September 2015 News and Matters of Interest

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

Stanford Researchers Say Plastic-Eating Worms May Offer Waste Solution

Stanford University engineers, in collaboration with researchers in China, have announced an ongoing study showing that common mealworms can safely biodegrade various types of plastic. The tiny worm, which is the larvae form of the darkling beetle, can subsist on a diet of Styrofoam and other forms of polystyrene, according to two companion studies co-authored by Wei-Min Wu, a senior research engineer in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford. Microorganisms in the worms' guts biodegrade the plastic in the process. The papers, published in Environmental Science and Technology, are the first to provide detailed evidence of bacterial degradation of plastic in an animal's gut. In the lab, 100 mealworms ate between 34 and 39 milligrams of Styrofoam – about the weight of a small pill  – per day. The worms converted about half of the Styrofoam into carbon dioxide, as they would with any food source. Within 24 hours, they excreted the bulk of the remaining plastic as biodegraded fragments that look similar to tiny rabbit droppings. Mealworms fed a steady diet of Styrofoam were as healthy as those eating a normal diet, Wu said, and their waste appeared to be safe to use as soil for crops. 09/30/2015  

ADB Will Double Annual Climate Financing to $6 Billion for Asia-Pacific by 2020

The Manila based Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced that it will double the annual amount of financing for support of climate change mitigation in the Asia-Pacific regions. Yearly available funding will jump from the current budget of $3 billion to $6 billion by 2020, amounting to about 30% of the agency’s overall financing. Of the $6 billion, $4 billion will be dedicated to mitigation through scaling up support for renewable energy, energy efficiency, sustainable transport, and building smart cities. $2 billion will be for adaptation through more resilient infrastructure, climate-smart agriculture, and better preparation for climate-related disasters. ADB will continue to explore new co-financing opportunities with public and private partners, and seek to mobilize concessional financing from the Green Climate Fund for ADB’s adaptation projects in poorer countries. ADB is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. 09/28/2015

Due 01/15/2016: Proposals to SCE for Second Preferred Resources Pilot

Southern California Edison (SCE) has announced the launch of its Second Preferred Resources Pilot Request for Offers (PRP RFO 2) in central Orange County. Through this PRP RFO 2, SCE seeks to procure up to 100 MW of electrical energy, capacity and renewable attributes from eligible resources, including Demand Response, Renewable Distributed Generation, Energy Storage, Renewable Distributed Generation paired with Energy Storage, and Permanent Load Shifting. SCE will host a Bidder’s Conference (also available via WebEx) on Friday, October 16, 2015 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time in Irvine, California near the John Wayne Airport (SNA). Bidder’s Conference participation requires on-line registration first for the general RFO, then for the conference itself. Information and documents regarding the PRP RFO 2 will be found on the PRP RFO 2 website. Note: As of this date, the Offer Form and other documents are not yet available. 09/28/2015  

Third Annual National Bioenergy Day Will Be Held on October 21, 2015

National Bioenergy Day (NBD) 2015 will be held Wednesday, October 21, 2015 (in the middle of Forest Products Week). Bioenergy, the use of agricultural waste and forestry byproducts to generate heat and energy, will be celebrated during this third annual National Bioenergy Day. Last year, bioenergy supporters across United States and Canada showcased how their involvement in bioenergy helps their communities. Private sector, non-profit organizations, academic institutions and federal and state government offices contributed to nearly 50 events – doubling the size of NBD 2013. This year, National Bioenergy Day participants are encouraged to emphasize the economics of bioenergy, especially the many jobs created and supported by the making energy from organic materials. This year’s official Participation Guide was created in partnership with the US Forest Service. This guide contains planning checklists and timelines, as well as template materials. It is intended to help National Bioenergy Day participants brainstorm and plan for involvement in NBD. Register on the website if you are interested in participating in this year's program. 09/25/2015

California Re-adopts Low Carbon Fuel Standard Following Court Challenge

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has re-adopted a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) that requires a 10 percent reduction by 2020 in the carbon intensity of transportation fuels. Carbon intensity is determined through a life cycle analysis measuring the amount of carbon generated during the extraction, production, transportation, and combustion of a fuel. The LCFS does not require use of any specific fuel, only that regulated parties find a blend of fuels and credits that will meet the declining target each year. The decline in the LCFS carbon intensity targets was frozen due to a legal challenge in 2013. To address the court’s ruling and to strengthen the program, the CARB readopted the LCFS regulation following public testimony delivered September 24, 2015 at the first of a two-day Board meeting. The readopted version of the LCFS includes a number of modifications developed with stakeholder input, including: Incorporating additional cost containment in response to stakeholder concerns about possible price spikes by including a mechanism to cap LCFS credit prices; Streamlining the application process for alternative fuel producers seeking a carbon intensity score; Improving the process for earning LCFS credits by charging electric vehicles. 09/25/2015 

Hazardous Fuels Reduction Demonstrations Scheduled in California

The USDA Forest Service, the University of California (UC) Berkeley Center for Forestry and numerous industry representatives are sponsoring a series of free hazardous fuels treatment demonstrations (demos) in central and southern California. The projects target anyone involved in removing and or utilizing excess woody vegetation. Treatment demos will be one week in duration at each location (three to four locations total) and will provide equipment vendors the opportunity to demonstrate innovative equipment and techniques that might not be currently utilized in a local area. Equipment and techniques used for the demos will be monitored for effectiveness, efficiency, cost, and resource impacts (e.g., soil compaction and disturbance). Demos start at Shaver Lake on October 9, 2015, the following week of October 16, 2015 in the San Bernardino National Forest, and during the week of November 20, 2015 on the Santa Rosa Indian Reservation. Prior on-line registration is required. 09/24/2015

