Bioenergy Insight magazine

June 2012 Issue 3 • Volume 3

Leading the way Dong Energy produces over 50% of Denmark’s power so is in the prime position to push a renewable alternative

Whatever happened to common sense?

Many so-called experts seem to have lost sight of what is driving renewable energy development today

Water meets waste

Can sludge supercentres become the waste energy plants of tomorrow?

Regional focus: bioenergy in northern Europe Bioenergy front cover_June_2012.indd 1

15/06/2012 17:07

Bioenergy xxxx

The Rotochopper B-66 with tracks and transport dolly—the world’s most versatile biomass fuel processor.

Switch from shredded hog fuel to short fiber pellet stock quickly and easily without the hassle of chipper knife maintenance, conversion kits, or interchangeable rotors.

Switch from tires to tracks in minutes.

Switch from grinding whole trees to wood chips to railroad ties to round bales to sorted C & D with a single machine.

Call today to learn how you can maximize the value of your wood fiber and agricultural residue with the Rotochopper “Perfect In One Pass” TM advantage.

xx • December 2011

Bioenergy Insight

contents Bioenergy

Contents 3 Guest comment: Bioenergy creates a carbon debt – myth or reality?

Issue 3 • Volume 3 June 2012 Horseshoe Media Limited Marshall House 124 Middleton Road, Morden, Surrey SM4 6RW, UK www.bioenergy-news.com

4 Biomass news 12 Biopower news 17 Biogas news 21 Biopellet news 24 Technology news 35 Incident report 36 Green page

Associate publisher & Editor Margaret Dunn Tel: +44 (0)20 8687 4126 margaret@bioenergy-news.com Deputy EDITOR James Barrett Tel: +44 (0)20 8687 4146 james@bioenergy-news.com STAFF WRITER Keeley Downey Tel: +44 (0)20 8687 4183 keeley@horseshoemedia.com INTERNATIONAL Sales MANAGER Sara Spivey Tel: +44 (0)20 8646 9488 sara@bioenergy-news.com North America sales representative Matt Weidner +1 610 486 6525 mtw@weidcom.com PRODUCTION Alison Balmer Tel: +44 (0)1673 876143 alisonbalmer@btconnect.com SUBSCRIPTION RATES £120/€185/$240 for 6 issues per year.

Contact: Lisa Lee Tel: +44 (0)20 8687 4160 Fax: +44 (0)20 8687 4130 marketing@horseshoemedia.com No part of this publication may be reproduced or stored in any form by any mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or other means without the prior written consent of the publisher.

Whilst the information and articles in Bioenergy Insight are published in good faith and every effort is made to check accuracy, readers

37 Long awaited draft Energy Bill prompts scepticism 38 Whatever happened to common sense?

Many of the US’ leading policy makers, regulators, environmentalists and university scientists seem to have lost sight of what is driving renewable energy development today 41 Densified fuel standards continue to progress 43 New US bill set to help commercialise renewable chemicals 44 The crystal connection

Biomass fractionation had a large part to play in the development of a new cellulose nanocrystal that could prove beneficial in many, many industrial applications 46 The pellet Motherland

Although Sweden is pushing for a consistent sustainability policy, the country’s association believes protecting the forest is just as important as the end product 48 Biopower and biopellet plant update – Northern Europe 51 Leading the way

Dong Energy produces more than 50% of Denmark’s power, but there are no signs of it resting on its laurels.

Executive VP Thomas Dalsgaard discusses his plans and hopes as the company looks towards the future 53 Turning straw into gold

Inbicon’s biomass refinery uses new technologies to profitably extract energy and fuel from biomass 56 Biomass combustion troubleshooting

The issues associated with wood biomass combustion can be eliminated with fuel and air delivery hardware 59 Reliable readings

One anaerobic digestion specialist showcases how it succeeded in identifying its methane emissions 60 Water meets waste

Can sludge supercentres become the waste energy plants of tomorrow?

62 Meat market opens up

Industries such as meat processing and dairies can now make use of a new revenue stream

should verify facts and statements

64 Sugarcane: the new oil

direct with official sources before

65 Micronutrients brew benefits for Heineken Spain

acting on them as the publisher can accept no responsibility in this respect. Any opinions expressed in this magazine should not be construed as those of the publisher.

ISSN 2046-2476

June 2012 Issue 3 • Volume 3

Leading the way

Dong Energy produces more than 50% of Denmark’s power, but there are no signs of it resting on its laurels

66 Take a load off

Can pneumatic unloaders provide a faster, more efficient way to move wood pellets?

68 Events page

Ad index

Turning straw into gold

Inbicon’s biomass refinery uses new technologies to profitably extract energy and fuel from biomass

Water meets waste

Can sludge supercentres become the waste energy plants of tomorrow?

Regional focus: bioenergy in northern Europe Bioenergy front cover_June_2012.indd 1

15/06/2012 11:43

Front cover courtesy of Monsal

Bioenergy Insight

June 2012 • 1

Bioenergy xxxx February 2011 Issue 1 • Volume 2

High standards

A new fuel stand ard will boost assurance in the US pellet market in 2011

A special relations

hip Why US pellet make so sweet on Europ rs are e The number one

Regional focus: bioen ergy in North Amer ica ion

source of informat

internationally for

biomass, biopowe

r, bioheat, biopelle

ts and biogas!

Bioenergy Insight now comes out six times a year — subscribe now to receive the magazine at 2011 prices!

For just £120/€185/$240 a year subscribing to Bioenergy Insight will keep you on top of l Bioenergy news l Regulations and legislation l Technical and bioenergy updates — including pellets, biogas, biopower, biofuel plants and more l Regional insights l Interviews with leading biomass users and producers l A dedicated insight into energy feedstocks l A list of biopower and pellet plants under construction Can you afford to miss out?

For subscriptions please contact Lisa Lee, Subscription Manager +44 (0) 20 8687 4160 or at marketing@horseshoemedia.com

Bioenergy Insight 2011 xx • December

www.bioenergy-news.com

July 2011 Insight • 43 Bioenergy

guest comment Bioenergy Environmental NGOs have been leading a communication campaign for several years now claiming that due, to land use change, biomass may actually be less environmentally friendly than coal

Bioenergy creates a carbon debt – myth or reality?

I

f EU officials believe the hype and start to doubt that bioenergy can contribute positively to climate targets, this may well lead to changes in bioenergy policy.

Goran Berndes from Chalmers University of Technology, in his publication ‘Bioenergy, Land use change and climate mitigation’, responds to this question saying that ‘while emissions from land use change (LUC) can be significant in some circumstances, the simple notion of LUC emissions is not a sufficient reason to exclude bioenergy from the list of worthwhile technologies for climate change mitigation’.

Why? Because a bioenergy project can provide a sound response to climate change mitigation despite the fact that it might cause a certain level of LUC emissions. It is a matter of size of these emissions in comparison with the benefits of expanding bioenergy.

Furthermore, there are ways to develop bioenergy that avoid unacceptably high LUC emissions. We should not forget that, despite being a significant source behind recent years’ cropland expansion, cultivation of biofuels feedstock currently occupy less than 1% of global agricultural land.

The publication, nevertheless, proposes several ways to reduce LUC related effects. For example, the use of waste and agricultural/ forestry residues as feedstock is one way to reduce LUC emissions. The biorefinery concept, where bioenergy

Bioenergy Insight

is co-produced together with food and fibre, is another good example how to minimise LUC effects.

A move towards lignocellulosic feedstocks for bioenergy can also reduce some of indirect LUC since some lignocellulosic plants can be planted on marginal and degraded lands less suitable for cultivating conventional food and feed crops, thus reducing competition for prime croplands.

The cultivation of lignocellulosic plants also commonly requires less fuel, less fertilisers and other inputs, which means their cultivation emits less greenhouse gases than the cultivation of the conventional crops that are currently used as biofuel feedstock. Bioenergy from lignocellulosic plants can, in some cases, have a positive environmental effect not only in terms of GHG emissions but also in terms of biodiversity, reducing soil erosion and improving water quality in agricultural landscapes.

The publication rightly points out that measures to reduce LUC should be based on a holistic perspective, recognising that the climate benefit is just one of many rationales for ecosystem protection. Strict focus on the climate benefits of ecosystem preservation may put undue pressure on valuable ecosystems that have a relatively low carbon density.

Measures also need to acknowledge that the conversion of some native vegetation land into

high-yielding plantations could provide an effective response to climate change concerns, despite leading to some near-term LUC emissions.

Shortcomings of methodology and results1 The European Biomass Association AEBIOM has also preliminary analysed the publications on carbon debt and found major shortcomings to the methodology of these studies and their results.

AEBIOM is planning to produce a scientific study taking into account these shortcomings.

The methodology ignores the whole cycle of the trees/ forests. In other words it ignores the fact that trees absorb carbon during the growth period prior to the felling operation. Once you plant a tree it absorbs the carbon and only when it is harvested it releases the carbon. The methodology starts to account carbon from the moment the trees are cut, which means that they record an instant carbon release associated with the harvest, whilst disregarding the sequestration of this same carbon during the period prior to harvest.

The methodology also assumes that if we leave forests untouched, they will sequester large amounts of carbon every year and will store this carbon forever. This is not true. When a forest is young, it absorbs high amounts of CO2, but as forests grow older they absorb progressively

Edita Vagonyte, AEBIOM, vagonyte@aebiom.org

less carbon. The long-term integrity of forest carbon sinks is also uncertain since forests are sensitive to socioeconomic and environmental factors, including natural disturbances such as storms, diseases, insect attacks and fires, and also future LUC.2 AEBIOM thinks that it is essential to ensure that forests are managed and harvested so as to keep them healthy and respect biodiversity requirements.

Over exploitation of this resource with annual harvest levels above annual growth is a non-sustainable short-term solution that will drain the forest resource over time.

Sustainable forest management involves silvicultural practices to improve forest growth and to reduce the number of forest fires, insect attacks and other disruptive events — and it can also involve harvesting in stands killed or heavily affected by such disruptive events. Substantial areas of old growth forests may need protection in a situation of high biomass demand, but there are better arguments for such protection than the carbon sink function that these forests may provide. l

Berndes, G., Ahlgren, S., Börjesson, P., Cowie, A. (2012). Bioenegy and land use change – state of the art. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Accepted for publication

1

Berndes, G., Bird, N., Cowie, A. (2011).

Bioenergy, land use change and climate change mitigation. Background Technical Report.IEA Bioenergy: ExCo:2011:04.

2

June 2012 • 3

Bioenergy biomass news

Strong support from Goldman Sachs despite drop in renewable energy investment Global investment company Goldman Sachs is set to invest $40 billion (€31.8 billion) in renewable energy projects over the next 10 years.

At an average of $4 billion a year, this figure is lower than the $4.8 billion it put into clean energy companies worldwide in 2011. Nevertheless, Goldman Sachs does allegedly sees the earning potential in growing economies such as China, Brazil, India and Europe.

The investments will be targeted at all manner of renewable energy including biofuels, biomass conversion, energy storage and green transportation.

The head of the environmental markets at Goldman Sachs, Kyung-Ah Park, has been quoted as saying that although it recognises the current renewable energy market is not as strong as it was due to the global financial crisis, ‘the underlying thesis as to why cleaner and more sustainable forms of energy need to scale up still holds true’. l

IHS study reports predicted EU biomass growth A new study by IHS Emerging Energy Research predicts that the EU biomass market will grow by 30GW between 2012 and 2035.

The Europe Biopower Markets and Strategies: 2012-2035 research says that growth will represent 6% of the additional renewable energy capacity within the EU and, although wind and solar will continue to dominate the European market, biomass will become more of an attractive option for utilities The report also says the EU will still have to rely on imported feedstock due to the scarcity of native wood resources, while also retaining and expanding government support and financial incentives for subsidies.

The predicted growth will be led through the building of new dedicated biomass plants in the short-term, while long-term growth will come from the conversion of coal plants to biomass. l

LeRay asks for longer-term PILOT on investment into biomass plant LeRay officials are in negotiations for a potential five-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreement with ReEnergy Holdings to make building a biomass energy plant more affordable.

Goldman Sachs is still investing heavily in renewable energy projects despite a weaker market

4 • June 2012

LeRay plans to invest about $34 million (€26.4 million) to convert a coal-fired plant into one that produces energy using biomass materials in Fort Drum, New York. To offset those costs, it is seeking to approve the deal with officials from the town, Carthage Central School District and Jefferson County.

‘Our CEO and chief risk officer met with town officials on 10 May to propose the PILOT agreement,’ says LeRay’s administrative clerk to the supervisor, Steven Harter. ‘But, as the project is expected to be completed in two years, town officials are pushing for a two-year PILOT instead.’

The specifics of the payment structure for the PILOT have not yet been discussed.

However, CEO of the Jefferson County Industrial Development Agency, Donald Alexander, has questioned whether officials should be intervening to change the terms of any PILOT agreement.

‘At the end of these PILOT agreements, the assessment of these towns dramatically improves and there’s a clear makeup for any revenue they might lose in sales tax over the life of the PILOT,’ he says. ‘When jurisdictions start negotiating with developers it causes a great deal of uncertainty and drags out the process. Our mission is to get these developments in our community and this makes it difficult.’ l

Bioenergy Insight

biomass news Bioenergy

Bioenergy Insight

June 2012 • 5

Bioenergy biomass news

UNIDO and Kenya hope to cook up a biomass storm A five-year joint biomass project between the UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and Kenya is soon to get underway.

The project will help to further assist Kenya’s adoption of clean energy solutions by removing its heavy reliance on fuel wood and agricultural residue for cooking.

‘This project, which partly aims at moving the country away from traditional wood stoves, should be in place by June this year,’ says UNIDO

Kenya expert on renewable energy, Paul Njuguna.

The project also hopes to develop ways to produce biomass, such as charcoal, for use in cooking in a sustainable way.

‘Current methods of production of charcoal have efficiencies of around 10% but, by the end of the programme, we hope to increase that to at least 40%,’ Njuguna adds.

Part of the project aims to indentify farmers that would grow trees commercially to be a source of sustainable biomass and to encourage up to 98 million homes to adopt clean and efficient fuels by 2020. l

Malaysia biomass sector attracting big investment The EU-Malaysia Biomass Sustainable Production Initiative (BiomassSP) has claimed several parties are looking to invest up to RM3.5 billion (€878 million) in the country’s budding biomass sector.

Biomass-SP says that those investing sought the help of itself and the Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation to ensure sufficient amounts of feedstock for their operations were available, as well as to help present their presentations to the local authorities.

US-based sustainable

6 • June 2012

chemicals company Genomatica is said to want to set up a $300 million (€231 million) plant and China’s green energy investment company Wuhad Kaidi is planning to build a 20MW biomass power generation plant.

‘There are many issues to be addressed, such as the need to have 300,000 tonnes of dry feedstock for a power plant annually,’ says Biomass-SP technical advisor Datuk Leong Kin Mun. ‘We’ve arranged for Wuhad Kaidi to meet the state authorities of Sabah, Terengganu and Perak regarding its particular project, but we must ensure that there is sufficient supply for each company before helping them turn their plans into reality.’ l

The joint venture between UNIDO and Kenya aims to reduce Kenya’s reliance on burning fossil fuels for cooking

Biomass gasifier to burn farm waste The first biomass gasifier plant has opened in the Philippines in Dinalungan, Aurora.

The region currently relies on diesel generators for power but now Northern Aurora will be able to be powered on green and affordable energy, thanks to the new plant.

The facility is owned and operated by Eco Market Solutions (EMS) which will provide electricity to rural areas by converting biomass briquettes to energy in the gasifier.

The gasification process works by using heat in an oxygen-starved environment to release combustible gases such as CO, CO2, H2 and methane. The gas produced from this is then cooled and cleaned and put into a rotary engine to produce power.

Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport’s CEO Robbie Mathay says: ‘This system is widely used in India and has been instrumental in rural development around the world.’

The system currently uses dried wood branches, coconut fronds and coconut shells to produce the briquettes. However, as of May the biomass briquetting system can also convert rice straw, rice, coconut husks, corn cobs and dried grasses into briquettes, boosting more farmers’ incomes.

EMS currently buys processed and unprocessed biomass from farmers from between P0.50 (€00.9)-P2.50 per kilo, depending on the biomass. The current capacity of the power plant is about 8 tonnes of biomass a day.

The company also has plans to build a bigger biomass gasification power plant in Casiguran, also in the Philippines, which will produce 1MW of power, as well as a smaller plant in Dilasag.

‘We are excited to have built this plant despite the two typhoons that hit the area last year,’ says Mathay. ‘This is proof that biomass power is an appropriate renewable technology for the Philippines and offers great promise not only for energy development but for boosting agriculture in the country.’ l

Bioenergy Insight

biomass news Bioenergy

Helius Energy provides update on its Avonmouth dedicated biomass project Helius Energy is working with a number of banks, including Lloyds Bank Wholesale Banking and Markets, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Santander Global Banking & Markets, to finance its Avonmouth dedicated biomass project located in the Port of Bristol.

It is anticipated that the project’s financial close will occur this summer, following an acceptable announcement regarding the government’s

Bioenergy Insight

The 100MWe biomass plant will be built in Avonmouth in the Port of bristol

forthcoming Renewables Obligation banding review.

The project, a 100MWe export capacity facility, will provide despatchable, renewable, low carbon electricity as part of the UK’s aim to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change.

It will cost around £300 million (Є367.83 million) to construct, creating approximately 450 full time jobs during the construction phase. Once operational, it will generate 40 full-time operations jobs with more created in relation to the maintenance and

supply of the plant.

The facility will be fuelled using a combination of imported wood from a number of countries, including the US, and recycled wood fibre from the local environs.

Helius’ intention is to source material that meets the stringent sustainability measures as recommended by the UK Committee on Climate Change, including an average electricity production of below 200kgCO2/MWh. ‘Helius is entering the last stages of the process to fund this important biomass project. It will be a significant project for the UK as it transitions to a low carbon economy,’ says Helius CEO, Adrian Bowles. l

June 2012 • 7

Bioenergy biomass news

Huge UK job prospects predicted by new NNFCC bioenergy research Bioeconomy consultants for the UK government, NNFCC, has released a new report suggesting that heat and power from biomass could create up to 50,000 jobs by 2020.

The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change commissioned research aimed at providing evidence for the government’s Bioenergy Strategy. It coincides with two other NNFCC studies on the potential for domestically grown energy crops and barriers to bioenergy deployment.

The analysis is based on estimates from the Renewables Roadmap and suggests employment in the bioenergy sector will exceed that of all other renewable energies due to the extra demands of feedstock production, supply and handling.

The report suggests that the largest area for job creation will be the biomass heat sector, which could

The biomass energy sector could employ 50,000 by 2020

create up to 30,000 jobs by 2020, with over half of those jobs being permanent.

Electricity from biomass could similarly offer up to 18,000 jobs by 2020 and anaerobic digestion a further 2,500.

Furthermore there are employment opportunities for the UK biomass supply

sector. These include roles in feedstock production, harvesting, processing and haulage. However, the number of people employed in this sector will be heavily dependent on the level of uptake, origin of feedstocks and the supply chain structures used.

‘Biomass will have a major role in delivering the UK’s 2020 renewable energy targets. However there has been a lack of reliable data on the wider benefits this potentially significant industry could bring to the UK economy,’ says author of the report Fiona McDermott. l

EPA issues final clean water requirements to proposed biomass facility in Boston The proposed Russell Biomass power plant, which will be located in Russell, Massachusetts, has been issued with a final Clean Water Act permit by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

EPA has determined that the final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for the proposed

8 • June 2012

facility meets the requirements set by the Federal Clean Water Act. The proposed facility, with its planned location being next to the Westfield River, will utilise its neighbouring natural facilities by withdrawing water from, and releasing water back into the river. The permit includes a number of protections.

For example, it requires that the water quality be monitored so as to ensure the security of aquatic organisms. The use of closed cycle cooling towers, believed to be the best technology available for controlling adverse effects

of cooling water withdrawal, is another regulation the permit will enforce.

Further to this, monthly monitoring of aluminium levels are to be carried out, along with quarterly turbidity monitoring for the stormwater outfall locations as well as a location upstream. There is also a clause allowing no detectable difference between the intake and discharge mass of phosphorus.

The permit, which was first proposed in 2009 and can be modified if deemed necessary by EPA, will take effect on 1 July. l

Bioenergy Insight

biomass news Bioenergy

Kedco adds further equity funding Kedco has secured approximately £166,860 (€203,700) through a placing of 12,835,385 new ordinary shares (placing shares), with a number of existing and new investors, at an issue price of 1.3 pence per ordinary share.

The proceeds will be used for working capital purposes and for continuing investment in the company’s portfolio of biomass electricity and heat generation projects.

‘We are pleased to announce the close of this successful fundraising which included a number of new and existing

Bioenergy Insight

Kedco raised over €200,000 by placing shares with a number of investors

shareholders. We continue to make good progress with all of the projects in the company’s pipeline and, in particular, we expect to complete initial commissioning of the first 2MW from our Newry plant, including the first export of electricity to the electricity grid by the second half of June 2012,’ says Gerry Madden, CEO of Kedco.

The company has also

allotted 3,644,224 new ordinary shares (conversion shares) to its 22.14% shareholder Farmer Business Developments (FBD) at 1.515 pence per share. This comes as a result of FBD exercising its right of conversion under its February 2011, €1,200,000, 10% Convertible Loan Note.

FBD’s holding will remain at 22.14% of the ordinary

shares of the company, however the conversion is dependant on the placing shares being admitted to AIM. An application will also be made for the admission of 16,479,609 new ordinary shares in the company to trading on AIM. These will comprise of 12,835,385 placing shares and 3,644,224 conversion shares.

The shares, which will be issued and fully paid, will rank pari passu in all respects with the existing ordinary shares of the company. Admission of the placing shares and conversion shares to trading on AIM will increase the total number of voting rights to 311,562,755.

‘This will be a significant step for the company as we move from being a clean energy project developer to a clean energy producer,’ Madden concludes. l

June 2012 • 9

Bioenergy biomass news

Forest biomass may not be sustainable, according to new report A recent study conducted by Oregon State University (OSU) and a number of other universities located in Germany, France, Switzerland and Austria has suggested that the use of forest biomass may be responsible for higher greenhouse gas emissions and so may not be sustainable.

A depletion of soil nutrients, higher erosion risk, younger forests, loss of forest

biodiversity and shorter tree rotations may be the result of using forest biomass, the research suggested.

An increase in bioenergy usage may also lead to a higher use of fertilisers, which in turn could lead to increased greenhouse emissions.

According to the report, bioenergy can create a negative effect on soil fertility, water and vegetation and on ecosystem diversity.

There is also concern about the fact that biofuels require governmental subsidies or mandates, coupled with a fear that, with higher demand, the cost of biomass will inevitably increase. l

News in brief New agreement for Covanta as plant takes shape

Waste-to-energy provider Covanta Energy has signed an agreement with trade union GMB Union to work together on future UK facilities.

The partnership will see each company mutually support each other through the development and operation of Covanta’s facilities, with commitments to safety, the environment and Covanta’s workforce’s right to GMB representation the cornerstone of the agreement.

Conversely, Covanta expects to start construction of a new energy from waste facility in Cheshire, UK and 566 new jobs will be created.

Enel signs agreement to build biomass bi-generation plant

Italian power company Enel has signed a memorandum of understanding to build a 1 to 5MW concentrated solar power and biomass bi-generation plant, which will produce electricity for the city of Rome.

Italy’s agency for new technologies, Enea, and Rome’s local authority Roma Capitale, which will be backing the project, also signed the agreement. Enel will build and manage the Trebois plant as part of a new city scheme called CSP Roma Filiera, aiming to develop sustainable areas of the capital.

The plant will be powered by wood feedstock, which will include waste produced from the pruning of city trees.

The biomass components will be separated to produce a number of different products, including lignin. The cellulosic components will also be extracted and converted into ethanol, which can then be used as a biofuel.

Hotel installs bioenergy plant

A luxury spa hotel in Anglesey, UK has built a £500,000 (€607,000) biomass plant to cut energy bills.

The system at the plant is situated at the Tre-Ysgawen Hall Country House Hotel and Spa at Capel Coch, near Llangefni and is able to produce 600kW of power, using woodchips as fuel, meaning that the £90,000 oil bill that is currently paid each year at the hotel will be cut.

In comparison, the bioenergy plant will only cost about £40,000 to run each year.

Under the UK government’s renewable heat incentive, the hotel was granted a subsidy which will help pay for the running costs of the plant for the next 20 years.

Forest biomass may be contributing to higher GHG emissions and a loss of forest biodiversity

10 • June 2012

Bioenergy Insight

biomass news Bioenergy

US government to grant more bioenergy and biofuels funding but companies need to work for it The US government says it is to give $35 million (€27 million) towards the research and development of advanced biofuels, bioenergy and biobased products.

