over 50% of the energy lost from ventilation, and Eco-Tec, advancing its ion exchange platform capable of recovering solid, liquid, and gaseous commodity materials from waste streams. In the Primary Resources Category are the chemical recovery firm Fielding Chemical Technologies, the materials recovery facility (MRF) Canada Fibers, and used battery materials recovery team at Raw Materials Company, all focused on recovery and return to the marketplace of foundation materials from waste. Everyone’s favorite this year however has to be 20-year old Adam Noble, whose start-up Noble Purification has developed filtration processes for converting algae blooms into feedstock for biofuels, while purifying wastewater and recovering silver nanoparticles, the underlying cause of the algal bloom, to be “repurposed” as a treatment for a childhood form of leukemia. 09/18/2014 

New Generation Power Announces 34.5 Megawatt Biomass Project in Japan

Chicago-based New Generation Power International (NGPI) and Japanese company Nippon Energy Solution, Inc (NES) will develop three 11.5 Megawatt (MW) wood biomass plants in Japan. Together, the companies will launch a new wood-based biomass energy generation venture that will construct three separate facilities located in the Japanese regions of Miyazaki and Kagoshima. Expected to break ground around April 2015, the project will be capable of generating 248 GWh of electricity annually, the equivalent of powering 44,000 households and cost an estimated $169.67 million USD. The three biomass plants will use 15,000 tons of woodchips per month through long-term supply contracts with domestic contractors that will supply roughly 50 percent of the materials. In addition, roughly 10,000 tons of palm kernel shells (PKS) will be imported each month from the overseas market. The 34.5 MW wood biomass project is scheduled to be commissioned by the fourth quarter of 2016. 09/17/2014

DONG Energy and Horsens Bioenergie Inaugurate New Danish Biogas Plant

The mayor of Horsens, Denmark cut the ribbon at the inauguration ceremony for a new biogas plant on September 10, 2014, following four years of work and dialog with local and national authorities and the community. Horsens Bioenergi owns the biogas plant and DONG Energy owns the upgrading plant that prepares the produced biogas for sale and distribution to the customers. The plant will process approximately seven million cubic metres of bio methane annually, corresponding to the consumption of more than 4,000 natural gas-fired homes. Horsens Bioenergi  purchases biomass from Danish Crown's large slaughterhouse in Horsens, Denmark. In this way, local resources will be used instead of transporting the waste for treatment much further away. Klaus D. Johansen, CEO of Horsens Bioenergi: "It's been four years since we initiated the work on this environmentally sound biogas plant. Now, the plant is a reality and the location is perfect. We've got a lot of farming and plenty of food industry in the neighborhood, and we're close to the Danish natural gas grid." 09/17/2014

ElectraTherm Green Machines Generate Power from Waste Heat in Oregon

Nevada based ElectraTherm, Inc has commissioned its second Green Machine 4400 at an integrated wood products mill in Wallowa, Oregon. Together, the two machines operate off the waste heat of a biomass boiler to generate emission-free electricity. Integrated Biomass Resources (IBR) processes small-diameter timber into various wood products, such as firewood and fence posts at its Wallowa mill. The site uses residuals from its wood products to fuel a Uniconfort dual stage gasification boiler, creating hot water for process heat used for drying. The excess heat in the form of hot water is used to fuel the two Green Machines for onsite power generation. Since the commissioning of the second machine in July, both Green Machines now operate in tandem with the biomass boiler. The boiler sends hot water to the Green Machines at 205°F, which generates a combined output of more than 65 kWe net for the site. 09/17/2014

US DOE Expands Initiative to Increase Clean Energy Manufacturing

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced expansions of its Clean Energy Manufacturing Initiative in support of the American manufacturing sector and a new initiative to support the administration’s goal of doubling energy productivity by 2030. By advancing the development of innovative manufacturing technologies, investing in substantial energy efficiency upgrades at production plants across the country, and training American workers for the advanced manufacturing jobs of tomorrow, the Department of Energy is helping make America’s manufacturing sector even stronger in an intensely competitive global market. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz announced the partnership at the Energy Department’s 2014 American Energy and Manufacturing Competitiveness Summit, jointly sponsored by the Council on Competitiveness. 09/17/2014 

