Biofuel
Ineos Bio Starts Commercial Production of Bioethanol
Ineos IBio announced July 31 it had started commercial-scale production of bioethanol at its first facility near Vero Beach, Fla.
The Indian River BioEnergy Center is producing commercial quantities of transportation fuel from vegetative and wood waste and, at the same time, exporting renewable power to the local community.
The company says the first ethanol shipments were released in August. This is the first commercial-scale production in the world using Ineos Bio’s gasification and fermentation technology for conversion of biomass waste into bioethanol and renewable power, the company says.
“We are delighted with the progress made by our team at Vero Beach,” says Dr. Peter Williams, CEO of Ineos Bio and chairman of Ineos New Planet BioEnergy. “They have successfully addressed the challenges of moving a new technology to large-production scale for the very first time. Consequently, we are now pleased to announce that we are producing commercial quantities of bioethanol from vegetative and wood waste and, at the same time, exporting power to the local community—a world first.”
Williams adds, “All that we have seen so far validates the technical and economic viability of the technology. We remain convinced that the ability to divert waste materials from communities by converting them into competitively priced renewable fuel and power offers an excellent value proposition. It helps solve waste disposal issues, contributes to the supply of affordable and renewable fuel and energy, creates attractive jobs and provides a sustainable source of value for the community. We look forward to taking the next steps in building a global business based on the broad deployment of this advanced technology.”
The BioEnergy Center is a joint venture project between Ineos Bio and New Planet Energy. The facility has already converted several types of waste biomass material into bioethanol, including vegetative and yard waste and citrus, oak, pine and pallet wood waste. It will have an annual output of 8 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol and 6 megawatts (gross) of renewable power. The facility also is permitted to use municipal solid waste (MSW), quantities of which are expected to be used for bioethanol production at the center during 2014.
Ineos Bio is working with other companies and cities globally to use this technology as a new direction for waste disposal and the production of advanced biofuels and renewable power. The center will serve as a reference plant for future Ineos Bio facilities and for entities interested in licensing the technology.
Landfill Gas
San Bernardino County Signs Landfill Gas Contract
San Bernardino County, Calif., has selected SCS Engineers, headquartered in Long Beach, Calif., to support three landfill-gas extraction and treatment systems over three years. The project also includes environmental engineering support services for the county.
The $14.8-million contract covers the operations, maintenance and monitoring of the extraction and treatment systems located at the Colton, Mid-Valley and Milliken Sanitary Landfills, as well as on-call nonroutine landfill gas engineering services at all 39 of the county’s active and closed landfills. SCS’ efforts will be led by Project Manager Robert Legaspi of the company’s Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., office. SCS Engineers will operate the landfill gas collection and control systems at these sites to fulfill South Coast Air Quality Management District Rule 1150.1, Mohave Desert Air Quality Management District Rule 1126 as well as applicable state and federal requirements.
“Solid waste and landfill gas services are an important niche for SCS Engineers, and this contract fits in well with our portfolio of work,” Legaspi says.
Municipal
Montgomery, Ala., Breaks Ground on Recycling and Renewable Energy Facility
Ground was broken July 17 on what developers are calling a revolutionary material recovery facility (MRF) developed by Plantation, Fla.-based Infinitus Energy for Montgomery, Ala., designed to eliminate up to 85 percent of waste headed to the city’s landfill.
The Infinitus Renewable Energy Park at Montgomery (IREP at Montgomery), will be the first facility to combine several of what Infinitus says are the most technologically advanced systems available for waste recovery to create an advanced integrated waste recovery facility. Eugene, Ore.-based Bulk Handling Systems (BHS) designed, engineered and will manufacture and install the MSW recycling system.
IREP at Montgomery will feature screening, air and optical sorting technology. The $35-million, 82,000-square-foot facility is expected to be operational by June 30, 2014. It is designed to process up to 225,000 tons of waste annually and to recover an estimated 95 percent of recyclables.
In Phase II of the project, BHS subsidiary Zero Waste Energy (ZWE), Lafayette, Calif., will install its SmartFerm anaerobic digestion (AD) system to convert organic waste into compressed natural gas (CNG) and compost.
In-Line Tri-Disc technology from BHS and In-Flight Sorting technology from Nashville-based NRT will provide industry-leading separation efficiency and recovery rates, Infinitus says. The facility also will feature air separation technology from Nihot, an Amsterdam-based company with more than 750 operational facilities throughout the world. NRT and Nihot were recently acquired by BHS.