Through the Biomass Research and Development Initiative (BRDI), a joint programme established by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the US Energy Department, the project hopes to create more sources of renewable fuels that can replace petrol and diesel, diversifying the US’ energy portfolio.

‘USDA’s partnership with the Department of Energy aims to improve our country’s energy security and provide sustainable

jobs in communities across the country,’ says agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack.

‘This funding represents the kind of innovation we need to build Americanmade, homegrown biofuels and bio-based products that will help to break our dependence on foreign oil and move our nation toward a clean energy economy.’

Companies that want a part of the funding will need to suggest projects that combine science and engineering research with three of the following technical areas: feedstock development; biofuels and bio-based products development; and biofuels development analysis.

Funding under the feedstock development section will cover improving biomass feedstocks and their supply, including the harvest, transport,

preprocessing and storage necessary to produce biofuels and bio-based products.

For biofuels and bio-based products development, companies will need to prove they plan to invest the money into technologies that will use cellulosic biomass for biofuels production. These methods will need to be cost-effective.

Biofuels development analysis covers evaluating ways in which to expand biofuel production, assessing the potential for using federal land resources to increase feedstock production.

Vilsack also says that the USDA has approved a $5 million payment to Western Plains Energy which will be put towards the construction of a new biogas anaerobic digester in Oakley, Kansas.

The digester will run on animal waste produced

from a local cattle feedlot, cutting nearly 90% of the fossil fuels currently created

by Western Plains. Grain dust, industrial food and municipal waste will also be collected from nearby sites.

The development of the project will create 15 full-time jobs and about 100 construction positions.

Western Plains says it will finish the construction of the development in August, with the plant coming online in 2013.

The digester is anticipated to produce more than 100Btu of renewable energy an hour each day.

The Western Plains facility processes heat at its Oakley ethanol plant, which produces 50 million gallons of ethanol a year, and this new digester will make the operations more environmentally friendly. l

Biomass subsidies protest in Scotland

New UK biomass plant with Danish twist

A demonstration coordinated by organisations Biofuelwatch, No Leith Biomass Campaign, Friends of the Earth Scotland, and Grangemouth Community Council was joined by MSPs as they attempted to persuade the Scottish government to reduce the ‘heavy subsidies’ given to biomass plants.

Gloucester, UK-based Markey Group has opened a new £1.1 million (Є1.35 million) biomass facility.

The protest, which took place outside Holyrood, was in reaction to the high subsidies

Bioenergy Insight

being offered to wood-burning power plants, and thus, according to the protesters, encouraging deforestation. The argument was that this was then removing a key defence against the global issue of climate change. They are keen to make sure that these actions are not funded by ‘taxpayer money’.

The protesters called for the removable of subsidies from large-scale, electricity-only biomass plants, citing the need for sustainable investment to be made in the renewable energy sector instead.

Forth Energy is reportedly to receive approximately £170 million (Є208.04 million) of public money annually for proposed biomass power stations in Dundee, Rosyth and Grangemouth. l

The burner runs on wood waste generated by the subsidiary of Markey Group, Premiere Kitchens.

On average, Premiere Kitchens creates approximately 2,350 tonnes of wood waste each year in the form of extracted chipboard dust and residual offcuts. Previously, the majority of this would have gone to landfill but with the introduction of the new boiler, it is now being used to generate all

the heating and hot water required for the company’s 8.5-acre site at Hardwicke.

Commissioned by UKbased Indusvent, the new system features a 2.1MW hot water boiler manufactured by Danishbased Justsen Energiteknik.

Burning is automatically controlled to maximise efficiency, with results monitored both on-site and at the manufacturer’s premises in Denmark.

Since installing the biomass facility, Markey Group has been able to remove its mains gas supply. As a result, the company anticipates reducing its carbon emissions by more than 1,020 tonnes per year. l

June 2012 • 11

Bioenergy biopower news

UK biomass power station encouraged by EA response A proposed biomass combustion plant in Trafford, UK has been ‘minded for approval’ by the Environmental Agency (EA).

Low carbon energy provider Peel Energy’s plant, known as the Barton Renewable

Energy Plant, were rejected by the local authority last year, but in a recent statement the EA said: ‘Following a rigorous assessment process, we are minded to give approval to Peel Energy and grant an environmental permit, however there is still time for local people to submit comments or information with the EA in writing

before 11 July 2012. It is the Environment Agency’s role to regulate energy from waste sites and a draft decision to grant an environmental permit to Peel Energy will not affect the need for them to gain planning approval before construction of the proposed plant can go ahead.’

Peel Energy’s planning application for the 20MW

biomass-fuelled power station was submitted to Trafford Council in late 2010.

‘We are encouraged by the draft recommendation and the EA’s confidence that the facility will not harm the environment or human health,’ says Peel’s project manager Jon England. ‘We look forward to the EA’s final decision on the plant operating permit.’ l

Next phase of new biomass plant steams into Canada Nova Scotia Power (NSP) officials have announced a new milestone in the construction of a C$208 million (€160 million) biomass cogeneration plant.

A steam turbine and generator used to produce electricity has arrived at the facility and NSP is confident it will generate about 60MW a year via burned biomass.

The combined weight of the turbine and generator came in at 260 tonnes and was delivered on a special rail car that came from San Diego.

‘The turbine and generator are both in their final resting places at the site which now allows us to begin some of the other, larger construction projects,’ says NSP senior project and construction director Roger Burton.

Burton adds that the next phase will see high pressure steam piping going in and also electrical connections joining up to the generator.

Despite initial concerns raised by environmental groups about the potential

12 • June 2012

A steam turbine and generator has arrived at the site of NSP’s biomass plant

increased clear cutting, NSP has projected that the biomass plant would

create around 150 new forestry jobs.

The plant is scheduled

to begin producing power by the end of the first quarter of 2013. l

Bioenergy Insight

biopower news Bioenergy

Extension granted to Isle of Wight biomass developers

Increased Scotland biomass power through intensive investment

Investment consortium Real Ventures (RV) has been given more time to streamline its proposed woodburning biomass power station on the Isle of Wight, UK.

Aberdeen City and Shire has seen its biomass capacity double over the past two years up to 20MW of heat generation.

Despite winning preferred bidder status from the Isle of Wight Council in 2010, a 12 month extension of that status was granted at a cabinet meeting on 22 May to allow RV more time to prepare a thorough environmental assessment of how it would dispose of its waste ash.

RV believes the biomass plant would generate up to 49MW of electricity and have a positive impact on the island’s carbon footprint, using 100% virgin wood fuel imported mostly by ships.

Three council members fielded questions from members of the public at the meeting and, although admitting personal interest connections with RV directors, strenuously denied allegations of any closer relationships.

The site of the potential new plant is at a former rubbish dump between Cowes and Newport and aims to be up and running by 2015, employing up to 235 people via direct and indirect roles. l

Nine new projects across the region now means it has 200 operational wood fuel boilers, with local wood fuel production to meet this demand in excess of 130,000 green tonnes equivalent.

Of the new projects, Kemnay Golf Course marked its centenary celebration by installing an energy saving biomass boiler which was opened by local MP Robert Smith, and Aberdeen City Council headquarters receives a quarter of its heat from a boiler too.

‘The increase in projects, doubling our capacity, only serves to underpin our commitment

to establishing a variety of complimentary and sustainable fuel sources across the region,’ says Grampion Biomass Working Group chairman Iain Todd.

‘These proactive initiatives are creating a growing biomass cluster in the north-east — significant in Scottish terms, although still not on the scale of biomass heating used across Scandinavia and in Austria. Not only is biomass renewable, but it uses local resources. The development of this resource is jobs-intensive, which offers a valuable source of diversification income for the rural economy.’

These figures do not take into account a proposed wood-fuelled biomass plant with a heat and power generator at Stoneywood Papermill which could further increase capacity over the next year. l

NEW!

Morbark Advantage 3 Chipper Drum ®

™

The new Morbark® Advantage 3™ high-performance chipper drum gives you improved biomass fuel chip quality, reduces your costs, and is backed by a limited three-year warranty. It comes standard on most new Morbark drum chippers and can be retrofitted to most Morbark units without modification. Either way, you get three significant advantages: • Higher-Quality Chips – The Advantage 3 is wider, has higher inertia, and incorporates Babbitt-style counter-knives, so it produces better, more consistent chips.

• Dramatically Lower Costs – The drum’s AR 400 heattreated steel skin, enhanced knife design, and recessed pockets provide wear-part and maintenance cost savings of more than 70%.

• World-Class Warranty – The Advantage 3 comes with a limited three-year warranty, and is supported by Morbark’s extensive dealer network for unsurpassed peace of mind.

The exceptional Morbark Advantage 3 chipper drum comes standard with most units in our full line of heavy-duty industrial drum chippers.

Learn more at www.morbark.com or call 1-800-831-0042.

Bioenergy Insight

BUILDING EQUIPMENT THAT CREATES OPPORTUNITIES

June 2012 • 13

Bioenergy biopower news

Ventura receives $2 million in funding Ventura, a subsidy of biodiesel company Biodico, has been given a $2 million (€1.5 million) grant from the California Energy Commission and will use the funds to produce renewable energy and biodiesel at Biodico’s 10 million gallon a year facility which is being built in Port Hueneme, California.

At the facility, process heat and power will be generated through the use of solar energy, which will produce 20kW of electricity and 80kW of heat. A gasifier will generate 20kW from inedible oil seeds and solids, and algae biomass will also be used to produce 20kW of power and 19kW of heat.

An anaerobic digestion

system will be used to turn biodiesel glycerin into 20kW of power and 19kW of heat through a co-generation system.

If these technologies are scaled up then they will be able to produce 25 times more electricity and nine times more heat than what is required for the biorefinery operations, so this will be fed onto the grid.

Biodico president, Russell Teall, says: ‘The objective is to produce all of our process heat and energy on-site from renewable resources, and to use innovative approaches to cultivate low impact feedstocks for biodiesel production. This will substantially reduce our carbon footprint.’

The company also plans to undertake research into the development of viable biofuel feedstocks. The experiments will be carried out at four UC Davis agricultural research centres, which have varying agricultural conditions. l

News in brief Eco2 acquires 13 acres of land for biomass project Eco2 has bought 13 acres of the former British Sugar factory, Scawby Brook, with the plan to develop an £80 million (€99.1 million) biomass station. The acquired land, now known as Glanford Vale Business Park, will be home to the Brigg Renewable Energy Project, which will create 80 new local jobs.

This comes as the result of more than four years of planning and will see the construction of a 40MW plant that will generate 300 million units of electricity.

PPH Commercial handled the deal, acting for Norfolk-based The Property Recycling Group.

New biomass plant for UK The North East Lincolnshire Council in the UK has approved a biomass-fuelled plant, which will be built in the region for about £130 million (€158 million).

Real Ventures, the company behind the development, plans for the facility to have an electrical output of more than 49MW which should power around 90,000 residences.

The plant will be a combined heat and power (CHP) project, using wood pellets to create electricity. Around 200-250 jobs will be created during a 30 month building contract, with 35 permanent jobs being created on completion.

The project will be built on three hectares of land which is currently owned by Associated British Ports, coming online in 2015.

Turboden to build power plants for UK-based businesses Italy-based Organic Rankine Cycle (OCR) specialists Turboden plans to build two biomass-fuelled combined cooling, heat and power plants in the UK. The company, which was acquired by Pratt and Whitney Power Systems in 2009, will supply one of its ORC turbo generators each to British Sky Broadcasting

14 • June 2012

(BSB) and Heathrow Airport.

‘We’re proud to be entering the UK market,’ says Turboden general manager Paolo Bertuzzi, ‘as traditionally we have developed projects within which our OCR units aided district-heating in small or medium-sized villages.’

The main BSB campus in West London hopes to receive 32 tonnes of woodchips per day from local businesses within a 25-mile radius.

That will be burnt to heat

thermal oil systems, which will drive the 1MW ORC turbine. Lower-grade heat will be recovered to create chilled water for cooling and the rest for hot water.

The biomass-fuelled CCHP ORC unit at London Heathrow will use clean wood waste to produce 1.8MW of electricity and 8MW of thermal heat and cooling to Terminals T2a and T2b, plus heat only to Terminal T5.

‘At a time when the UK government is formally

assessing the potential of renewable electricity and heating technologies, we are showcasing the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of biomass-fuelled plants,’ adds Bertuzzi. ‘These projects are an example of how biomass can contribute to meeting the UK’s renewable energy goals.’

In addition, BSB is to develop a 1MW CCHP plant as part of its carbon-cutting emissions plans for a new studio, editing, transmission and data facility. l

Bioenergy Insight

biopower news Bioenergy

Port of Blyth welcomes new bioenergy plant A renewable energy power station worth £250 million (€304 million) will be built in the Port of Blyth after planning permission was granted.

The renewable energy developer RES submitted its planning application in March 2012 and the Planning Inspectorate confirmed formal acceptance on 11 April 2012. The examination and consultation period could take up to nine months before a decision is made on the development.

The power station will be built on a brownfield site and involves renovating open storage land at Battleship Wharf, turning the current building into a bioenergy plant.

Rather than using coal or gas for power generation, biomass such as woodchips, pellets or briquettes will be used to generate up to 750GWh of renewable electricity, powering about 170,000 residences.

Most of the wood fuel is to come from managed forests and by-products of timber, being delivered to the site via existing ship facilities.

Martin Lawlor, CEO of the Port of Blyth, says: ‘There is a real sense of continuity here — we can trace the use of the estuary as a port right back to Norman times.

The natural deep water harbour is what attracted people to settle here in the first place and, over time, we have improved the port and developed a skills base which recently has been based on heavy engineering and traditional energy generation such as coal.

‘Renewable energy generation is a prime example of the sort of business we need to encourage in order to replace declining industry sectors, create jobs and secure a long-term future for the communities that rely on the port for employment.’

The new facility will employ about 150 people during construction, which is expected to take about two years, and then 50 people permanently once the project is completed. l

Harvest Power raises big bucks via funding effort Renewable energy company Harvest Power has raised $110 million (€760,000) in a funding round.

True North Venture Partners was the leader in the investment, with help from American Refining and Biochemical, as well as existing investors Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, DAG Ventures, Generation Investment Management and others.

Harvest Power plans to use the funds to expand its operations

Bioenergy Insight

so that it can meet increased demand from North America.

In this region many companies are looking for sustainable yet economical solutions to produce renewable energy and Harvest plans to capitalise on this, it says.

As a by-product, Harvest also produces organic soils and mulches which it sells to retail companies.

The company has plans to further develop and is currently building two food waste-toenergy facilities, which use anaerobic digesters as its technology, in North America. l

Biomass-to-Energy Boilers Customized Engineered Solutions Since 1976, Jansen Combustion and Boiler Technologies, Inc. (JANSEN) has provided customized engineered solutions to owners/ operators of boilers in the Forest Products, Independent Power Producers, and Wasteto-Energy Industries.

Our mission is to improve the operating performance (fuel burning capacity and economy, efficiency, and emissions performance) of existing boilers that burn difficult fuels such as biomass, chemical spent liquors, municipal solid waste (MSW), refuse derived fuel (RDF) and tire derived fuel (TDF).

JANSEN has conducted engineering performance evaluations of over 300 boilers, worldwide, and has provided combustion system and/or superheater upgrades of over 100 biomass, chemical recovery, MSW, and RDF boilers.

JANSEN has the capability and experience to function as your one-source solution to boiler retrofit projects. With the ability to define, engineer, contract and manage design-construct projects, we offer Engineer-Procure-Construct (EPC) capabilities.

A synopsis of our broad range of services: > Full service engineering design for steam, power, and combustion systems > Biomass, MSW, RDF, TDF, fossil fuel, and chemical recovery boiler performance evaluations > Effective overfire air (OFA) delivery system upgrades on biomass and other waste-fueled boilers

CO2

> Replacement or upgraded superheater design and supply > Boiler circulation analyses > Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling > Feasibility studies and cost/benefits analyses > Emissions reduction (CO, NOx, PM, SO2, TRS, VOC) > Operations support and training

Find out how we can help you:

www.jansenboiler.com June 2012 • 15

Bioenergy biopower news

Anti-power plant campaign gathers pace in Barrow Over 3,500 signatures have been gathered by protesters for a petition against a proposed biomass power station in Barrow, UK. The campaigning group, calling itself Furness Opposes Biomass, is against a proposed 80MW power station from integrated energy company Centrica. It has named potential health problems and destruction of the landscape as reasons why it is campaigning.

However, any new Centrica-owned biomass plant would be built on the site of a pre-existing gas-

fired plant which will shut down upon reaching its economic lifespan. Centrica claims any new plant will save those current 35 jobs and create 15 new ones.

As the petition reached over 3,000 signatures, a debate within Cumbria County Council (CCC) about the proposal will now take place on 21 June.

A councillor who serves on both Barrow Borough Council and the CCC, Ray Guselli, told local news outlets that he is in full support of the campaign: ‘I am delighted to welcome industry but it has to be in keeping with the town, not visually damaging or potentially damaging to health.’ l

mist-air

Dry Fog Dust Suppression System l l l l l

Suppresses all types of dust and deters explosions Causes no wetting to floors, materials, or personnel The fast economic solution to localised dust problems Inexpensive to install, operate and maintain Can be retro fitted to any size or type of building in hours

Furness Opposes Biomass has collected more than 3,500 sugnatures opposing the renewable power station

BioPower Operations goes public BioPower Operations, a company that grows, produces and sells biomass and its by-products, has become a public company and listed its shares on the stock market.

The company currently has plans to produce and sell biomass oils in the short term and in the long term receive licenses to grow trees and bamboo that can also be converted into oils, biofuels, animal feed or electricity.

Robert Kohn, CEO of BioPower Operations, says: ‘Our S-1 registration statement was declared effective by the US Securities and Exchange Commission on 1 August 2011.

We plan to communicate frequently and consistently with the investment community to achieve complete transparency and disclosure as we build our business.’ l

Over 5000 systems installed throughout the UK and Europe, in all types of recycling & biomass handling sites. e: info@mist-air.co.uk

t: +44 (0)1691 828 487

www.mist-air.co.uk 16 • June 2012

Bioenergy Insight

BioPower Operations aims to grow trees for biofuels, electricity and oil

biogas news Bioenergy

Australia turns to pork in new bioenergy venture A new programme launched by the Australian Pork Cooperative Research Centre is to focus on maximising the value of captured emissions from the pork industry.

The capture, production and use of methane from piggery effluent treated in covered anaerobic lagoons will be the main priority for the Pork CRC Bioenergy Support Program. Research will also be conducted into making the gas collection, and use there of, economically viable.

According to the producer-owned and promotion organisation Australian Pork, more than 90% of the country’s pork production already uses ponds to manage effluent

Australian Pork is to recycle methane captured from its pig operations

and interest in bioenergy is rising due to rising energy costs, lower cost technologies and the introduction of the Carbon Farming Initiative

Romanian expansion to aid quicker development for Ener-G UK-based biogas and clean energy provider Ener-G has opened new offices in Romania to expand its presence.

The move will bring together the Ener-G Technologii Energetice (ETE) team with power engineering consultancy Enalt, in which Ener-G is a majority shareholder.

Following its establishment three years ago, Ener-G claims that ETE now has several major landfill gas generation and combined heat and power projects underway.

Bioenergy Insight

‘In addition to the projects we have underway in Romania, there’s an exciting pipeline of opportunity for our biogas generation, combined heat and power, and clean energy recovery from waste technologies and services,’ says Ener-G group managing director Derek Duffill.

Duffill believes the expansion will make for a stronger commercial and technical team to accelerate clean technology development in Romania and the surrounding markets of Central and Eastern Europe.

Ener-G currently employs 780 people across 17 countries. l

(CFI) and carbon tax.

Passed by parliament in 2011, the CFI earns carbon credits for farmers and land owners who store carbon or reduce

greenhouse gas emissions. The carbon tax, which starts on 1 July, will require payment per tonne of carbon released by polluters until 2015. l

New UK biogas plant gathers momentum A new location in Lincolnshire, UK has become apparent as locals back the proposal of a new community-owned biogas plant in the area.

After a meeting in March showed overwhelming support for alternative energy supply in the town of Caistor, and with funding from the Department of Energy and Climate Change LEAF fund secured, an actual location for the proposed biogas plant could now be secured.

‘A previous study had suggested waste arising from our industrial estate would be enough to run a plant, so

it made sense to consider putting it there,’ says Peter Sanderson, a member of community group Sustainable Caistor.

However, studies show that there would not be enough waste available to feasibly run a biogas plant on the industrial estate full-time.

But a local farmer has indicated that a biogas plant could be welcome on his farm site, with grown crops replacing food waste to create locally-generated energy, and talks are ongoing.

‘We are currently discussing various options to see if at least some of the community benefits that were hoped to be achieved from a community-owned biogas plant can still be realised,’ adds Sanderson. l

June 2012 • 17

Bioenergy biogas news

New plant to convert food waste into bus fuel in Oslo In Oslo, Norway, the government is planning to run all the city’s buses on biogas produced from food waste.

Currently there 65 buses in Oslo that are powered by biogas from the city’s sewage treatment plant but, with a

new development, enough biogas will be produced to fuel at least 200 buses.

Using 50,000 tonnes of food waste a year, a new facility will produce the equivalent of 4 million litres of diesel fuel per annum. The biogas plant will come online in 2013 and will also produce enough biofertiliser to be used on about 100 mediumsized farms in the local region.

Once the plant is up and running, the buses will be able to run more quietly and will produce lower emissions.

Norwegian company Cambi won the deal to build the plant, which will be built after research was conducted on its efficiency with the help of public funding from the Research Council and the former Norwegian Industrial and Regional Development Fund. l

Construction begins on AD plant in Somerset Viridor, a UK waste management company, has broken ground on a new anaerobic digestion (AD) plant that is located close to Bridgwater in Somerset.

It is the first AD plant in that region of the country and will be situated next to the Walpole landfill site, coming online in April 2013.

The Somerset Waste Board approved the facility in September 2011 and it will cost

about £10 million (€12 million) to build.

The plant is expected to process 30,000 tonnes of waste a year, with 20,000 tonnes coming from the Somerset Waste Partnership (which is made up of the six local councils) and 10,000 tonnes coming from restaurants, shops and other local businesses.

The facility will produce enough power for 1,700 homes and will provide jobs for 20 people during construction and six people once the project is complete.

The plant has a contract with Somerset Waste Board which runs until 2022, aiming to manage the region’s waste. l

Viridor broke ground on its Somerset AD plant

PDM plans anaerobic digestion plants UK-based food company PDM plans to invest £40 million (€48.5 million) into building a network of anaerobic digestion plants throughout the rest of this year.

The plants, to be built under a project which the company has dubbed ReFood, will be built in Widnes and East London, UK. The two plants come after PDM’s first anaerobic digester in Doncaster was deemed a success.

The new facilities will be twice the size of the first facility, each handling 90,000 tonnes of food waste a year and producing 4MWh of renewable energy.

If granted planning permission, the Widnes plant will be built at the existing PDM facility, allowing for a food waste recycling hub that incorporates rendering, biomass-to-energy and anaerobic digestion.

The feedstock will be collected

18 • June 2012

Two AD plants are being built under the ReFood project

from local restaurants, households, retailers and other venues in order to produce electricity to the National Grid. Fertiliser will be produced as a by-product of the process.

Philip Simpson, commercial director at PDM says: ‘Food waste is recognised as an issue the UK needs to overcome; not only is it a complete waste of a resource by letting it rot in landfill,

capacity at these sites is falling fast and AD offers the ideal solution. Our AD plant in Doncaster is performing well and we’re keen to keep the momentum going in developing our ReFood network to provide regional solutions for food waste across the UK.’ Both plants are expected to create about 40 jobs each and construction is expected to begin this October, finishing in 2013. l

Bioenergy Insight

biogas news Bioenergy

Synergy Biogas produces renewable energy for the state of New York New York’s largest on-farm co-digestion biogas power project, located at Synergy Dairy in Covington, Wyoming County, has been opened.

The facility was constructed

by CH4 Biogas, who, under the name Synergy Biogas, also owns and operates the project.

It is designed specifically for the co-digestion of food and animal waste, generating 1.4MW of renewable electricity, making it an important addition to the state’s efforts to make a more sustainable agricultural sector.

The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has provided incentives worth $1 million (€760,000) for the facility, which has created six new jobs.

The on-farm biogas plant will generate 1.4MW from food and animal waste

The National Grid is purchasing electricity generated by the project, which will reportedly produce around 10,000MWh of renewable energy annually. The National Grid also

provided a $750,000 grant through its Renewable Energy and Economic Development Program, absorbing the construction costs of the substation that connects the plant to the grid. l

Co-digestion facility planned for California infrastructure will be used for the build to help lower costs.

Following a number of years, and a pilot test in 2009 that was successful, the new plant is expected to come online in December 2012. l

angemeld e nt déposé .

t

an

me

et

PaPetndeinng t

t

Bioenergy Insight

businesses money, providing them with another way of which to dispose their waste.