Pacific Ethanol Contracts to Sell CO2 From Its Columbia Plant in Boardman

California based Pacific Ethanol Inc has announced its agreement with Kodiak Carbonic, LLC to sell CO2 from the Pacific Ethanol Columbia plant located in Boardman, Oregon. Kodiak plans to construct a liquefaction and dry ice processing plant adjacent to the Columbia facility and expects to purchase up to 200 tons of CO2 per day to sell to food processing and beverage producers. Neil Koehler, the company's president and CEO: "The opportunity to utilize the CO2 from our ethanol production process as another co-product for sale further diversifies our revenues and improves Pacific Ethanol's profitability. We anticipate the new CO2 processing plant in Boardman to begin operations in early 2015 and to contribute approximately one to two cents per gallon in operating income." 09/16/2014

2G CENERGY Supplies Biogas CHP System to Yuengling Brewery

Florida based 2G CENERGY Power Systems Technologies Inc has installed a Biogas Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Energy Conversion System at Yuengling®, the Nation's oldest brewery. The plant will provide about 20% of Yuengling®'s total electricity needs at the brewery, and the heat generated by the plant will be used to heat the brewery's pasteurization process. The methane gas is generated at an anaerobic digester at the brewery's wastewater treatment plant. 2G CENERGY® supplied the gas treatment system to dehumidify the saturated gas, and to remove H2S contained in the raw biogas. The CHP system has been designed as dual fuel module and can be operated on low BTU biogas, as well as pipeline quality natural gas. 09/16/2014

ESA Launching First Biowaste Strategy - Circular Organics

The United Kingdom (UK) based Environmental Services Association (ESA), the voice of the UK’s waste and resource management industry, is launching its first biowaste strategy, ‘Circular Organics: Biowaste in a Circular Economy’, at this year’s RWM Show. The main purposes of the strategy are to address the key challenges faced by the biowaste treatment sector, set out the ESA’s vision for the way forward, and offer a set of concrete actions that the ESA believes will move the sector closer to a Circular Economy. Among the recommendations: develop and adopt one Life Cycle Assessment  (LCA) toolset, develop a Code of Practice for monitoring contaminants, and create a cross-sector working group to establish a coherent regulatory approach. The ESA is "working to transform waste and resource management in the UK, to turn Britain’s waste into valuable resources whilst protecting the environment." 09/15/2014

Mtech Awards $2.3MM to 18 Research Partnerships to Commercialize Tech

The Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) program, an initiative of the Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute (Mtech) at the University of Maryland (UM), has awarded $2.3 million to 18 project teams comprised of University and private company researchers, primarily start-up companies. Companies contributed $2.4 million in matching funds; the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the US Environmental Protection Agency also provided additional funding. Five projects worth $1.9 million are investigating various processes for converting poultry manure to energy, including anaerobic digestion, gasification, and combustion and washing, while keeping nitrogen and phosphorous in poultry litter from polluting Chesapeake Bay. Each would potentially produce electricity and heat, while some create additional salable byproducts, such as fertilizer, soil amendments or algae feedstock. Assistant Professor Stephanie Lansing, UM's College Park campus, received funding for two proposals, the first with Columbia-based The Crimson Group LLC to develop a system that gasifies poultry litter waste into energy, and the second with Berlin-based Planet Found Energy Development LLC to develop a poultry manure-to-energy system that combines anaerobic digestion and a nutrient capture system to produce renewable energy and recover nitrogen from the poultry litter in the form of salable fertilizer. From the University of Maryland Eastern Shore faculty, associate professor Jennifer Timmons will team with Salisbury-based AHPharma Energy Systems Inc. to develop a manure-to-energy, closed-loop geothermal heating system for poultry houses. This is the 54th round of MIPS grants. The program has supported research projects with more than 500 different Maryland companies since 1987. 09/15/2014

