Newsworthy

Gasification

Tennessee awards $250,000 matching grant for waste-to-energy facility

A $250,000 matching funds grant has been awarded to the city of Lebanon, Tennessee, to assist with construction of a new waste-to-energy (WTE) facility that will reduce landfill usage and provide clean electrical power. The funding comes from the Clean Tennessee Energy Grant program administered by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC).

The biomass gasification plant will convert as much as 64 tons per day of wood waste, sewer sludge and used tires to electricity for use at Lebanon’s wastewater treatment plant. The city contracted with PHG Energy of Nashville, Tennessee, in February 2015 to construct the facility. Completion is expected in mid-2016.

“Receiving this grant is very exciting for our city,” Lebanon Mayor Philip Craighead says. “It further validates our decision to pursue an aggressive clean energy and innovative waste disposal direction. There has been a terrific amount of cooperation between our staff, Wilson County, local industries and state officials during this development process. This is the second governmental financing source we have been able to employ. Funding for the project has already benefited from a federal program that covers 70 percent of the interest cost for our bond issuance. “

The federal program Craighead refers to is the Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds (QECB) initiative that provides for repayment of a large portion of interest costs to government entities that implement qualifying energy and greenhouse gas reduction projects.

Funding for the Clean Tennessee Energy Grant program originated from a federal court settlement with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) under the Clean Air Act that resulted in TVA providing the state $26.4 million over a period of years to fund designated environmental mitigation and energy projects carried out by municipal, county and other government agencies. TDEC was chosen to manage the selection process.

The Lebanon project will deploy what PHG Energy believes is the world’s largest downdraft gasifier. The new design has been vetted through a rigorous testing process for more than two years at PHG’s research facility.

Fuels and chemicals

United Airlines invests $30 million in Fulcrum BioEnergy

United Airlines is investing $30 million in alternative fuels developer Fulcrum BioEnergy Inc., a developer and operator of facilities designed to convert municipal solid waste into fuels based in Pleasanton, California.

According to the Chicago-based airline, it is the single largest investment by a U.S. airline in alternative fuels, and the first U.S. airline to invest in a biofuels company.

In addition to the equity investment, United and Fulcrum have entered into an agreement that contemplates the joint development of up to five projects located near United’s hubs expected to have the potential to produce up to 180 million gallons of fuel per year.

“We know alternative fuels is an emerging industry that is vital to the future of aviation, and this is just one of our initiatives to help make these fuels saleable and scalable,” says Brett Hart, United executive vice president and general counsel. “Investing in alternative fuels is not only good for the environment, it’s a smart move for our company as biofuels have the potential to hedge against future oil price volatility and carbon regulations.”

United also has negotiated a long-term supply agreement with Fulcrum which could amount to at least 90 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel per year for a minimum of 10 years at a cost competitive with conventional jet fuel.

The alternative fuel will be a drop-in fuel that meets all of the airline’s technical requirements and specifications and will power the aircraft in the same way as conventional jet fuel, according to United.

Fulcrum expects its first alternative fuels plant to begin commercial operation in 2017.

Fulcrum’s technology uses a thermochemical process to convert municipal solid waste (MSW) into renewable jet fuel.

The company’s renewable jet fuel is expected to provide a greater than 80 percent reduction in lifecycle carbon emissions when compared with conventional jet fuel.

E. James Macias, Fulcrum’s president and chief executive officer says, “United’s investment and participation in our projects is a tremendous boost to our program.

 

Mass burn/incineration

British Columbia WTE plant reduces nitrogen oxide emissions

The Metro Vancouver Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Facility has announced since the beginning of 2015, emissions have been reduced by 53 percent due to an updated emission control system.

The trademark technology was developed by Covanta, Morristown, New Jersey, as a retrofit for existing facilities like Metro Vancouver’s and results in an improved combustion process that minimizes nitrogen oxides (NOx) that contribute to the formation of smog and ozone in the lower atmosphere. Covanta Burnaby Renewable Energy operates Metro Vancouver’s facility located in Burnaby while its parent company owns or operates 44 other similar facilities worldwide.