The biogas produced from the plant is expected to power about 2,000 homes in the local area and existing

LANDIA PUMPS AND MIXERS

. Paten

Fats, oils, grease and liquid food processing waste will be used in the digestion system, producing power for a plant in the southern Sacramento County.

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, $1.45 million (€1.1 million) in funding has been given, and the California Energy Commission has also pledged $100,000 towards the project. The rest of the funding will be produced

by SRCSD for the facility,

and total construction costs are expected to be just over $2 million.

The plant will be situated at the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant in Elk Grove and should save local

Pa te

A new co-digestion facility will be built in California after the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (SRCSD) joined forces to produce renewable energy.

e ldt . Br

v

When You Need Pumping and Mixing Solutions that Work!

Contact the World‘s Leading Manufacturer of Heavy-Duty Chopper Pumps and Mixing Solutions - with over 20 Years‘ Experience in the Biogas Industry.

us - Meet A, B at AD stand ... no. B1

SLUDGE PUMPING DIGESTER MIXING FEEDSTOCK CONDITIONING

www.LandiaWorld.com

June 2012 • 19

Bioenergy biogas news

News in brief Ludgate splashes over £14m into energy projects

UK investment company Ludgate Environmental Fund (LEF) has put in a total of £14.1 million (€17.3 million) across three companies that deal in anaerobic digestion, biomass and waste heat recovery.

As part of a £76.3 million project by Tamar Energy, LEF will invest £7 million to help it fund developments of food and mixed waste anaerobic digestion facilities that generate renewable energy.

A further investment of £3.1 million in Ignis Biomass, via a mixture of preferred equity and convertible loan notes, sees LEF take a majority stake in the company. The money will help construct a biomass energy facility in Wick, Scotland.

And another £4.1 million in growth capital went to German waste heat recovery company Micropelt as it looks to raise £5.3 million as part of a fundraising plan.

Cocurrent eyes up West Virginia for new plant site

Waste gasification provider Cocurrent BioEnergy is aiming to develop a waste-to-energy facility in West Virginia, US. Cocurrent says the plant would treat batches of unsorted MSW using its gasification technology to create synthetic gas that would heat water, create steam and generate electricity.

Cocurrent representatives have reportedly already spoken about its ideas with Charleston Mayor Danny Jones, city manager David Molgaard and South Charleston Mayor Frank Mullens.

A proposal delivered to South Charleston was for Cocurrent to build a 10-15MW decentralised, 300 tonne per day unit across three acres for around $30 million (€23.6 million).

Pakistan to go green with domestic biogas plants

The Small Industries Development Board (SIDB)

will launch biogas plants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan to provide both low-cost fuel and benefit economic, social and environmental sectors.

The biogas project will be funded by money from the Pakistan-Italian debt swap agreement of 2009, when Italy agreed to convert Pakistan’s $100 million (€77.8 million) debt into aid for development projects.

The project will see the SIDB work directly with the government for the first time in its history and it wants to set up at least 400 small- and medium-sized plants for domestic use throughout Peshawar, Abbottabad, Charsadda, Mansehra, Hripur and Nowshera districts.

The SIDB expects the cost per plant to be around PKR60,000 (€514).

20 • June 2012

Several new biogas plants planned for Finland Wealth management firm Taaleritehdas plans to build a series of biogas plants throughout Finland which will convert household biowaste, wastewater slurry, industrial by-products and agricultural waste into biogas.

Over the next couple of years, the Finnish company will build five to seven plants which will cost about €90 million.

Under its plans, the company will also purchase

a biogas plant from Vambio, which is situated in Huittinen, western Finland.

The company says that over the past two years it has carried out research on the sector and discovered that there is a lack of plant capacity and capital in the country.

Once built, the facilities will process about 60,000 tonnes each, although some plants could process as much as 120,000 tonnes.

All the feedstock will be collected from a 150200km radius and either used to produce the biogas or for generating electricity, heat or fuel. l

Zimbabwe considers waste-to-energy plants The Harare City Council in Zimbabwe is in talks with a local gas company to consider a joint venture to enable electricity to be generated from waste collected from nearby sewage works.

About $3 million (€2.28 million) will be needed to fund the project, which will take a year and a half to build.

One plant, called Firle, is expected to produce 2.5MW whilst the other, Crowborough, should generate 0.6MW. However, the Firle sewage

works was investigated last month and deemed unsafe as it was discovered its workers were not wearing adequate clothing to deal with the waste and were at risk of disease. It was also criticised for only treating half of all the waste that was sent to the sewage site.

However, if the proposed development does go ahead, anaerobic digesters will be used to turn the waste into power, and it is thought this is just the beginning of the council’s plans for a more energy efficient capital.

The council is also in talks with the Infinate Energy Zimbabwe company to take biogas from the Golden Quarry and Pomona landfills that are situated close to the capital. l

Bioenergy Insight

biopellet news Bioenergy

Dong Energy seeks approval to convert three of its plants Dong Energy wants to invest just under $800 million (€612 million) into converting three of its coal- and gas-fired power stations into bioenergy plants, using wood pellets to produce heat and electricity.

According to Bloomberg, the executive VP of Dong, Thomas Dalsgaard, says the Danish plants will have a

capacity of around 1GW. The company plans to begin the conversions next year, taking about three years to complete the developments.

However, the plans will only go ahead if they are approved by environmental permitting companies and heating customers.

Dong admits that the biggest problem it will face for the developments is where to find additional biomass, as it will need more than 2.5 million tonnes a year of wood to run the plants.

At the moment the company sources its biomass

Dong Energy wants to switch from burning coal to wood pellets

from the Baltics, Poland and Russia, although it may

consider buying from North America in the future. l

New Vega E.ON to convert coal plant to wood biocoal facility pellet facility and headquarters UK energy company E.ON has Green energy provider Vega Biofuels (VB) is to build a new biocoal manufacturing facility in Georgia, US. It will use torrefaction, a process that takes place at temperatures between 246-302˚C to make the physical and energetic properties of the biomass more comparable to traditional coal, to compress the biomass into briquettes and sell to end users.

VB says it will produce the green energy biocoal from timber waste to be used in existing coal-fired power plants across the globe. The facility will also double as a new headquarters for the company.

‘We have a few more details to complete before we can move in, but we are close enough now that we have a good idea of what we’ll be able to accomplish here,’ says VB CEO Michael Molen. ‘The facility will have nine manufacturing lines and we’ll be able to more than double our volume for year one to meet demand.’

Construction and project management company Hunt, Guillot and Associates will work with VB to get the facility online. l

Bioenergy Insight

received approval from the Shropshire council to build a new fuel store at its Ironbridge power station in the region.

This planning permission grant will allow the company to convert a section of its Ironbridge power station so that it can use 100% wood pellets as a renewable fuel source.

E.ON will continue to work with the council so that it can build the fuel storage space.

It is expected the converted plant will come into operation in the beginning of 2013, running its remaining operational hours on this new fuel mix until it is closed in December 2015 under the Large Combustion Plant Directive.

The way that the conversion is undertaken means the facility will remain flexible, being able to also operate with 20% coal, as well as the wood pellets.

Throughout the middle of last year, the company carried out tests at the plant to make sure that the conversion will work efficiently.

‘The next step is now to discharge the planning conditions and to work with other regulators to ensure that all necessary permissions are in place before

we commence work to convert the initial generating unit,’ says Dave Eynon, plant manager of Ironbridge power station.

Currently the facility is completely run on coal and its two units are able to generate 1,000MW of electricity, supplying about 750,000 homes with energy. l

Part of E.ON’s Ironbridge power station will be upgraded to fire wood pellets

June 2012 • 21

Bioenergy biopellet news

Potential planning rejection for Llangefni biomass plant EcoPellets’ plans to burn an annual 100,000 tonnes of wood pellets at a 17MW solid biomass co-generation plant and a 14MW liquid biomass plant in Llangefni, Wales are on the verge of falling through due to concerns about the potentially damaging effects they will have on local air quality, as well as moise pollution worries.

The £100 million (€122.98 million) plant was set to create a reported 400 jobs in the area, but it is thought that the noise and smell that it would create could lead to an increase in unemployment, thus putting the local economy under pressure.

Planning officers are recommending the application is rejected by councillors at the next planning committee meeting. l

Additional funding secured by Topell Energy Netherlands-based biomass torrefaction technology provider Topell Energy has announced €13 million worth of new funding to increase future production and plant sales.

The Topell funding was led jointly by existing investor Innogy Venture Capital along with Yellow and Blue Clean Energy Investment Management.

‘The additional financing will allow us to ramp up production at our commercialscale demonstration plant in the Netherlands and to rapidly

grow our business through the sale of additional plants,’ says Topell CEO Jules Kortenhorst.

Kortenhorst adds that Topell has also agreed a new partnership with UK-based Torftech Group to help build and improve Torftech’s reactors for torrefaction applications.

‘Having supported Topell from seed funding until today, we are pleased to see how it has developed from a startup into a well-positioned technology supplier in the European biomass sector,’ says Innogy Venture MD Crispin Leick. ‘We feel torrefaction based on Topell's technology has the potential to change the biomass value chain as it is known today.’ l

Further cash injection for US district heating regeneration A district-wide heating project in Vermont, US has been awarded more grants and loans from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help continue its regeneration last week.

The project, which will cost around $20 million (€15.4 million) in total, will replace an old state-owned heating plant in the Montpelier district with a new wood biomass facility. It is believed the new plant will heat the state government building, as well as city government buildings, schools and other structures.

22 • June 2012

The latest funding includes a $1 million grant and a $750,000 loan from the Clean Energy Development Fund. This tops up sums already received from the city ($2.75 million) and the federal Department of Energy ($8 million).

‘The heating plant is a great example of a municipality, the state and the federal government working together to promote the use of renewable energy,’ says Montpelier mayor John Hollar.

‘We can become a showcase for other cities in the use of a renewable source to heat business districts. Downtown business owners could benefit for decades from the opportunity to rely on a reliable, low-cost source of renewable energy to heat their buildings.’ l

The plant will generate heat for government buildings and other structures

Bioenergy Insight

biopellet news Bioenergy

US pellet exports to Europe on the rise Pellet exports from North America into Europe hit a new record in the fourth quarter of last year.

Shipments rose to 600,000 tonnes in the fourth quarter of 2011, which is a sharp increase from the 130,000 tonnes shipped in the first quarter of 2008. Shipments have been on the rise steadily every quarter since then.

Over all of last year, wood pellet shipments reached just over 2 million tonnes, an almost 300% rise since 2008.

British Columbian pellet producers were the main exporters since the shipments began 12 years ago, although this has since changed because of more investments and an increased capacity in the south of the US which meant the same amount of exports were coming from this region.

There are now six pellet exporting plants in the US south and further growth is expected with four other companies trialling shipments over the past six months.

As the Enligna pellet plant in Nova Scotia, eastern Canada closed recently, the pellet exports in this region remained unchanged although it is expected to reopen later this year by a new owner and this should see a rise in exports.

The North American Wood Fiber Review says that it expects small increases in volumes from both the US and Canada in 2012 with a sharp rise in exports due in 2013.

This is because this is when new pellet plants, which are currently being built, are expected to open.

In terms of European imports, companies in the Netherlands, the UK and Belgium are the biggest consumers. The UK leads the way in regards to the biggest growth in imports. l

Europe imported over half a million tonnes of wood pellets from North America in Q4 2011

Biogas monitoring

to avoid CHP downtime BIOGAS 5000 portable and GA3000 fixed gas analysers 4 G as analysis provides early warning of AD problems 4 Robust and reliable equipment 4 Full support and advice 4 Self-install fixed system with two-minute service downtime 4 Payback in months with avoided CHP downtime 4 Minimal running costs

See us at ADBA,

stand C37

+44 (0)1926 338111 Bioenergy Insight

sales@geotech.co.uk

www.geotech.co.uk June 2012 • 23

Bioenergy technology news

Technology extracts oil from algae for cost-effective biofuel Glen Mills has developed a new process that extracts intracellular components by breaking apart microorganisms.

This cell rupture process is enabled by Glen Mills’ patented Dyno-Mill grinding technology, which breaks apart materials such as algae, yeast bacteria and fungi for the extraction of high energy-containing protein and enzymes, among other lipid-bearing intracellular components.

The algae slurry is pumped into the grinding chamber of the shear Dyno-Mill horizontal grinding system fitted with a shaft assembly and loaded with media beads. During the low temperature grinding operation, these media beads located within the grinding chamber rotate with differing levels of kinetic force to shear, impact and rupture the cell walls.

Glen Mills says its process regularly achieves a 100% cell rupture rate. A separator or screen then filters out and collects the leftover broken cells while retaining the beads within the mill. l

The Dyno-Mill cell breakage process extracts high energy-containing lipids harvested from algae oil and other intracellular components

Cynar chooses Chemineer agitators for waste plastic-to-diesel plant Cynar’s waste plastic-to-diesel plant in Avonmouth, UK will feature agitators from mixing company Chemineer.

Initially, four of Chemineer’s agitators will be installed at the new ‘End-of-Life Plasticsto-Diesel’ (ELPD) facility.

These agitators utilise Cynar’s conversion technology that transforms otherwise landfill-bound waste plastics into valuable liquid fuels.

The ELPD facility is part of a project that will see 10 plants established across SITA sites in the UK. Each plant is designed to convert approximately 6,000 tonnes a year of landfill-bound mixed waste plastic into specification diesel fuel. l

24 • June 2012

Chemineer agitators will be installed at the ELPD plant

Bioenergy Insight

Your Global Energy Partner

xxxxxx Bioenergy

14 MW Western Wood Biomass Plant, UK

Pioneering Green Solutions …

For a Bright Future The BWSC biomass and biogas plants are based on plentiful natural resources such as wood chips, straw or other organic materials. These sustainable energy resources reduce greenhouse gas emissions and BWSC strives to optimize the yields from bio fuels by maximizing the energy plant’s reliability and efficiency.

BWSC’s extensive turnkey experience, financial strength and cultural know-how have proved to be advantageous for our partners by bringing the energy plant from concept to reality on time and within budget.

BWSC BIOMASS PLANTS 15 - 60 MW electric output Straw & wood chip fuel Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Cooling

FROM CONCEPT TO REALITY Project development EPC turnkey supply Financial engineering Full O&M service

... FOR AT BRIGHT FUTURE

... ON TIME AND WITHIN BUDGET

For decades Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor A/S (BWSC) has been working on enhancing renewable energy solutions in the strive for a future, where renewable and clean energy sources will be the major contributing factors to continued sustainable growth and prosperity all over the world.

BWSC takes the responsibility for every aspect of project development, plant design, construction, operation, maintenance, training, and highly specialised services and upgrades. For the last three decades, BWSC has supplied more than 160 power plants to 50 countries with a total generating capacity in excess of 3,000 MW.

Bioenergy Insight

www.bwsc.com

June 2012 • 25

Bioenergy technology news

BWSC wins €150m contract to build a 38.5MW straw-fired CHP plant in England Renewable energy company Eco2 is planning to build a number of straw-fired power plants, of which the Sleaford Biomass Plant is the first.

Status for renewable energy Renewable energy is an integral part of the UK government’s longer-term aim of reducing CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050 as described in the Energy White Paper.

The short-term target in 2020 is to cover 15% of all energy consumption by renewable energy. The UK interim targets are set at a 4% for the period 2011-12, 5.4% for 2013-14, 7.5% for 2015-16, and 10.2% for 2017-18 and here biomass has a key position.

At the end of 2010 there was 2.5GW of biomass electricity capacity operating in the UK, accounting for 11.9TWh of generation. That is the single largest contribution to the UK’s total renewable electricity generation. Analysis indicates that the market has the potential to deploy up to 6GW of biomass electricity by 2020.

Achieving this 3.5GW increase will require an annual growth rate of 9% for the next decade.

a year of straw, consisting primarily of baled straw sourced from the local area with the majority of the fuel being collected within a 30 mile radius of the site.

Brought to the plant, the straw goes through a number of stages: • The straw (Heston bales) is delivered to the facility in flat bed trucks • The biomass is weighed and the moisture within the bales is checked • The straw is stored for up to three and a half days • The straw will then be fed to the boiler by automatic cranes.

The plant burns straw in a BWE boiler to produce high pressure, high temperature steam at 540°C and at 112bar.

This steam is fed to a steam turbine generator in which the steam’s energy is converted first to the mechanical energy of the steam turbine rotor and then into electricity at 11kV. The ash created from this burning process is collected through bag filters and recycled into fertiliser.

The plant has an auxiliary fuel line which is designed to take up to 20% clean, uncontaminated woodchips.

The project was granted

planning permission in November 2008. In December 2011, Eco2 sold the Sleaford project to investment fund BNP Parisbas Clean Energy Fund (BNP). In late 2011, Danish engineering and contracting company Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor (BWSC) ­— after five years of project development and negotiations — was awarded the €150 million contract to build and operate the Sleaford Biomass Plant on a full turnkey basis.

In addition to the construction, the contract includes an agreement for 12 years of operation and maintenance of the plant.

Operation and maintenance In the last decades, the power industry has seen a shift from public-owned service utilities with longterm strategies to privately owned independent power producers set up purely for business purposes. This shift has enabled BWSC to propose and obtain a number of long-term contracts providing comprehensive operation and maintenance (O&M) services for the owner. This will also

be the case in the Sleaford project where BWSC will be performing an O&M contract for a period of 12 years.

The payment of the contract is related to the specific power production of the plant. In case the agreed minimum net output of energy is not being achieved, BWSC will compensate for the loss by paying liquidated damages.

The reverse situation may also occur in cases where there is a surplus of net actual energy generation. In such a case, BWSC will be entitled to a bonus paid by BNP. Benefits for society Each year the Sleaford Biomass Project will inject around €12.4 million into the local economy from its fuel supply contracts, and it will also create new jobs for the area during construction and operation.

The straw fuel is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 250,000 tonnes a year.

Statkraft, state-owned Norwegian energy company, has signed a power purchase agreement with Eco2 for the output from the CHP plant on behalf of BNP. l

About the plant Located in Lincolnshire, UK, the Sleaford Biomass Plant will be the second straw-fired plant in the UK when production begins in mid-2014.

It is a combined heat and power (CHP) plant, generating electricity for approximately 65,000 homes and businesses, and supplying district heating to public buildings in Sleaford, including the swimming pool and council offices.

The plant will consume approximately 240,000 tonnes

26 • June 2012

The straw-fired Sleaford Biomass Plant will generate 38.5MW of electricity when it comes online in 2014

Bioenergy Insight

technology news Bioenergy

Secon develops new loading system Using biomass instead of fossil-based fuels has significant effects on costs and in reducing CO2 emissions. While fossil fuels can be stored outside, biomass should be stored inside in aluminium silos because of humidity ratios.

Spain-based Secon Components equips the aluminium silos with moving floors in order to efficiently receive the incoming trailers, and has worked on projects in Europe, the US and Africa.

The company offers complete turnkey projects with aluminium silos equipped with moving floors, conveyors, bucket elevators, magnet drums, weigh-feeders, screw dosing and rotary valves.

All of Secon’s equipment is suitable for the reception of biomass. This process has been enhanced with the development of a new loading system for biomass-fired power plants.

The use of moving floors with spindles at the feeding side towards the conveyors enables its clients to achieve a good dosing.

In addition, the combination of moving floor silos with screw is used to achieve accurate dosing also.

All silos are built in a modular way, a concept which allows maximum capacity flexibility and makes the transport of these silos possible. l

Kirk nears completion of biomass plant In Markinch, Scotland, Kirk Environmental says its part of a £200 million (€250.5 million) Tullis Russell-owned biomass plant is well underway.

The company broke ground on three woodchip silos in mid-March, the first of which has almost reached its finished height of 18m.

The reinforced concrete structures, which will measure 20m in diameter, will have a capacity of more than 500m3 each for the storage of both virgin and recycled woodchips. The chips will be reclaimed using the

TubeFeeder discharger from Saxlund International, a provider of bulk material handling solutions.

The plant is estimated to generate 50MW of renewable energy from approximately 400,000 tonnes a year of biomass. This energy will be used to power the plant itself, with a significant portion exported to the grid.

Kirk is working for Saxlund International, who is developing the project with Canning Conveyor, to provide the feeding and silo unloading systems which are scheduled for completion in July this year.

The whole plant is slated for completion in early 2013. l

Kirk’s woodchip silo will be 18m tall

Agraferm’s second UK biogas plant commissioned A 1.4MW anaerobic digestion plant at Symonds Farm, Suffolk, UK has been commissioned.

The plant, owned by Material Change, is fitted with technology from Agraferm Technology. The

Bioenergy Insight

plant is compact, offers substrate flexibility (including renewable raw materials, organic household waste and industrial waste) and a high power output.

Agraferm’s compact biogas plant helps to effectively utilise available space and lowers operating costs with less internal energy consumption.

Its robust technology is fitted in Germany’s top five biogas plants and features a modular system that offers a rapid, single stage mesophillic fermentation process, making it an efficient process able to generate electricity, heat and gas for the grid.

The Symonds Farm site is Agraferm’s second

commissioned plant in the UK with two further plants under construction.

The Symonds Farm plant cost £5 million (€6.2 million) to build and will generate enough renewable electricity to power 3,000 homes. Material Change says DEFRA supported the development with a farm diversification grant. l

June 2012 • 27

Bioenergy technology news

Pineapple producer makes renewable energy from wastewater One of the world’s largest pineapple producers has converted its wastewater into a profitable green energy by-product with the use of anaerobic technology from Global Water Engineering.

Indonesia’s PT Great Giant Pineapple company — the world’s third largest producer of pineapples, supplying 15% of global demand — now

produces more than 30,000Nm3 of methane biogas a day to supplement and replace fuel oil and coal used in its boilers.

The company, whose mission statement is ‘Go Green and More Organic’ is performing ‘outstanding waste removal from process water’ and has ‘spared itself the cost and need to burn many more tonnes of fuel oil and coal’, according to the founder and CEO of Global Water Engineering Jean Paul Ombregt.

Ombregt says: ‘The concept of using wastewater to create green energy is much more widely applicable than often

realised. Any factory with a biological waste stream or wastewater with high organic content can easily use this model to generate energy.’

The plant at PT Great Giant Pineapple in Lampung Indonesia was designed, engineered, built and commissioned by GWE, a provider of anaerobic industrial wastewater treatment. It has passed all the guaranteed process performance requirements.

The process employed comprises equalisation basin, screening, primary clarifier, pH control, Anubix B 4894m3 methane reactors,

biogas safety flare, biogas blowers, biogas use in two thermal oil boilers and one coal-fired fluidised bed type steam boiler.

Speaking about the results, Ombregt adds: ‘The results demonstrate practical and attainable environmental and cost benefits on a very broad scale. The industry globally needs to be aware of the potential so they can do a big service both to themselves and to the environment.’

According to Ombregt, companies investing in GWE anaerobic technologies can expect to achieve payback within one to two years. l

Allison launches new range of analysers and flowmeters for biogas applications Allison Engineering says its new range biogas analysers are suitable for monitoring biogas quality at a time when accurate and dependable online gas composition analysis and flow rate measurements are essential to maintaining safe and profitable anaerobic digestion operations.

The Awite range of analysers utilise a rugged, touch screen, industrial interface which allows easy access to recorded data, sensor parameters and system diagnostics to ensure all information is instantly available.

The range includes the Awi-Eco, a compact discontinuous analyser

28 • June 2012

which provides 50 Ch4 and CO2 measurements per day, with 4-20mA output and USB connection; and the Awi-Flex, which provides continuous measurement for CH4, CO2, H2S, O2 and H2. This biogas analyser can also be used to measure flow, temperature and pressure inputs and undertake automation desulphurisation control.

Allison has also launched FCI ST ATEX certified flowmeters with no moving parts for the measurement of dirty, saturated gas at low flow/low pressures.

These flowmeters feature thermal dispersion technology making them particularly suitable to biogas applications.

They are easy to install with negligible pressure drop and mass flow output, making them an ideal alternative to conventional DP cells and turbine meters. Additionally, the sensor can be removed ‘live’ with the optional 1” BSP ball valve. l

Allison Engineering’s Awite product range comprises the Awi-Eco and the Awi-Flex

Bioenergy Insight

technology news Bioenergy

Low turbulence unit eliminates fine particle dust Dust suppression technology company DustBoss has introduced a new low turbulence design for applications in which a fan-driven mist is undesirable.

The DustBoss DB-M is suitable for operating conditions involving very fine dust particles, including slag dust or fly ash. The unit generates an umbrella-shaped cloud of atomised droplets averaging 50-200 microns in size, projecting a mist about 9.14m. This misting head comes with nine atomising nozzles and is mounted on a 15 foot boom.

The DB-M is a practical solution when a fan-driven dust suppressor would introduce too much air movement, in some cases causing ground level dust to

become airborne. The size of the droplets emitted from the DB-M can be adjusted to match specific particle sizes and characteristics, and it can be fabricated on a boom anywhere from 4 to 15 feet in length.