Celtic Renewables Wins Motor Industry Award for Whisky Draff to BioButanol

Scottish company Celtic Renewables Ltd has been recognized by the motor industry, winning a top honor at the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership's (LowCVP) annual Low Carbon Champions awards. The company won the LowCVP’s award for Low Carbon Innovation by an SME at a gala dinner in Milton Keynes. The award is the first from the motor industry to recognize Celtic Renewables contribution to the effort to lower carbon emissions in the global motor industry. It is one of only 14 awards accredited by the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), which qualifies Celtic Renewables for the prestigious EU bi-annual European Business Awards for the Environment. Announcing the award the judges commented: "Celtic Renewables’ practice of turning industrial waste into biofuel, solvents and animal feed is an excellent example of an environmentally and commercially sustainable business model. They have taken known technology and adapted it to current market conditions, attracting the investment and partners required to scale up to industrial production." Celtic Renewables has already proved the concept of producing biobutanol from draff – the sugar rich kernels of barley which are soaked in water to facilitate the fermentation process necessary for whisky production – and pot ale, the yeasty liquid that is heated during distillation. The company is currently working with Tullibardine distillery to commercialize the process. 09/15/2014  

Atikokan Coal Generating Station in Ontario Now Operating on Biomass

Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has announced that its Atikokan Generating Station (GS) is operating on biomass instead of coal, and is now the largest power plant in North America fuelled by 100 per cent biomass. Tom Mitchell, OPG President and CEO: "The biomass conversion and solutions developed for the Atikokan GS are cutting edge and OPG is at the forefront of this innovative technology. The project is the first of its kind in Ontario and will bring economic benefits to northwestern Ontario for years to come.” OPG entered into an agreement in 2012 to convert the existing coal-fired facility to biomass. The project was a key element of the McGuinty Government's plan to eliminate coal-fired plants by this year. 09/13/2014

NFR BioEnergy Plans $312MM Bagasse to Pellet Project In South Louisiana

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and Frank Randazzo, Chief Operating Officer of NFR BioEnergy, LLC have announced the company plans to make a $312 million capital investment to install biorefineries at more than 10 sugar refining hubs in south Louisiana, subject to completing lease and biomass agreements with sugar mills. NFR BioEnergy will convert sugar cane waste, known as bagasse, into hardened energy pellets for use as fuel at global power plants. NFR BioEnergy has begun development of the first biorefinery in White Castle, Louisiana, where it is co-locating the facility with the Cora Texas Sugar Mill. Pending the sugar mill agreements, NFR BioEnergy will construct a series of biorefineries across South Louisiana’s sugar cane-growing region and create 450 new direct jobs. Louisiana Economic Development estimates the project will result in an additional 1,903 new indirect jobs, for a total of more than 2,300 new jobs in the state. The conversion of sugar cane biomass into energy pellets through a torrefaction process has been aided by research at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Energy Institute (LED). LED began working with NFR BioEnergy on the potential project in March 2013. To secure the project, the State of Louisiana offered the company a competitive incentive package that includes a performance-based, $500,000 Economic Development Award Program grant. 09/13/2014  

Biodiesel Initiative for City Vehicles Makes Sense for Honolulu

According to Oregon-based Pacific Biodiesel, the Honolulu City Council adopted a Resolution 14-169 on September 10, 2014 requesting the Department of Transportation through its public-private partnership with Oahu Transit Services, Inc Services develop a City Biodiesel Initiative for the city's mass transit diesel vehicles. The Initiative will require a minimum use of B5 Biodiesel (5% Biodiesel with 95% Petroleum Diesel) with a goal of steadily increasing the blend to B20 Biodiesel by 2018. Introduced by Stanley Chang, Chair of the Committee on Public Works and Sustainability, the resolution passed through committee late last month for the full Council’s consideration. Pacific Biodiesel, one of the only commercial biofuels producers in the State of Hawaii, notes that since 2004, the City has successfully integrated B20 biodiesel in a large segment of its municipal fleet, including waste collection trucks. In 2012, the city completed a pilot project with 20 of its fixed route buses. The adoption of resolution 14-169 will allow the Department of Transportation and the City to look to further the use of biodiesel in TheBus and TheHandi-Van fleets comprised of more than 650 vehicles. 09/12/2014