“As the organization responsible for disposing of waste generated by residents and businesses in our region, Metro Vancouver is guided by sustainability principles of the highest standard and we enthusiastically worked on this nitrogen oxides reduction project with Covanta,” says Board Chair Greg Moore.

“Since its inception 25 years ago, our waste-to-energy facility has undergone continuous upgrading, and with this new technology developed by Covanta it will continue to produce lower emissions than what are allowed, and continue to be responsive to our citizen’s expectations of high environmental stewardship,” he adds.

Covanta says its new technology brings the NOx operating level to almost three times below the current limit approved by the province.

Prior to launching the NOx reduction project, Metro Vancouver’s facility produced approximately 0.8 percent of nitrogen oxides emissions in the region. The new emission control system has been operating since November 2014, and those emissions have been reduced to 0.4 percent of the emissions in the region.

Since opening in 1988, Metro Vancouver’s WTE facility has played an essential role in the region’s solid waste management system, and ensures that garbage is managed in an environmentally safe manner. Over 30 percent of the region’s waste is processed at the facility, resulting in 280,000 metric tons of garbage turned into steam and electricity.

Fuels and chemicals

Ensyn and Youngstown Thermal sign biofuel supply agreement

Ensyn Fuels Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Ensyn Corp., based in Ottawa, Ontario, has signed a contract with Youngstown Thermal LLC, Youngstown, Ohio, for the supply of RFO, Ensyn’s advanced cellulosic biofuel. Ensyn Fuels is to provide Youngstown Thermal up to 2.5 million gallons of RFO per year, with deliveries to begin as soon as the fourth quarter of 2015, in time for the 2015-2016 winter season.

Youngstown Thermal will use the RFO to displace up to 50 percent of its fuel needs in its natural-gas-fueled boiler. This five-year contract follows a series of successful RFO combustion demonstrations carried out at Youngstown Thermal in 2014.

Youngstown Thermal is the owner and operator of the steam distribution system in Youngstown, Ohio.

Youngstown Thermal provides steam for heat and hot water for the central business district of Youngstown including the Youngstown State University. Youngstown Thermal owns and operates four boilers at the site.

Ensyn’s RFO is a liquid fuel produced from nonfood solid biomass including forest and mill residues. RFO, essentially “liquid wood”, displaces petroleum fuels in heating operations and is also a renewable feedstock for refineries for the production of spec gasoline and diesel.

Ensyn Fuels’ initial deliveries of RFO are expected to be produced at Ensyn’s 3-million-gallon-per-year facility in Ontario, with eventual supply from the Ontario facility and/or one of several new projects Ensyn and its partners are developing in Canada and the U.S.

Ensyn says its Ontario facility has been qualified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS2) program. Ensyn expects that sales of RFO to Youngstown Thermal will qualify for Renewable Identification Numbers (RINs) under the RFS2 program.

This initiative represents the first commercial use of Ensyn’s RFO in a district heating system and demonstrates Youngstown Thermal’s leadership in innovative district heating solutions. This contract will anchor Youngstown Thermal’s commitment to transition its fuel requirements from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources, Ensyn says.

The RFO supply contract will allow the company to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and produce and sell heating services with enhanced sustainability characteristics. Youngstown Thermal will be able to achieve all of this while also generating cash savings, Ensyn adds.

“We welcome Youngstown Thermal as our first district heating client for RFO heating oil,” says Dr. Robert Graham, Ensyn’s CEO and chairman. “We look forward to helping Youngstown Thermal achieve their goals in greenhouse gas reduction and the supply of sustainable energy to the city of Youngstown.”

 

Corporate sustainability

MillerCoors operation achieves landfill-free status

Brewing company MillerCoors has announced its Milwaukee Brewery and corporate offices are landfill free. The brewer eliminated 65 tons of waste that were previously sent to landfill each month from its brewery and corporate offices, logging its first landfill-free month in December 2014, according to the company.

This marks MillerCoors’ first complete campus to achieve landfill-free operations and the seventh of the company’s eight major breweries to reach this milestone.