The new design features selectable flow settings and Dust Boss’ Variable Particle Sizing (VPS) technology to improve capture efficiency. Nozzles can be added, removed or re-sized as necessary.

The unit’s output can reach 24 gpm at 200 psi. An in-line 30 mesh filter stops any solids 600 microns and larger.

The DB-M can also be supplied with an optional dosing pump for metering of odour control additives, surfactants to improve binding to dust particles, or tackifying agents to help seal ground level dust and prevent it from becoming airborne. l

The DB-M can be customised for specific dust types, particle behaviours or operating environments

New carbon capture technology launched ProSelect Gas Treating has launched the world’s first carbon capture system for the greenhouse industry.

The $5 million (€4 million) GC6 Carbon Capture System was developed in Canada and is able to secure carbon dioxide emissions from biomass combustion and

Bioenergy Insight

convert it into fertiliser.

This can then be used to grow greenhouse crops.

The technology is sustainable, and has the potential to reduce fuel and energy costs. The system captures CO2 at the rate of 5 tonnes per hour. The extracted CO2 is then converted, using a patented organic solvent, to pure, food grade level, which can then be delivered directly to greenhouse crops as natural fertiliser. l

June 2012 • 29

Bioenergy technology news

New laws see group plans biomass plants in China Shaoneng Group is investing in its first China-based biomass energy project, near Shaogaun, South China.

The group’s business ranges from power generation to mechanical engineering. Power production is Shaoneng’s main business, with installed capacity reaching 45GW. This is made up of hydropower (25GW) and thermal power (20GW).

Shaoneng is planning to build two

biomass-fired power plants in the region, which will use wood waste and eucalyptus, and has signed a contract agreement with DP CleanTech, a provider of biomass energy solutions, to deliver them.

Renewable power produced from biomass is considered one of the most viable investment opportunities within China’s energy market; wind and solar power have caused concern recently due to the difficulties with achieving successful connection to the grid.

The Chinese government is strongly

backing the implementation of biomass plants with targets which are in turn encouraging investor confidence.

‘The Chinese government has recently implemented new laws to better control the development of biomass power plants,’ explains Simon Parker, CEO of DP CleanTech. ‘These new policies are a positive step in the right direction, and will encourage a healthier industry that utilises modern efficient solutions with better environmental protection. Standards between China and Europe are converging.’ l

Total flow solution for bulk materials Martin Engineering, a provider of bulk material handling technology, has developed a solution to eliminate material flow difficulties.

The dual solution combines acoustic cleaning technology (sonic horns) with air cannon designs, and Martin Engineering says the technologies help maintain system efficiency and profitability in power generation plants, pulp and paper manufacturing, and other industries that employ boilers.

This combined solution of sonic horns and air cannons dislodges build-ups and enhances material flow.

As Jeff Shelton, global business development manager for Martin Engineering, explains: ‘Sonic horns can clean a larger area than air cannons when we’re dealing with accumulations of dry material. But high sulphur and chloride content often leads to a sticky build-up that resists acoustic cleaning.

In those areas, air cannons deliver the kind of burst cleaning that can dislodge

30 • June 2012

Air cannons deliver a powerful blast to dislodge accumulated material and prevent blockages

blockages and send the accumulated material back into the process stream.’

The new solution is an efficient alternative to other cleaning options, including steam blowers, which can damage boiler tubes and provide for costly operation and maintenance.

Sonic horns require gas flow or gravity to move loosened material, while air cannons will physically blast the material away. ‘In many ductwork applications, poor flow is a contributor to the

blockage problems, and in those cases the combined technologies offer an effective solution,’ he adds.

Martin Sonic Horns work by producing a low frequency, high-pressure sound wave, which is created when compressed air flexes a titanium diaphragm in the sound generator. This sound wave is then magnified as it is emitted through the bell. The sound pressure causes dry particulate deposits to resonate and become fluidised, allowing

them to be removed by constant gas flow or gravity.

They are particularly suited to around pipes and behind obstacles, in applications such as boilers, silos and hoppers.

Reducing the need for high-pressure washing or air lancing helps avoid unnecessary wear and tear on refractory walls and process vessels. By preventing material buildup, the systems helps reduce downtime, equipment wear and maintenance time. l

Bioenergy Insight

technology news Bioenergy

Geotech develops new portable biogas analyser A provider of gas analysers, Geotech Biogas has introduced a new portable biogas analyser that is quick and easy to use.

The Geotech Biogas 5000 is accurate to +/-0.5% for methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), and readings are repeatable for identification of changes in gas mix.

Raw hydrogen sulphide (H2S) can be measured up to 10,000 ppm with the same sensor as low-H2S desulphurised biogas.

Monitoring biogas quality is vital, especially for CHP plants for the restarting and protection against

Biogas analysis is essential and can be carried out easily with Geotech’s portable biogas analysers

sudden gas level changes.

Geotech says its biogas monitoring equipment can pay back in days. l

Seepex technology extends pump life at Fernbrook Bio In the UK, Fernbrook Bio’s food-to-biogas plant began to experience difficulties with its pump stators as the ever-changing food waste, together with abrasive contaminants, was leading to excessive wear.

CST Industries are the World’s largest manufacturer of Above Ground Modular Storage Tanks in Glass-Fused-to-Steel and Fusion-Bonded-Epoxy-Steel.

Providing Anaerobic Digester Tanks with Fixed Roofs, Double & Single Membrane Roofs.

Used extensively in Municipal, Industrial and Agricultural Digester Applications.

www.cstindustries.com CST offices are in Asia — Vietnam , Singapore, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Australia Europe — UK, Spain, France M.E.A. — U.A.E, South Africa US — Nationwide South America — Brazil

As a result, the pumps were upgraded to Seepex’s Smart Conveying technology (SCT) — a patented development of rotor and stator design.

SCT comprises a stator that is split longitudinally and held in place with four retaining segments. The adjustable nature of the stator means that pump performance can be regained as wear occurs by adjusting the segments.

The upgrade of one of the existing open hopper pumps has delivered over five times the life of a standard stator. In addition to extending stator life, maintenance is simplified as pipework does not have to be removed prior to changing stators and rotors; maintenance time can be reduced by up to 85% when SCT is fitted to a pump. This in turn minimises downtime. l

Bioenergy Insight

June 2012 • 31

Bioenergy technology news

BIO approves of the Senate Agriculture Committee’s reauthorisation of farm programmes The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) have thanked members of the Senate Agriculture Committee for reauthorising farm programmes that are valuable to the biotechnology industry and ensuring they have the funding to work.

‘The Farm Bill’s energy title and proposals to support biomanufacturing will help the US maintain its competitive leadership in biotechnology, manufacturing and agriculture — ensuring that what we grow here in the United States can be used to make new products here and create jobs here,’ says BIO president and CEO Jim Greenwood.

‘These programmes would provide the highest return on taxpayer dollars and ensure the future of emerging energy and renewable chemical markets, if the bill is passed by the full Congress. These programmes already have helped renewable energy companies unlock private capital for construction of advanced biorefineries, something that has been extraordinarily difficult during the recent economic downturn,’ he continues.

He suggests that over 150,000 acres of underutilised farmland has been put into production or next generation energy crops due to such incentives. ‘The programmes have further ignited an explosion of innovation and early commercialisation of renewable chemicals here in the United States. Overall, the programmes have demonstrated a high rate of success,’ he concludes. l

CST ramps up operations in Asia CST Industries, a manufacturer of aboveground bolted storage tanks, silos and geodesic dome roofs, is expanding in Asia.

sectors in which CST can get involved. ‘We have seen a significant increase in the number of projects ranging from palm oil plantations to municipal and industrial wastewater management plants,’ he says.

Since opening its first office in Singapore in The company also specialises in tanks July 2008, CST has seen a huge growth in the for anaerobic digestion and has supplied number of projects throughout the region. As anaerobic digestion systems to Australia, a result, it established a regional head office Indonesia and Malaysia. in Ho Chi Minh City in 2011 to accommodate A US-based manufacturer, CST has additional staff and to further expand its factories in Illinois, Kansas, Texas, California, market presence.

Tennessee and a further factory in the UK. ‘The growth we have seen proves that Asia It operates offices in Vietnam, Singapore, is still a powerhouse market. While the global Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Bangalore, Dubai, financial slowdown has impacted the area, France, Spain, Mexico and Argentina. it has not stalled plans for expansion in the CST is also involved in associated key markets where CST supply,’ says Simon ancillary items to the bolted tank concept Scott, director of bioenergy, Asia. Scott adds and currently has a number of product that bioenergy and biofuel are two booming development projects ongoing. This

includes some developments in roof design for anaerobic digestion solutions for the containment of biogas.

The company’s sectional bolted storage tanks and silos are factory coated with either a glass-fused-to-steel finish or a fusion bonded epoxy finish. The capacity ranges from 50m3 to over 300,000m3. CST says that a typical 5,000m3 tank with a roof can be ordered, approved, manufactured and shipped within six to eight weeks.

Onsite construction time is then estimated at four to five weeks. The tanks are installed using a jacking system which ensures worker safety by eliminating the need to work at height. They are also simple to construct with no need for any onsite welding, and do not require any hot-work, blasting or postproduction finishing. l

Dyadic and Abengoa amend licence agreement Abengoa Bioenergy New Technologies (Abengoa), has agreed to pay biotechnology company Dyadic International $5.5 million (€4.4 million) for an expansion of its rights under the non-exclusive license agreement the parties entered into in February 2009.

The license agreement originally provided Abengoa with the right to use Dyadic’s C1 platform technology to develop, manufacture and sell enzymes for use in second generation biorefining processes, converting biomass into sugars for the production of fuels, chemicals and/or power in certain territories.

The amended license agreement expands the territories to worldwide rights and provides Abengoa with the ability to

32 • June 2012

produce, use and sell C1 enzymes in first as well as second generation biofuels and other bio-based processes.

‘Since 2007, Abengoa and Dyadic have worked closely together in using Dyadic’s C1 platform technology to develop improved enzymes that efficiently convert biomass into fermentable sugars,’ says Dyadic’s president and CEO, Mark Emalfarb. ‘Abengoa has produced these enzymes at commercial scale and has successfully used them in its demonstration plant in Salamanca, Spain to produce cellulosic ethanol.’

In addition, Dyadic is entitled to receive royalties on the commercial production and use by Abengoa, its affiliates and third party sublicensees, as well as royalty fees on the sale of products by Abengoa and its affiliates. Abengoa will have the right to work with third party sublicensees to further develop C1 enzymes. All other terms of the amended and non-exclusive license agreement remain confidential. l

Bioenergy Insight

technology news Bioenergy

Pöyry awarded services contract for Brazilian pulp mill

Imperative Energy to relocate following investment Biomass heat and power solutions provider Imperative Energy is relocating its headquarters after completing its latest round of fundraising.

The company received investment from The North West Fund for Energy and Environmental (NWF4EE) and the Environmental Infrastructure Development Company (EIDC) and will move the headquarters of its operations to an existing site at Sandbach, Cheshire following the investment.

NWF4EE will take a minority stake in Imperative Energy in order to support its ongoing growth and development. Established industry player EIDC is investing alongside NWF4EE and will play a key role

in supporting the team in the delivery and financing of projects.

Imperative Energy expects to grow significantly due to the Renewable Heat Incentive and the Renewable Obligation Act, and is planning an investment of over £200 million (€248 million) in a number of biomass heat and CHP plants that will be built throughout the region over the coming years.

With this predicted expansion will come the recruitment of 30 new staff.

The NWF4EE is managed by CT Investment Partners and is part of the £185 million North West Fund, which is provided jointly by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and European Regional Development Agency.

Ed Simpson, investment director from CT Investment Partners and Peter Bachmann, partner, from EIDC have been appointed to the board of the company with immediate effect. l

In Parana, Brazil, Klabin S.A. is building a 1.5 million tonne a year pulp mill, start-up of which is planned for the third quarter of 2014.

Pöyry’s Industry Business Group will build the plant after Klabin awarded it a services contract for environmental study, and basic and detailed engineering for site infrastructure.

The order has been booked into the first quarter 2012 order stock but the value of the assignment has not been disclosed.

The concept of the mill is based on the use of the best available technologies and the best environmental practices.

Pöyry also conducted the conceptual and pre-feasibility studies for the project. l

Mobile chippers and shredders JENZ Chippertruck HEM 582 R

Made in Germany

www.jenz.de

IN D E

E

YE

Biomass Processor BA 965 DXL B Bi

D!

BI

S?

Manufacturers of heavy duty mobile machinery. Custom build too individual ind specications. Quality A OM S machines with excellent service support all over the world.

S

more efciency

mehr Wirtschaft Wirtschaftlichkeit tlichkeit

lesss wear

weniger Verschl schle leiss

less energy y use

wen niger Enerrgiev g verbraucch

JENZ GmbH Maschinen- und Fahrzeugbau, Germany

Wegholmer Strasse 14, 32469 Petershagen, +49 5704 94090 info@jenz.de 135x190mm JENZ.indd 2

Bioenergy Insight

03.04.2012 17:12:39

June 2012 • 33

Haigh renews environmental compliance

• French leader for complete pelleting line solutions.

• More than 200 pellet mills sold.

As part of an ongoing environmental improvement process, UK-based maceration, screening and separation systems specialist Haigh Engineering has completed a 3 year programme of investing in more fuel efficient vehicles With a fleet comprising 20 vans and cars, this initiative has resulted in a 7% improvement in efficiency, with additional improvements also brought about by improved route and job-planning software.

Following a recent visit from certification organisation SGS Haigh Engineering has renewed its compliance to the Environmental Management Systems ISO 14001, with zero non-conformities.

Moving forward, the company has plans to further improve efficiencies in the area of

logistics with a programme to reduce the average CO2 emissions from their car fleet.

A target of 113 g/km has been set which will deliver increased environmental benefits and work towards the continued reduction of the company carbon footprint.

Haigh will be exhibiting again this year at the UK’s ADBA exhibition and displaying an example of its efficient and low maintenance pipeliner macerator.

Ideally suited to achieving the optimum particle size required for increased efficiency on anaerobic digestion plants, it is also used extensively on waste water and sludge treatment plants.

In addition, Haigh will be showcasing its liquid separator ‘LISEP’ combined separator/ dewatering/compacting station.

The Lisep is used to separate packaging from food when used in the pre-treatment prior to the digester and can also be used to separate the solids and liquids in the digestate after the digester. l

NTE Energy awarded patent for biomass hybrid technology The US Patent and Trademark Office has awarded NTE Energy a patent for its proprietary biomass hybrid renewable energy technology.

This newly patented technology allows the simultaneous operation of a biomass energy cycle in unison with a traditional power plant.

It integrates biomass and steam electric power, forming a single hybrid power facility that will offer shared equipment for both means of generation, thus providing significant capital cost savings.

Furthermore, the technology can be integrated into nearly any already-existing power plant that has excess steam turbine capacity.

NTE Energy is to construct and develop new hybrid power generation facilities throughout the US. Locations of projects already underway include Florida, Virginia and North Carolina.

As an alternative, NTE Energy will license the technology to other parties, including independently owned hybrid renewable energy facilities. l

34 • June 2012

ROMILL - ANNONCE 01 - 13-01-10.indd 1

Bioenergy Insight 13/01/10 15:22

incident report Bioenergy A summary of the recent major explosions, fires and leaks in the bioenergy industry Date

Location

Company

Incident information

27/05/12

Pilning, South Gloucestershire, UK

XP Wood Recycling

A fire at XP’s timber yard has destroyed an estimated 250-300 tonnes of wood and timber.

The material had been stacked in a 15ft high pile for recycling into pellets and chips that would have been fired to generate renewable energy.

Twenty five firefighters from Avon Fire and Rescue Service responded to the blaze, the cause of which is currently being investigated.

23/05/12 Jaffrey, New Hampshire, US

New England Wood Pellet

It is thought that a mechanical failure is to blame for a fire at New England Wood Pellet’s plant.

The fire, which is the second incident to occur at the facility in less than a month, was reported at 8am.

Fire crews managed to contain the blaze within a sawdust dryer and no injuries were reported.

Damp sawdust is sent to the sawdust dryer for moisture extraction before being processed into wood pellets.

16/05/12

East Coast Terminal Co.

Savannah, Georgia, US

11/05/12

Amanger, Copenhagen, Denmark

Amanger Power Station

02/05/12

Jackson County, Florida, US

Port of Panama City and Green Circle Bio Energy

10/04/12

North Portland, Oregon, US

Bioenergy Insight

Columbia Grain

A fire started at the terminal during the transfer of woodchips from a delivery truck to a conveyor system.

The blaze was extinguished within around 45 minutes but Savannah Fire and Emergency Services remained on the scene for hours afterwards to ensure a second fire did not break out.

The fire burnt at two points on the conveyor as well as in the electrical facility.

There were no injuries and the cause has not yet been found.

An explosion and fire in a wood pellet storage silo has injured three people.

The old silo was due to be demolished but a complication led to the accident at 8.30am.

The exact cause is under investigation.

Wood pellet manufacturer Green Circle Bio Energy was forced to temporarily close its plant in Jackson County after a fire broke out at the Port of Panama City shipping harbour.

It is thought a build up of dust from storing the wood pellets caused the fire.

The blaze was reported at 7.15am and was still burning the next morning. No one was hurt.

Portland Fire and Rescue was called to Columbia Grain’s site after one of its 30 grain elevators caught fire.

The rescue team arrived at around 11.15am to find smoke coming from the 135ft tall silo.

The blaze’s cause had not been identified when Bioenergy Insight went to print.

No one was injured in the incident.

June 2012 • 35

Bioenergy green pages

Phone manufacturer makes biogas When we think of companies adopting renewable power, we think of utilities and energy-intensive industries.

However, one company who has been powering its operations with green energy since 2006 but is still ‘encountering the challenge of slower development’ has taken matters into its own hands.

Mobile phone manufacturer Nokia has established a couple of plants to produce its own generating power. The company has installed a biogas plant at its India-based factory in Chennai, and fuel cells at its facility in Sunnyvale, US. The factory in India was fitted with an anaerobic digestion plant in July last year, using food waste to produce biogas. Nokia collects this waste from companies situated within the Chennai

Mobile phone company Nokia turns to biogas to produce its own generating capacity

Business Park and uses it to heat water its main kitchen. This biogas contribution helps offset around 5% of the fossil fuel liquified petroleum gas (LPG).

And at its Sunnyvale office in California, Nokia’s fuel cells have also helped the company slash its CO2 emissions by 87% — 80 tonnes of carbon dioxide a month.

Around 193GWh of all Nokia’s energy was derived from renewable materials last year, that is 40% of its total consumption. This reduced CO2 emissions by 54,500 tonnes.

Nokia says: ‘Our operations do have an environmental impact through energy consumption and the resulting emissions.

We need to decouple the growth of our business from the many ways we consume energy in our operations.’

Last year Nokia occupied in excess of 550 facilities, 10 of which were production factories and 43 were Nokia and Vertu retail shops. As the report says: ‘As about 20% of these buildings result in 90% of the total environmental impact, these sites are where we focus on improving our performance.’ l

Biomass increases risk of depression Slowing the diminishment of our fossil fuel supplies and slashing harmful CO2 emissions can’t be that depressing, can it? A new study suggests it could be.

Scientists at the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI) in Kolkata, West Bengal state have found that women who cook with biomass, including wood, dung cakes and crop residues, for five to six hours every day are at a greater risk of depression.

A group of 952 women aged between 25-46 who cooked their food using a biomass stove were compared to 804 women who burned LPG while cooking.

It was found that those who cooked with biomass were more likely to suffer from depression.

The women’s level of depression was determined with a questionnaire and samples of the polluting emissions given off when biomass is burnt were taken.

36 • June 2012

The women were also subjected to a blood test, allowing the scientists to the measure their serotonin levels (a chemical associated with depression).

According to the published report, over 44% of females who utilised biomass materials during cooking displayed characteristics associated with mild or severe

depression, compared to less than 21% of the women who cooked with LPG. Manas Ranjan Ray, lead author of the study, offers some advice. He says ventilation would reduce the risks, which are more prevalent with indoor biomass stoves than those outside.

Smoke created from the

burning of biomass contains a number of pollutants that are detrimental to our health. These include fine and ultra-fine particles, and chemicals that have been linked to cancer.

According to Ray, inhaling biomass smoke is as bad as smoking two packets of cigarettes every day. l

Indoor biomass stoves are more harmful than those located outside

Bioenergy Insight

regulations Bioenergy

Long awaited draft Energy Bill prompts scepticism

T

he draft UK Energy Bill that was eagerly anticipated by the renewable energy industry, and delivered by energy secretary Ed Davey in May, has not won many producers and suppliers over with its vision for the future.

The bill was designed to encourage major investment in cleaner energy generation and outlines long-term contracts in both nuclear and renewable sectors, as well as reducing the UK’s reliance on imported gas. Low-carbon generators, including nuclear companies, will receive a fixed price for their energy, called a ‘contract of difference’ (CoD) that should be higher than what they could sell for on the open market, thus creating a ‘capacity market’.

But the pre-legislative draft bill seems to lean in favour of nuclear power as the main flag bearer in the fight to boost the UK’s clean energy production to help hit its target of reducing CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050. Many green groups and renewable energy companies have accused ministers of going back on promises made not to subsidise nuclear power because the CoD will favour that industry.

With a number of ageing coal and nuclear plants to come out of service by 2020, future investment in the remaining nuclear facilities is apparent but Davey was quoted as saying that ‘there will be no blank cheque for nuclear — projects will need to be price competitive’.

But where does that leave renewable and low-carbon energy alternatives? Director of the Combined Heat and Power Association Graham Meeks

Bioenergy Insight

seems to think the short-term future has been overlooked.

‘The bill may be an important step in securing investments for low-carbon power generation in the 2020s and 2030s, but may do little or nothing to address the energy challenges we face in this decade ahead of us,’ he says.

Another supposed downside of the bill is that consumers could end up with higher energy bills over the next few years, but Davey firmly believes bills would rise even more without the proposed contracts.

‘It is true that consumers are facing the prospect of rising energy costs as old power stations close, but the reality is that the market is facing a hiatus in investment in new power generation,’ adds Meeks. ‘To tackle this problem we need simple measures that will drive investment in proven and reliable carbon-savings technologies such as renewables, gas with combined heat and power, and straightforward energy efficiency.’

The UK also recently dropped out of the top five of 40 countries listed in global accounting company Ernst and Young’s second quarter report on investable countries for renewable energy. This has been attributed to fears that the UK will turn to gas-fired power stations to deal with energy concerns rather than renewable sources.

Many reports suggest the UK’s demand for electricity will have doubled by 2050 and the 80% less carbon emissions regulation is required to have been fulfilled. So are the higher consumer bills a natural by-product as the energy industry currently

Ernst and Young’s ‘All Renewables Index’ current top 10 (based on attractiveness to investors)

1 China 2 US 3 Germany 4 India 5 Italy 6 UK 7 France 8 Canada 9 Brazil 10 Japan

strives towards its goals?

‘We were surprised that no reference was made to future demand in the minister’s announcement,’ says Robert Sansom, member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology. ‘Support for low carbon generation will inevitably result in higher prices for consumers. These increases can be offset by improvements in energy efficiency however, thereby reducing energy consumption which is also better for the environment.’

And The Guardian reported at the end of May that two large overseas investors in the UK energy market have joined in with their views on this new bill. Both Norwaybased Statkraft and Germany’s E.ON cited ‘uncertainty’ and ‘broken key European carbon reduction initiatives’ as reasons why new plants and investment will not be forthcoming.

It is that word uncertainty that climate change and corporate finance lawyer at Bird and Bird’s Energy and Utilities, Matt Bonass, picks up on.

‘Although the bill is only presented for pre-legislative

scrutiny at this stage, it will do little to provide investors with the certainty they are looking for’, he explains. ‘While the draft bill does set out the broad themes of electricity market reform, the devil remains in the detail and there is still considerable uncertainty as to the final form of any secondary legislation, for example on CoDs and the capacity market.’

Bonass cites other UK renewable energy policies, such as the small-scale Feedin-Tariffs and the Renewable Heat Incentive, have seen long lead times between initial enactment of primary legislation and the introduction of secondary ones, so uncertainty is likely to be on the menu for some time yet.

‘Some may accuse the government of further muddying the waters as we are in the middle of a consultation on the banding of Renewable Obligations Certificates,’ he adds. ‘There is also the introduction of so-called ‘investment instruments’, quasi CoDs which come with no guarantee of becoming the real thing. Finally, the government will be authorised to scrap the Renewable Obligations regime entirely and replace it with a Certificate Purchase Obligation regime.

‘In short, the great enemy of investment is uncertainty and there remains much of that in the bill.’

