Week of August 18, 2008 |
Editor: C.V. Clute editor@epoverviews.com Proposals wanted for NextGen Biofuels projects in Canada (Funding) Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) is calling for applications to its $500-million CDN ($470 million US) NextGen Biofuels Fund™ which supports the establishment of first-of-kind large demonstration-scale facilities for the production of next-generation renewable fuels. The fund will support up to 40% of eligible project costs for facilities that are "first-of-kind" producing next generation renewable fuel, using feedstocks that are or could be representative of Candian biomass, and
have demonstrated its technology at pre-commercial scale. (Source: Market Wire, Aug. 14, '08)
Leaf Clean Energy invests $10 million US in MaxWest Environmental Systems (Funding) Leaf Clean Energy Company indicates it has completed a $10 million US Series A preferred stock financing in MaxWest Environmental Systems Inc. According to the clean energy investment company, MaxWest seeks to deploy proprietary waste-to-energy gasification technology using a variety of waste streams including municipal solid sludge, agricultural waste and other biomass-based material. Earlier this spring, the company signed a deal with Sanford, Florida which will use the company's gasification technology to dispose of biosolids. The company is in discussions with other municipalities and industries in the U.S. and Canada. (Source: Hemscott, Aug. 15, '08)
Nexterra ready for Biomass technology demonstration (New Prod. & Tech.) Nexterra Energy indicates that after two years of biomass gasification testing at the company's Product Development Centre in Kamloops, British Columbia, syngas produced by its gasifier has the ability to displace at least 60% of fossil fuels used in lime kilns. Depending on the biomass feedstock and existing equipment configurations, 95% substitution may be possible at many pulp mills, and up to 100% in certain types of boilers. The system could be used in multiple industrial applications including pulp mill lime kilns, power boilers, rotary dryers and calciners commonly found in mineral processing, mining, cement and ethanol production industries. "Nexterra's direct fire biomass gasification system is now ready for demonstration at commercial scale," aid Nexterra's President and CEO, Jonathan Rhone. (Source: PR Newswire, Aug. 18, '08)
$120 million US Biomass plant planned for Minnesota (Ind. Report) Veolia Energy, a unit of French utility Veolia Environment, is willing to invest $120 million US in a biomass energy plant in Fairmont, Minnesota. The Fairmont Energy Center, which would be operational in 2011, would sell power produced from refuse derived fuel, secondary wood waste and agricultural waste, to the Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency. Veolia Energy is in the process of negotiating contracts with suppliers and choosing a location for the facility as well as obtaining the necessary permits. The company says it hopes to establish itself in the Midwest, showcase the new facility and encourage more biomass energy facilities in the region. (Source: The Dickinson Press, Aug. 17, '08)
Southern California Edison inks 20 MW Biomass deal (G&C) Southern California Edison has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Imperial Valley Biopower, a unit of privately held San Diego, Calif.-based Energy Integration Group. Under the terms of the agreement the utility would take the entire power production from a 20 MW, manure powered biomass facility near the town of El Centro in California's Imperial Valley. Woodchips and other organic materials could also be used as backup fuels for the plant. The deal awaits approval from state regulators. (Source: CNN Money, Aug. 15, '08)
Rutabagas as a Biofuel source? (R&D) Michigan State University researcher Christoph Benning is growing genetically modified rutabagas in the hope that they will produce oil rather than starch inside their bulbous roots, turning the cold-resistant root vegetables into a viable biofuel crop. The research goal is to produce better biofuel crops by developing plants with higher oil production and more accessible oil. Benning said, "if we could make it (oil) in the green tissues, like the leaves, stems or even underground tissues like roots or tubers, then we think we can make a lot more per land area."
Benning's lab has achieved a breakthrough in the discovery of a protein made by a gene called trigalactosyldiacylglycerol 4 (TGD4) that plays a role in moving lipids around inside plant cells. Benning's work is funded by the Department of Energy, National Science Foundation and the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center. (Source: Lansing State Journal, Aug. 19, '08)
$3.38 million US for Louisiana sugarcane Biomass project (Funding) Raceland Raw Sugar of Raceland, La. has received a $1.48 million US federal grant to process waste from sugarcane production into energy. The company is matching federal funding with $1.9 million US. Raceland's plant manager, Neville Dolan, expects that the company will be ready to produce sugarcane waste "briquettes" that will be burned in a biomass boiler to produce electricity, or converted in a gasifier and be turned into ethanol by next year. (Source: Louisiana Weekly, Aug. 18,'08)
25 MW of Biomass Power sought in Nova Scotia, Canada (Ind. Report) Nova Scotia Power is seeking proposals for biomass energy and would like to purchase 25 MW of electricity produced from wood waste. The company expects to have guidelines available for a formal request for proposals in early 2009 and to have biomass-generated electricity on the grid by 2013. Steve Talbot, executive director of the Forest Products Association of Nova Scotia, said the association is studying the potential for Nova Scotia sawmills to generate electricity from biomass. (Source: Chronicle Herald, Aug. 15, '08)
Researchers predict Biomass gasoline within two years (New Prod. & Tech.) Researchers with the Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) and Byogy Renewables Inc. have developed an integrated process for the direct conversion of biomass to high-octane gasoline. The system focuses on using biomass waste streams and non-food energy crops rather than food products such as corn. According to the researchers, the cost of such a conversion would lie between $1.70 and $2.00 US per gallon, excluding all government subsidies and tax credits. This cost range is dependent on the type and cost of feedstock as well as the size of the biorefinery.
According to Kenneth Hall, Associate Director of TEES, "this technology is ready to be commercialized now and does not require any new scientific or technological breakthroughs to become a reality." Through an agreement with the Texas A&M University System, Byogy Renewables has licensed the process and hopes to have a plant using the technology up and running within 18 months to two years. The intent is to have raw garbage going in one end of the plant and 95-octane gasoline coming out the other.
(Source: Press Release, Aug. 18, '08)
150MW Biomass plant proposed for the U.K. (Int'l - Ind. Report) E.ON UK plans to invest approximately $558 million US (300 million pounds) in a proposed 150MW, wood biomass energy plant at Portbury Dock in the city of Bristol. E.ON has issued a scoping statement to the North Somerset Council, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and other interested parties outlining the company's plans and hopes to submit a full application to BERR in mid-2009. If the project is approved, construction would commence in 2010, with initial power generation set for 2013 with full operations reached in 2014. Portbury Dock will be E.ON's third biomass development in the U.K. The company recently received approval for a 25 MW biomass plant to be built in Sheffield as indicated in our July 21, '08 issue. (Source Red Orbit, Aug. 19, '08)
Biomass Optimization Program introduced in Manitoba, Canada (Ind. Report) Manitoba Hydro has introduced the Bioenergy Optimization Program to encourage the use of sustainable biomass as a fuel for the production of combined heat and power at customer sites. The initiative is aimed at over 250 agricultural and industrial customers with access to readily available, low cost sources of biomass, continual needs for heat and power, and the capability to operate biomass-to- energy conversion systems. According to Manitoba Hydro President and CEO Bob Brennan, "the program can provide significant incentives for participants to undertake feasibility studies and for the capital cost of the required equipment, up to a maximum of $1.25 million CDN ($1.17 million US). Customers will be able to use biomass based materials to replace part of heir electricity and natural gas supplied by Manitoba Hydro." (Source: Press Release, Aug. 20, '08)
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