“We’re proud to achieve landfill-free status in the place we’ve called home for more than 160 years,” says Fernando Palacios, executive vice president and chief integrated supply chain officer. “MillerCoors remains committed to protecting local resources, lessening our impact on the environment and being a good neighbor by continuing to look for ways we can brew beer more sustainably, including eliminating waste sent to landfills.”

The Milwaukee brewery reduced waste by 19 percent compared with the previous year and now generates approximately 15 tons of waste per month. Residual waste that cannot be reused or recycled is sent to a waste-to-energy facility in La Crosse, Wisconsin, a standard practice at MillerCoors. Companywide, the brewer reduced waste sent to landfill by more than 448 tons in 2014.

MillerCoors details its waste reduction successes and other sustainability achievements in its “2015 Sustainability Report,” which was released June 9, 2015.

 

Mass burn-incineration

Wheelabrator names new president

Wheelabrator Technologies Inc., Hampton, New Hampshire, has announced Robert “Bob” C. Boucher Jr. as the new president and CEO effective July 13, succeeding Mark A. Weidman.

Weidman has announced his retirement as president and CEO of Wheelabrator after 25 years with the company. He has been critical to building the Wheelabrator business, including under Waste Management’s ownership, in the U.S., the U.K., and other international markets. Weidman will remain with Wheelabrator in a consulting role to ensure a smooth transition with the company’s customers, partners and communities.

“We thank Mark for his leadership and dedicated service to Wheelabrator,” says Tyler Reeder board chairman and Energy Capital Partners (ECP) partner. “He has driven a best-in-class operating culture that permeates all Wheelabrator facilities and teams. Mark also led the company’s successful international expansion, leaving behind the nearly complete, state-of-the-art Ferrybridge energy-from-waste facility and a strong development pipeline in the U.K.”

Boucher was previously the CEO and executive director of Transpacific Industries Group Ltd., a publicly traded waste management business in Australia. Prior to Transpacific, Boucher worked across the U.S. waste management industry for more than 20 years, serving in senior executive positions with Republic Services Inc. and Synagro Technologies Inc., and management roles with Waste Management and American Waste Systems.

 

Anaerobic digestion

Florida dairy farm honored for sustainability

Alliance Dairies was recently awarded an Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability Honorable Mention at the 2015 U.S. Dairy Sustainability Awards for commitment to excellence in sustainability.

Each year, the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy recognizes outstanding dairy farms, businesses and partnerships for practices that not only focus on the environment, but also promote the health and well-being of communities.

Alliance Dairies, a 6,000-cow dairy farm in Trenton, Florida, established by Ron St. John and Sandy McArthur, has worked for more than 25 years to put the belief “success through sustainability” into practice. According to the owners, Alliance Dairies not only produces milk, it focuses on environmental stewardship.

The dairy is also home to a two-stage mixed plug flow anaerobic digester from DVO Inc., Chilton Wisconsin. Biogas produced by the digester powers a 1,000-kilowatt generator, which supplies more than 70 percent of the dairy’s electricity.

The digester also protects the community’s water and environmental quality by reducing nutrient runoff, odor and greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the digester technology provides the dairy farm with cow bedding.

 

Mass burn/incineration

Viridor commits to recycling ERF residues

Viridor, Taunton, U.K., has announced that its energy recovery facilities (ERFs) have taken a significant step closer to becoming a fully “zero-waste-to-landfill” solution thanks to innovative technology that treats Air Pollution Control residue (APCr).

A 10-year contract has been signed with U.K.-based Carbon8 Aggregates Ltd. for the removal, treatment and recycling of APCr from Viridor’s ERFs in Exeter, Cardiff, Ardley and Peterborough, U.K., supplying around 25,000 metric tons of APCr from the four sites per year. The contract includes an option for a five-year extension at the discretion of those involved.