Due 10/23/2015: Applications for DOE's Small Business Voucher Pilot Round 1

As part of the Small Business Vouchers (SBV) Pilot to help advance the clean energy economy, the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) is funding up to $20 million worth of vouchers to eligible small businesses. The Notice of Opportunity has just been released and applications for round one are due by October 23, 2015. Vouchers will be issued in up to three rounds between September 2015 and the summer of 2016. Funding is not guaranteed to be carried into the second and third rounds if all vouchers can be fulfilled in round one. Up to $2.1 million is available for Bioenergy in these opportunity areas: Thermochemical and Biochemical Conversion, Analysis and Sustainability, Feedstock Logistics, and Algae. The pilot provides businesses vouchers valued at $50,000 to $300,000 that can be exchanged for technical assistance from participating national labs. Support can range from six weeks to one year of assistance. These vouchers will allow businesses to access world-class researchers, facilities, and expertise at national laboratories across the country. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is a participating lab in the SBV Pilot, which matches clean energy small businesses with experts from NREL and other DOE national laboratories. 09/24/2015 

Amyris Announces $35M Technology Investment Agreement With DARPA

California based Amyris, Inc has announced a multi-year, Technology Investment Agreement (TIA) worth up to $35 million with the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Biological Technologies Office. The purpose of the agreement is to create new research and development tools and technologies that will significantly reduce the time and cost of bringing new molecules to market. Amyris has chosen five specialized subcontractors to assist in achieving these innovations. According to DARPA, its focus in working with industrial biotechnology companies is to competitively solicit "innovative proposals to develop new tools, technologies and methodologies" to create new capabilities in biotech. Beyond the anticipated industry-wide advancements to be made, this effort is expected to expand Amyris's research activities across multiple new organisms, add hundreds of new molecules from multiple pathways to Amyris's production portfolio, and integrate several advanced technologies into Amyris's strain improvement pipeline. 09/23/2015

Wood Products Industry Introduces Online Reuse Wood Directory

The American Wood Council (AWC) and Canadian Wood Council (CWC) have partnered with Building Materials Reuse Association (BMRA) to develop an online North American directory outlining reuse and recycling options for wood and wood products, the ReuseWood.org web service. In addition to direct reuse of goods for similar applications, the organizations recognize the value of used wood for conversion to biomaterials and energy, as well as a reduction in landfill waste. Features of the website include a business directory that is accessible via both map and list, with sorting capabilities according to target categories (location, services provided, etc); individual listing pages show the contact information, location and available services for each business, and the sustainable wood guide offering useful information and articles on the different wood products and the opportunities for wood reuse or recycling. Search categories include Board Lumber, Consumer Goods, Deconstruction, Engineered Flooring, Firewood, Heavy Timber, I-Joists, Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF), Millwork, Oriented Strand Board (OSB), Pallets, Pellets, Sawdust, Sheet Goods, Urban Wood, Wood Doors, Wood Windows, and Woodchips. 09/23/2015

Biffa Releases Report on UK's Residual Waste Treatment Needs

Recycling and waste management company Biffa assesses United Kingdom's (UK) residual waste treatment needs, and concludes that market forces will lead to a natural balance of capacity. The study, titled The Reality Gap: UK residual waste treatment capacity – making sense of the arguments, concludes that there is presently a substantial capacity gap for residual waste treatment in the UK, in the order of 15Mtpa. The report forecasts that this will reduce to 4.4-5.9Mtpa by 2025, but will never completely disappear. Biffa’s study concludes that the UK has the means available to it manage this balance going forward, but it needs to recognize and use all the tools available to it: refuse derived fuel export, domestic energy recovery and treatment. Landfill is also an enduring part of the picture as the vital “safety net” for specialized waste streams, materials rejected from recycling processes, localized treatment capacity shortfalls, and disposal of residues from treatment and energy from waste plants during operational periods and downtimes. 09/23/2015

China Looks to Algenol’s Technology to Reduce Rising Global CO2 Levels

Florida, US-based Algenol LLC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with South China’s Fujian Zhongyuan New Energy Company, Ltd (ZYNE) to develop projects throughout Southern China, utilizing carbon emissions to create renewable fuels. Algenol’s patented Direct to Ethanol® technology process utilizes industrial CO2 emissions directly from power plants as a feedstock for proprietary algae to produce the four most important renewable transportation fuels (ethanol, gas, diesel and jet). This partnership unites the economic and environmental benefits of Algenol’s technologies with ZYNE’s existing expertise in delivering renewable fuels in China. At the beginning of 2015, the US Department of Commerce and the US Department of Energy invited Algenol to join a Presidential Trade Mission to China. The mission highlighted Algenol’s technology as a solution for significant reduction of China’s carbon emission pollution. 09/23/6015  

Estover Energy Secures Financing for Northumberland Biomass CHP Plant

United Kingdom (UK) based Estover Energy Ltd has received financing for construction of its £138m 27.7MWe biomass Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant in Cramlington, Northumberland. £48m of equity was committed by John Laing Group plc and the UK Green Investment Bank plc (GIB) along with £90m of debt from Barclays Bank plc, with an export credit guarantee from EKF. The biomass CHP plant will be fuelled from local wood provided by local growers and forest industry suppliers from 500,000 acres of forestry within 60 miles of the site. Construction began this month with completion expected in late 2017. The plant will generate 213 GWh of renewable electricity annually, enough to power 52,000 homes. It is also expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by circa 56 kt CO2e annually, the equivalent of taking 25,000 cars off the road during its lifetime. The plant will supply electricity and heat to Aesica Pharmaceuticals and MSD, two of the largest employers in the North East's highly successful specialist pharmaceutical cluster. It will also supply low carbon electricity to the National Grid. 09/22/2015

WM Phoenix Open Golf Tournament Achieves Zero Waste for 3rd Time

Waste Management (WM) has announced that the 2015 Waste Management Phoenix Open (WMPO) golf tournament diverted 100 percent of event waste away from landfills for the third consecutive year. Event waste was 49% recycled, 36% composted, 10% waste-to-energy, and 5% donated to achieve Zero Waste. This year, WM expanded vendor and fan education of proper waste sorting. As before, there were no trash receptacles on the golf course, only recycling and compost bins for all public and back-of-house operations. WM repurposed and transformed large roll-off containers into eye-catching Zero Waste Stations where fans could engage with volunteers to help collect food and beverage materials. WM’s sustainability results are validated by two outside parties – the Council for Responsible Sport and UL Environment. For three years in a row, the WMPO earned UL Environment’s highest landfill diversion rate designation, Zero Waste to Landfill Operations. 09/22/2015