One train of thought that everyone involved on any level with the renewable energy industry seemed to agree on, however, was that the publication of the bill was most welcome, as it gives everyone a focus of what will be formally presented to parliament in the future. l

June 2012 • 37

Bioenergy regulations Many of the US’ leading policy makers, regulators, environmentalists and university scientists seem to have lost sight of what is driving renewable energy development today

Whatever happened to common sense?

A

ccording to the Commerce Department, the US’ petroleum-related trade deficit for 2011 amounted to $265 billion (€212 billion), and it is costing another $84 billion for the US military to keep the nation’s petroleum transit routes open, not counting what it has been spending in recent years to support its forces in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.

Renewable energy is no longer an alternative. It is the key to energy independence, national security and the fundamental soundness of the American economy.

This should be enough to unite industry, government, the environmental community and even those who produce fossil fuels in a single cause.

But here is what has happened since late last year: In 2011, Congress allowed the $1 per gallon biodiesel blender’s credit, the Section 1603 cash grant and US DoE loan guarantee programmes to expire — and as of this writing, Congress has not yet reached agreement on the level of funding for the USDA Section 9003 loan guarantee programme. Before they ended, Section 1603 grants helped to facilitate more than 4,250 renewable energy projects.

Congress also eliminated the $0.45 per gallon ethanol blender’s credit, no great loss because its primary beneficiary was Big Oil. The reasoning: first generation ethanol is maturing.

There are now more than 200 corn-based ethanol plants in operation across 24 different states. The nation produced

38 • June 2012

13.9 billion gallons of ethanol in 2011, helping to reduce its need for imported oil by 485 million barrels — petroleum imports that would have cost the nation $49.7 billion.

Ethanol is now found in 97% of the petrol sold in the US. However, that has nothing to do with the nation’s mandate to produce 21 billion gallons of advanced non-food derived biofuels by 2022. The historical purpose of tax incentives has been to assist emerging industries, and although they are gaining momentum, second and third generation biofuel and

its mandate to produce 21 billion gallons of advanced, non-food derived biofuels.

One wonders if all of this is because the oil and gas industry spent $146 million on lobbying in 2011 — more than a quarter of a million dollars for every member of Congress, although, in reality, those Senators who voted to preserve Big Oil’s tax breaks received four times as much as those who voted to end them.

And now, it is possible that the crucial Producers Tax Credit will be allowed to expire, and there are voices in Congress claiming that the US

The oil and gas industry spent $146 million on lobbying in 2011

to take place during the coming year, and it is one that the industry cannot afford to lose, because advanced non-food derived biofuels represent one of the nation’s most productive pathways to energy independence.

Every year, this nation produces at least 1.5 billion tonnes of carbon-based waste. The Argonne National Laboratory has projected the potential for the production of ethanol from all available organic waste resources nationally to be 100 billion gallons — more than enough to eliminate the US’ need to import petroleum without impacting the environment or that of its neighbors in Canada.

What about the oil sands?

biobased chemical technologies are still in their infancy.

Following this line of Congressional reasoning, one might come to the conclusion that Big Oil is also mature. The five major companies have made something approaching $1 trillion in profits over the past 10 years, and yet, the oil, gas and coal industries are expected to receive $113 billion worth of government support over the next decade.

And yet, the Republicans in Congress refuse to remove a single dollar of these tax breaks, while systematically stripping emerging second and third generation biobased technologies of the financial assistance they need to cross the valley of death from pilot to commercialisation, thereby delaying that day when the industry will meet

is approaching energy selfsufficiency through fossil fuels and that it should do away with its commitment to the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS).

Led by Senators Inhofe and Coons, a committee comprised of staff members for at least eight US Senators is embarking upon a seed-towheel examination of the RFS. Imhoff has said publicly that his goal for this study is to do away with the mandate.

Related to this are ongoing attempts to delay the introduction of E15 and the infrastructure for E85 blending pumps. As a result, the US exported 1.1 billion gallons of ethanol last year, rather than consuming it domestically.

Federal procrastination has driven the industry right into the 10% blend wall.

A major battle is destined

The exploitation of Alberta’s oil sands has been called the most destructive project on earth.

At least 90% of the fresh water used in the oil sands ends up in tailing ponds that are among the largest man-made structures in the world. They span 50 km2, can be seen from space and are so toxic that they have to use propane cannons to keep ducks from landing.

Rather than aggressively supporting the development of waste-to-clean energy in the US, Republicans in Congress press for the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline through the heart of the US to Houston, where Canada’s oil sands, said to be the dirtiest oil on earth, can make use of this nation’s refining capacity, and then — in the opinion of many –export the refined products tax-free from

Bioenergy Insight

regulations Bioenergy Houston to foreign countries.

The Chinese have made massive investments in Canadian oil sands development. Is their goal really to enhance the consumption of refined oil sands products in the US? Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat, introduced an amendment that would bar the export of Canadian crude oil or products refined from Canadian crude oil unless the President issues a waiver.

It was dead on arrival.

Why is Canada pushing for the Keystone XL pipeline? Certainly to take advantage of the US’s refining resources, but also because there is passionate opposition in Canada to its proposed Northern Gateway Pipeline, which would transport oil sands through the pristine beauty of British Columbia to the west coast for direct shipment to the Far East.

President Obama has now authorised the construction of the first section of the Keystone XL pipeline. Advanced non-food derived biofuels technologies will be an accomplished fact by the time it is completed. One of the greatest threats of this pipeline is that its construction will undermine the US’s sense of urgency to transition to a non-fossil fuel economy.

Quibbles over renewable policy These newly emerging thermochemical technologies represent perhaps the cleanest pathway for the disposal of waste and the production of energy on the planet.

Yet, environmentalists and regulators in the US quibble over whether post-recycled municipal solid waste should qualify as a feedstock for renewable energy, because it might contain a miniscule percentage of fossil fuel-derived products like diapers or plastic bags, or it might compete with current recycling programmes.

However, the Republicans are not alone in their myopic view of renewable energy policy and its impact on national security.

In California, with virtually

Bioenergy Insight

unanimous support from the environmental community, Democrats who control the legislature’s environmental committees, for seven years, have blocked corrective legislation that would enable the efficient use of organic wastes as feedstocks for the production of biofuels, biobased chemicals or electricity.

California statute has a scientifically inaccurate definition of gasification that requires zero emissions from the entire biorefining process, a physical impossibility and a standard that would shut down every power plant and petroleum refinery in the state.

Today, other than gasification, all conversion technologies, including low temperature, acid or enzymatic, biochemical or mechanical processes, are categorised as ‘transformation,’ equating them with incineration and subjecting them a more rigorous, time-consuming and uncertain permitting pathway than is required to site a major solid waste landfill.

As a result of California’s biobased technology developers have now located, or have moved to other states, conversion technology projects representing capital expenditures approaching $1 billion, depriving the state of economic growth, jobs and one of its most practical pathways to energy independence.

In 2010, Democrats on the Senate Environmental Quality Committee blocked a comprehensive package of corrective legislation-ignoring, literally sweeping aside, endorsements from more than 100 stakeholders statewide, including a joint letter from the California Energy Commission, the Air Resources Board and CalRecycle (the former Waste Board).

Earlier that year, Plasco Energy Group, a Canadian company, had won a two-year competition to construct a solid waste gasification-toelectricity facility at a landfill owned by the Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority.

In November, frustrated by the legislature’s inaction, CalRecycle issued a formal ruling that Plasco could meet the intent of the existing gasification definition. This ruling had the effect of qualifying the electricity to be produced by Plasco for California’s RPS, and enabling the Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority to obtain landfill reduction credit for the solid wastes it would provide as feedstocks for the project.

Legally, there could have been no other interpretation, because legislatures cannot pass laws with which no one can comply. CalRecycle rightly interpreted ‘zero emissions’ to mean no emissions above the local standards that apply to all businesses in the state, including oil refineries and power plants.

In March 2011, the office of the President Pro Tem of the State Senate demanded that CalRecycle rescind the ruling, a direct slap at the renewable energy industry, sending a message that these new technologies were not welcome in the state.

For more than a year, CalRecycle held firm, but then, in late May of this year, under what is widely believed to be continuing pressure from the President Pro Tem’s office, the agency rescinded the ruling, in effect, undermining the economic viability of Plasco’s project, and the trust that private companies and local governmental agencies should be able to place in the actions of state government.

The rescission notice created a firestorm of protest from the jurisdictions and biobased technology providers who seek to make productive use of the 30 million tonnes of postrecycled municipal solid waste that California places in landfills each year. The organic materials in this waste stream contain the energy equivalent of more than 50 million barrels of crude oil.

As a result, the Governor’s office has now offered to support legislation that would classify Plasco’s commercial scale facility in Salinas Valley

as a ‘pilot’ project that would qualify for the state’s RPS. There is no certainty, however, that if Plasco continues in good faith to invest in the Salinas permitting process, the ‘exception’ for their project will actually pass — and no matter what, all other thermal-based alternative energy companies will remain out in the cold until these issues are resolved, a process that could take at least another two years.

In this regard, CalRecycle has now begun seeking input on a new regulatory path that would establish feedstock performance standards that could eventually replace the inaccurate gasification definition and other repressive provisions in statute.

It is a process fraught with risk for biobased technology companies, as it is destined to give priority to the recycling of products, such as paper or plastics, over the recycling of carbon, i.e., ignoring the concept of the highest and best use of organic wastes, and restricting conversion technologies to primarily inorganic materials that are of limited value to the industry.

It will not likely address what has been the basic issue of this controversy from the beginning — equal access to California’s waste streams in a free market economy.

Gathering speed But elsewhere across North America, there is major progress, and the wasteto-clean energy industry is gaining momentum.

In states like Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida, and in Canada, major conversion technology projects are either under construction or nearing construction.

The Indian River BioEnergy Center of INEOS Bio has completed construction and has begun commissioning in Vero Beach, Florida. It will produce 8 million gallons of ethanol and 6.3MW of power from 300 tonnes per day of organic wastes.

June 2012 • 39

Bioenergy regulations Senator Jeff Bingaman has introduced a bill that would create a federal clean energy standard. The Clean Energy Standard Act of 2012 would increase the amount of lowcarbon power produced in the US to 80% by 2035, while providing the policy certainty that is essential to growing the clean energy economy.

The State of New York has long had in place a flexible regulatory framework based on standards of performance. Its statute reads: ‘When granting a beneficial use determination, the department shall determine, on a case-by-case basis, the precise point at which the solid waste under review ceases to be solid waste. Unless otherwise determined for the particular solid waste under review, that point occurs when it is used in a manufacturing process to make a product or used as an effective substitute for a

commercial product or used as a fuel for energy recovery.’

Attempts are now being made to undermine this policy and it, too, needs to be protected.

In a process that should be copied all across the country, the State of Oregon is moving to adopt standards of performance and solid waste permit requirements for conversion technology facilities.

Oregon’s Department of Environmental Quality program coordinator Bob Burrows provided a clear guideline for these proceedings when he wrote: ‘The term ‘conversion technology’ encompasses a broad range of technologies that are used to convert solid waste into useful products, chemicals and fuels. Conversion technology facilities represent the next evolutionary step of solid waste material recovery systems, diverting organic (carbon containing) solid wastes

from the traditional disposal activities of land filling and MSW combustion. Direct combustion of solid waste, utilising the heat to create electricity (sometimes called waste-toenergy) is not considered a conversion technology.’

This transparent process has broad stakeholder participation. If adopted, these new regulations will assure environmental protection, regulatory clarity, establish an appropriate fee schedule for this new permit category and provide regulatory certainty for emerging technology providers.

One could go on, but this is the view from the top of the mountain: There is a new form of recycling emerging that, as a national priority, supersedes anything that has ever been done with organic residuals before — and that is energy recovery — the pursuit of

energy independence and a cleaner environment through the recycling of carbon. It is going to change the face of the waste industry, and how we think about recycling, well before the end of this decade.

Back in 1776, in his introduction to ‘Common Sense,’ Thomas Paine said, ‘Time makes more converts than reason.” Let us hope that, where renewable energy policy is concerned, common sense in will prevail within a very short time.

Let us hope that, where advanced biofuels are concerned, reason will prevail within a very short time. l For more information:

This article was written by Jim Stewart, a strategic consultant to the Alternative Energy Practice of Stern Brothers & Co., investment banking, and a Principal in Sustainable Earth Partners, a wasteto-renewable energy consulting and project development firm. He serves as Chairman of the Board of California’s BioEnergy Producers Association. www.bioenergyproducers.org.

SMi present their 5th annual conference…

Energy From Waste 2012 Monday 17th & Tuesday 18th September 2012 Copthorne Tara Hotel, London

PLUS TWO INTERACTIVE POST-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS

CONFIRMED SPEAKERS INCLUDE: • Ian Benson, Commissioner for the Sustainable County, Staffordshire County Council • Joel Hull, Project Director, Residual Waste Service, Norfolk County Council • Andrew Pau, Head of Waste Management, Oxfordshire County Council • David Taylor, Director of Contract Services, Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority • Paul Carey, Managing Director, MVV Environment Ltd • Peter Conway, Director, Gaia Power • John Enright, Project Director - Waste Programme Lead for Joint Working, Local Partnerships • Dr Geraint Evans, Head of Biofuels and Bioenergy, NNFCC

Wednesday 19th September 2012 Copthorne Tara Hotel, London

A: Energy from Waste Project and Technology Optimisation

Paul Darley, Managing Director, Darley & Associates 8.30am – 1.00pm

B: Making Energy from Waste Work District Heating, Gas to Grid & Small Scale Efw Peter McKendry, Principal, SLR Consulting LTD 8.30am – 1.00pm

Visit our website here:

www.smi-online.co.uk/2012energy-waste15.asp Register online and receive full information on all of SMi’s conferences Alternatively contact us on +44 (0) 870 9090 711 40 • June 2012

Bioenergy Insight

standards Bioenergy

Densified fuel standards continue to progress

I

n 2009, the US EPA announced that for the first time in 20 years it would be updating its New Source Performance Standard for Residential Wood Heaters (NSPS). The NSPS has traditionally governed emissions from wood stoves.

It is anticipated that a revised NSPS would include all wood-burning appliances, including pellet stoves.

The revision of the NSPS suggests that the EPA has acknowledged the evolution of the woodburning appliance industry, taking into consideration advances in technology and the diversity of appliances available in the marketplace.

While EPA’s timeline has been in flux since the announcement of these revisions, a draft of the rule is expected to be released later this year.

It is anticipated that revisions will include a requirement that pellet burning appliances be tested with pellets that have been graded by a third party standardisation programme. Not seeking to create its own standard, EPA called on the Pellet Fuels Institute (PFI) to bolster its standards programme so that it could be the standard of reference in the NSPS. History of pellet industry standards Nearly 20 years ago, PFI developed a standard for the industry to address concerns regarding uniformity and consistency of pellets. Over the years the industry has honed this standard. In 2005, PFI’s Standards Committee, a

Bioenergy Insight

group of volunteers from pellet and equipment manufacturing businesses, made an extensive review of the standard, taking into consideration the improvements in the technology of pellet-burning appliances, and submitting the revisions to industry members for comment.

Revisions to the programme included: tightening the specifications for each of the four grades of pellet identified by the industry at that time — Super-Premium, Premium, Standard and Utility; defining test methods more succinctly; establishing a quality assurance and quality control programme; and creating a label for bags of pellets that identifies the fuel grade and its specifications.

As it had been previously, the programme remained voluntary.

The programme revisions were met with support from the industry and in July 2008 PFI membership adopted the changes. Programme implementation began in 2009.

US EPA recommendations In order for the EPA to include PFI’s standard in the NSPS it outlined specific changes that would be necessary.

PFI leadership considered these recommendations and determined that the association would modify its programme for EPA acceptance while maintaining the programme’s foundation, which was developed and supported by the industry.

Through its development, the programme would come to be governed by three primary documents, one of which was a key component of

PFI Densified Fuel Grade: Premium Mill Registration # 1234 Grade Requirements:

Bulk Density: Diameter: Durability: Fines: Ash Content (as received): Length: Moisture: Chlorides:

40–46 lbs/ft³ .230–.285 in/5.84–7.25 mm ≥96.5 ≤0.50% ≤1% ≤1% >1.5 in. ≤8.0% ≤300 ppm

Manufacturers Guaranteed Analysis: Softwood Fiber Type of Material: Additives: 2% Corn Oil by Weight Minimum Higher Heating Value (as received): 8,000 BTU Other Manufacturers Guarantees:

Approved Auditing Agency Logo Displayed Here

©

For more information, please visit the PFI website at www.pelletheat.org.

PFI Quality mark: The PFI quality mark will be found on bags of fuel produced by companies enrolled in the PFI Standards Programme

the previous programme: the PFI Standard Specification.

The standard specification outlines the grade method requirements for densified fuels registered in the programme. The final two documents include the Pellet Fuels Institute Residential/ Commercial Densified Fuel QA/ QC Handbook, which provides quality control and quality assurance procedures for the production of residential/ commercial densified fuels, and the American Lumber

Standard Incorporated, Residential/Commercial Densified Fuel Enforcement Regulations, which outlines the roles and responsibilities of each of the programme’s participating bodies.

Third party verification One of EPA’s primary concerns with PFI’s programme was that it lacked an enforcement mechanism such as a third party certification process.

A voluntary programme had

June 2012 • 41

Bioenergy standards Fuel proper ty Normative information — mandatory Bulk Density, lb./cubic foot Diameter, inches Diam eter, m m

Residential/commercial densified fuel standards See notes 1-3 PF I p remium PF I s tandard P F I u tility 40.0 - 46.0

38.0 - 46.0

38.0 - 46.0

0.230 - 0.285 5 .8 4 - 7 .25

0.230 - 0.285 5 .8 4 - 7 .2 5

0.230 - 0.285 5 .84 - 7 .25

Pellet durability index

≥ 96.5

≥ 95.0

≥ 95.0

Fines, % (at the mill gate)

≤ 0.50

≤ 1.0

≤ 1.0

Inorganic Ash, %

≤ 1.0

≤ 2.0

≤ 6.0

Length, % greater than 1.50 inches

≤ 1.0

≤ 1.0

≤ 1.0

Moisture, %

≤ 8.0

≤ 10.0

≤ 10.0

Chloride, ppm

≤ 300

≤ 300

≤ 300

H eating v alue

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

NA

Informative only — not mandatory Ash fusion

PFI Standard Specification: The standard specification outlines the parameters that must be met for fuel to qualify as Premium, Standard and Utility grade

been in place for a number of years, but was largely unenforceable. The programme needed some ‘teeth’.

It was determined that PFI would continue to maintain the standard specification but look outside of the association for an entity to oversee the programme and enforce its parameters.

In 2011, PFI and the American Lumber Standard Committee (ALSC) signed an agreement for ALSC to serve as the programme’s Accreditation Body. ALSC was a strong candidate for this role, having overseen the standardisation and accreditation for the softwood lumber industry since the 1950s, as well as other prominent programmes.

Over the last year, ALSC and PFI have worked in tandem to craft a third party accreditation programme with traditional checks and balances that are typical for a programme of this type. As the programme’s accreditation body, ALSC’s responsibilities include oversight of auditing agencies and laboratories, which do the bulk of the field work for the programme, and must apply and be accepted by ALSC to participate in the programme.

Auditing agencies have three main roles, including providing confirmation that densified fuel producers implement quality assurance/quality

42 • June 2012

control procedures as well as a written quality management system. They also perform audits of the densified fuel manufacturing facilities.

Accredited laboratories (labs) test the fuel in accordance with the specifications outlined in the programme documents and are used by auditing agencies to analyse samples collected during audits.

ALSC’s Board of Review meets quarterly to consider applications submitted by companies seeking programme accreditation as auditing agencies and/or labs. Since January, ALSC has accredited 12 auditing agencies and four labs.

Industry commitment Throughout the history of the industry’s standards programme, PFI has sought guidance from fuel manufacturers on the standard specification, specifically the parameters to which pellets should be tested, as well as the structure of the programme. Consideration of feedstock access by region, changes in the technology of pellet burning appliances and the need to provide more accurate information about the products to the end-user have been at the forefront of the programme’s continued honing.

Since its announcement that it intended to select the PFI

standard for the NSPS, EPA has sought assurance that the densified biomass industry was committed to the development and success of the standards programme. To help illustrate that commitment, in 2010 PFI developed a Standards Pledge that, by signing, densified biomass manufacturers’ could indicate their support of the PFI Standards Programme and their intent to participate when enrolment commenced.

Now, with the accreditation of auditing agencies and labs, fuel manufacturers have the opportunity to stand behind their pledge by enrolling in the programme. Auditing agencies have begun working with fuel manufacturers in the development of their QA/ QC programmes and general operations procedures.

When auditing agencies

determine that a suitable QA/QC programme is in place, the manufacturer may enroll in the programme.

Once enroled, manufacturers will be subject to audits every 1,000 tonnes and must maintain their own testing operations as well. The results of these audits will be outlined on a quality mark that participants in the programme are required to display on their bags in the marketplace.

Transparency will be at the forefront, as consumers who purchase bags of fuel with the PFI quality mark can be assured that the pellets contained in the bag match what is outlined on the quality mark. l

For more information:

This article was written by Jennifer Hedrick, executive director at the Pellet Fuels Institute, pelletheat.org

PFI standards programme: accredited companies The Board of Review of the American Lumber Standard Committee has accredited the following 12 companies to serve as auditing agencies under the PFI standards programme: Alberta Forest Products Association, Edmonton, AB Canada 1-780-392-0758 Canadian Mill Services Association, New Westminster, BC, Canada 1-604-523-1288 Carolina Inspection Service, Monroe, NC 1-866-753-5738 Conway & Robison, Sharpsburg, GA 1-678-642-4036 Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association, Cumberland, ME 1-207-829-6901 PFS Corporation, Cottage Grove, WI 1-608-839-1372 Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau, Federal Way, WA 1- 253-835-3344 Package Research Laboratory, Rockaway, NJ 1-973-627-4405 Southern Pine Inspection Bureau, Pensacola, FL 1-850-434-5011 Timber Products Inspection, Conyers, GA 1-218-428-3583 West Coast Lumber Inspection Bureau, Portland, OR 1-503-639-0651 Western Wood Products Association, Portland, OR 1-503-224-3930 The Board of Review of the ALSC also has accredited three laboratories. Accredited testing laboratories perform analyses on densified fuel to the PFI standard.

Canadian Bioenergy Centre, Fredericton, NB Canada 1-506-453-4507 Timber Products Inspection, Conyers, GA 1-218-428-3583 Twin Ports Testing, Superior, WI 1-715-392-7114 University of Maine, Orono, ME 1-207-581-2841 Fuel manufacturers seeking to enrol in the standards programme should contact an accredited auditing agency for information on enrolment

Bioenergy Insight

regulations Bioenergy

New US bill set to help commercialise renewable chemicals

D

uring April US congressmen Bill Pascrell Junior and Brian Bilbray introduced a bipartisan bill called the Qualifying Renewable Chemical Production Tax Credit, designed to encourage job creation in the biotech sector by providing tax incentives for biotechnology companies that use renewable sources like soyabeans, algae, switchgrass and non-harvested wheat.

The legislation would establish a production tax credit of $0.15 (€0.12) per pound of eligible content of renewable chemicals produced during the taxable year and that the total amount of the credit that can be allocated under the initiative is $500 million.

The maximum amount of credit that can be allocated to any taxpayer for any taxable year under the programme is $25 million.

With support from the Biotechnology Industry Organisation (BIO), which has asked members to co-sponsor the bill, it is hoped that as a new legislation it would help accelerate commercialisation of renewable chemicals and bio-based products.

‘It will promote investment in domestic production of innovative renewable chemicals, pay strong dividends in revitalising the

Bioenergy Insight

manufacture of US chemicals, improve balance of trade and maintain our strong leadership in biomanufacturing,’ says Rina Singh, senior director of policy at BIO. ‘This bill could majorly help as the challenge of reducing its dependence on foreign oil and competing in a $2.4 trillion worldwide clean energy market is already buoyed by a number of companies implementing aggressive alternative energy development programmes,’ she adds.

According to a survey conducted by Iowa State last year, the US bio-based products industry now employs over 100,00 people, a huge jump from 5,700 counted by the US International Trade Commission in 2007. Analysis by the US Department of Agriculture believes, with proper government backing and a stable workforce behind it, the country could obtain a 20% share of the global market by 2025.

‘Congressman Pascrell is very excited about this bill,’ says his economic policy adviser Keith Castaldo. ‘Not only is he a big promoter of petroleum replacement but he wants to see domestic job creation through domestic production.’

Castaldo says the success of the supportive research and development tax credit

should cross over into supporting biotechnology companies on home soil.

‘It is fair to say that there are variable incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency both within the code, but they vary greatly because there is no common system. For example, do you measure by kilowatts-to-gallons produced or the type of energy used?

It needs reviewing and the most effective method to be figured out.’