UK Cuts Red Tape for Use of Agricultural Residue in Anaerobic Digesters

The United Kingdom (UK) Environment Agency has released a Briefing note clarifying that anaerobic digestion (AD) facilities accepting only agricultural residue do not need an environmental permit. AD plants that do take materials classified as "wastes" will continue to be required to obtain and keep current their waste management permits. The agency states that for many types of feedstock, the question of whether or not they are wastes is very straightforward. For some types of feedstocks, for example crop residues, it is not. The clarification separates "production residues" not classified as waste from pre- and post-consumer food waste digestion, which does need a permit. Examples of crop residues would include misshapen, bruised or undersized fruit and vegetables separated out on the farm or in a pack-house, as being unsuitable for sale as food for consumption, and parts of fruit and vegetables such as leaves, roots and toppings that are removed as part of the processing for sale in a pack-house or at a farm. Food wastes includes surplus or reject fruit and vegetables from supermarkets, and food leftovers or scraps from restaurants or households. The Renewable Energy Association (REA) has noted that previously, the addition of even a small quantity of these by-products into the AD process would require operators to apply for expensive permits and implement the same waste handling controls as a commercial food waste AD plant. The change to the regulations follows sustained campaigning from the REA on this issue, including a letter to Environment Secretary Owen Paterson in June of this year. 09/12/2014 

Liquid Light Raises $15MM to Advance CO2 Conversion to Chemicals

New Jersey based Liquid Light, Inc has announced that it has closed a $15 million Series B financing. New investors include Sustainable Conversion Ventures, which focuses on renewable fuels and chemicals investments. Existing investors VantagePoint Capital Partners, BP Ventures, Chrysalix Energy Venture Capital, and Osage University Partners also participated in this round. Liquid Light develops and licenses process technology to make major chemicals from low-cost, globally-abundant carbon dioxide (CO2). The new financing will be used to complete process development at pilot scale, providing the information needed for further scale up to a tons-per-day plant. The scale-up work is also aimed at validating the quality of the chemicals produced by the process, to confirm their suitability for use in key applications such as the PET used to make plastic soda bottles. 09/11/2014

AVA-CO2 Achieves Breakthrough in Phosphorus Recovery

Switzerland based AVA-CO2 Schweiz AG has announced development of the "AVA cleanphos" process to recover phosphorus directly from the char resulting from hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) of sewage sludge. This method allows for a phosphorus yield of over 80%, with less use of acid, reduced energy costs, and lower investment costs. In addition, the "AVA cleanphos" solution enables the production of phosphoric acid that is free from heavy metals and without an additional cleaning stage. The "AVA cleanphos" process is a simple, three-stage method that uses tested and well-known technologies such as acid leaching, nanofiltration, and concentration. HTC char is fundamentally different from the slag produced by sewage sludge incinerators. An energy-intensive grinding system does not have to be used for preconditioning, since HTC char is not slag with corresponding vitrification. A simple grinding system, not unlike a kitchen mixer, is sufficient, which leads to considerable energy savings. 09/11/2014

Energos to Install Gasification System for Derby Waste Conversion Plant

United Kingdom company Energos has secured a £65m contract to supply gasification systems for the £145 million integrated waste management centre in Derby. The contract was awarded by Interserve Construction Ltd following acquisition of construction funding by Resource Recovery Solutions (Derbyshire) Ltd (RRS), a  joint venture between Shanks Group plc and Interserve Group plc. The integrated mechanical biological treatment plant's gasification waste conversion platform is intended to process up to 140,000 tonnes of refuse derived fuel (RDF), produced by RRS from municipal residual, non hazardous waste to generate 11.05 MWe of green electricity, sufficient to power 14,000 homes. The entire facility is expected to divert up to 98% of residents’ residual waste from landfill and is scheduled to be completed by April 2017. 09/11/2014

Neste Oil Will Build Biopropane Plant at Rotterdam Refinery

Finland based Neste Oil has announced that it will build a EUR 60 million biopropane plant at its Rotterdam refinery, with sales of biopropane scheduled to begin by the end of 2016. The new plant will purify and separate biopropane from the sidestream gases produced by the refinery. The process will increase the added value of this sidestream significantly, as the gas in question has been sold as fuel for power plant use up until now. When the new unit is complete, biopropane production is expected to total 30,000-40,000 t/a. Biopropane has a comparable set of properties to fossil propane and is suitable for use in existing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) applications. 09/11/2014  