Nidera Earns RSB Certification For Biodiesel from Used Cooking Oil

The Netherlands based Nidera B.V. has earned the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) certification for the production and trading of biofuels from used cooking oil. The certification scope includes Nidera’s trading operations, and the Biodiesel Aragon plant in Huesca, Spain where the biodiesel conversion takes place. Biodiesel Aragon can convert a wide variety of vegetable oils to produce a biodiesel that has the highest level of greenhouse gas savings. Bert Ooms, Nidera’s Group Communication Manager: "We were very pleased to work with RSB to certify UCO biodiesel produced at the Biodiesel Aragon facility. We are very happy to have a new option available for the certification of sustainable biofuels and waste materials." RSB is an independent and global multi-stakeholder coalition which works to promote the sustainability of biomaterials. 09/22/2015

Due 10/23/2015: Proposals for Services for Nevada County Biomass Facilities

The Fire Safe Council of Nevada County (FSCNC) has released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Services for Site Planning and Environmental Documentation for Conditional Use Permitting for the Nevada County and Camptonville Biomass Energy Facilities, Bid #2015-Biomass. The FSCNC is seeking a qualified firm or firms to provide basic site planning and work necessary for acquiring Conditional Use Permits (CUP) for the proposed biomass energy facility located in or near Grass Valley, California, and for the biomass energy facility located in Celestial Valley, roughly two miles south of the town of Camptonville, California. Proposals should be emailed to <> and must be received no later than Friday, October 23, 2015. Proposals received after that date may be considered nonresponsive and not accepted. 09/22/2015 

CEC Hosts 'Energizing California’s Communities with Renewables' Workshops

The California Energy Commission (CEC) is hosting a series of seven workshops statewide on 'Energizing California's Communities with Renewables' that focus on opportunities to develop community-scale renewable energy projects designed to address the specific needs of each region. The workshops are intended to provide information to local stakeholders on potential pathways for developing and demonstrating community-scale renewable energy systems within their regions, while including a discussion of some potential funding opportunities to pursue. Information gathered at these workshops will help the CEC to develop focused research and development priorities to help California communities achieve these goals, while maximizing the benefits realized by communities and Investor Owned Utility (IOU) electricity ratepayers. Upcoming workshops are scheduled for September 23, 2015 in Fresno on a Central Valley Perspective, September 29, 2015 in San Bernardino on a San Bernardino Valley Perspective and in Victorville on a Southern California High Desert Perspective, and on September 30, 2015 in Lynwood on a Southern California Urban Perspective. Send written comments in a downloadable, searchable format such as Microsoft® Word (.doc) or Adobe® Acrobat® (.pdf), and include the name of the workshop and the date in the subject line to <>. 09/21/2015

B&W Contracts to Design, Build, Operate Waste Wood Biomass Plant in UK

Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc (B&W) has announced that the joint venture that includes its Denmark-based subsidiary, Babcock & Wilcox Vølund A/S, has been awarded a contract to design and build the Teesside Renewable Energy Plant near Middlesbrough, England. B&W Vølund also was awarded a separate 15-year contract to provide operations and maintenance services for the plant. B&W’s portions of the two contracts total more than $190 million. B&W Vølund, through its UK subsidiary and a joint venture with Lagan Construction Group Limited, has contracted with developers Eco2 Ltd. and Temporis Capital to build the 40 megawatt waste wood fired biomass power plant for Port Clarence Energy Ltd. The project scope includes a boiler and environmental controls designed by B&W Vølund and its Götaverken Miljö AB subsidiary, including a dry flue gas desulfurization system (dry FGD), fabric filter baghouse, continuous emissions monitoring equipment and a DynaGrate® fuel combustion system. The plant is designed to burn 34 tons of waste wood per hour. Project engineering is currently underway and construction is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2018. 09/21/2015

Tyromer Opens Devulcanization Plant in Canada to Recycle Waste Tires

Tyromer Inc has announced the opening of Tyromer Waterloo, its groundbreaking facility to recycle scrap tire rubber and manage scrap tire waste. Tyromer Inc. is a company established by the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, to commercialize a rubber devulcanization technology invented by Professor Costas Tzoganakis of the Department of Chemical Engineering. The Tyromer technology turns scrap tire rubber into a new, versatile, high quality rubber material – Tyromer-TDP (Tire-Derived Polymer). Tyromer received early financial support from Michelin Development Company, Ontario Centres of Excellence, and University of Waterloo to scale up its technology. Ontario Tire Stewardship provided a research grant for Tyromer to strategically focus on the devulcanization of scrap tire rubber crumb. AirBoss Rubber Compounding, the second largest custom rubber compounder in North America, provided valuable industry knowledge and helped validate Tyromer-TDP as a viable rubber compound replacement in the manufacture of tires, and provided technical assistance in the construction of the Tyromer Waterloo facility. 09/21/2015

CEC Publishes CR&R Anaerobic Digestion Merit Review Presentation

In preparation for its first Technology Merit Review Workshop, the California Energy Commission (CEC) has published a presentation by CR&R, Inc detailing their work to develop their Anaerobic Digestion (AD) facility in Perris, California. The CR&R plant will convert the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (MSW) into biomethane (biogas, renewable natural gas) for use as transport fuel to power their own MSW hauling vehicles. The CEC has provided crucial funding to support CR&R's project in 2011 and again in 2014. The California Energy Commission Technology Merit Review initiative under the Alternative and Renewable Fuels and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP) is intended to address critical barriers impeding commercialization of alternative transportation fuels and gather information and insights from funded projects. 09/17/2015

Bio-On and Moore Capital Plan First Bio-Plastic Facility in Brazil

Italian company Bio-on S.p.A. and Moore Capital have signed a license agreement to build the first Brazil-based facility to produce PHAs bio-plastic from sugar cane co-products. PHAs, or polyhydroxyalkanoates, are bio-plastics that can replace a number of traditional polymers currently made with petrochemical processes using hydrocarbons. Bio-On PHA is a bio-plastic that can be classified as 100% natural and completely biodegradable The two companies, operating in sustainable biochemistry and in the development of eco-sustainable industrial solutions, will work together to build a production site with a 10 thousand tons/year output in the state of São Paulo and/or Acre State. The 80 million Euro facility will be the most advanced biopolymers production site in South America. 09/17/2015