At the time of writing Castaldo says there are currently no incentives in the tax code for renewable chemicals, so the proposed production tax credit would check that box and bring renewable chemicals up onto the same level as other industries.

Some people have raised concern that the bill’s bipartisan support does not necessarily serve as a guarantee that it will get passed through both Chambers of Commerce any easier, but Singh believes in its educational merit right now.

‘We’ll certainly use the bill’s introduction rather aggressively to educate the congressional offices and I believe it gives us a lot more credibility than we ever had before,’ she explains.

‘It is also going to educate other members into hopefully becoming co-sponsors.’

Pascrell himself has been

quoted that the opportunity this bill represents to support those companies who can manufacture the next generation of exports that can drive economic growth and job creation ‘has got to be our top priority’.

One of the pleasing aspects of this venture to Pascrell is the fact American biochemical companies want to make it in the US. He believes the tax incentives proposed in the bill would also help foster the private capital investments that will ‘make the US a more economically viable alternative for biochemical firms’, as well as investing in the country’s economic future.

‘By extending the tax credit, we are both incentivising innovation and following through on the promise of a domestic renewable fuel source. The benefits of which are good for the environment, curbing our dependence on foreign oil and creating jobs,’ Bilbray adds.

He is convinced about the seriousness of investment in alternative fuel as part of the US’ national energy strategy, particularly as the price of petrol continues to consume more and more of a typical US family’s income.

The bill would have a lifespan of five years if passed and, at time of writing, was currently referred to the House Committee of Ways and Means. l

June 2012 • 43

Bioenergy fractionation Biomass fractionation had a large part to play in the development of a new cellulose nanocrystal that could prove beneficial in many, many industrial applications

The crystal connection

by Keeley Downey

A greener way With so many uses, the race is on to be able to produce this cellulose-based product in commercial volumes.

The majority of companies and research institutes producing cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) today are active in the sulphonated CNC space — that is a way to extract cellulose from biomass (e.g. pulp, straw, hemp, flax) using a sulphuric acid-based hydrolysis route. This is a multi-phase process including separation, filtration and fractionation

44 • June 2012

Source: National Research Council of Canada

N

anocrystalline cellulose — the fundamental crystal structure contained within cellulose — has a number of characteristics which make it suitable for a vast range of uses within industrial applications.

It is very strong, making it ideal for material reinforcement in the construction and transportation industries, for example.

The optical properties of nanocrystalline cellulose enable it to refract and diffract light, appearing iridescent. This could appeal to security applications with helping to eliminate counterfeiting, for instance.

It is also being tested with electrical and magnetic applications which could prove advantageous within electronic memory cards, readers and other products.

And its interesting rheological properties mean it can alter the flow characteristics and viscosity of different materials, something which may be suitable to a whole array of different market applications.

BioVision is producing CNCs in the National Research Council of Canada’s pilot plant

using not-so-green, corrosive acids and generating toxic waste streams.

Nova Scotia, Canada-based BioVision Technology is also playing in the CNC field but is producing a carboxylated CNC called Nanocel rather than a sulphonated one. This means it uses an oxidation procedure rather than sulphuric acid.

Stephen Allen, BioVision’s chief technology officer, explains: ‘Acid hydrolysis is a route that many are deploying to produce a sulphonated CNCs. As we use an oxidation procedure, we produce a carboxylated CNC. These are different products; all are part of the CNC family but each one is different and has different properties.’

BioVision’s patented process oxidises the cellulose, leaving only the severe oxidation-

resistant crystalline regions in tact and carboxylated.

The non-crystalline parts of the cellulose become completely oxidised.

And with a green process comes a clean waste stream.

At the end of the reaction the liquid waste comprises only salts, carbonic acid and the spent reagent used to oxidise the material in the first place.

Advantages But being renewable is not the only advantage that Nanocel has going for it. As Allen highlights: ‘Green chemistry is not going to make anyone go to the bank and invest unless the technology works from a pure business point of view.’

The carboxylated structure is what makes Nanocel such a specialty CNC. This chemical

group allows the material to be functionalised for specific applications, something which is much more difficult to do with CNCs produced from acid hydrolysis.

The product is relatively uniform in size, being approximately 130x3nm (nanometers), which gives it a high aspect ratio (ratio between the length and width).

In addition, the product has good thermal stability and is sulphur-free. CNCs with inconsistent widths and lengths have slightly different chemicals and properties associated with them.

‘They might all be cellulose but they don’t all have the same properties,’ Allen says.

‘One may be stronger, another weaker; one may be flexible, another not so much. The more uniform the final product, the more sure customers can be of its actual characteristics.’

Where it all began ‘The two [steam fractionation and nanocellulose] don’t seem like they’re related and they only became related through a serendipitous pathway,’ Allen says.

BioVision was originally involved in steam-orientated biomass fractionation using its VLC fractionation reactor.

Later, the company set out to discover if speciality cellulose products could be produced from the cellulose stream that was created from its fractionation procedure. From this BioVision soon found that its steam fractionation pre-treatment process produced a good quality CNC. However, describing fractionation as a ‘dubious

Bioenergy Insight

fractionation Bioenergy technology’ that may perhaps ‘never succeed in a substantial commercial way,’ Allen says that BioVision then started to look for ways to produce its high quality CNCs without the need for fractionation technology.

‘Once we knew that we could make good quality CNCs through biomass that was derived from the pre-treatment of steam fractionation, the most logical question was can we do this without having to worry about steam fractionation? The answer was yes,’ he says.

BioVision then restructured itself internally and decided to focus on producing CNCs because ‘it is a much more credible business case and pathway to revenue stream and commercialisation than steam explosion’, Allen says. The company is still pursuing steam fractionation as an interesting activity but it is not a high priority.

So how is BioVision extracting the cellulose if it is no longer using fractionation?

The answer is it is using high-grade feedstocks only.

Allen explains: ‘Buying very high-grade pulp from pulp mills is one route that works well.

We can also make nanocellulose from straw, hemp or flax.

Using a higher grade cellulose starting material leaves us with a higher grade product of nanocellulose and that’s where the bulk of the value lies.’

Fuel vs. materials But while BioVision is dedicated to producing CNCs via an environmentally responsible pathway, it is not focused on using it to manufacture renewable fuels.

‘The world needs two things that petrochemicals provide for us. One is fuel and the other is material,’ explains Allen, ‘and you’re not going to have a sustainable solution for the future unless you can provide for both. Biofuels is a tricky game to get into on its own and there are a lot of subsidies that will have to be in place to make biofuels workable. For example, almost all of the ethanol produced in the US is still subsidised and we don’t think that is a very sound business case going forward. So those technologies have to improve substantially before they become really competitive against oil.

‘On the other hand,

bio-products are chemicals and we need chemicals for all kinds of materials. Producing a very high quality chemical that has good market applications won’t require subsidies. We felt that bio-products are a much more attractive route to get to the finish line than biofuels.’

Applications Nanocel is stronger than steel but more lightweight, and it is renewable and biodegradable.

Its interesting chemical and physical properties including electrical, surface, optical, barrier, rheological, magnetic and mechanical make it suitable for a number of industries such as aerospace and automotive, construction and coatings.

Future planning BioVision’s Montreal-based pilot plant went into operation in 2010 and has the capacity to produce two tonnes a year of Nanocel. However, the company is not making anywhere near this amount because ‘there is no need’, according to Allen. ‘It’s a material that we can make

plenty of. When a project begins to move at a good pace, we will ramp up production.’

And while the company does intend on building a demo-scale facility, it will not be building one in the near future. ‘We don’t have the intent to build it until we have solid market applications proven and off take agreements with end users.

Our market strategy is not “if you build it they will come”’, explains Allen. ‘Today we are active in the R&D sector, working on market applications and with industry partners.

However, Allen stresses that BioVision does not only want to ‘do’ R&D and his company is currently looking for interested parties either in the academic and/or corporate worlds who are interested to explore what Nanocel might bring to their existing products.

‘We want to go commercial with this’, Allen explains, adding that the company aims to have commercial volumes of its Nanocel ready for suitable markets within two years.

‘We will have an 18 to 24 month period of time where we will be ending up with those types of commercial contracts’, he says. l

Feature in the July/August issue of Bioenergy Insight magazine!

Topics covered include: • Chippers/shearing/splitting • Pellet mills/presses • Briquetting systems • Gasification/pyrolysis • Harvesting/logging • Bagging/packing • Feedstock focus: milling/logging/puling waste

Deadline for editorial and artwork: 6th August For advertising information and prices in North America contact Matt Weidner, +1 (0)215 962 0872, mtw@weidcom.com For the rest of the globe contact Sara Spivey, +44 (0)208 687 4130, sara@bioenergy-news.com For editorial suggestions contact margaret@bioenergy-news.com, +44 (0)208 687 4126

Bioenergy Insight

June 2012 • 45

Bioenergy bioenergy in Sweden Although Sweden is pushing for a consistent sustainability policy, the country’s association explains this must be introduced in a sensible and approachable manner

The pellet Motherland

S

weden has steadily increased its pellet production over the past few years.

The first pellet factory was built in the town of Mora in 1982, when demand was quite low.

The breakthrough in the market occurred nearly 10 years later when Stockholm city decided to convert one of its main power and heating plants, Hässelbyverket (today owned by the power company Fortum), from fossil fuels to renewable pellets.

Suddenly, the demand increased and several pellet factories were built along the Swedish east coast where much of the forest industry is situated.

Total production in 2011 reached almost 1.5 million tonnes. For a country of nine million inhabitants this is quite impressive.

Unlike many other producing countries, Sweden’s pellet production is mainly for domestic use. The raw material is mostly taken from the national sawmill industry.

Around 80 production units can be found today, in all parts of the country. Several large forest companies also produce pellets, like, for instance Södra, Stora Enso and SCA. There are also independent producers like Lantmännen, Neova, Rindi, Pemco and Laxå Pellets.

Sawmills, such as BooForssjöö and Derome, are also becoming pellet producers. Many heat and power producing companies also produce pellets or are about to start production, for instance Skellefteå

46 • June 2012

Kraft, Falu Energi and Vatten. There are also several small-scale, but yet very important, producers for local distribution.

Current market distribution In 1998 the Swedish pellet producer association PelletsFörbundet (PF), formally known as PiR, was founded by several pelletproducing companies.

Nearly 85% of the Swedish production was assembled

by PF members in 2011.

Total production in Sweden in 2011, (non-members included), reached about 1.5 million tonnes. Exports in 2011 reached around 150,000 tonnes, mainly to Denmark which is the biggest market besides the local one for the Swedish producers.

The Swedish pellet market is usually divided into three categories (installed capacity): • Residential: up to 100kW • Middle: 100 kW- 5MW • Large: 5MW or more The total demand differs

from one year to another due to the weather. For instance, the total market differed significantly between 2010 and 2011 decreasing from 2.2 million tonnes to approximately 1.8 million tonnes.

This decrease can mainly be explained by the unusually mild winter that hit Sweden last year. On average, the total demand is about 2 million tonnes. This demand can be divided as follows: • Residential: ~ 600,000 tonnes • Middle: ~ 500,000 tonnes • Large: ~ 500,000 tonnes • Imports: ~ 700,000 tonnes.

Future growth There are many households in Sweden using either oil or electricity for heating. It is easy and relatively cheap for these households using oil to convert to pellets.

Electricity, on the other hand, is a more difficult market. Electricity can differ in price dramatically, depending on the season.

Pellets, however, do not differ in price much at all.

In fact, pellet prices have been steady for over five years now. Homeowners need to be educated and several projects addressing this are being implemented in Sweden at the moment.

The middle scale market is the most interesting and promising at the moment.

The pellet price has been stable and considerably lower than oil in recent years.

The industry is optimistic and pellets will definitely obtain greater market share in this part of the market.

Long-term incentives like the carbon dioxide tax and green-power certificates have prompted large-scale users to invest in technologies suitable for less qualitative fuels than pellets. These are mainly woodchips made by branches and treetops, short rotation coppice and in some cases even stumps. For Swedish largescale users, the pellet is a luxury they do not like to use more than necessary.

Incentives that are not seen as long-term in the rest of Europe create an uncertainty for investors in technology suitable for biomass with poorer quality properties.

Therefore, the pellet is more attractive for largescale users in countries like Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK than for Swedish ones.

In relation to installed capacity, pellets will probably not gain a greater market share in the large scale-segment in the future.

Domestic supply of unrefined

Bioenergy Insight

bioenergy in Sweden Bioenergy Total pellet production in Sweden reached about 1.5 million in 2011 tonnes forest fuel is still strong and much of the domestic biomass is unused.

Sustainability Sweden is a country dominated by forest and forestry is crucial for the national economy. The annual growth in the Swedish forests amounts to ~120 million m3, whereas the annual cut amounts are only around 90 million m3. Both the carbon stock and the standing volume have increased dramatically in the Swedish forests since the beginning of the last century. Almost all of the forests in Sweden are either FSC or PEFC certified.

For most Swedish people it is simple. An increased demand for forest-based products makes the forest grow. National legislation has guaranteed sustainable forestry for centuries.

Reforestation is mandatory and areas with high biological values are protected by law.

Several authorities also work on expanding these areas.

As in the case of the power company Fortum, power plants all over Europe are converting from fossil fuels to renewable bioenergy - in most cases to wood pellets.

This increased demand will not be met by domestic production, however. Large quantities have started to flow all over the world as pellets have become a global commodity. This is an argument for a common sustainability scheme.

But it is important to remember that the forest is heterogeneous, and always will be. It is ambitious to support even more systems and legislations for a sustainable forestry, but different systems for

Bioenergy Insight

different purposes are perhaps too ambitious.

More legislation that is only applicable if the final product is used for energy does not necessarily guarantee a protection of the source.

Accessible laws should be used and developed in the

best possible manner. The forest is what should be managed in a sustainable way, no matter what the final product is. Sweden is a great example of this.

Due to the country’s rich access to sustainable and high quality forests, the Swedish pellet is also a naturally high quality product. And although the Swedish pellet is still a somewhat underused source of energy, the industry is convinced that, along with the transformation towards

a more sustainable society, more and more people will understand and convert to one of the sustainable heating sources available. l

For more information:

This article was written by Hampus Mörner, general secretary for the Swedish Pellet producers Asscociation, hampus.morner@pelletsindustrin.se

MarketFlex™ by CPT Now Installed in the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center!

CPT’s Corn Fractionation Technology meets the EPA’s rigorous RFS2 guidelines, allowing new and expanding ethanol plants to make significantly more profit from each bushel of corn.

CPT’s corn oil fractionation package comprises the smallest footprint and the highest degree of flexibility. Our new MarketFlex™ Technology utilizes an improved degermination system that allows you to capture the highest level of starch possible!

• “Advanced

Technology” for RFS2 compliance for BioRefining • Lowest Capital Cost • Lowest Operating Cost • Highest Production of Edible Corn Oil • Allows Ethanol Plants to Become Low-Cost Producers • Precursor

Proven Technology–Value-Added Products

Contact CPT today at 1-913-851-4600 www.CerealProcess.com

June 2012 • 47

Bioenergy plant update

Biopower and biopellet plant update – Northern Europe Arla Foods Location Videbæk, Denmark Alternative fuel Biogas for biopower Capacity 16 million m3 of methane gas Feedstock Manure and other waste materials Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Designer / builder Xergi Completion date 2015, following two years of

construction Amagerforbraending Location Denmark Alternative fuel Heat and power Capacity Enough energy for 140,000 homes Feedstock Waste Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Project start date July 2011(announced) Completion date 2016 Investment €515 million Oü Helme Energia Location Helme, Estonia Alternative fuel Combined heat and power Capacity 15MW of heat

6.4MW of electricity Feedstock Spruce bark, chipped logging

residues and woodchips or milled peat Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Designer / builder MW Power, a joint venture between

Metso and Wärtsilä Completion date Q3 2012 Investment €15 million Comment A portion of the power will be used

in the customer’s own pellet

facility, while the remaining power

will be sold to the National Grid

Valio Location Lapinlahti, Finland Alternative fuel Steam and heat needed for the

existing cheese plant’s operations Feedstock Peat and woodchips. The company

plans to eventually use 100% woodchips Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Designer / builder Metso Power and Wärtsilä Project start date October 2011 (announced) Completion date Q2 2013 Porvoon Energia Location Tolkkinen, Finland Alternative fuel Combined heat and power Capacity 38MW of district heating for the

area of Porvoo, in addition to

12MW of electricity for the

National Grid Feedstock Woodchips, bark and sawdust Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Designer / builder MW Power Project start date January 2011 (announced) Completion date Q1 2013 Investment €15 million Vaskiluodon Voima Oy Location Vaasa, Finland Alternative fuel Biopower Capacity 140MW Feedstock Biomass, which will be sourced from

under a 100km radius from the plant Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Designer / builder Metso Project start date June 2011 (announced) Completion date December 2012 Investment €18 million from the Nordic

Investment Bank. The total cost is

expected to be approximately

€40 million Tampere Energy

Fortum Power Location Järvenpää, Finland Alternative fuel District heat and electricity Capacity 280GWh heat

130GWh electricity Feedstock Wood and peat moss Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Designer / builder Metso Project start date July 2011 (announced) Completion date 2013

48 • June 2012

Location Finland Alternative fuel Thermal power Capacity 33MW Feedstock Wood pellets Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Designer / builder Metso Project start date February 2012 (announced) Completion date End of 2012 Investment €8.2 million, and the ministry of

employment is investing €1.42

million into the development

Bioenergy Insight

plant update Bioenergy SIA Graanul Invest Location Latvia Alternative fuel Heat and power Capacity 15MW heat

6.4MW power Feedstock Forest residues including bark,

woodchips and milled peat Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Designer / builder Metso-Wärtsilä Project start date March 2011 (announced) Investment €15 million

Real Ventures Location Two biomass-fired power plants in

England, UK: one in the Isle of

Wight and the other in the port of Immingham Alternative fuel Heat and electricity Capacity 50MW of electricity for the National

Grid and 130MW of heat each Feedstock Wood pellets Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Project start date 2012 Completion date 2014 Investment A total of €320 million

Cambi Location Oslo, Norway Alternative fuel Biogas for biopower Feedstock 50,000 tonnes a year of food waste Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Designer / builder Veidekke Project start date Mid-2011 Completion date End of 2012 Investment €44.75 million Göteborg Energi AB Location Sweden Alternative fuel Biogas for biopower Capacity 20MW Feedstock Forestry waste Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Designer / builder Metso Project start date 2011 Completion date 2013 Comment The project is known as

GoBiGas20MW. Ownership and

responsibility for operating the

plant will be transferred to

GoBiGas AB (Gothenburg Biomass

Gasification Project), mainly owned

by Göteborg Energi Markey Group Location Gloucestershire, England, UK Alternative fuel Heat Capacity 2.1MW Feedstock 2,350 tonnes of woodwaste Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Completion date April 2012 Investment £1.1 million (€1.4 million) Cattlegate Farm Location Hertfordshire, England, UK Alternative fuel Biogas for biopower production Capacity Enough to power 1,200 homes Feedstock Food waste Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Project start date January 2012

Bioenergy Insight

BNP Paribas Clean Energy Partners Location Lincolnshire, England, UK Alternative fuel Biopower Capacity 40MW Feedstock Straw Construction / expansion / BNP Paribas Clean Energy Partners acquisition acquired the renewable energy

plant from Eco2 Project start date December 2011 Completion date Construction is expected to take

about 30 months and the first

deliveries of straw are due for

delivery towards the end of 2013

Real Ventures Location Lincolnshire, England, UK Alternative fuel Biopower Capacity 49MW Feedstock Wood pellets Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Project start date April 2012 (North East Lincolnshire

Council approved the project) Completion date 2015 Investment £130 million (€160 million)

British Sky Broadcasting Location London, England, UK Alternative fuel Combined cooling, heat and power Capacity 1MW Feedstock 32 tonnes/day of woodchips Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Designer / builder Turboden Project start date May 2012 (announced)

Heathrow Airport Location London, England, UK Alternative fuel Combined cooling, heat and power Capacity 1.8 MW electricity

8MW thermal heat and cooling Feedstock Wood waste Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Designer / builder Turboden Project start date May 2012 (announced)

June 2012 • 49

Bioenergy plant update Sita Location Mitcham, England, UK Alternative fuel Electricity Capacity The site will generate between

2,558-7,291MW of heat and

8,758-13,491MW of electricity

a year Feedstock Organic food waste from

surrounding pubs and restaurants Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Project start date October 2011 (approval granted) Completion date End of 2015

O-Gen Plymtrek Location Plymouth, England, UK Alternative fuel Heat and power Capacity 26,000MWh of electricity each

year, powering about 6,200 homes Feedstock Wood Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Project start date January 2012 Completion date Mid-2013 Investment A grant of £525,000 (€627,000) was

given to the facility by the South

West Regional Development E.ON Location Sheffield, England, UK Alternative fuel Biopower Capacity 30MW Feedstock Waste wood Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Project start date Q4 2011 Completion date Mid-2014 Investment €140.6 million

Viridor Location Somerset, England, UK Alternative fuel Biopower Capacity Enough to power 1,700 homes Feedstock 30,000 tonnes of waste Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Project start date April 2012 Completion date April 2013 Investment £10 million (€12 million)

Bernard Matthews Location Suffolk, England, UK Alternative fuel Biogas for heat and power production Feedstock 28,000 tonnes of poultry effluent,

blood fluids and fat Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Designer / builder 2012 Project start date April 2013 Investment €4.7 million

50 • June 2012

Bore Hill Farm Location Wiltshire, England, UK Alternative fuel Biogas for biopower production Capacity 500kW Feedstock Commercial food waste, abattoir

waste, spoiled non-woody crops

and animal slurry Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Designer / builder Marches Biogas and Malaby Biogas Project start date March 2012 Investment €5 million SSE Generation Location Yorkshire, England, UK Alternative fuel Biopower Capacity 108MW Feedstock Biomass Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Project start date Beginning of 2012 Completion date 2015 Investment €287 million Kedco Location Newry, Northern Ireland, UK Alternative fuel Biopower Capacity 4MW Feedstock Biomass Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Project start date December 2011 (announced) Investment £59 million (€72.6 million) Comment Kedco is planning to build five

biomass CHP plants across the UK Anglesey Aluminium Metal Renewables Location Anglesey, Wales, UK Alternative fuel Biopower Capacity 299MW — enough to power 30,000 households Feedstock Biomass Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Project start date September 2011 (approval granted) EcoPellets and Integrated Energy Systems International Location Llangefni, Wales, UK Alternative fuel Wood pellets and biopower Capacity 250,000 tonnes of wood pellets

and 31MW of biopower Feedstock Biomass Construction / expansion / Construction acquisition Project start date 2009 Completion date Wood pellet plant: end of 2012,

power plants: 2013 Comment The project was announced in 2009

but developments came to a halt

while waiting for approval on the

30MW power line that would

connect the development to the

island of Anglesey’s electric grid.

Approval has now been granted *This list contains major plant projects in Northern Europe, including the information available at the time of printing. If you would like to update or list any additional plants in future issues please email keeley@horseshoemedia.com

Bioenergy Insight

profile Bioenergy Dong Energy produces more than 50% of Denmark’s power, but there are no signs of it resting on its laurels. Executive VP Thomas Dalsgaard discusses his plans and hopes as the company looks towards the future

Leading the way

by James Barrett

D

enmark is a country making great strides towards the provision and use of bioenergy and biofuels in northern Europe.

It is home to enzymes developers like Novozymes and Danisco, the former having recently announced a new $200 million (€161 million) plant in Nebraska, US with the sole purpose of helping to advance the biofuels market.

And the country’s largest energy provider Dong Energy is a firm advocate of extensive investment in renewable energy.

Dong Energy will be investing in several new CHP stations moving forward

Times are a-changing Dong is currently developing plans to invest and convert several of its combined heat and power (CHP) stations from coal and gas to biomass.

The company had around 15% share of the wood pelletdriven energy market that was four million tonnes in Europe two years ago, and it expects the conversions to result in even more wood pellets being used.

‘We expect to convert three of our main CHPs by 2015 and increase our usage of wood pellets,’ says Dalsgaard. ‘We have spent a lot of time in 2011 testing solutions across things like burners, mills, our DeNOx adsorbers and we’ve also looked at various corrosion control measures.’

The final decision on how much investment will go into these projects will be taken in 2013 and Dalsgaard also alludes to a number of projects that

Bioenergy Insight

‘Your crop bath is ready’ – feedstock storage at Dong’s Inbicon demonstration plant

may see the combination of traditional biopower generation with production of second generation bioethanol and biogas.

‘We would call them advanced biorefineries,’ explains Dalsgaard . ‘We mainly use straw for co-firing purposes whereas chips and pellets are mostly used in 100% applications. We use approximately 0.3 million tonnes of straw and chips and 0.7 million tonnes of

pellets, but this could triple over the next five years as we plan to convert our large coal and gas-fired CHP plant to 100% wood pellet firing.’