APCr is a byproduct of the filtering process to clean exhaust gases before they exit the facility through the flue stacks. Traditionally this material has to be disposed of in an appropriately licensed landfill site. Using its dedicated tanker fleet, Grundon Waste Management Ltd. will remove the APCr and transport it to Carbon8 Aggregates Ltd. The residue will be treated with waste carbon dioxide (CO2) in specialized mixer vessels. The CO2 reacts with the lime content of the APCr to form a carbonated compound similar to limestone, which chemically immobilizes the heavy metals present in the APCr.

The treated residue is mixed with various binders and fillers prior to being pelletized with more CO2 to form a lightweight aggregate material that can be used in exactly the same way as virgin aggregates, according to Carbon8.

 

Municipal

BioEnergy Hawaii partners with Ulupono Initiative on project

BioEnergy Hawaii LLC, (BEH) Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, which designs, develops and operates waste treatment and alternative energy systems, has partnered with the investment firm Ulupono Initiative to finance a resource recovery facility planned for the west side of Hawaii Island.

The limited partnership will share all financial obligations and proceeds of the $50-million facility. In addition to providing resources in capitalization and finance, Ulupono will offer BEH guidance and support through a system-based model that connects companies within its portfolio of investments.

“We are honored to have a significant investor such as Ulupono Initiative become a full partner in our waste conversion project,” says Kosti Shirvanian, president of BEH. “Our missions and values are completely aligned. We are both concerned with the health of our environment as well as the long-term growth and sustainability of Hawaii. Most importantly, we both see waste as a valuable resource.”

The BEH project is designed to prevent 70 percent of municipal solid waste from being landfilled. It will include recycling operations and produce multiple value products from the waste streams including recyclables, organics and residual solid fuel. Recyclables will be recovered and marketed as a commodity; wet organic waste will be treated through anaerobic digestion to produce fertilizer, compost and biogas; and the solid materials, including mixed papers, textiles, low-value plastics and wood, will be processed into a postrecycled engineered fuel.

“We support proven technologies that can help us better manage our waste in environmentally in financially sound ways,” says Datta. “As a long-time Kona resident, I believe BioEnergy Hawaii’s plan will provide a sustainable and economical solution to address our county’s waste struggles.”

The West Hawaii facility will be completely financed with private equity. BEH has the support of a $100 million special purpose revenue bond issued by the state.

Construction on the BioEnergy Hawaii facility is scheduled to begin during the summer of 2016.

 

Personnel

GBB expands staff

Gershman, Brickner & Bratton Inc. (GBB), Fairfax, Virginia, has announced that Lori Scozzafava has joined the firm as vice president and operations officer. She has more than 25 years of industry experience, including 15 years in high-profile leadership roles within prominent industry associations, where she provided valuable strategic and operational leadership, improved bottom-line profitability, revitalized operations and finance and managed significant growth of total net assets.

“We are excited to have Lori on board. She is a passionate advocate for environmental issues and has been very successful in leading key organizations,” says Harvey Gershman, GBB president and co-founder. “In addition to her strategic planning contributions to enhance GBB’s growth and profitability and managing the firm’s administrative and marketing activities, she brings to the table extensive project management, recycling and composting expertise that will prove highly valuable on client engagements.”

Prior to joining GBB, Scozzafava was most recently executive director of both the Bethesda, Maryland-based U.S. Composting Council (USCC) and the Composting Council Research & Education Foundation (CCREF), where she improved the organizations’ programs and influence, expanded membership value and dramatically turned around finances. From 1999 to 2013, she was a key part of the leadership of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), Silver Spring, Maryland, which included nine years as deputy executive director supervising administration, membership, information technologies and database implementation. During her tenure, she was instrumental in increasing membership and net assets and achieving overall growth.

 

Gasification

Gasification plant planned for San Jose

ICM Inc., based in Colwich, Kansas, has signed a contract with Florida-based JUM Global LLC, a global waste solution developer contracted with the city of San Jose, California., for a gasification demonstration unit using ICM’s proprietary gasification technology.

This demonstration unit will be operated at the San Jose-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater facility, which will process up to 10 tons per day of urban waste biomass such as urban woody biomass, storm debris, yard waste, tree trimmings, and construction and demolition (C&D) debris from the city’s solid waste collection program. The biomass will be blended with a small portion of biosolids from the wastewater facility.