ZeaChem Signs MOU with Pure Cultures for Biotech Pilot

Colorado based ZeaChem, Inc has announced entering a Product Development and Supply Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Pure Cultures, a producer of high-quality probiotic products. ZeaChem's biomass to biofuels and biochemicals experience will accelerate the product development of Pure Cultures’ direct fed microbials (DFM). The companies intend to cooperatively validate pilot, demonstration, and production processes at ZeaChem’s facility in Boardman, Oregon, and Pure Cultures’ facility in Denver, Colorado, with the intent of defining production protocols and product specifications. “ZeaChem has deep fermentation experience in the production of organic acid products as well as significant scale up and bio-industrial operations,” said Tim Eggeman, president and CEO of ZeaChem. “Working with Pure Cultures to scale their DFM production processes is a natural fit with our core expertise and existing biorefinery assets.” While validation work is ongoing, ZeaChem and Pure Cultures also plan to develop a Supply Agreement for the contract manufacturing of direct fed microbials at ZeaChem’s facilities in Boardman, Oregon. 09/17/2015

Eneco's Biomass Plant in Delfzijl Will Also Produce Sustainable Steam

Netherlands energy company Eneco has announced that it will retrofit its Bio Golden Raand biomass electricity plant in Delfzijl for the production of steam as well as electricity, enabling the plant to generate double the amount of sustainable energy using the same amount of biomass. It has been agreed that AkzoNobel will purchase the sustainably produced steam for a period of twelve years and will ensure the continuity of its supply by investing in the necessary facilities at Chemie Park Delfzijl and by supplying steam to its customers. Groningen Seaports will be responsible for the construction of the required infrastructure, including a steam pipeline that will also be accessible to other parties. In addition to being less dependent on fossil fuels, the use of sustainably produced steam also reduces AkzoNobel’s CO2 emissions by 100,000 tons per year. 09/17/2015  

New Forest Waste Conversion Technology Debuts in Placer County

Placer County, California, has announced the demonstration in Auburn of a new technology for converting forest waste into renewable natural gas. The process, developed by Canadian firm G4 Insights, converts scraps and small trees from forest thinning projects into biomethane, a renewable natural gas. In its first public demonstration, G4 used gas produced on site to fuel an unmodified Placer County truck. The G4 technology uses raw, untreated forestry waste that otherwise has no commercial use. The gas it produces is of the same quality as conventional gas, and can be used for any of its purposes, not just vehicle fuel. The G4 natural gas reduces fossil emissions by 86 percent compared to standard gasoline. In the Foresthill area of Placer County alone, there are an estimated 20,640 tons of forestry waste produced annually – enough to fuel 4,926 cars for a year. G4 received a $1.2 million grant from the California Energy Commission in 2011 to develop the demonstration plant. Placer County provided G4 with forestry waste from Tahoe National Forest, workspace and logistical support at its transportation yard in North Auburn, and assisted with the planning, coordination and preliminary environmental permitting for a potential larger-scale pilot facility in Placer County. 09/16/2015  

Xylem Partners with Rentricity for Hydroelectric Energy Generation

New York headquartered Rentricity and international water service technology company Xylem have announced an exclusive partnership to advance recovery of waste energy from in-pipe water pressure reduction. Rentricity uses hydrokinetic energy applications in potable drinking water distribution systems, industrial water systems and irrigation systems. Rentricity’s energy recovery systems convert extra pressure within water lines into electricity instead of dissipating the extra pressure through valves. The partnership has resulted in a National Science Foundation (NSF) certified suite of products called Sustainable Energy & Monitoring Systems (SEMS) that integrate Xylem’s highly efficient centrifugal pumps with Rentricity control systems and services. SEMS are plug-and-play, requiring minimal mechanical engineering design and are installed like typical pump packages in water pipe networks. Within SEMS, Xylem pumps operate in reverse, using existing water pressure and flow to turn an impeller, which, in turn, spins a small generator to create up to 30 kilowatts of electricity. Since recovered energy from water lines can be sold back to the grid, the solution provides industry professionals access to an additional source of revenue and a way to offset rising electricity rates. 09/15/2015

Water Sector Groups Provide Guidance for Direct Potable Reuse

Three key national water focused associations have announced release of a seminal waste water recovery and reuse whitepaper, entitled Framework for Direct Potable Reuse (DPR).  The framework document was developed through a collaborative effort between WateReuse, the American Water Works Association, and the Water Environment Federation through an independent advisory panel administered by the National Water Research Institute. The comprehensive assessment provides a context for DPR, including the costs, benefits, energy requirements, and comparative issues with other water sources and measures. Following this introduction, three key components of a DPR program are examined: (1) regulatory considerations (e.g., measures to mitigate public health risks); (2) technical issues related to the production of advanced treated water; and (3) public support and outreach. The paper is available for download without cost from the organization WateReuse. 09/15/2015

Algenol Begins Commercial Distribution of Algae-Based Ethanol

Algenol Biotech LLC has announced a teaming agreement with Protec Fuel Management to market and distribute ethanol from Algenol’s Fort Meyers, Florida, commercial demonstration plant. The agreement follows successfully met milestones including EPA certification. Algenol’s patented technology captures carbon dioxide (CO2) from industrial emissions and uses the gas to feed algae; the algae then are harvested for production of four common fuels: ethanol, gasoline, jet fuel and diesel fuel. Protec Fuel specializes in marketing and distribution of ethanol in the United States. For E15 and E85 applications for both retail, fleet and public usage. 09/14/2015

Global Bioenergies Successfully Adds Renewable Isobutene to Bottled Butane

The Comité Français du Butane et du Propane (CFBP) and Global Bioenergies have announced a partnership to incorporate renewable isobutene in commercial butane. CFBP is the industry organization representing gas supply distribution companies Antargaz®, Butagaz® Finagaz®, Primagaz®, Vitogaz® and Campingaz®. Compatibility of the renewable isobutene produced by Global Bioenergies from biomass with commercial bottled butane offers new potential to contribute towards reaching France’s CO2 emissions reduction target and extend renewable energy to bottled gas. The development also opens up new markets for IBN-One, the first large-scale renewable isobutene production plant which is due to start production in France in 2018. IBN-One is a joint venture between Cristal Union and Global Bioenergies. 09/14/2015