“The beauty of this project is that residents don’t have to do anything differently. All of the separating takes place at the MRF,” said Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange, “and the 25-year partnership the city has with Infinitus ensures that materials will be recycled.”
Kyle Mowitz, CEO and founder of Infinitus Energy, commented at the July groundbreaking, “The United States alone produced approximately 250 million tons of waste in 2010. The exponential increase in waste over time creates a sustainability crisis if we don’t dramatically alter the current waste model. Infinitus Energy is delivering an economical ‘big-picture’ solution to the multiple problems facing our world now and in the future to the city of Montgomery. The mayor’s vision and commitment to our collaboration has made this possible.”
Once the facility is operational, residents will place all trash in one city-issued bin which will be collected by the city of Montgomery sanitation department and taken to the mixed MRF at the Renewable Energy Park.
The system will sort and recover commodities such as cardboard, mixed paper, metals, aluminum cans, plastics and wood based on density, size, shape and material composition. Additional sorting will be done by hand, according to Infinitus.
The technology will allow the plant to accept a larger variety and volume of potentially recyclable products than other recycling methods, according to Infinitus.
“IREP at Montgomery will provide recovery rates not achievable by single-stream recycling programs that rely on residents to sort trash themselves, which addresses the recycling needs of the community without additional capital investment from the city,” Mowitz said.
The project will significantly reduce the amount of waste in the city’s North Montgomery Sanitary Landfill and extend its operational life by many years, according to Infinitus. Municipalities and commercial businesses within a 90-mile radius of the facility may contract to process their waste at IREP to achieve aggressive recycling rates.
“This is a long-term green investment in our city and state. With this project, Montgomery will be seen as a leader and trendsetter in implementing green technology for the benefit of both our residents and our planet,” said Strange. “Diverting tons of material away from landfills and incinerators and turning those materials into valuable resources generates a host of financial, environmental and societal returns.”
IREP at Montgomery is located on a 74-acre industrial site. The facility will be pressurized and all waste will be stored inside to reduce odor, contamination and noise to the area, Infinitus says. The project is expected to create approximately 110 local jobs.
“This is another great day for Montgomery as we welcome Infinitus Energy to our growing business community,” said Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce Chairman of the Board Horace Horn Jr. “The cooperative spirit among our elected and community leaders makes it possible for us to continue bringing new jobs and innovative businesses such as Infinitus Energy to the River Region.”
Mass Burn
Covanta Signs Long-Term Deal with New York City
Covanta, based in Morristown, N.J., has signed a 20-year agreement with the New York City Department of Sanitation to transport and sustainably dispose of municipal solid waste (MSW) delivered to two marine transfer stations in Queens and Manhattan.
Covanta plans to use the capacity at its waste-to-energy facilities in Niagara Falls, N.Y., and Delaware Valley, Pa., to convert New York City’s waste into energy.
Covanta’s Niagara Falls facility has a rated capacity of 2,250 tons per day, while its Delaware Valley plant has a capacity of 3,500 tons per day.
The city is expected to send about 800,000 tons of MSW per year to Covanta.
“New York City is a leader in addressing climate change, which makes us particularly proud that they chose Covanta and our energy-from-waste solution to help achieve one of their important sustainability goals,” says Anthony Orlando, Covanta president and CEO. “This contract is also important to Covanta because it will provide a significant and stable base of revenue, further enhancing our already predictable business model.”
The agreement is for 20 years of service and provides New York City with options for two additional five-year periods.
Under the agreement, waste will be transported via sealed containers using a multimodal approach including barges and railcars.
Service for the Queens marine transfer station is expected to begin in early 2015, with service to the Manhattan marine transfer station to follow in 2016 when construction is expected to be complete.
Covanta says the Niagara Falls location has a rail siding while the Delaware facility has a rail siding nearby.
To fulfill its obligations, Covanta says it will purchase equipment, including barges, railcars, containers and intermodal equipment. Covanta expects to invest $110 million in new equipment over several years beginning in 2013.
Plastics to Fuel
JBI to Close Ontario Plastics Recycling Facility
JBI Inc., based in Niagara Falls, N.Y., has announced plans to close its recycling facility in Thorold, Ontario, by the end of September 2013 as it seeks to reduce its operating costs.
In a statement, JBI, which converts waste plastics into liquid fuels, says its new executive staff decided to forego having a two-stage plastics delivery process in favor of dealing with processor-ready plastics delivered directly to its fuel processing site in Niagara Falls.
The company notes that based on operational data from the first six months of the year, closing the Thorold plant will save JBI about $800,000 in costs annually. Additionally, in July 2013, the company announced additional cost reduction measures that it says are expected to save nearly $1.3 million per year.