Big, green, fighting machine Sustainability is another issue that Dong Energy takes seriously as it assesses local biomass resources, particularly from a lifecycle perspective, and only deals with suppliers who

can demonstrate that their biomass is sustainable.

‘Most of our wood pellets come from European countries but, importantly, most industrialised countries have a good overview of their total national forest mass and have implemented legislation that ensures the maintenance of them,’ says Dalsgaard.

While that sees protection of biodiversity and helps to verify CO2 storage levels Dong does expect to have to import more wood pellets from outside of Europe to cope with rising green electricity and heat demands, and thus sustainability will still be a major focus in what everyone does.

‘Currently there are no mandatory standards for sustainable solid biomass at Danish, European or global level,’ he adds. ‘We would really welcome the development of common European sustainability criteria, including origin, production and consumption of solid biomass, sooner rather than later.’

But, rather than sitting back and waiting for things to happen, Dong became a founding member of the Initiative Wood Pellets Buyers (IWPB). IWPB’s aim is to develop sustainability criteria and document the origin of distributed wood pellets.

‘We also constantly talk to our suppliers to ensure we get the highest level of compliance with our strict criteria,’ claims Dalsgaard.

As if to back up that statement Dong has recently appointed Royal DSM, a producer of enzymes that

June 2012 • 51

Bioenergy profile

Living large: Dong Energy claims its Inbicon plant is the biggest cellulosic ethanol demonstration plant in the world

can break down and convert cellulose and hemicelluloses from straw fibres into simple sugars, as its latest supplier after successful completion of tests at the Inbicon-based demonstration scale biorefinery.

DSM proved its enzymes can work across multiple feedstocks, at various temperatures and stages of treatment and so has qualified to supply Dong Energy with its enzymes.

‘Our Inbicon biomass refinery is the largest cellulosic ethanol demonstration plant currently in operation anywhere in the world,’ adds Dalsgaard. ‘It has a capacity of 1.5 million gallons a year and we produce cellulosic biofuel for Danish petrol stations via Statoil distribution. DSM proved its enzymes were good for this kind of industrial production and we were happy to qualify them as one of our suppliers.’

bioenergy field,’ he says. ‘I feel that there might need to be more external initiatives required, especially from a regulatory perspective.’

Dalsgaard goes on to explain that any external initiatives would need to especially focus on a large expansion of CO2-neutral energy production, particularly across current power production and certainly when any new bioenergy solutions are brought to the table.

‘That, along with a longterm stable regulatory framework in place, would be the minimum requirement for northern Europe as a whole to continue development in the bio-solutions market,’ he adds. ‘Large investments will be needed to either convert or build new facilities moving

forward and investors, plus companies like Dong Energy of course, need stable regulations so that we all have reasonable market risks to focus on and work off of.’

Dalsgaard however applauds trailblazing countries like Denmark and the UK for showing the way when it comes to trying to establish long-term regulatory European framework by having their own national regulations in place.

To raise capital for its ambitious future projects Dong Energy has confirmed that it is to consider selling its minority stake in Germanybased energy product provider Stadtwerke Lübeck, but the company stressed through a statement that it would be a ‘reluctant sale’.

‘We are very satisfied with our involvement with Stadtwerke, but our 25.1% share would bring in much needed capital to reinvest in our plans. The announcement doesn’t change our previous financial guidance or expected investment levels for this year,’ he adds.

The news also does not reflect Dong’s commitment to the German bioenergy market, where it will continue to supply gas and electricity, plus related services in gas storage and wind power projects.

However, it is one display of how all sustainable energy companies have to look inwards to raise funds as the support through legislative and regulated means still remains ambiguous. l

Removing the uncertain stability Apart from the technical and sustainable challenges facing Dong moving forward, Dalsgaard believes having a stable future mapped out for all European bioenergy production is as crucial as anything else on the agenda.

‘I believe that newer, more robust supply chains must be created as biopower ramps up in northern Europe but only a few people have a deep understanding of the

52 • June 2012

Keeping an eye on the happenings within the Avedore power station control room

Bioenergy Insight

efficiency Bioenergy Inbicon’s biomass refinery uses new technologies to profitably extract energy and fuel from biomass

Turning straw into gold

W

hen Inbicon built a new biomass refinery in the Danish port of Kalundborg, the company set an ambitious goal: to turn 30,000 tonnes of harvest leftovers — baled wheat straw — into 1.5 million gallons of clean, second generation ethanol per year.

Thanks to an innovative energy exchange system, plus a series of patented techniques for extracting renewable fuel from biomass, the Inbicon plant has reached those targets, setting a new standard for energy efficiency and waste reduction.

Officially opened in November 2009, the Inbicon Biomass Refinery cost 400 million Danish Krone (€54 million) to build, and was the brainchild of Dong Energy, Inbicon’s parent company.

With this project, Dong wanted to take second generation ethanol further.

The company knew that by pioneering new extraction technologies, it could produce second generation bioethanol

The plant demonstrates that large-scale production of ethanol from straw is possible

Ethanol is made from straw but all sorts of cellulosic material can be used in the future

from waste products and make it a profitable endeavor.

A series of industry firsts The refinery marked a series of firsts in the biofuel industry.

It was the first demonstration

plant to successfully produce new ethanol and clean lignin biofuel. It was the first time ethanol production and power generation had been integrated into one seamless process.

And it was also the first time such a wide array of useful and

profitable products could be extracted from the biomass.

The Inbicon refinery benefited from adjacency to Asnaes Power Station, a coal-fired electrical power plant owned by Dong. By setting up an energy exchange between the two locations, Inbicon showed how profitable synergies could be achieved.

The exchange begins when the power station sends waste steam to the refinery, where it breaks down the biomass fibres into sugars and lignin.

The lignin produced during the process can then be used as a replacement for the coal.

As it is so clean, it requires no further refining (nor extra energy consumption) treatment before use.

Extracting more value from biomass The Inbicon refinery is a model of frugal efficiency: every part of the biomass is recovered, thanks to a series of engineering breakthroughs in the conditioning, pre-treatment

Inbicon biomass refinery facts

Alfa Laval’s self-cleaning spiral heat exchangers proved ideal for efficient process cooling

Bioenergy Insight

• Officially opened November 2009 • Built for approximately $76.7 million (€61 million) • Operates 24/7, 365 days a year • Run by 30 employees • Processes 30,000 tonnes of straw annually • Hits annual production levels of: - 1.4 million gallons of new ethanol - 11,400 tonnes of lignin pellets - 13,900 tonnes of C5 molasses

June 2012 • 53

Bioenergy efficiency and liquefaction processes.

Although the processes are designed to convert straw into ethanol, animal feed and solid biofuel, they can be easily adapted to treat other types of biomass, such as corn stover, grasses, bagasse and empty fruit bunches.

In addition to producing ethanol, a future process can capture a range of additional by-products. C02 can be captured, purified and sold for use in carbonated beverage

production and flash freezing applications. Molasses is siphoned off and used as animal feed. The remaining biomass solids are dried to a powder that can be used as a solid biofuel. A portion of this biofuel can be burned onsite by a co-generation plant, creating more than enough steam-powered electricity to operate the entire refinery. The excess is sent to the power grid to provide electricity for nearby homes.

New twists solve a big problem One of the issues that threatened the viability of the ethanol production was the poor performance of existing biomass processing options. The highly fibrous raw materials had a habit of quickly clogging the standard heat exchangers used during the liquefaction and pre-fermentation processes.

When heat exchangers clog regularly, it slows production, adds to production costs,

2nd Annual

Waste Conversion Congress East Coast An effective and exclusive 2 day forum designed specifically to facilitate personal meetings with investors, technology developers, waste management executives, local and state officials....

12-13 June 2012, Philadelphia, PA, USA

reduces energy efficiency and corrodes the heat exchangers, shortening both their lifespan and efficiency.

Unable to solve the problem by itself, and reluctant to divert focus from its core technologies, Inbicon turned to Sweden-based Alfa Laval to come up with a solution. Alfa Laval has expertise in difficult heat transfer, separation and fluid handling duties. Just as important, the company demonstrated a commitment to green processes that aligned with Inbicon’s vision.

To address the issue, Alfa Laval recommended that Inbicon use self-cleaning spiral-shaped heat exchangers.

Two of these heat exchangers are now positioned immediately after the pre-hydrolysis process, where the biomass slurry is cooled before being fed into the fermentation tank. The unique spiral shape can handle two types of highly fouling fluids simultaneously. The result: problem free heat transfer and no unscheduled stops.

‘Without this innovation, we couldn’t cool the product efficiently, which is integral to the process,’ explains Carsten Skjødt, Inbicon project manager. ‘On the surface, it may seem like a minor issue, but it’s the difference between success and failure in a finely tuned operation like Inbicon’s.’

Collaboration paves the way to the future

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION REGARDING THIS EVENT CONTACT OLIVER SAUNDERS | CONFERENCE DIRECTOR 7_9 FASHION STREET | LONDON | E1 6PX | UK | TEL INTERNATIONAL: +44 0207 375 7185 | FREEPHONE US: 1800 814 3459 EXT 7185 WWW.RENEWABLE-WASTE.COM/WASTE-CONVERSION-EAST/

54 • June 2012

Today, the intelligent utilisation of biomass is an achievable goal. And the model is scalable, providing opportunities for countries worldwide. Inbicon has already licensed its patented technologies to a company in Japan and works intensively on projects in the US, Europe and southeast Asia.

‘We are now on track to bring viable commercial production of new ethanol and other green energy products to the US,’ says Inbicon’s chief technology officer Niels Henriksen. ‘The first US groundbreaking is expected to happen in 2013.’ l

Bioenergy Insight

xxxxxx Bioenergy

There’s a global call for biofuels

A reliable global partner As the world turns to you to produce more biofuels, you can safely turn to Alfa Laval to help you meet the demand.

Use our comprehensive application knowledge, long industry experience, and broad product portfolio to optimize your plant efficiency and profitability.

By trusting us as your single source of solutions for challenging heat transfer, separation, and fluid handling duties, you can focus on developing new processes or new products.

Visit www.alfalaval.com/biofuels for more information.

Bioenergy Insight

June 2012 • 55

Bioenergy combustion The issues associated with wood biomass combustion can be eliminated with fuel and air delivery hardware

Biomass combustion troubleshooting T

he transition to burning biomass for renewable energy is becoming increasingly prevalent among utility companies.

This is due to the rising cost of fossil fuels, more strict environmental regulations to reduce emissions, the increasing demand for utilising renewable fuel sources to reduce CO2 output from fossil fuels, and the general desire to operate equipment more efficiently to minimise waste heat.

However, in pursuit of continuous and reliable operation, biomass plant owners/operators may face a number of combustion problems due to the challenges and limitations associated with achieving combustion goals.

Combustion technologies The two most common and established technologies for biomass combustion

Three stages of combustion

56 • June 2012

are stoker grate firing and fluidised bed operation.

The stoker technology is far more common in North America than fluidised bed, which has gained popularity in Europe. Industries where these biomass boilers are in operation are pulp and paper and other forest products, as well as independent power producers.

Common to most biomass fuels is a relatively high moisture content (typically 30-55%, but can be in excess of 60%); its fuel value stems from the carbon and hydrogen contents.

Combustion using stoker grate firing consists of a variety of chemical reactions between fuel components and oxygen from air and fuel, releasing heat and light. Biomass combustion occurs in three stages: 1. Drying: Water is evaporated and this requires heat. The rate of drying depends of particle size and temperature 2. Volatiles release and

‘Bad actor’ – furnace is puffing

burning stage: Pyrolysis gases are released (CO, H2, CO2, and H2O, VOCs) and oxygen is needed for volatiles combustion.

By weight, biomass contains approximately 70% volatiles and 30% fixed carbon 3. Char combustion: Requires oxygen, releases heat, reduces particle size and leaves residual ash material.

Several criteria must be met when burning any fuel.

These are referred to as the ‘three Ts of combustion’: temperature, turbulence and time, and combustion problems can occur in any of the stages if all three Ts are not met.

1. Temperature ­—

sufficient heat must be present to start and sustain combustion 2. Turbulence ­— adequate mixing of fuel components and combustion air is necessary 3. Time ­— sufficient reaction and retention time is needed to complete the oxidation/ combustion reactions.

Goals and problems In order for a biomass plant to operate continuously and reliably the owner/ operator must meet a number of goals, such as attain uninterrupted and stable operation; meet regulatory limitations for emissions of air pollutants

Bioenergy Insight

combustion Bioenergy

Example of poor combustion conditions

such as CO, VOCs, NOx, and particulate matter; optimise fuel economy which often dictates displacing fossil fuels by less expensive biomass; and maximise thermal efficiency and heat recovery.

In attempting to meet these operational and economic targets, the owner/operator may face challenges and limitations because of the presence of combustion problems.

Typically, these problems are evidenced by one or more of these symptoms: • Piling of fuel on the grate and unburned fuel coming off the grate • Frequent puffing of the furnace due to unbalanced mixing of air and combustible gases • Elevated levels of ash carryover and high unburned carbon in the fly ash, including sparks and embers. This may lead to accelerated erosion of pressure parts, ducting and induced draft fan. It can cause fires in the boiler’s downstream equipment • Delayed combustion and high gas temperature in the upper furnace. This may lead to overheating of superheater tubing and high gas temperature

Bioenergy Insight

Example of good combustion conditions

exiting the boiler, sometimes limiting the ID fan capacity • High excess air/O2 in flue gas resulting in a loss of thermal efficiency • Increased stack concentrations of air pollutants.

The resulting effect of these combustion problems is a reduction in biomass burning rate and, depending on steam demand from the boiler, an increased need for fossil fuel co-firing.

Sample output of CFD modelling – a powerful tool in troubleshooting biomass boilers

Engineering evaluation and analytical tools After identifying the symptoms, the boiler’s operational performance must be evaluated and root causes of the combustion problems determined.

For this purpose, a boiler engineering evaluation is carried out to characterise the unit, diagnose the problem, establish the unit’s strengths and limitations, and determine the appropriate measures to be taken to overcome those limitations and meet the goals required.

The performance evaluation includes a number of elements, such as:

• Operational data and information collection to characterise design and operation on the unit • Combustion analysis to quantify material and heat flows and establish thermal efficiency and fuel economy • Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling to simulate combustion process parameters and heat transfer characteristics. CFD modelling allows parametric analyses of key combustion performance factors; it also provides quantification of the operational benefits that can be expected from combustion system upgrades and modifications.

• Water side circulation modifications to remedy steam/water site problems and limitations • Quantification of potential benefits of upgrading the boiler’s combustion system • Heat transfer analysis to identify opportunities to improve efficiency and/ or steam parameters.

The outcome of the engineering evaluation will help provide a solution to the combustion problems.

Typical root causes In order to meet the three Ts, the root cause(s) of combustion problems can normally be found in factors of the fuel and air delivery, or inadequacies

Elements of overfire air supply upgrade

June 2012 • 57

Bioenergy combustion thereof (not including the limitations in fuel supply components and assuming the biomass is delivered at proper particle size and distribution, as well as acceptable moisture content).

Design factors and operational performance of the fuel distributors, the stoker grate, and the combustion air delivery parameters are three major areas that have a significant impact on biomass combustion capacity and performance of the boiler.

In particular, these are the number and width of the fuel spouts, fuel delivery method (mechanical or air swept), and the degree of flexibility to control fuel trajectory on to the grate within the fuel distributor; and the type of

grate (pinhole, travelling, vibrating, reciprocating), dimensions of the grate, air distribution under the grate and mechanical repair condition of the stoker grate.

Within the combustion air delivery, quality, temperature and pressure of undergrate air (UGA) and overfire air (OFA); the flexibility to control UGA to different compartments; number, size and location of OFA ports/ nozzles; and the ratio of OFA to total air flow and control flexibility can affect boiler capacity and performance.

System upgrades In addition to following the proper operational parameters, the installation of effective fuel and air

delivery hardware can help achieve desirable combustion conditions.

These conditions include an even and balanced distribution of fuel on the grate with flexibility to control fuel trajectory; limited UGA quantities to minimise lift-off of fine fuel particles off the grate; preheated combustion air, particularly when burning fuels with high moisture content; and effective OFA supply, with high individual air jet momentum, leading to proper mixing of air with combustible gases coming off the grate.

Combustion problems can be eliminated and relative trouble-free combustion can be achieved by upgrading some or all of the

hardware components or operational parameters.

Since the late 1990s Jansen Combustion and Boiler Technologies has upgraded 65 solid biomass-fired boilers.

The upgrades have brought with them a number of benefits, including increased biomass burning capacity, a reduction in the need for fossil fuel co-firing, an improvement in the unit’s thermal efficiency, and a reduction in stack emissions of CO, NOx and PM. l

For more information

This article was written by Arie Verloop, chief marketing officer of Jansen Combustion and Boiler Technologies; +1 (425) 952-2825; arie.verloop@jansenboiler.com

Bringing together delegates from: The United States • Canada • Malaysia • China Japan • Australia • India • Thailand • New Zealand And more

The seventh annual Pacific Rim Summit is the original conference dedicated solely to the growth of the industrial biotechnology and bioenergy sectors in North America and the Asia-Pacific region. Programs address the latest in advanced biofuels, algae, biomass production, biopolymers, bioplastics, dedicated energy crops, renewable chemicals, marine bioresources and synthetic biology.

BREAKOUT SESSION TRACKS:  Biorefinery Platforms  Biomass Production and Utilization  Renewable Chemical Platforms  Technical and Research Presentations NEW IN 2012!

October 10-12, 2012 Vancouver, Canada The Westin Bayshore

If you are interested in elevating your presence, table top exhibits and sponsorship opportunities are available. To showcase your company please contact pacrim@bio.org.

Call for Papers Now Open! Submit your paper, panel or poster at bio.org/pacrim.

Building Innovative Collaborations Across the Pacific

58 • June 2012

Bioenergy Insight

leak detection Bioenergy One anaerobic digestion specialist showcases how it succeeded in identifying its methane emissions

Reliable readings

A

nglian Water Services (AWS) serves around 5.8 million wastewater customers and operates 1,114 waste water treatment works in the UK. Earlier this year the company decided it wanted to quantify methane emissions from its wastewater treatment processes. As these are less well understood and less well defined than indirect carbon emissions associated with electricity use, the company set up a project to locate and quantify emissions from the processes at a wastewater treatment works.

This was led by the in-house innovation team which undertakes research and development to deliver environmental benefits, cost saving and operational efficiency. In the three-month study it pinpointed and quantified methane emissions around the plant, including those around secondary digesters, activated sludge plants, anaerobic digesters and gas holding tanks.

‘We were able to successfully confirm patterns of methane emissions from activated sludge lanes, backing up results found worldwide by others studying similar

Fast, light and easy: Geotech laser leak finder has an optional GPS unit

GPS option helps pinpoint pipeline gas leaks with Geotech TDL-500

trends in the literature,’ says Astrid Bosmith, innovation technologist with AWS. AWS used the TDL-500 gas detector from UK-based analysis equipment provider Geotech to quantify methane emissions from the surface of secondary digesters.

‘The TDL-500 was selected due to its accuracy in measuring methane with a sensitivity of 1 ppm.

Its portability and ATEX certification were also vital in this project as it was used in potentially explosive zoned areas around anaerobic digesters. A critical benefit of the TDL-500 in this project was its ability to measure

routes and record readings.

The TDL-500 offers portable laser leak detection as it is easy to carry for one person to use on foot and can work for eight hours from a full charge.

Users are likely to be involved with natural gas networks, landfill gas surface emission checking, biogas feeds to CHP engines, water treatment plants, momentary methane leak detection and sewerage system methane detection.

Geotech TDL-500 gas detection at Anglian Water treatment site

Bioenergy Insight

methane concentrations in two ranges (0-10,000 ppm and 0-100% volume gas). This was of great importance as gas emissions from various processes were analysed, all of which contained different concentrations of methane,’ Bosmith adds.

Methane detection Using laser spectroscopy technology, the Geotech TDL-500 can detect methane leaks in a range of applications, from natural gas pipelines to landfill or coal mining sites. The tunable diode laser provides total selectivity to methane with a sensitivity of 1 ppm. ATEX certification to Zone 1 means it can be used in most hazardous areas, detecting methane leaks and their location with speed and precision.

The laser technology presents an advantage over FID devices as it does not need a hydrogen gas supply, avoiding transportation of hazardous gases. Fast response times mean less time spent monitoring and GPS is available to record leak position, set up

Wastewater treatment sludge AD biogas monitoring and analysis Wastewater processing gas leak detection with Geotech equipment is a very helpful addition for wastewater treatment site operators.

Many of these already use Geotech portable and static biogas analysers to check biogas production volumes and quality ahead of using it in CHP engines to produce electricity and heat. l For more information:

This article was written by Amanda Randle, marketing manager, at Geotech www.geotechuk.com +44 (0) 1926 338111 a.randle@geotech.co.uk

June 2012 • 59

Bioenergy anaerobic digestion Can sludge supercentres become the waste energy plants of tomorrow?

Water meets waste

O

rganic waste comes from a number of sources in the UK. The major ones are sewage sludge (1.4 million dry tonnes), food waste (10-20 million tonnes) and agricultural slurries (about 90 million tonnes).

With anaerobic digestion (AD) infrastructure still at an early stage, a significant proportion of operational AD infrastructure today is at sludge treatment centres located at wastewater treatment works, and governed by one of 10 major utilities in the UK. Track record The UK already treats about 1.4 million dry tonnes of sewage sludge (about 50%) using the AD process. There is an established infrastructure of AD plants that are continuously being upgraded and modified right across the country, strategically positioned near population centres. This network extends to about 550 actual digesters on approximately 250 sludge treatment centres.

In addition there are many large wastewater treatment centres with suitable infrastructure for upgrade to waste energy centres.

Although AD has been a feature of sewage treatment sites for decades, there is a renewed level of energy and interest behind the sector. AD is able to treat organic waste by breaking it down using bacteria, which produces a digested fertiliser as well as renewable energy, allowing water utilities to gain access to government incentives for renewable energy generation.

In the financial year

60 • June 2012

Deerdykes – 30,000-tonne food waste AD plant developed on a redundant sewage works

ending in 2011, 73% of sludge treatment was through AD and water utilities obtained a total of £27 million (€34 million) from incentives.

Advanced digestion There has already been consolidation of sludge treatment by a number for water companies ­— with many now favouring larger centres for importing sludge cake and also treatment of indigenous sludge on site.

A common feature is that these plants have employed advanced digestion processes such as the Monsal Enzymic Hydrolysis system. The key benefits are improved efficiency, increased throughput, notably higher biogas yields and improvements to the product quality.

This trend will continue.

At the Anglian Water Great Billing site, biogas-to-power generation potential was increased from 1MWe to 4.2MWe by using this technology. Sludge processing capacity has also increased

from 12,500 to 38,750 tonnes dry solids in the existing digesters by adopting the technology. It is the largest digestion facility in Anglian Water and one of the top 10 sites in the country for biogas-to-power generation.

As the water market has benefited from these optimised AD solutions, the waste sector is now set to prosper from this sort of technology transfer.

These sites are geared up for biogas power infrastructure, have high parasitic power demands for waste water treatment and have an operational culture of dealing with compliance management.

First steps Scottish Water became the first water utility to establish a food waste digestion plant as part of a development on a redundant sewage works at the Deerdykes site in Cumbernauld. The plant has now treated food waste since 2010 and its non-regulated business Horizons Environment

announced that it operated at full capacity at 30,000 tonnes last year.

The potential for co-location of waste processing plants on wastewater or digestion infrastructure is now a realistic and attractive proposition to many water utilities. Cost comparisons against a Greenfield location are very favourable with many development risks being lower.

The potential to gain access to government incentives is also likely to increase with the recent introduction of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and the growing opportunities to develop gas-to-grid injections as pioneered in the water industry by Didcot Water Treatment plant. These gas-to-grid injections could be replicated at large facilities all over the country, resulting in hundreds of megawatts of power, in the form of gas being pumped into the National Grid.

From the perspective of the UK’s future energy mix,

Bioenergy Insight

anaerobic digestion Bioenergy this is of huge significance.

While renewable electricity generation has the greatest prominence, it is often forgotten that a third of the UK’s final energy consumption is from gas. Decarbonised energy therefore cannot be a reality without low carbon gas; even with their existing facilities, water utilities could be at the forefront of this energy revolution.

AD has been less commonly employed to treat other organic material (there are only 72 non-water AD plants in the UK), with slurries typically spread straight to land and food waste sent to landfill.

However, recent policy developments have made the sending of organic waste to landfill more difficult, with escalating landfill tax creating a strong incentive for local authorities and businesses to find other treatment

options. Consequently, waste companies now have to consider alternative ways of treating and recovering or disposing of organic waste.

AD has been given support by the government in the Waste Review, and was a key part of the Coalition Agreement, which promised to support a huge increase in energy from waste through AD. To date, AD plants designed to treat other organic wastes have been typically built on either farm or industrial sites.