Due 09/25/2015: Comments to CEC on Research Gap Funding Needs

California Energy Commission (CEC) staff has released a Request for Information (RFI) to assist in development of a competitive Grant Funding Opportunity. The RFI seeks information on research gaps that need to be addressed in the Industrial, Agricultural, Water and Wastewater, and Disadvantaged Communities sectors. These sectors consume approximately 30 percent of California’s electrical use and include energy intensive industries, such as chemicals, metals, cement and concrete, data centers, laboratories, wastewater treatment and food processing. Comments (maximum of three pages per response) should address the specific queries contained in the RFI, and must be submitted to Paul Robinson () by September 25, 2015. 09/14/2015  

PHG Energy Expands by Acquiring Assets of ARiES Energy

Tennessee based PHG Energy (PHGE) has acquired the assets of ARiES Energy of Knoxville, adding significantly to its established business lines and formalizing the ongoing partnering relationship between the companies. ARiES Energy is best known for its innovative and economic solutions for solving energy issues. ARiES Energy has developed projects from residential solar, commercial solar, LED Lighting retrofits, community solar models, power conditioning, and large gasification systems. PHGE President Tom Stanzione: "Our companies have worked very closely together over the past two years in both project development and in researching ways to better serve this dynamic and growing energy market." ARiES, founded in 2011, will retain its brand identity and operate from its current Knoxville offices as a wholly-owned subsidiary of PHGE under the leadership of Harvey Abouelata, ARiES' founder and president. 09/11/2015

Ceres BioSystems Intends to Develop 10 Waste Conversion Facilities in India

Toronto based Ceres BioSystems Limited (Ceres) has announced that it has signed an "Intent For Cooperation" agreement with the state of Uttar Pradesh, India for the development of up to 10 facilities that will convert organic waste into natural fertilizer.  The "Intent For Cooperation" was signed by Ceres and the Chief Minister at the Uttar Pradesh Mumbai Conclave hosted by the state and held in Mumbai on September 10, 2015. Kevin Andrews, Chairman of Ceres: "Untreated waste water and untreated biosolids are being applied to Indian fields jeopardizing the health of local farm workers and potentially contaminating the crops produced in those fields." Ceres harvests essential nutrients from the organic waste stream to produce a product that improves soil conditions and safely increases crop yields, all at an affordable price. The Ceres solution protects the environment by diverting human, animal and plant based waste away from landfills, incinerators, and natural waterways. The total investment over the next five years is expected to exceed 300 Crore INR and will create up to 300 direct and a further 500 indirect jobs in the state of Uttar Pradesh. 09/11/2015

CEC Workshop on Biofuel and Biomethane Project Success, Lessons Learned

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has initiated a Technology Merit Review under the Alternative and Renewable Fuels and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP). As an initial step, the CEC will host a workshop on September 18, 2015 to highlight key ingredients for success, lessons learned, and pitfalls to avoid from several ARFVTP biofuel and biomethane project funding recipients. Public comments are solicited both at the workshop and as written submissions using the CEC's e-comment feature on the Transportation webpage. The workshop will also be webcast; details are found in the public notice. Documents and presentations will also be available online. 09/11/2015

Free White Paper - Toward Zero Waste: Opportunities and Challenges

Trade publications service Forester Network has released a timely white paper entitled "Toward Zero Waste: Opportunities and Challenges", and it is available for free download. The paper is an updated version of their Summer 2014 article, "Counting Down to Zero" and summarizes lessons learned in attempting to define Zero Waste: "The answers depend on the particular solid waste manager with whom one speaks, and the location of the operation." One end of that spectrum, less use and reuse behavioral changes are the key; on the other end we find proponents of reducing all post-recycling waste to energy. In between, there is the recognition that we need a much more intricate, managed infrastructure if we are ever to divert 100% of discards from disposal. The paper provides a concise overview of the diverse and often diametrically opposed views surrounding the concept of zero waste. What everyone agrees upon, apparently, is that Society needs to get a lot better at managing resources. 09/11/2015 

ElectraTherm’s Waste Heat to Power Technology Reduces Flaring at Oil Well

Nevada based ElectraTherm has partnered with a major oil and gas company to commission a Power+ Generator™ at a North Dakota oil well. The Power+ captures the natural gas that would otherwise be flared to generate electricity and reduce or eliminate onsite flaring. In collaboration with distributor Gulf Coast Green Energy, the project successfully demonstrates an effective means of flare reduction, and changes the landscape for industries where flaring was previously believed to be the only solution. Funding for the project was provided by the US Department of Energy’s Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America (REPSEA) program and the Houston Advanced Research Center’s (HARC) Environmentally Friendly Drilling Program. ElectraTherm applies Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) and proprietary technologies to generate power from low temperature heat ranging from 170-252°F. At the oil well, natural gas that would otherwise be flared is instead used to fuel an industrial boiler. The boiler heats water to run the Power+ Generator, and produces clean energy (as low as 9 ppm NOx) that is used for onsite processes, offsetting the cost of electricity from the grid or expensive diesel generators. 09/10/2015

Enerkem Raises C$152.6M, Starts Bio-methanol Production at Alberta Facility

Enerkem Inc has announced that it has raised C$152.6 million and has initiated the production of biomethanol from non-recyclable household garbage at the Enerkem Alberta Biofuels full-scale facility in Edmonton, Canada. The facility was officially inaugurated in June 2014 to process post-sorted municipal solid waste (MSW) and has a design capacity of 38 million litres / 10 million gallons per year. Commercial operations are expected to begin late this year. An ethanol module is currently being added for production start in the second half of 2016. The financings are comprised of a recently accessed C$29 million debt facility from Integrated Asset Management Corp.'s (IAM) Private Debt Group as well as C$50 million in private placements from current investors and C$73.6 million of debt from two other lenders, closed over the past year. This funds will be used for the product expansion of the Edmonton facility and the company's global growth. 09/10/2015

