Week of June 30, 2008 |
Editor: C.V. Clute editor@epoverviews.com Major technological breakthroughs needed for Renewable Energy development (Ind. Report) A recent RAND Corporation study states that dramatic progress in renewable energy technology is needed if the U.S. is to produce 25 % of its electricity and motor vehicle fuel from renewable sources by 2025 without significantly increasing consumer costs. Produced by the RAND Environment, Energy and Economic Development program, the study provides a "snapshot" of the nation's potential energy expenditures if such a requirement was imposed (a goal described as "25 x'25"). The study finds that biomass resources and wind power have the greatest potential to contribute toward reaching the "25 x '25" goal. It considers technological and economic factors that would affect the costs of renewable energy as well as non-renewable fossil fuels. The study indicates that a large, inexpensive and easily converted biomass supply is essential if it is to be used as a renewable resource with a limited impact on consumers' wallets. Developing such a supply would require harvesting energy crops on a scale that greatly exceeds current production. (Source: Science Daily, June 24, '08)
Bioenergy projects funded in Alaska (Funding)
The Denali Commission and the Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) are awarding $5,000,000 US for 33 Alaskan alternative/renewable energy projects. Funding includes $4,000,000 US from the Denali Commission and $1,000,000 US from AEA to the following projects:
$400,000 US for Biomass development in Hawaii (Funding) Congresswoman Mazie K. Hirono (D- Hawaii) indicates that the Energy & Water Appropriations bill, as approved by the House Appropriations Committee, includes provisions for $400,000 US to the University of Hawaii for the development of high yield feedstock and biomass conversion technology for renewable energy production and economic development The project aims to increase Hawaii's energy self-sufficiency by demonstrating the feasibility of commercial bioenergy production. The funding will help support the development of biomass production systems, biomass conversion technologies, and integrated bioenergy systems, which is expected to provide new opportunities for the Hawaiian agricultural and green industry sector. (Source: Hawaii Reporter, June 30, '08)
Low Emission Energy Development funds $1.4 million US Wood Biomass research in Australia (Int'l - R&D Funding) The Western Australia government is providing $1.4 million US ($1.5 million AUS) to Future Farm Industries towards the costs of designing, building and testing an oil mallee harvesting machine. Oil mallees are multi-stemmed trees that have long been recognized for their potential to provide a bioenergy source which can be grown in combination with conventional cereal cropping systems. The trees also provide significant benefits to biodiversity and soil quality, and can store carbon underground in large woody roots. This funding is part of the first round of funding from the $35.0 million US ($36.5 million AUS) Western Australia Low Emission Energy Development fund. (Source: West Australia Business, June 30, '08
West Biofuels to seek $ 20 million US financing (Ind. Report) Following up on an item first identified in our May 12, '08 issue, West Biofuels is expecting production to begin late this summer at a wood chip biomass pilot plant in Yolo County, Calif. The project is funded partially by a University of California Discovery Grant, which provides matching funds from the state for biopower and renewable fuel research. The California Integrated Waste Management Board invested $500,000 US dollars to study the conversion of solid waste. Chevron Corp. has also contributed to the project funding and the California Energy Commission invested $500,000 US in the project to study using surplus fuel to run a power plant alongside the reactor. The process to be tested involves an existing chemical technology that University of California reearchers are bringing to the peak of efficiency with highly sensitive laser sensors and process control algorithms.
Peter Paul, West Biofuels' principal will be looking for $20 million to $30 million US in investment later this fall for the construction of the first commercial plant, using the process tested at the pilot facility, which would process 100 tons of waste biomass a day, generating one 10,000 gallon tanker truck of mixed-alcohol fuel for every seven semi-tractor trucks of waste. About one third of the biomass will be burned to power the plant. (Source: North Bay Business Journal, July 1, '08)
Ze-gen Inc. reports successful waste-to-energy trials (Ind. Report) Ze-gen Inc. indicates preliminary data from its proof-of-concept facility in New Bedford, Mass. confirm the efficacy of Ze-gen Inc.'s waste-to-energy model. The facility, which began operations in Oct. '07, converts biomass from construction, municipal solid waste, and old tires, into syngas. This project has been discussed in previous issues, most recently in our Jan. 14, '08 publication, which indicated the company had closed on a $2,500,000 US debt facility. (Source: Providence Business News, June 25, '08)
GE Energy to supply systems for Biomass plants in China (Int'l - G&C) GE Energy indicates it will provide control systems for 50 new biomass-fueled power plants in China. The Atlanta-based company will distribute the controls technology to Wuhan Kaidi Electric Power Engineering Co. Ltd., which is building the facilities in the Hubei, Hunan, Anhui, Shanxi, Fujian, Jiangsu and Jiangxi regions. The biomass control systems will link all plant operations, data acquisition and performance analysis in order to monitor and control various plant mechanisms. Using straw, rice husk and animal manure as the biomass stock, the facilities are expected to annually generate 7.2 billion kilowatt hours. (Source: Biomass Magazine, June 27, '08)
Waste-Ethanol plant for Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (Ind. Report) Greenfield Ethanol of Toronto, Ontario, and Enerkem of Montreal, Quebec, indicate they will jointly build a $70,000,000 CDN ($69,169,000 US) waste-to-ethanol plant in Edmonton, Alberta. The 9,000,000 gpy plant, which is expected to be operational in 2010, will be the first project under a partnership between the two companies announced earlier this year. The Alberta Energy Research Institute is contributing $29,000,000 CDN ($28,656,000 US)while the city of Edmonton will contribute $50,000,000 CDN ($49,500,000 US) to a related processing plant and research facility. The city is also contributing the land and waste for the project, which will use Enerkem technology. GreenField is in charge of the plant's construction and operations. (Source: Reuters, June 27, '08
$5,000,000 US for Renewable Energy in Alaska (Funding)
As indicated in our June 26, '08 issue, the Denali Commission and Alaska Energy Authority (AEA) are awarding $5,000,000 US for Alaskan alternative/renewable energy projects. The agencies will offer funding for 33 projects in the areas of wind, hydro, biomass, solar and geothermal power. Funding includes $4,000,000 US from the Denali Commission and $1,000,000 US from AEA to the following projects:
We will continue to provide details of the remaining funded projects in future issues. (Source: Press Release, June 24. '08)
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