Eco Waste Solutions Named Defense Energy Technology Challenge Finalist

Ontario, Canada based Eco Waste Solutions (EWS), a manufacturer of thermal waste conversion and energy recovery technologies, has announced that it was selected as a finalist in the 5th bi-annual Defense Energy Technology Challenge (DETC). The Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Organization (CTSI) selected the top 14 technologies from over 200 entries for presentation at the Summit in Hawaii. Each submission was reviewed in several areas including solution fit, strengths of technology, challenges of implementation/adoption, positioning guidance, and strength of potential collaboration opportunities. Challenge awardees will present their energy technologies to a high-level panel of military and defense energy leadership during the Pacific Defense Energy Summit on September 15-17 in Honolulu, Hawaii. Energy security and independence are critical to America's national security and are two goals at the heart of the US Military's investment in clean energy technologies. 09/10/2014

EESI Hosts Briefing to Update Carbon Accounting and Vehicle Fuel Research

The Washington DC based Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) has announced a panel briefing examining recent research regarding the carbon dioxide (CO2) intensity of transportation fuels, such as crude oil and ethanol. The panel will also consider the economic costs and benefits of renewable fuels as a CO2 reduction strategy. There is a growing body of research concerning the carbon intensity of both petroleum-derived and renewable fuels. Carbon intensity refers to the amount of greenhouse gases (including CO2, nitrous oxide, and methane) that are released per unit of fuel. “Wells to wheels” assessments are calculated by adding the emissions at each production step. For biofuels, this includes emissions and/or carbon sequestration as well as impacts to land use associated with growing biofuel feedstocks. The speakers include Michael Wang, Senior Scientist, Energy Systems, Argonne National Laboratory; Steffen Mueller, Principal Economist, Energy Resources Center, University of Illinois at Chicago; and Dean Drake, President, Defour Group, LLC. The briefing is free to the public and may be attended in person on September 18, 2014 at 3:00pm EST or via live webcast. 09/10/2014

Council Approves Peel Environmental's North Yorkshire Energy Centre

United Kingdom (UK) based Peel Environmental, a division of The Peel Group, has announced that the North Yorkshire County Council’s Planning and Regulatory Functions Committee has granted approval of Peel's £200 million Energy Centre to be located at Kellingley Colliery. The proposed facility will make use of existing industrial land at the colliery, near Beal, and will use residual waste to generate both low carbon electricity and heat which could be supplied directly to nearby users. The facility will generate up to 26MW of low carbon electricity by operating an efficient Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system using commercial, industrial and possibly household waste to produce energy. The facility will save around 95,000 tonnes of CO2 each year, compared with sending the waste to landfill. The consent is another landmark in Peel Environmental’s roll out of energy recovery centres across the UK. It comes in the same week that Tamar Energy received consent for an Anaerobic Digestion facility at Peel’s Wardley site as part of a five site deal with the company. 09/10/2014  

Marks & Spencer to Buy Biomethane Certificates to Reduce Carbon Footprint

London based Marks & Spencer (M&S) has agreed to purchase 35,000 Mega-Watt hours of biomethane certificates from Future Biogas, a move which will reduce its carbon footprint by over 6,400 tonnes and source the equivalent amount of energy to heat 15 M&S Simply Food stores all year round. The biomethane gas will be produced at the Vulcan Renewables anaerobic digestion (AD) plant near Doncaster using break crops (non-commercial crops used for soil regeneration) from farms across Yorkshire and the North East. The gas is then pumped into the national grid. M&S’ agreement with Future Biogas funds the production and M&S benefits from the carbon reduction through the certification scheme. It also provides significant revenues for farmers, giving break crops a commercial route to market not previously available. 09/09/2014

Braskem Joins Amyris and Michelin for Renewable Isoprene Development

Amyris, Braskem, and Michelin have jointly announced that Braskem is joining a collaboration already launched in 2011 between Michelin and Amyris. This collaboration was initiated to develop and commercialize renewable isoprene, sourced from various biomass as an additional sustainable pathway to produce isoprene. Under the terms of this agreement, Braskem, Michelin, and Amyris will work together to develop a technology to utilize plant sugars, such as those found in Brazilian sugarcane or cellulosic feedstocks, to produce renewable isoprene. Adding the expertise of Brazilian company Braskem, the largest petrochemical company in the Americas and global leader in the production of biopolymers, will accelerate the industrialization of renewable isoprene. Braskem entered in a similar agreement last fall with Genomatica for the development of bio-based butadiene. 09/09/2014