The gasification unit will help the region by demonstrating a process that can be used in both the disposition and the application of these materials to produce a high quality syngas, which can be used to produce transportation fuels.

Jon Orr, ICM’s capital sales manager, says, “This demonstration project, utilizing ICM’s gasification technologies, will help advance the path to renewable transportation fuels using waste biomass at a scale that makes economic sense.”

San Jose, a recipient of a California Energy Commission match funding grant under the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, contracted with JUM Global to partner with ICM Inc. for the project, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of April 2015.

“While gasification has been around for a long time, there is renewed interest in this process as a way to convert different types of waste to produce renewable energy,” says Kerrie Romanow, director of San Jose’s Environmental Services Department. “This demonstration project will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and our dependence on others for transportation fuel.”

Dave McCarthy, JUM Global COO, says, “We are very excited to be working with the gasification team at ICM as our technology partner for this San Jose project. Their technology and ability to swiftly react to changing project dynamics is second to none. Together with ICM and the city of San Jose, we feel we have the best team possible for this project.”

Chris Mitchell, president of ICM, says, “We’re pleased that our technology was chosen by JUM Global and San Jose for this project. We believe that our gasification solution is a significant next step in delivering valuable technology options to the renewable energy sector.”

In 2009, ICM built and began operating a commercial-scale demonstration gasifier with the capacity to convert 150 tons of biomass per day.

 

Corporate sustainability

Nestlé USA achieves zero waste at all 23 US factories

Nestlé USA, based in Glendale, California, has announced that all of its 23 factories—spanning confections, dairy, frozen and refrigerated meals, ice cream, baking ingredients and beverages—are now landfill free. Nestlé USA says this important milestone supports its commitment to environmentally sustainable business practices to protect future generations.

“We are incredibly proud of the effort it took to accomplish this goal,” says Paul Grimwood, chairman and CEO of Nestlé USA. “This is an especially noteworthy achievement given the breadth and complexity of our manufacturing operations across a variety of categories. We are committed to working with our employees to ensure our factories remain landfill free and are striving for new ways to reduce our environmental impact at each stage of the product lifecycle.”

As part of this effort, Nestlé USA says it is continually looking for new ways to reuse, recycle and recover energy when disposing of manufacturing byproducts. The company’s current efforts include composting, recycling, energy production and the provision of safe products for animal feed.

Employees minimize byproducts and engage in recycling programs and partnerships with vendors that dispose of manufacturing byproducts in line with Nestlé’s sustainability guidelines and standards.

“Environmental sustainability is part of Nestlé’s commitment to Creating Shared Value in society,” adds Grimwood. “Our goal is for our products to not only be tastier and healthier, but also better for the environment.”

Worldwide, 15 percent of all of Nestlé factories, in 72 total, achieved zero waste for disposal in 2014.

 

Fuels and chemicals

Report: biofuel developers can thrive despite cheap oil

While alternative fuels like biofuels had obvious appeal when oil prices were well over $100 a barrel, the plummet in oil prices to $50 levels can threaten the cost-competitiveness of alternative fuels. However, many developers have planned for low oil prices and some will still be able to achieve cost reductions needed to thrive, according to Lux Research, Boston.

Lux Research evaluated 25 alternative fuel producers to identify the ones most likely to compete with cheap oil. Renewable diesel producers Neste Oil, Finland; and Diamond Green Diesel, Norco, Louisiana; gasification specialist Red Rock Biofuels, Fort Collins, Colorado; and Edeniq, Visalia, California, which makes cellulosic ethanol; were among 13 alternative producers of fuels best positioned for cheap oil.

“Fifty-dollar oil was never an afterthought for technology developers,” says Yuan-Sheng Yu, Lux Research associate and the lead author of the report titled, “How Alternative Fuel Companies Will Compete with $50 Oil.”

“Many companies have technology roadmaps for cheaper alternative fuels. Not all of them will actually achieve that benchmark, but some will—while others will find alternate markets or, ironically, use support from oil majors to survive until prices rise again,” he added.