Cool Planet Closes New Financing, Hires EVP of Biocarbon Business

Colorado based Cool Planet Energy Systems has closed an additional financing round with its current investors and hired James Loar to lead Cool Planet’s biocarbon business. Loar will be responsible for leading a team to further develop the market and sales of CoolTerra™, a soil amendment that saves water and fertilizer, sequesters carbon, and delivers transformative benefits to a diverse set of industries. CoolTerra is a proprietary form of biochar produced using Cool Planet's patent-pending Demetra® refining technology to remove hydrocarbon residues and balance pH (acidity) to optimize microbial growth on the surfaces and maximizes nutrient availability in the soil. The internal financing round was led by Northbridge Venture Partners, the first investor in Cool Planet, and Yung’s Enterprise, the Hong Kong-based investor who anchored the company’s most recent D-round financing. The financing will further advance Cool Planet’s biocarbon technology and provide growth capital to broadly develop the market. 09/10/2015  

Xergi's X-Chopper Pre-Treats Sweet Corn Residue at Hometown BioEnergy

Denmark based Xergi A/S has just commissioned the first X-chopper® in the United States at Hometown BioEnergy in Minnesota to pretreat by-products from the manufacture of canned sweet corn. In Europe, the technology is used primarily for breaking down deep litter. The X-chopper® will pretreat residual biomass from the production of sweet corn, so that it can be transformed into biogas. The residual biomass consists primarily of the corncob as well as the leaves, which grow around the cob. Hometown BioEnergy has been using this type of biomass for biogas production for a long time. However, the leaves have some extremely long, strong fibres, which have meant that up until now, pretreatment technologies have had a hard time chopping them up. The long fibres have thus caused problems by sticking in the pumps and pipes in the biogas plant. Michael Kjølner Hansen, Zergi Sales Manager:  "Our preliminary studies show that the X-chopper® can handle the leaves, and the first week's production has been successful." 09/09/2015

NREL Announces Clean Energy Competitors in 2015 Industry Growth Forum

Thirty clean energy companies will present their business cases to a panel of investors and industry experts November 3 and 4 in Denver, Colorado, for the US Department of Energy (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory's (NREL) annual Industry Growth Forum. The 30 emerging clean energy startup companies were selected through an application and review process and will compete for the 2015 NREL Clean Energy Venture Awards. NREL's two-day forum will also offer an array of organized networking opportunities and will present a program that highlights clean energy technology and business developments with an agenda featuring thought leaders who will address the most important topics in the industry today. Among the 30 competing companies are five working on waste and biomass conversion: Biogenic Energy (California, USA) is dedicated to transforming biomass waste into low carbon fuel for electricity; Firebee SPC (Washington, USA) creates renewable energy for charging phones and LED lights from the heat of cooking in stoves and fires; Glucan Biorenewables (Missouri, USA) converts aggregated agricultural residues created from existing first generation industries, to high-end chemicals and advanced biomaterials; OPUS 12 (California, USA) is developing an electrochemical device that converts CO2, water, and electricity into valuable fuels and chemicals that are cost-competitive with conventional products; and Triea Technologies' (Maryland, USA) Biomass-HRS™ (Heat Recovery System) captures and extracts heat from composting animal manure and organic matter, processes it, and then provides it to meet the heating requirements of animal grow-out houses in the poultry and swine markets. Since 2003, presenting companies have collectively raised more than $5 billion in growth financing. 09/09/2015

LBNL Opens Next Round of Cyclotron Road Accelerator Program Placements

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) hosts the Cyclotron Road technology accelerator program. The Cyclotron Road team has announced they will begin accepting full applications for the next round of Cohort placements on October 1, 2015. A "Stage 0" application summary may be submitted now on-line, to aid the team in developing the solicitation. Selected Cohorts will work side-by-side with other top energy innovators, collaborate with experts using cutting edge facilities at LBNL, and be surrounded by an unparalleled network of mentors, partners, and financiers. Four key criteria: (1) Projects must be represented by one or more technical leads with a minimum of 5 years hard technology R&D experience and a demonstrated ability to design and lead an impact-driven project; (2) Projects must be focused on an advanced materials or manufacturing technology aligned with the US Department of Energy's (DOE) mission, (3) Projects must have the potential for sector-wide or industry-wide impact, and (4) Individuals, teams, or small businesses may apply, but projects that have raised more than $1M in equity funding are not eligible. The program is developed to support critical technology development and to help identify the most suitable business models, partners, and financing mechanisms for long term impact. Detailed program information and application materials will be available at the start of the full application period, October 1, 2015. 09/09/2015  

Neste Breaks Ground on World's First Bio LPG Facility in Rotterdam

Neste Corporation held a ground-breaking ceremony today at its renewable product refinery in Rotterdam to mark the beginning of construction for the world's first Bio LPG production facility. The EUR 60 million facility is scheduled to start production of Bio LPG during the later part of 2016. The new facility will have a production capacity of 40,000 tonnes per year of Bio LPG for the European market. The EUR 60 million investment to produce and store Bio LPG in Rotterdam was announced in fall 2014. The new unit will purify and separate Bio LPG from the sidestream gases produced by the refinery. SHV Energy will be the exclusive distributor, supplying the 160,000 tonnes over four years. The UK Department for Transport has issued Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates (RTFCs) for Bio LPG under their Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) accreditation, and SHV Energy is working with customers and policy makers in France, Germany, the Benelux countries, Scandinavia, and Ireland on similar schemes. Neste's Rotterdam refinery primarily produces premium-quality NEXBTL renewable diesel from various waste, residues and vegetable oils. 09/08/2015

Edeniq Completes Process Upgrade to Cellulosic Sugars Pilot Plant

Edeniq has completed a major system upgrade of its cellulosic sugar and ethanol pilot facility in Visalia, California. The company designed and installed new, proprietary equipment for feedstock preprocessing; continuous mechanical and thermal pretreatment; continuous saccharification; and separations technologies for recycling enzymes. Edeniq received a $3.9 million grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) under the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program to upgrade the facility to a new, continuous design expected to result in higher product yields and other process efficiencies with lower capital and operating costs for a commercial-scale facility. Other key objectives under the CEC grant were evaluation of California-specific cellulosic feedstocks and completion of a life-cycle assessment of Edeniq’s process. Edeniq’s analysis concluded that in California, corn stover is the feedstock with the best overall profile for economic and sustainable cellulosic ethanol production. Edeniq’s pilot plant was originally constructed under a $25 million United States Department of Energy (DOE) program. The facility has the capacity to convert two dry tons per day of feedstock into enough cellulosic sugars to produce 50,000 gallons of ethanol per year. 09/08/2015