“Aggressively managing costs is a key component in positioning a company to eventually become cash-flow positive,” says Richard Heddle, JBI CEO. “In keeping with the encouraging production data we’ve had to start the third quarter, these cuts were an important strategic move for us. We continue with the vision of procuring nonrecycled streams of plastic that we can divert from landfill.”
JBI CFO Nicholas Terranova states, “We feel there is a great opportunity to reduce the cost of our fuel production, as a large portion of these costs have been associated with handling and preparing the plastic before it enters our processors in Niagara Falls.
“These measures are being taken to address these specific costs directly,” Terranova continues. “Based on reviews of our cost of goods sold, we have realized that acquiring nonrecycled, processor-ready plastic is the easiest way to continue having adequate feedstock at a desirable cost while streamlining our supply chain.”
John Bordynuik, JBI founder and chief of technology, observes, “A recent procurement partnership with a company that has been able to provide us with great plastic that is processor ready makes us believe there is ample supply to be delivered directly to our site. Consistent delivery and consistent on-site fuel production make it simple and effective for us to manage procurement in this fashion while making sure that we abide by all necessary guidelines in our permitting.”
Biomass
ReEnergy Acquires Maine C&D Processing Facility
ReEnergy Holdings LLC, which owns and operates facilities that use forest-derived woody biomass and other wood waste residues to produce renewable energy, has acquired KTI Bio Fuels Inc.’s construction and demolition (C&D) processing facility in Lewiston, Maine. KTI is a subsidiary of Casella Waste Systems. ReEnergy, a portfolio company of Riverstone Holdings LLC, is headquartered in Albany, N.Y.
The Maine facility has accepted and processed nonhazardous C&D waste for more than two decades. Through mechanical and manual sorting, the facility recovers material that can be used as fuel at biomass-to-energy facilities. ReEnergy says it expects to use its processing technology to recover additional wood from the streams, reducing landfilled volumes and increasing wood fuel production.
“We are pleased to complete the acquisition of the KTI facility in Lewiston,” says Larry Richardson, CEO of ReEnergy. “This acquisition allows us to maximize efficiencies and regional synergies and reflects our strategy to continue building a vertically integrated renewable energy company.”
Richardson explains that the KTI facility will increase ReEnergy’s presence in the New England C&D processing and recycling market and will enhance the company’s ability to convert a significant percentage of recovered wood into high-quality fuel that will be used to generate renewable energy.
ReEnergy operates nine renewable energy generation facilities in Maine, New York, Connecticut and North Carolina and three C&D processing facilities serving the eastern New England/Boston region.
The company also owns four biomass-to-energy facilities.
Exclusive of this acquisition, ReEnergy owns 325 megawatts of renewable energy generation capacity and processes for recycling more than 500,000 tons of C&D material per year.
Anaerobic Digestion
Massachusetts Considers Ban of Commercial Food Waste Disposal
Officials with the Massachusetts Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) have announced a proposed commercial food waste ban and funding to support anaerobic digestion (AD) to convert food waste into renewable energy.
“Banning commercial food waste and supporting the development of AD facilities across the commonwealth is critical to achieving our aggressive waste disposal reduction goals,” says EEA Secretary Rick Sullivan. “These policies and programs will continue the (Gov. Duval) Patrick administration’s commitment to growing the clean energy sector in Massachusetts,” he adds.
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has proposed a commercial food waste ban, to take effect by July 1, 2014, that would require any entity that disposes of at least 1 ton of organic waste per week to donate or repurpose the useable food. Any remaining food waste would have to be shipped to an AD facility, a composting operation or an animal-feed operation. Residential food waste is not included in the ban.
To harness the energy in organic waste, Gov. Deval Patrick’s administration has made $3 million in low-interest loans available to private companies building AD facilities. BCD Capital will administer the loans through MassDEP’s Recycling Loan Fund, with money provided by the Department of Energy Resources (DOER).
“Many grocery stores and environmentally conscious businesses across the state currently divert their food waste, saving money in the process,” says MassDEP Commissioner Kenneth Kimmell. “Diverting food waste to AD facilities creates value by reducing the waste stream, tapping into the energy within food wastes, reducing greenhouse gases and producing a byproduct that can be resold.”
DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia says, “Anaerobic digestion is yet another proven clean energy technology that supports the Patrick administration’s energy goals. By working together and leading by example, we are building the infrastructure to support clean, renewable energy generation and address a challenging organics waste issue with a solution that meets multiple economic and environmental goals.”