Lux Research used its database of 400 alternative fuel producers to pick 25 companies—from seven technology families, four feedstock types and three stages of development—for detailed analysis. Among its findings:

• Thanks to lowered production costs achieved through feedstock diversification, renewable diesel producers Neste Oil and Diamond Green Diesel were the clear leaders in Lux’s model. On the other hand, Solena Biofuels and Joule Unlimited were among the laggards due to delayed production and commercialization;
• Developers are moving to alternate markets. Amid low oil prices, high-profile companies such as Solazyme, Amyris and Gevo have shifted decisively toward specialty chemicals and nutraceuticals this year. Sapphire Energy also has shifted away from fuels and now targets nutraceuticals; and
• Oil majors remain a pillar of support. Believing cheap oil to be a short-term phenomenon, oil majors have remained prominent supporters of alternative fuel developers across various technology platforms. For example, Total has added to its existing portfolio in biofuels and biobased chemical companies by investing in Renmatix, a biomass-to-sugars company.

The report is part of the Lux Research Alternative Fuels Intelligence service. The firm provides strategic advice and intelligence for emerging technologies. More information is available at www.luxresearchinc.com.

 

Refuse-Derived Fuel

Cement industry honors 2014 Leaders in Environmental Excellence

Three cement plants received special recognition for their commitment to improving the environment and their communities at the 14th Annual Cement Industry Environment and Energy Awards. The awards were presented by the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and Cement Americas magazine at PCA’s Spring Meeting in Chicago in April 2015.

The awards honor cement production facilities that have taken actions toward continuous environmental improvement, beyond government regulations and local laws, to make their plants and their communities better places to work and live. Seven cement plants in North America were nominated for the awards. Plants throughout North America were evaluated in six categories, and the following received awards:

• Overall Environmental Excellence: Lafarge North America Inc., Alpena, Michigan – Throughout 2014, the Alpena plant took several measures to improve its performance, as well as the area and community around it. Alpena took on a voluntary commitment to undertake pollution prevention projects within the plant by partnering with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ).
• Outreach: Cemex USA, Lyons, Colorado – For the past year, the facility focused its support on the recovery of the town of Lyons and adjacent communities after the area was devastated by a 100-year flood in the fall of 2013. In addition to monetary donations, the plant partnered with several agencies on flood relief and rehabilitation.
• Environmental Performance Award: Lafarge North America Inc. – The cement plant continued to meet and exceed its regulatory and permit emission limits. Compared with 2013, the facility reduced its Title V emissions by 50 percent by weight for the total of sodium dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOC), hydrogen chloride (HCI) and particulate matter (PM). Many of these reductions were a direct result of replacing coal in the fuel feed with petroleum coke, a byproduct from oil refineries, and using waste plastics and shredded shingles as alternative fuels.
• Land Stewardship: Cemex USA Brooksville South, Brooksville, Florida – The facility completed a top-down approach to land stewardship in 2014. Starting at the top, Cemex established an osprey nesting platform on top of a 12-foot pole overlooking the property. To attract native birds and other wildlife to the area, the plant looked to the bottom, and teamed with Wetland Management Services to plant native species on the littoral shelf in one of its ponds.
• Innovation: Lafarge North America Inc. – The plant took on several initiatives to improve processes and save resources. The plant utilized the bleed water stream off the wet flue gas desulfurization scrubber in its five clinker coolers. The water is vaporized in the clinker cooler and any solids in the stream are incorporated into the clinker, which prevented the bleed water stream from becoming waste water and needing additional treatment.
• Energy Efficiency: Cemex USA Brooksville South – The plant received recognition from the U.S. EPA Energy Star in 2014 for its energy conversation efforts. The facility followed the guidelines by implementing energy conservation and monitoring technologies, promoting energy efficiency awareness among employees, and completing energy reduction projects. The plant’s efforts focused on the use of supplemental cementitious materials that reduced the greenhouse gas emissions associated with every ton of cement produced.