The sewage sludge treatment market, as a monopoly for local water and sewerage companies, exists in isolation from it. However, an Office of Fair Trading (OFT) market study noted that ‘given the similarities in the technologies and systems used to treat and recover or dispose of sewage sludge and other organic waste, there is clear

AD: Your Missing Link Hosted by:

potential for competition between suppliers of treatment for each type of waste.’ The pioneering food waste digestion project at Deerdykes is a market first and the successful realisation of the development is a clear indicator of what can be achieved.

What is happening next?

A number of water companies have already started to look at the potential to treat food waste on their sites. The most advanced project to date is being delivered to Geneco, a subsidiary of Wessex Water.

A state-of-the-art food waste processing facility is currently being constructed to receive up to 40,000 tonnes of food waste per year at the 300 million litre per day Bristol sewage treatment works in Avonmouth. The

plant will begin accepting food waste from Q3 2012.

The total biogas-to-power generation capability at the Avonmouth site is a 5.75MWe. This will be the first large-scale sludge supercentre which can convert sewage sludge and food waste to renewable energy on the same site.

Advanced digestion technology is being employed at its optimum, fully utilising digestion infrastructure.

A number of other water companies are now expected to explore the opportunities to expand their operations to treat commercial food waste as part of a wider strategy for renewable power generation. l For more information:

This article was written by Matt Hindle, policy manager at ADBA and Aidan Cumiskey, MD of Monsal, www.monsal.com

see how you can integrate anaerobic digestion into your business • over 200 exhibitors • 2 day conference • Free professional clinics • 22 free seminars • Awards dinner

RegisteR now! For free entry to the trade show please visit www.adbiogas.co.uk and pre-register with this discount code: gen 3256

Bioenergy Insight

June 2012 • 61

Bioenergy biogas Industries such as meat processing and dairies can now make use of a new revenue stream

Meat market opens up

T

he meat processing industry is entering uncharted waters as governments worldwide introduce carbon pricing regimes and expand community awareness about which industries are posing environmental challenges in terms of air and water purity.

Meat processing — including cattle, sheep, pig and poultry plants — will attract increasing attention, both in terms of its energy use to produce steam and hot water, for example, and for the quality of its wastewater and its emissions to air.

The industry faces particular challenges — and opportunities — because of the nature of its process wastewater, which typically has a high content of organic material and consequently a high biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) due to the presence of blood, tallow and mucosa.

Meat industry wastewater

may also have a high content of nitrogen (from blood) and phosphorus, in addition to pathogenic and non-pathogenic viruses and bacteria, and parasite eggs (not to mention disinfectants and detergents that may enter the wastewater stream during facility-cleaning activities, including acid, alkaline, liquid paraffin and neutral compounds).

This is a fairly potent brew to deal with — and the downside for the industry is that, because historically it has not had to respond to environmental scrutiny on today’s scale, it has not had to consciously encourage development of the technologies required.

The upside for the industry is that such technologies do exist; that highly effective anaerobic green energy and waste water treatment processes have been proven in other food and beverage industries; and they can be readily adapted to meat processing.

GWE supplies technologies such as its Flotamet system, combined with a dissolved biogas flotator, designed to take the high levels of fats and oils prevalent in effluents

What is required for this to happen, more than anything else, is not a technology revolution but a mindset evolution away from old technology that has passed its use-by date (such as extensive, polluting and smelly lagoons) and outdated attitudes that treat wastewater as a cost or

The issues facing the meat industry Water use

Emissions to air

Energy consumption

Elevated consumption of high-quality water, which is an important element of food safety, is often a characteristic of the meat processing industry. Water is used for watering and washing livestock, cleaning vehicles, dehairing and rind treatment of pigs, rinsing carcasses and by-products, and cleaning and disinfecting equipment and process areas.

Odour may often be a significant form of air pollution in meat processing.

Major process odour sources include singeing, scalding, lairage, wastewater treatment and rendering.

But frequently the greatest community liability — and the greatest environmental danger — is smelly emissions of gases (primarily methane) from the large lagoons characteristic of the industry.

Meat processing facilities are major users of energy to heat water and produce steam for process applications and for cleaning purposes, as well as for the operation of miscellaneous electrical equipment, refrigeration and air compressors.

62 • June 2012

even place in which to hide process problems, rather than a resource for recycling and generation of green energy.

The opportunity The problems of wastewater, emissions and energy consumption also present an opportunity to use the huge but often hidden potential of wastewater as a source of renewable energy.

Many of the latest installations use advanced technologies — including anaerobic pre-treatment of water and aerobic polishing — to enhance water discharge purities while converting waste to methane to be burned to power boiler and hot water systems, for example, or to power generators and permanently replace fossil fuels.

On average, the removal efficiency of clean water and green energy solution provider Global Water Engineering’s (GWE) anaerobic wastewater

Bioenergy Insight

biogas Bioenergy power generators and sell electricity to the national grid, often generating carbon credits, where these apply, as well as profit.

For a greener footprint But it does not end there.

Anaerobic process systems prevent large quantities of CH4 being emitted into the atmosphere. With CH4 being 21 times more

harmful than CO2, anaerobic wastewater solutions can also qualify for Emission Reduction Certificates for projects in countries listed under the United Nations Kyoto Clean Development Mechanism and Joint Implementation programmes.

GWE and CST Wastewater Solutions, a wastewater solutions group, has built over 250 biogas plants as part of industrial effluent

clean-up systems. More than 75 of these were supplied with subsequent biogas utilisation systems. l

For more information:

This article was written by Jean Pierre Ombregt, CEO of Global Water Engineering, www.globalwaterengineering.com and Michael Bambridge, MD of CST Wastewater Solutions, www.cstwastewater.com

e ib

cr

bs

ric E IV T full p US UN off CL O 50% EX SC VE DI rs SA

Su

Inaugural

Biofuels Conference

e

treatment installation is as high as 90-95%, easily bringing the organic load down to regulatory discharge standards for most types of wastewater.

The concept of using wastewater to create green energy is much more widely applicable than is often realised. Any factory with a biological waste stream or wastewater with high COD can easily use this model to generate energy.

So far, many primary industries have mainly focused on treating their effluent to meet local discharge standards. By doing so, wastewater treatment installations have only generated additional costs and have never been seen as revenue generators.

Instead of looking at efficiency and getting the inputs and outputs optimised, the meat and other industries have traditionally employed big lagoons requiring huge amounts of energy to aerate.

However, applying anaerobic wastewater treatment sheds a whole different light on the cost structure of wastewater treatment infrastructure. It can now actually become a substantial additional source of income for many processing plants.

28-29 June 2012 • Hilton Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Tackling Fragmentation in the International Biofuels Sector Platts is delighted to announce that our inaugural Biofuels Conference for 2012 is taking place in Amsterdam, June 28th and 29th.

Using our extensive knowledge of global markets, the 2012 conference will bring together producers, regional policy makers, trading and financial houses, and selected academic and media agencies to discuss how to expedite the alignment of policy and trade flows in the sector.

Attendees will hear presentations from:

Power from effluent Closed anaerobic reactors generate large quantities of methane (CH4) from the organic materials in the wastewater that can diminish or even completely replace the use of fossil fuels in the production process.

To bring some perspective to the value, 1 tonne of COD digested anaerobically can result in 350Nm3 of methane, equivalent to 0.15MW of power.

For specific industry applications with high organic loads, enough biogas can be generated to fully cover a production plant’s energy needs and still have a biogas surplus to feed it into

Bioenergy Insight

Olivier Macé VP Strategy & External Affairs, BP Biofuels

Philippe Marchand Head of Biofuels and Regulations TOTAL

Joachim Buse Vice President Aviation Biofuel Deutsche Lufthansa

Dr. Norbert Schmitz Managing Director ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification)

Rob Vierhout Secretary-General ePURE - European Renewable Ethanol Association

Øyvind Vessia Policy Officer Renewable Energy Directive, European Commission

REFLEX BLUE C= 100 M= 90 Y= 0 K= 0

PMS 355 C= 94 M= 0 Y= 100 K= 0

Sponsored by: Andrée Defois President, Stratégie Grains

Allan Kardec Director, ANP

For a full speaker list, more information and to register please visit

www.platts.com/europeanbiofuels

Principle Media Partner:

Supporting Partner:

June 2012 • 63

Bioenergy sugarcane The number of products that originate from the sweet feedstock seem to be never-ending

Sugarcane: the new oil

T

he international financial crisis has put in check several renewable energy technologies which, regardless of their potential, still require government subsidies to stay afloat In Spain the recent RDL 1/2012 law near enough eliminated any subsidies, Feed-in-Tariffs or bonuses to the entire renewable energy sector.

In the US, the VEETC (Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit), which used to cost $16 billion (€12.8 billion) in subsidies to the country for offering $0.45 per gallon to the supplier and a $0.54 import tariff on ethanol, was eliminated at the end 2011 after 30 years of existence.

Meanwhile, few people know that Brazil went through exactly the same case in 1991 and survived. In fact, ethanol producers were given a number of benefits in 1974 when the country launched the Proalcool programme, such as guaranteed government purchases, low-interest loans and tax incentives.

All those were removed during the Fernando Collor de Mello Presidency, after he extinguished the IAA (Instituto do Açúcar e do Alcool). The demise of that government institution, which was in charge of managing those subsidies, meant the immediate end of all of them, so the industry had to manage as well as it could.

Today the country has more than 400 ethanol plants, and 40 of its plants generate over 158MW that are sold to the grid; proof that the model works and is sustainable.

Plants burn the crushed sugarcane (bagasse) which

64 • June 2012

comes directly from the grinder (usually with 50% humidity), and burn it to generate energy from sugar and ethanol and in some cases, sell the excess to the grid. Modern day generators also have filters which eliminate virtually all smoke and only exhaust water vapour, and the dust collected is just thrown back in the field.

Besides the classical sugar + ethanol duo everybody knows, sugarcane is a great source of biomass, methanol, furfural, molasses (which is being mixed with the salt used for de-icing roads), adhesive for concrete used in the construction industry, and PET bottles.

Furthermore, sugarcane is one of the most adaptable plants in the world; more than 200 types have been developed for virtually every imaginable climatic condition and production requirements.

Among those, there are a number which were developed strictly for the production of biomass. These varieties, called ‘power cane’, have up to 30% more fibre and usually need less water, which makes them ‘politically correct’ in environments where that resource is somewhat limited.

In addition, the heat value of bagasse from sugarcane is extremely well known —

1,800 Kcal/kg at 50% humidity and up to 3,100 Kcal/kg at 15% humidity. Also, its high fibre content (more than 55%) and low lignin content (17%) makes it an ideal source of biomass for cellulosic ethanol production. In fact, any cellulosic ethanol producer will testify to the problems lignin creates in the process, and the need for the purest cellulose possible in order to achieve prices compatible with other ethanol sources.

Spain has a history of over 200 years of sugarcane production mainly in the areas near the city of Granada in Andalusia. Production there was destined exclusively for sugar. However, this production, when competing with giants such as Brazil or India, and when faced with the juicy possibility of just selling the land for the huge amount of hotels which sprouted during the recent real estate boom in the country, created an unsustainable situation which ended all cane production in 2006. These producers then turned to other agricultural products. Even so, Spain has unique climatic conditions to grow this sugarcane.

In the current economic crisis, sugarcane has a proven history of sustainability, something unique in a market where never-ending experimentation without a commitment to profitability, or the idea of living forever on the pocket of the taxpayer, has happened far more often than many would like. It is time to invest in solutions that work, and for some, sugarcane is the undisputed queen. l For more information:

This article was written by Al Costa, director of Alkol, www.alkol.es

Bioenergy Insight

anaerobic digestion Bioenergy In-depth analysis and the latest micronutrient technology have helped to secure the future of a brewery in Spain following initial problems with its wastewater treatment system

Micronutrients brew benefits for Heineken Spain

A

t Heineken Spain’s brewery in Seville, opened in 2007, wastewater generated is treated in the two Waterleaudesigned UASB (Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket) reactors. Although the plant manager, José Manuel Asensio Montenegro, had a lot of experience in treating wastewater, the plant startup did not run smoothly and the anaerobic digesters did not perform as well as expected — the inoculated sludge developed an unusual appearance and did not grow.

Looking for a solution to this problem, Heineken turned to Omex Environmental, which provides concentrated bio-available solutions of micronutrients called Nutromex TEA (Trace Elements Additives). Omex offered its analytical service to evaluate the composition of the wastewater and, after analysing the influent, sludge and effluent of the individual wastewater treatment plant, created a nutritional profile.

The microorganisms involved in the anaerobic digestion of wastewater have particular nutritional requirements. A nutrient is any substance that is utilised by organisms for energy and growth. In most wastewaters there is usually more than enough of certain food components and a deficiency of others.

In the case of breweries,

Bioenergy Insight

there is usually an excess of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen (carbonaceous compounds), sulphur and the macronutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus).

The latter two may have to be removed by a separate process. There is often a shortage of others such as minerals and essential trace elements (micronutrients).

Micronutrient mix The essential trace elements are those elements required as cations in minute quantities but indispensable to the proper function of the microorganisms. Sometimes these elements are not present in the wastewater or they are in a form that is not available to the microorganisms. Hence trace element addition is a usual practice for industrial anaerobic effluent treatment in Europe.

Omex Environmental’s in-depth laboratory analysis of the Heineken brewery’s wastewater revealed some indications of a shortage of micronutrients, which could be related to the process deficiencies encountered, and it was proposed that plant performance could be improved by using a nine micronutrients mix. It was decided to do a five month trial in UASB 2 with Nutromex TEA 310, a solution containing complex compounds of iron, manganese, nickel,

zinc, cobalt, molybdenum, copper, boron and selenium.

The anaerobic digester treats about 3000m3/day of wastewater at a chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration of 3,200mg/l. Following the addition of Nutromex TEA 310 in February 2010, the digester performance started to improve within one month’s use. Daily figures of several performance parameters were recorded and studied three months prior to the use of TEAs and five months afterwards.

Before dosing TEAs, the COD removal efficiency varied from 70% (even as low as 55%) to 95%, whereas when using TEAs the efficiency was much more stable. In addition to this, the average COD removal efficiency increased from 81.3% to 87%, although the COD load was about 8% higher from February onwards.

More COD removed in the digester leads to more biogas production, which increased by 27% on average. Apart from that, sludge activity improved with the dosing of TEAs, as the specific biogas production (amount of biogas produced per kg of COD removed) rose by 13%.

This means that the greater volume of biogas produced was due to the improved COD conversion into biogas, but there was also a higher COD load at the same time.

The amount of volatile

fatty acids (VFAs) produced by the digester decreased in the TEAs trial, which could be directly related to the increased biogas production and the improved sludge activity. VFAs out of the reactor were rather unstable prior to the TEAs addition.

Cost savings VFA concentrations could easily vary from 10mg/l to 350mg/l — a rather high concentration. However, after approximately one month, VFAs levels started to stabilise around a concentration of 35mg/l. The average VFA out concentration dropped about 88% — from 91.5mg/l (before TEAs) to 48.6mg/l.

With greater methanogenesis, biogas production improved allowing a greater saving in the costs of running the brewery boilers.

The new nutrient solution also heralded an improvement in suspended solid removal, which decreased by around 16% while the sludge grew considerably — in the five months of the trial it increased from about 16,000kg to 23,000kg.

The majority of the plant’s performance parameters were positively influenced by the micronutrient mix addition, while the major benefits including improved digester stability and increased biogas production yielded significant savings for Heineken Seville. l

June 2012 • 65

Bioenergy transport & logistics

Take a load off Can pneumatic unloaders provide a faster and more efficient way to move wood pellets?

A

n increasing demand for wood pellets from European utilities has seen wood pellet exports from North America reach a record high.

In 2011, over 2 million tonnes were shipped to Europe; a 300% rise from 2008, according to a report from Wood Resources International.

For the four years between 2008 and 2011, shipments rose in every quarter from 130,000 tonnes in Q1 2008 to 600,000 tonnes in Q4 2011.

Canada was once North America’s major wood pellet exporting region, however the development of projects across the US means both countries are exporting similar volumes today.

66 • June 2012

In Maine, the Port of Eastport recently expanded its facility and started handling woodchips at the end of last year. Plans are in place to expand this to wood pellets in the near future.

Elsewhere in Maine, wood products company F.E. Wood and Sons announced in October 2011 its plans to build an $80 million (€64 million) wood pellet manufacturing plant. Located in Baldwin, the facility would transport 70% of its 300,000-tonne capacity to Portland for export to Europe.

And in 2011, the construction of a new 750,000 tonne per year Waycross, Georgia-based wood pellet plant was finalised, which saw it begin shipping the product to Europe in June 2011. The first shipment of

23,000 tonnes was delivered at the end of the month to the Port of Dordrecht in the Netherlands, where they will be burned in RWE Essent’s power station for the generation of heat and electricity.

According to the Wood Resources International report, this rise in wood pellet exports from North America can be attributed to increased demand from utility companies in the Netherlands, the UK and Belgium.

The best of three But what happens to these wood pellets when they arrive at Europe’s shores?

Several options are available to utilities looking to unload the wood pellets into onsite

storage silos and hoppers.

One inexpensive option is the use of grabs, however this could prove inefficient.

Grabs can create dust emissions and result in spillages which are costly to clean up. In addition, this is not a continuous process.

On the other hand, mechanical unloaders are expensive and result in product breakage.

A more convenient solution for unloading sea-going vessels is to use a pneumatic unloader. Pneumatic unloaders offer a number of advantages compared to their mechanical counterpart and grabs: • Higher unloading rate • Ease of use allows one operator to manage the entire unloading process • No spillage or need to clean

Bioenergy Insight

transport & logistics Bioenergy

Vigan Engineering has installed two of its NIV 600 pneumatic unloaders at RWE’s power plant in Tilbury, UK

the surrounding quay • Minimal breakage • Lightweight machinery • No dust emissions as the whole unloading system is under negative pressure and/or is totally enclosed.

When Electrabel, the electricity division of French group Suez, put into operation its 600MW co-fired power plant, it chose to install a pneumatic unloader.

The plant is located near Nijmegen city in the Netherlands, a strategic location that enables it to receive wood pellets via barges from various locations. Because Electrabel co-fires coal and biomass, fuel handling efficiency is of the utmost importance and power supply is continuous.

Electrabel’s pneumatic unloader was installed by Belgian company Vigan Engineering, which unloads at the rate of 500 tonnes per hour via a rail-mounted Continuous Ship Unloader.

Dealing with dust Pneumatic machines work by sucking in the wood pellets and moving them to trucks, wagons and/

Bioenergy Insight

or a storage facility by means of either gravity or a mechanical conveyor. As Caroline Leonard, marketing and sales administrator at Vigan, explains: ‘It works like a large vacuum cleaner, sucking product into the vertical piping. The system is fully enclosed from the beginning to end leaving no dust emissions outside.

And then we have many dust filters installed at the various transfer points.’

Vigan’s pneumatic unloaders were originally designed in the 1970s to transport grains and other free-flowing products with a reasonable humidity content.

The company’s pneumatic machine was then upgraded and fitted with fire and explosion prevention devices for the first wood pellet handling machine in 2009.

Leonard says: ‘There is fire and smoke detection devices in the blower’s cabin and electrical room. There are also extinguishers inside the machine and electrical rooms. All our flash explosion suppression systems, dust filters and explosion panels comply with the ATEX norms.’

Customers’ considerations Time is money and therefore fast and efficient unloading is of key importance to customers. Vigan’s pneumatic unloaders can empty barges at between 200-600 tonnes per hour using approximately 0.8kW/tonne unloaded.

‘Speed is important when high volumes need unloading,’ says Leonard. ‘To save time is to save money; the longer a ship stays in the port, the more it costs.’

Leonard adds that this

power consumption has been dramatically reduced: ‘The addition of a frequency inverter for better control of energy efficiency has reduced our pneumatics’ energy consumption by 60%.’

So while pneumatic unloaders are a popular choice among companies looking to transport and unload their wood pellet deliveries, other options are available and the final decision is based on each individual customer’s preference and needs.

Mechanical conveyors consume less power (0.3-0.4kW/tonne unloaded) than pneumatic machines and can be used to unload much larger sea-going vessels (up to post-Panamax), unloading at a speed of 1,500 tonnes per hour. However, such product handling can lead to increased wood pellet breakage.

While the choice of unloader depends on many specialist needs and requirements, one thing is for sure: the need for wood pellets and other biomass will continue to grow as European countries are put under increasing pressure to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels. Logistical aspects of the delivery process require careful consideration to ensure efficient, economical unloading and continuous production. l

Unloading wood pellets using pneumatic machines prevents dust emissions

June 2012 • 67

Bioenergy events & advert index Bioenergy events Event Mon

Tue

Wed

Waste Conversion Congress East Coast

1

2

3

Renewable Energy World Conference & Expo Europe

Venue Date Fri

Thu

Sat12-13 June 2012 Sun

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US

4

5

6

Koelnmesse, Cologne,

7

12-14 June 2012

Germany

EU BC&E 2012

Milan, Italy

18 June 2012

AEBION Conference

Brussels, Belgium

25-27 June 2012

8Platts 1st Annual Biofuels 9 Conference 2012 10

11 12 Amsterdam, the Netherlands

13

14

28-29 June 2012

UK AD & Biogas 2012

NEC Birmingham, UK

4-5 July 2012

Biogas Asia Pacific 2012 Forum

Bangkok, Thailand

18-20 July 2012

Pellet Fuels Institute Annual Conference

15

16

17

Connecticut, US

18

19

20

29-31 July 2012

21

SMi Energy from Waste conference

Copthorne Tara Hotel, London, UK

17-18 July 2012

EBEC

Stoneleigh Park, England

10-11 October 2012

2012 TAPPI Bioenergy & Bioproducts Conference 22

Savannah, Georgia, US

17-19 October 2012

Expobioenergia

23

24

27

Valladolid, Spain 26 25

23-25 October 282012

5th Biofuels International Conference

Antwerp, Belgium

21 November 2012

The Future World of Biogas

London, UK

21-22 November 2012

Bioenergy Commodity Trading 2012

Amsterdam, the Netherlands

28-29 November 2012

Minneapolis, Minnesota, US

8-10 April 2013

29

30

31

International Biomass Conference & Expo

Advert index Monsal Front cover Roto Chopper Inside front cover Monsal 5 Andritz 7 Lignofuels 2012 9 Morbark 13 Jansen 15 Mist-Air 16 Landia 19 Geotech 23 BWSC 25 Haigh 29

68 • June 2012

CST Industries 31 Jenz 33 Promill Stolz 34 SMI 40 CPT 47 2nd Annual Waste Conversion 54 Alfa Laval 55 Pacific Rim Summit 58 ADBA 61 Platts Conference 63 Sud-Chemie Outside back cover

Bioenergy Insight (ISSN 2046-2476) is publised six times a year by Horseshoe Media Limited, Marshall House, 124 Middleton Road, Morden, Surrey, SM4 6RW, United Kingdom.

The 2012 annual subscription price is $240. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by Agent named Air Business, C/O Worldnet Shipping USA Inc., 155-11 146th Street, Jamaica, New York, NY11434. Periodicals postage pending at Jamaica NY 11431.

US Postmaster: Send address changes to Bioenergy Insight, C/O Air Business Ltd / 155-11 146th Street, Jamaica, New York, NY11434 Subscription records are maintained at Horseshoe Media Limited, Marshall House, 124 Middleton Road, Morden, Surrey, SM4 6RW, United Kingdom.

Air Business Ltd is acting as our mailing agent.

USPS number: 000-756

Bioenergy Insight

xxxxxx Bioenergy

Get your company noticed with Bioenergy Insight

Unique Visitors

Number of visits

Pages viewed

7,191

11,514 34,331

www.bioenergy-news.com For advertising enquiries please contact Sara Spivey, Sales Manager +44 20 8646 9488 sara@bioenergy-news.com Figures based upon the average visits per month for the first quarter of 2011

Bioenergy Insight

April June 2012 • 67 xx

Bioenergy xxxx

[tank truck] NEXT GENERATION BIOFUELS

As a worldwide leading company in catalysts and adsorbents technologies, we also provide SUD-CHEMIE AG innovative technologies and processes for the production of next generation biofuels Corporate Strategic and bio-based chemicals. Süd-Chemie offers innovative system solutions including Research and Development catalysis, biocatalysis, down stream processing and process technology out of one hand.

Staffelseestraße 6 81477 Munich ® The sunliquid process for the production of cellulosic bioethanol from straw and Phone: +49 89 710661-0 other lignocellulosic residues is one of our contributions to climate friendly solutions Fax: +49 89 710661-122 in CleanTech – energy efficient, environmentally friendly, resource efficient and no sunliquid@sud-chemie.com competition to food or feed. www.sunliquid.com Süd-Chemie stands for innovation and tradition – for more than 150 years www.sud-chemie.com *

xx • June 2012

* sunliquid is a registered trademark in Europe

Bioenergy Insight