DOER also is making $1 million available in grants for AD to public entities through MassDEP’s Sustainable Materials Recovery Grant Program. MassDEP and DOER have awarded the first AD grant of $100,000 to the Massachusetts Water Resources Agency (MWRA) for its wastewater treatment plant at Deer Island. The MWRA currently digests sludge in 12 large chambers to help run the plant. A pilot project will introduce food waste into one of the chambers to determine the effects of codigestion on operations and biogas production.
“The legislature and the regulatory agencies in Massachusetts have taken important steps to create a positive environment for private companies such as ours to make significant investments in the development of anaerobic digestion projects,” says Tony Callendrello, chief operating officer of NEO Energy.
“I am pleased to see Massachusetts continue to make investments in recycling and in the reduction of waste in our landfills,” says state Sen. Marc Pacheco, chair of the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture. “As the commonwealth continues to lead the rest of the country in our green policies and practices, this commercial food waste ban provides one more example of the cost savings and environmental benefits that are available when we set a clean energy target and innovate solutions to achieve it.”
Food waste and organics make up 20 to 25 percent of the current waste stream going to landfills and incinerators. The proposed ban would help the state reach its goals to reduce waste by 30 percent by 2020 and by 80 percent by 2050. To ensure there will be sufficient facilities in Massachusetts to handle the waste, MassDEP is working with the Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to conduct feasibility studies to build AD facilities on state-owned land.
Over the past year, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center has awarded 18 grants worth $2.3 million to study, design and construct AD and organics-to-energy facilities.
Mass Burn
Covanta Acquires Camden Resource Recovery Facility
Covanta Holding Corp., based in Morristown, N.J., has acquired the Camden Resource Recovery Facility, a 1,050-ton-per-day energy-from-waste (EfW) facility in Camden, N.J., from a subsidiary of Foster Wheeler AG.
The Camden EfW facility provides waste management services to Camden County and surrounding communities while generating approximately 21 megawatts of renewable energy that is sold into the PJM system at market rates. (PJM Interconnection is a regional transmission organization for wholesale electricity.)
The facility’s southern New Jersey location adds to Covanta’s extensive network of EfW facilities in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. In 2012, the Camden facility processed approximately 319,000 tons of waste into more than 146,000 megawatt hours of electricity.
“We are excited to expand our portfolio of energy-from-waste facilities with this strategic and opportunistic acquisition,” says Anthony Orlando, CEO and president of Covanta. “We have a strong track record of successfully integrating businesses, and we look forward to welcoming new clients and employees into the Covanta family.”
Biofuel
Fiberight Wins Approval to Build Plant in Iowa
Baltimore-based Fiberight LLC has won approval by the Marion, Iowa, City Council to build a solid waste recycling facility. Fiberight focuses on transforming postrecycled municipal solid wastes and other organic feedstocks into next-generation renewable biofuels, with cellulosic ethanol as the core product.
Marion City Council approved the plan Aug. 22. According to an article in The Gazette, the facility’s sorting process will convert some of the organic material into compressed biogas for use as fuel for the city’s fleet of more than 50 vehicles. Other organics will be sent to a nearby plant to produce a waste-derived ethanol that Fiberight calls Trashenol.
Fiberight will now seek an air-quality permit from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Construction of the Marion Waste Revitalization Facility is expected to begin by the end of the year.
Landfill Gas
WM Plans to Expand Iowa Landfill Gas Recovery Facility
Waste Management of Des Moines (Iowa) has announced an expansion to the Des Moines Metro Methane Recovery Facility at the Metro Park East Landfill in Polk County, Iowa. The plant is a result of a private-public partnership between Waste Management (WM) and Metro Waste Authority. WM is a developer, operator and owner of more than 100 landfill gas-to-energy facilities in the United States.
When complete, the facility expansion will increase the amount of energy produced from landfill gas that is converted into reusable energy. Landfill gas-to-energy plants divert landfill gas to the facility, where it is cleaned before being converted into reusable energy.
The plant generates 6.4 megawatts (MW) of energy, and the new plant is expected to increase this number to 11.2 MW, according to WM. The electricity powers 6,400 homes, with that number expected to increase to 11,200 after the expansion. The electricity is delivered to the Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN), a contract secured by Metro Waste Authority.
“We are taking a byproduct that you would think would be unusable (landfill gas) and turning it into a beneficial source of renewable energy,” says Joe Durako, senior district manager, Waste Management – Illinois Missouri Valley Area. “By investing in landfill gas-to-energy, we are developing clean and renewable energy to create a more sustainable community for tomorrow.”