New AERTOs Project Focuses on Lignin and Algae Processes for Biorefineries

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) has announced that Associated European Research and Technology Organisations (AERTOs) has begun a 2-year research project to stimulate the development of the bio-based economy in Europe and overcome technical hurdles in the innovation value chains. The focus areas of the new project are development of lignocellulosic biomass processes for modern biorefineries and the extraction of algae. The goal is to create new, valuable lignin products and cheap technical sugars for the production of bio-based chemicals. The AERTOs Bio-based Economy (BBE) project will combine different technologies available from the following partners: VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Tecnalia, Fraunhofer, Sintef, CEA, TNO and SP. The R&D work in the programme will be funded by the partners with a total budget of EUR 2.6 million. The programme is being coordinated by Research Professor Kristiina Kruus from VTT: "The project gives us a great possibility for close research collaboration in the very topical area of bioeconomy. We are very excited about it." 09/09/2014 

UK Acknowledges Aluminum Packaging Recovery Protocol

The Aluminum Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) has announced that the United Kingdom (UK) has acknowledged a new protocol addressing recovery of aluminum from incinerator bottom ash (IBA). Developed by the Alupro in collaboration with the UK's Environment Agency, the protocol will allow governmental Packaging Recycling Note credits (PRNs) to be issued for aluminum recovered from IBA and returned back into the marketplace. Alupro has shown that at least 50% of the metals recoverable from IBA are aluminum, indicating that as much as 10,000 tonnes per year could be counted toward government's targets for recovery of materials from aluminum packaging. The development of the protocol is part of Alupro’s strategy to try to ensure that all of the aluminum packaging collected for recycling is counted to arrive at the “true” recycling rate. Alupro represents the leading aluminum packaging producers and reprocessors in the UK.  09/06/2014

USDA Loan Guarantee Closes for Fulcrum Facility to Turn Waste to Jet Fuel

US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the USDA has closed on a loan guarantee to Fulcrum Sierra Biofuels, LLC to build a biorefinery to produce jet fuel from municipal solid waste. USDA is awarding Fulcrum a $105 million Biorefinery Assistance Program loan guarantee through Bank of America, N.A. to construct a facility in McCarran, Nevada, to convert municipal solid waste to jet fuel. The USDA committed to the conditional loan guarantee in August 2012. USDA Rural Development's loan guarantee represents less than half of the $266 million project cost. Fulcrum secured commitments for $175 million in December 2012 toward financing the plant construction and to fund further commercialization of its advanced gasification technology. The plant is expected to produce 11 million gallons of fuel annually. Fulcrum will produce synthesis gas (syngas) from 147,000 tons of municipal solid waste and catalytically convert it to synthetic paraffinic kerosene/jet fuel through a proprietary technology. The plant will be the first of what the company expects to be several bio jet fuel plants throughout the country. 09/06/2014

Oberon DME Receives EPA's 1st Biogas-Based Fuel Approval Under the RPS

California based Oberon Fuels Inc (Oberon) has announced that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved its biogas-based dimethyl ether (DME) fuel for inclusion under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). Oberon's biogas-based DME is now eligible for high value D-Code 3 (cellulosic) and D-Code 5 (advanced) renewable identification numbers ("RINs") under the RFS. The EPA determined that biogas-based DME produced from the Oberon process resulted in an approximate 68% reduction in greenhouse gases when compared to baseline diesel fuel. Oberon's co-founder and COO Elliot Hicks: "One of the exciting attributes of DME is that, at its core, DME is a simple fuel. It requires a simple diesel engine and has simple propane-like handling properties." Oberon uses its proprietary small-scale process to make DME, a clean-burning diesel alternative, and methanol from methane and carbon dioxide. In 2013, Oberon Fuels' pilot plant in Brawley, California produced the first fuel-grade DME in North America, which is currently being used by Volvo Trucks. 09/06/2014  

MagneGas to Demo Manure Sterilization System for Major Indiana Hog Farm

MagneGas® Corporation (MagneGas) has announced signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a large hog farm in Indiana for a 30 day demonstration of the MagneGas sterilization system. The hog farm plans to offer a safer sterilized pig manure to the surrounding agricultural community by using the MagneGas system while co-firing MagneGas® with propane or natural gas to reduce energy costs. The MOU provides that following a successful demonstration, the hog farm will buy a MagneGas sterilization system and will become an exclusive distributor for MagneGas products in the agricultural industry for Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. The hog farm will also be available as the MagneGas demonstration center for the agricultural sector. Established in 1996, the hog farm is on the leading edge of the pig industry with procedures in place to control disease and contamination, resulting in a product of higher quality.  Raising over 40,000 pigs per year, this farm has a minimum of 18,000 pigs on hand at any given time making it one of the largest in the tri-state region with future expansion planned. 09/05/2014 