DEINOVE Produces Muconic Acid from Cellulosic Biomass, 2G Materials

Paris based DEINOVE has announced the successful production of muconic acid in its laboratory using second-generation (2G) cellulose-based materials. Cellulose is one of the main components in biomass, plants and wood, as well as in paper and cardboard (also called 2G materials). DEINOVE recently announced that it had deployed a new research and development (R&D) platform dedicated to the production of muconic acid, a versatile chemical intermediate whose derivatives – caprolactam, terephthalic acid (a precursor to PET) and adipic acid - are widely used in the plastics industry (notably for automotive and packaging applications), the production of synthetic fibers for textiles or industry (mainly nylon) and food (acidifying agent). DEINOVE has now obtained proof of concept in their laboratory for the transformation of 2G substrates into muconic acid. Furthermore, the improvements made to the strains have made it possible to multiply production by five compared to the previous trials carried out on monosaccharide-based model substrates, glucose and xylose. 09/08/2015 

CalRecycle Releases AB 341 Report to Legislature, Supports Waste Conversion

California's Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) has released its Report required under Assembly Bill (AB) 341 to the Legislature on strategies to achieve the goal of 75% waste to landfill reduction. With the passage of AB 341 (Chesbro, Chapter 476, Statutes of 2011), the Governor and the Legislature established a policy goal for the state that at least 75 percent of solid waste generated be source reduced, recycled, or composted by the year 2020. Five priority strategies frame CalRecycle’s recommendations in this report: 1. Moving Organics Out of the Landfill; 2. Expanding the Recycling/Manufacturing Infrastructure; 3. Exploring New Approaches for State and Local Funding of Sustainable Waste Management Programs; 4. Promoting State Procurement of Post-Consumer Recycled Content Products; and 5. Promoting Extended Producer Responsibility. Industrial and municipal waste conversion finds support in the second strategy, which identifies three key concepts: #10 - Require recycling and composting facilities to submit reports on solid waste and material flows through their facilities; #11 - Develop a technology-neutral standard for post-recycled residuals that promotes removal of a sufficient amount of recyclables before residuals are used for energy recovery; and #12 - Establish a consistent, cross-media procedure for evaluating the beneficial use of solid waste, including as a feedstock for waste-to-energy. For question, contact the CalRecycle team by email at <75Percent@calrecycle.ca.gov>. 09/05/2015

New York Governor Announces Food Waste to Energy Project on Long Island

New York Governor Cuomo has announced the launch of a clean energy project on Long Island, the first large-scale anaerobic digester in the New York City metropolitan area. By providing Long Island with a local clean energy generation resource, the project aligns with Governor Cuomo’s Reforming the Energy Vision, the State’s comprehensive energy strategy to build a clean, resilient and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers. The new anaerobic digester will be operated by American Organic Energy at Long Island Compost’s 62-acre facility in Yaphank, Suffolk County, and will process over twice as much food waste as currently processed at any existing privately-owned food waste digesters accepting offsite food waste in New York State. The project will accept approximately 120,000 tons of food waste, 30,000 tons of fats, oils and greases, and 10,000 tons of grass clippings from the Long Island region annually that would otherwise have been transported and dumped into landfills. The digester will convert these waste streams to clean energy, clean water to be used for plant processes, and solid-based fertilizer. 09/05/2015  

New Report Guides Rural Electric Co-ops in Financing Distributed Renewables

The 25x'25 Alliance has released a new research report designed to assist rural electric cooperatives in attracting local funding to build distributed scale renewable energy generation projects. "Establishing a Community Tax Equity Investment Company to Invest in Renewable Energy Projects" is the culmination of more than six months of work by a tax equity finance model (TEFM) team formed under the 25x’25 Energy for Economic Growth (EEG) initiative, a 25x’25 collaboration with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association in assisting rural electric utilities in promoting renewable energy development. The non-profit alliance was formed with the goal of securing 25 percent of the nation’s energy needs from renewable sources including waste and biomass by the year 2025. To date, the 25x’25 goal has been endorsed by nearly 1,000 partners, 35 current and former governors, 15 state legislatures and the US Congress through The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. 09/04/2015

Studstrup Power Station Reaches Milestone in Coal to Biomass Conversion

DONG Energy's Studstrup Power Station in Denmark supplies district heating to approximately 225,000 Aarhus residents. The Station is currently undergoing a conversion project that will allow the plant to switch from coal to wood pellets. As a part of the conversion project, DONG Energy has commissioned construction of a giant storage silo that can hold 65,000 tonnes of wood pellets. The new roof will be installed on the huge silo over the coming weeks. The roof section features a 110-tonne penthouse housing the machine equipment. This is where the wood pellets will enter the silo via a system of conveyor belts once the new building has been completed. The penthouse will be surrounded by 24 conical roof sections, each weighing 23 tonnes. DONG Energy's project manager Lars Lærkedahl: "Once the roof has been installed on the silo, we can start constructing a long conveyor belt for transporting the wood pellets from the harbour, where they are to arrive by ship, and all the way to the penthouse, where they will be poured into the silo. This entails building around 800 metres of conveyor belt." DONG Energy expects that the conversion of Studstrup Power Station will be completed during the summer of 2016, allowing the plant to switch from coal to wood pellets in autumn of the same year. 09/04/2015

IBI Launches 2015 Surveys of Biochar Businesses and Volumes

Building on the feedback and results from its 2013 and 2014 State of the Biochar Industry reports, the International Biochar Initiative (IBI) has launched an online survey to collect data in order to continue reporting on 2015 biochar industry trends. The purpose of the survey is to collect data from companies on activities related to the commercial production, distribution, and marketing of biochar and biochar-related products and services. The data will be used to produce a 2015 State of the Biochar Industry Report. The survey should take at most 20 minutes to complete, and the deadline for input is October 15, 2015. IBI is also launching a 4-question fully anonymous survey to ask biochar producers about biochar volumes transacted. If you have any concerns prior to completing a survey, contact IBI at <>.The published results from prior years are available for review online. 09/04/2015