The new plant will add three more engines that will convert the gas into energy, with room for a fourth in the future. The industrial engines are fueled using landfill gas, which forms as a result of the decomposition of waste.
“This partnership allows Metro Waste Authority to leverage Waste Management expertise while meeting our Environmental Management System goal of reducing greenhouse gases,” explains Thomas Hadden, Metro Waste Authority executive director. “It also provides Metro Waste with another source of revenue to offset operational costs.”
WM operates the gas plant and Metro Waste Authority owns and operates the landfill.
Anaerobic Digestion
North Carolina Anaerobic Digester Receives Funding
Israeli company Blue Sphere Corp., which describes itself as a clean energy project integrator, has received a signed term sheet from an environmental finance fund to provide $7.5 million in equity financing for the company’s Charlotte, N.C., organics-to-energy anaerobic digester project.
The deal follows the company receiving an earlier commitment letter from Caterpillar Financial Services Corp., Peoria, Ill., to provide Blue Sphere with $17.7 million in debt financing. With the two commitment letters the project is fully financed, according to Blue Sphere.
Blue Sphere, along with Biogas Nord AG of Germany, is acting as the integrator of the Charlotte project through its joint venture company known as Bino Sphere.
Biogas Nord has designed and built approximately 400 waste-to-energy plants in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Blue Sphere says it is in the process of completing all closing conditions, including investment tax credit monetization, feedstock supply and permits. The company has reported that it would break ground on the Charlotte project by the third quarter of 2013.
“The equity commitment from the fund means that, together with the debt commitment from Caterpillar Financial Services, 100 percent of the project financing is now committed to our 5.2 megawatt organics-to-energy project,” says Shlomi Palas, CEO of Blue Sphere.
Palas says beginning construction will allow Blue Sphere to start earning revenue pursuant to the terms of its joint venture with Biogas Nord. “Once the project is commissioned, approximately 12 months from the start of construction, Blue Sphere will earn operating revenue.”
Palas adds that Blue Sphere is also making progress on the implementation of its second project, a 3.2 megawatt organics-to-energy anaerobic digester in Rhode Island.
Legislation and Regulations
EPA Tool Seeks Renewables at Contaminated Sites
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has updated its RE-Powering Mapping and Screening Tool so it will now provide preliminary screening results for renewable energy potential at 66,000 contaminated lands, landfills and mine sites across the country. Formerly, the tool offered such screening at just 24,000 sites.
The RE-Powering America’s Land Initiative, started by the EPA in 2008, encourages the development of renewable energy on potentially contaminated land, landfills and mine sites when that development is aligned with the community’s vision for the site.
“We see responsible renewable energy development on contaminated lands and landfills as a win-win-win for the nation, local communities and the environment,” says Mathy Stanislaus, assistant administrator for the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. “In President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, the administration set a goal to double renewable electricity generation by 2020. By identifying the renewable energy potential of contaminated sites across the country, these screening results are a good step toward meeting national renewable energy goals in order to address climate change while also cleaning up and revitalizing contaminated lands in our communities.”
Pulling from EPA databases of potentially and formerly contaminated lands, as well as partnering with numerous state agencies, the RE-Powering Initiative recently expanded the universe of sites to the 66,000 figure.
Working in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), RE-Powering developed screening criteria for solar, wind, biomass and geothermal potential at various levels of development. The sites are tracked by EPA and selected state agencies.
Since RE-Powering’s inception, more than 70 renewable energy projects have been installed on contaminated lands or landfills. More information on the RE-Powering Mapper is available at www.epa.gov/renewableenergyland/rd_mapping_tool.htm. More information on the RE-Powering America’s Land Initiative can be found at www.epa.gov/renewableenergyland.
Personnel
Recycling Today Media Group Adds Associate Editor
The Recycling Today Media Group has added Megan Workman as an associate editor.
Workman, a graduate of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, formerly worked at the Charleston Gazette in Charleston, W.Va., for nearly two years as a business reporter. She brings a range of experience in writing and editing to the group.
Workman will contribute across the publishing group’s range of publications, including Renewable Energy from Waste, Construction & Demolition Recycling, Recycling Today, Recycling Today Global Edition, and Storage & Destruction Business.
“I’m excited to join the Recycling Today team and fulfill my career dream of becoming a magazine editor,” says Workman. “GIE Media produces outstanding magazines that cover a diverse range of industries, and I am looking forward to maintaining that integrity.”