Vega Biofuels' Pilot Torrefaction Plant to Use Dual Use Biomass Feedstock

Georgia based Vega Biofuels, Inc has announced that its Joint Venture (JV) partner, Agri-Tech Producers, LLC (ATP), has developed a new, patent-pending process that dramatically reduces the cost of some of the biomass feedstock for Vega's pilot torrefaction plant. Vega recently entered into the Joint Venture to build and operate a pilot manufacturing plant in Allendale, South Carolina to produce Bio-Coal, among other torrefied products. As a way to dramatically reduce biomass feedstock costs, ATP has developed a new, patent-pending, combined Site Remediation Biomass and Bio-Coal Production (SRBBP) Process, which uses the phytoremediation powers of the roots of certain fast-growing trees and bio-crops that have been planted to clean contaminated sites. Then, using a partner company's patented leaching process to remove the toxins and other problematic substances from the biomass; the biomass is torrefied to make Bio-Coal and other bio-products. Michael K. Molen, Chairman/CEO of Vega Biofuels: "Through ATP's SRBBP Process, we will be planting certain trees and bio-crops and using them twice, effectively cutting their cost in half for both the remediation and the torrefaction processes. I congratulate ATP for its creativity, as this will certainly have a positive impact on our sales and bottom line." When completed in Q1 2015, the plant will use patented torrefaction technology to produce the Company's green-energy Bio-Coal product from plant and wood biomass, which will then be sold to power companies around the world. 09/04/2014

Lahti Energia and Valmet Will Continue to Develop Finnish Gasification Plant

Finland based Lahti Energia Oy and Valmet Corporation have agreed to continue development of Lahti Energia's Kymijärvi II demonstration gasification power plant that has been in operation for slightly over two years. Since it was the first operational power plant of its kind, the design was based on data obtained through pilot plants. It has now become clear that most of the design solutions are successful. Lahti Energia and Valmet have agreed on joint further development of the power plant. The work started in Tampere in 2002, and has proceeded to a commercial solution via various demonstration stages. The waste-to-energy combined heat and power power plant produces electricity and heat from post-recycled municipal solid waste. The electricity production capacity of the plant is 50 MW and the heat production capacity is 90 MW. The harmful components contained in the waste can be safely removed before the gas is utilized in a conventional power plant process. Juhani Isaksson, Head of Valmet's gasification technology: "We have learned a lot thanks to this plant, particularly regarding long-term operations, which are impossible to test in a small scale. The experiences obtained have clearly helped in further improving Lahti Energia's plant. This knowledge also helps us in designing future power plants." 09/04/2014

Cambi to Install THP Solution to Process Sludge at Beijing's Largest WWTP

The Cambi Group has announced that its United Kingdom based subsidiary has been awarded a contract by Beijing Drainage Construction Co. for installation of the Cambi Thermal Hydrolysis Process (THP) at Beijing’s largest wastewater treatment plant, Gaobeidian WWTP, owned and operated by the Beijing Drainage Group (BDG). This is one of the largest wastewater treatment plants in China and serves a population of more than three million residents. The strategic cooperation between the Beijing Drainage Group, Beijing Drainage Construction Company, and Cambi represents a major and innovative step to bring Chinese sludge treatment into the 21st century. The Gaobeidian wastewater treatment plant will be fitted with the Cambi THP solution and be operational sometime during 2016. The Cambi THP-plant will process all the sewage sludge produced at the plant, doubling existing digester loading and freeing eight of 16 existing anaerobic digesters, increase biogas production, produce a high dry solids bio-fertilizer, and replace a planned drying facility. BDG is planning to build another four large-scale sludge projects using Cambi's THP during 2016-2017. 09/03/2014