Due 12/15/2015: Proposals to CEC on Three Concurrent Grant Opportunities

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has announced three concurrent Request for Proposals (RFP) for grant opportunities, with pre-bid conferences and question due dates also scheduled to occur together. RFP-15-304 addresses "Connecting Emerging Energy Technologies and Strategies to Market Needs and Opportunities" to select a contractor to provide market intelligence, analysis, and expertise to support the commercial success of emerging energy technologies and strategies that can provide benefits to electric ratepayers in California’s Investor-owned Utility service territories. Point of Contact: Diana Parmley, Contracts Officer, (916) 651-9409, <>. RFP 15-305 will fund the "Sustainable Energy Entrepreneur Development (SEED) Initiative" to select one contractor to develop and implement the Initiative. The SEED Initiative will support the early development of promising new energy concepts that can provide benefits to electric ratepayers in Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric service territories. Point of Contact: Sandra Raymos, Contracts Agreement Officer, (916) 654-4584, <>. RFP-15-306 is intended to develop "Regional Energy Innovation Clusters" to fund “Applied Research and Development” and “Market Facilitation” projects that support the development and commercialization of promising new energy innovations that can provide benefits to electric ratepayers in Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas & Electric service territories. Point of Contact: Angela Hockaday, Commission Agreement Officer, (916) 654-5186, <>. Pre-bid conferences will be hosted at three locations on September 15, 16, and 22, 2015; all three RFPs will be addressed in concurrent sessions at each location. All three pre-bid conference sessions will be web-cast. Deadline for submission of written questions for all three RFPs is September 25, 2015. All applications must be submitted by December 15, 2015 no later than 3:00 pm. The anticipated date for notice of all awards is during February, 2016. 09/03/2015

Bio-on Invests $1.4M for Biomass-to-Bioplastic Research with UH, Mānoa

Italian company Bio-on S.p.A. and the University of Hawaii at Mānoa (UH, Mānoa) have signed an exclusive global research contract to further develop the technology for the production of bioplastic polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) using lignocellulosic materials (wood processing waste) and domestic or agricultural waste as the raw material. Bio-on will invest 1.4 million dollars in the Manoa (HI) laboratories for this project. Bio-on and UH, Mānoa will create an industrial process that will enable Bio-on over the coming years to further increase its technological offer, which has a unique selling point in the sector: the wide variety of waste products from which its high performing PHAs can be made. Wood and domestic or agricultural waste are therefore added to the sugar beet and sugar cane, glycerol (biodiesel waste), and potato processing waste co-products already used. The industrial plants, part of the licenses granted by Bio-on, will have the capability of using all of these materials, with limited adjustments, making them highly flexible. 09/02/2015 

Royal Inauguration Was Held for Valmet Biomass CHP Plant in Sweden

The inauguration of Oskarshamn Energi's new biomass-fired power plant was held on last Friday, August 28th, 2015. The King of Sweden Carl XVI Gustaf and the Crown Princess of Sweden Victoria honored the occasion with their presence and symbolically fed forest residue to the fuel feed system. Finland based Valmet Corporation's delivered the complete power plant, including patented BioGrate combustion technology, installation, training, and commissioning. The official inauguration was followed by open doors at the power plant, where the public could visit the plant and learn about its operation. The new combined heat and power plant (CHP) has a thermal output of 17.7 megawatts (MW) of district heating and an electrical output of 3.8 MW. The CHP plant also has a flue gas condenser to provide additional 4 MW thermal output to district heating network. The plant will cover 70% of the Oskarshamn municipality's annual district heat demand. The boiler is able to use renewable fuels with moisture content up to 55 %. The plant utilizes modular power plant design and has low emissions due to high combustion efficiency. 09/01/2015

Hoosier Energy, Randolph Farms Partner for Landfill Gas to Energy Project

Hoosier Energy and Randolph Farms Landfill have announced a partnership that will turn landfill gas into a renewable energy resource for Randolph County, Indiana. Hoosier Energy plans to construct the Cabin Creek renewable energy project, a 4-megawatt landfill gas facility, at the 156-acre Randolph Farms Landfill located near Modoc in rural east-central Indiana. The renewable energy plant will be the fourth landfill methane gas (LMG) facility for the electric power supply cooperative and the first landfill gas partnership with the Kalamazoo, Michigan-based waste and recycling company. Through the partnership with Randolph Farms, Hoosier Energy will capture landfill methane gas, which occurs naturally from decomposing waste, and use it to generate electricity. Construction will begin in the fall of 2016 with power production scheduled to begin in early 2017. To reduce risk and costs to member systems and co-op consumers, funding for the $12 million project will come from low-cost clean renewable energy bonds. 09/01/2015

Due 09/21/2015: Concept Papers for US DOE Bioenergy Technologies Grants

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has announced up to $10 million in funding to advance the production of advanced biofuels, substitutes for petroleum-based feedstocks and bioproducts made from renewable, non-food-based biomass, such as algae, agricultural residues, and woody biomass. This work supports the Energy Department’s efforts to make drop-in biofuels more accessible and affordable, as well as to meet the cost target equivalent of $3 per gallon of gasoline by 2022. Funding Opportunity Notice (FOA) DE-FOA-0001320: Bioenergy Technologies Incubator 2 has been issued to support innovative technologies and solutions that could help meet existing goals but are not currently represented in a significant way in the BETO’s MYPP and current project portfolio. To apply to this FOA, applicants must register with and submit application materials through the Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy's (EERE) online application portal. Concept papers are due by September 21, 2015. Full applications are due by November 13, 2015. 09/01/2015

Due 10/14/2015: Applications for Canada's SDTC Tech and Gas Fund Grants

Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) of Ottawa, Canada, is offering the opportunity to get funding for cleantech development projects. The SD Tech Fund™ and the SD Natural Gas Fund™ are open for applications from August 26 to October 14, 2015. The SD Tech Fund™, supports projects that address climate change, air quality, clean water and clean soil. The Government of Canada has allocated a total of $915 million for the fund. The SD Natural Gas Fund™, an offshoot of the SD Tech Fund, supports the development and demonstration of new downstream natural gas technology. It is a collaboration with the Canadian Gas Association (CGA) including up to $15 million from both CGA and the SD Tech Fund™. 09/01/2015  

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