Hormel Drives Motorcycle from Minnesota to California on Bacon Grease

The National Biodiesel Board (NBB) has provided news of a bacon-powered motorbike's journey from Hormel Foods headquarters in Austin, Minnesota to the International Bacon Festival in San Diego, California. The custom diesel motorcycle was fueled by converting the grease left behind from frying up bacon into biodiesel. The bacon driven bike built by CSE Engineering was sponsored by Hormel and the Minneapolis marketing firm BBDO. The bacon bike whistle stop was filmed for a movie short called "Driven by Bacon", and shown on August 29th at the Bacon Festival. Hormel representatives say the marketing push is an exciting opportunity to spread the word about Hormel’s Black Label Bacon brand and will likely be used as a promotional tool in the future. 09/03/2014  

Group of Companies Develops Methodology to Assess Product Social Impact

A group of companies collaborating as members of the Roundtable for Product Social Metrics (RPSM) has announced publication of the Handbook for Product Social Impact Assessment, now available for download. Social impact is the effect of a product on three stakeholder groups: workers, consumers, and local communities. The manual correlates the impact upon the stakeholder groups with the different life cycle stages of the product: sourcing, manufacturing, when the consumer uses the product, and product end-of-life when discarded, refurbished for reuse, recycled, incinerated or landfilled. The innovative Product Social Impact Assessment methodology enables concrete, objective research, and analysis at a product level. The large, multinational organizations participating in the Roundtable include Ahold, Akzo Nobel, BASF, BMW Group, DSM, L’Oréal, Marks & Spencer, Philips, RB, Steelcase, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, and a chemical company. The group is led by sustainability consulting firm PRé Sustainability. 09/02/2014

Methes Energies Selects Dorf Ketal to Manufacture New Pretreatment Catalyst

Nevada based Methes Energies International Ltd recently extended their modular biodiesel production system line to encompass pretreatment methods that now enable use of high free fatty acid (FFA) feedstock such as non-food grade corn oil. The company introduced Methes PP-MEC catalyst for this pretreatment to ensure availability and effectiveness. Methes has selected Dorf Ketal Specialty Catalysts LLC (Dorf Ketal) as the exclusive manufacturer of Methes PP-MEC Catalyst. Working with Dorf Ketal allows Methes to depend upon a reliable manufacturer of specialty catalysts with an experienced management team who can provide that catalyst to Methes or its customers on a world-wide basis. John Loewen, COO of Methes: "I believe that the market potential is enormous for this new process so we wanted to make sure that we had a catalyst manufacturer that would be able to follow our growth not only in North America but around the world." 09/02/2014  

Viet Nam Shrimp Pond Waste Project to Produce Electricity with Fuel Cells

The VietNamNet online newspaper has reported that a new project funded by the Japanese government will create renewable green energy from organic waste discharged in industrial-agricultural activities in Mekong Delta region. The project will be carried out by the Viet Nam National University-HCM City's (VNU-HCM) Laboratory for Nanotechnology (LNT) in co-operation with Japan's Kyushu University. Researchers at LNT and Kyushu University have proposed using sludge and bio-wastes from shrimp ponds to produce electricity with a new generation of fuel cells developed by Kyushu University. The waste would be pumped out of ponds and transferred to methane-fermentation reactors to produce bio-gas, he said. Bio-gas would be supplied to solid-oxide fuel cells to produce electricity, which would then be used for air supply systems, pumps, and water-circulating systems of shrimp ponds. With technology support from Kyushu University, Viet Nam can develop a closed-cycle shrimp farm model, where electricity and heat energy are produced from bio-gas (from waste in shrimp farming) at high efficiency (90 per cent) over a large area. 09/01/2014

Due 10/15/2014: Statements of Interest for Clean Tech Funding to SDTC

Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) has announced that its SD Tech Fund™ and SD Natural Gas Fund™ are accepting Statements of Interest (SOI) from August 27 to October 15, 2014. The SD Tech Fund™ supports projects that address climate change, air quality, clean water, and clean soil. The SD Natural Gas Fund™ supports the development and demonstration of new downstream natural gas technology. SDTC seeks to fund the critical stages of development and demonstration, the points at which technologies leave the laboratory and undergo conclusive real-world testing. This first phase of the funding process is designed to provide SDTC with a good sense of proposed technologies without imposing an arduous application process. Successful projects will then be asked to submit a proposal. Workshops are scheduled for prospective applicants interested in applying to SDTC for funding with key information and practical guidance. The workshops will be presented in cities across Canada, co-hosted with regional incubators and partnered with universities. 09/01/2014