Newsworthy

Landfill Gas

Republic Services Opens Landfill-Gas-To-Energy Facility in North Carolina
Republic Services Inc., Phoenix, along with Fortistar, White Plains, N.Y., and Duke Energy, Charlotte, N.C., have dedicated a new landfill gas-to-energy plant in North Carolina. The facility began commercial deliveries of renewable power to Duke Energy Carolinas on Feb. 16, 2012, under a long-term power purchase agreement.

“Although we are leaders in increasing energy output at landfills, it’s projects like this one that get us really excited,” says Republic Services Area President Jamey Amick. “To be able to take yesterday’s trash and, from it, generate enough energy to power more than 7,700 homes . . . now that’s something to celebrate.”

Fortistar recently finalized the construction on the 11.5-megawatt renewable energy facility, called Concord Energy Renewable Gas to Energy Plant, at Republic Services’ CMS landfill in Concord, N.C.

The Concord Energy facility uses landfill gas to fuel two Solar Taurus turbines, each capable of generating more than 5.5 megawatts, and combined with the associated landfill gas conditioning and compression equipment, will meet the total electrical energy needs of nearly 7,700 residences in the state. “Landfill gas-to-energy projects are an important part of Duke Energy Carolinas’ commitment to deliver renewable energy to its customers in a cost-effective way,” says Owen Smith, managing director of Duke Energy’s regulated renewables business. “The company will continue to look for good projects like the Concord Energy project to meet our state’s renewable energy requirements.”

“This project represents a successful collaboration that will benefit the citizens of North Carolina and the environment,” says Concord Mayor Scott Padgett. “We have always had an excellent relationship with CMS and Republic, and it continues with this meaningful and environmentally-sensitive project.”

Mark Comora, president of Fortistar adds, “We are proud of the relationships Fortistar has with both Duke and Republic Services, and we are pleased to expand on them here [near] the Charlotte Motor Speedway. We continually look for innovative ways to help ease the burden placed on our electrical grid by providing reliable and cost efficient renewable alternatives.”

Biomass

Biomass Energy Facility Planned for Western Ohio
Following five years of research and pyrolysis system design, Ag-Environ-Tech LLC (AET), a Cincinnati-based energy development company, says it is planning to build what it calls “an ecologically correct, self-sustaining biomass waste-to-green-energy conversion system” in Mercer County, Ohio.

The process is designed to convert toxic algae from nearby Grand Lake St. Marys’ livestock waste and other raw materials into electricity and synthetic diesel fuel. An important efficiency of the technology is that it operates using the same energy it produces, allowing both the supply and the operations energy costs to be completely controlled, says AET in a news release. AET adds that the process “returns no pollutants to the air or soil.”

AET says it chose Mercer County because it is a leading agricultural production county in Ohio, with abundant biomass resources and proximity to the toxic algae growing in Grand Lake St. Marys. The company says it is considering five additional biomass-based energy projects in western Ohio and eastern Indiana.

Transportation fuels

California Agency Approves Funding for Green Fuels Projects
The California Energy Commission has approved funding of $23 million for a host of projects that are meant to develop “green” fuels and to assist in the installation of fueling stations for these new types of fuel.

The awards are provided through the California Energy Commission’s Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program, created by Assembly Bill 118. The award recipients are the following:

• Clean World Partners–$6 million to increase its Sacramento biorefinery’s capacity from 25 tons to 100 tons per day.
• EdeniQ, Inc.– $3.9 million to modify an existing biorefinery.
• The University of California, Davis–$2.77 million to research the comparative value, benefits and drawbacks of alternative fuels in California.
• tmdgroup Inc.–$2.21 million to accelerate California market acceptance and use of alternative fuels and efficient low-carbon vehicle technologies.
• The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory–$2.15 million to assess the effectiveness of the Energy Commission’s AB 118 investments in alternative and renewable fuels and vehicle technology.
• Aemetis, Inc.–$1.9 million as a cost-share for the development of a facility in Keyes, Calif., which will demonstrate and analyze the production of ethanol using various crop refuse.
• Kent BioEnergy Corp.–$1.5 million for research to develop processes for producing fermentable sugars from algal biomass.
• Sysco Food Services of Los Angeles Inc.–$600,000 to develop a 24-hour publicly accessible liquefied natural gas station in Riverside, Calif.
• North Star Biofuels LLC–will receive $500,000 to develop a commercial-scale biodiesel blending facility.
• The U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Research Station–$361,716 as additional funding to an existing $1.5 million project to examine the sustainability of using forest biomass in the production of biofuels.
• Atlas Disposal Industries–$300,000 to construct a natural gas fueling station that uses pipeline and renewable natural gas.
• Bear Valley Unified School District–$300,000 to install a compressed natural gas fueling station.
• The Institute for Transportation Studies at the University of California Davis–$227,000 to address facility siting and life-cycle issues of using forest biomass to produce alternative fuels in California.
• The South Coast Air Quality Management District–$217,000 to establish a compressed natural gas fueling station in Murrieta, Calif.
• The City of Riverside–$200,000 to construct a compressed natural gas station at the city’s water quality control plant.

Anaerobic digestion

Solid Organic Waste Conversion Plant Opens at Packaging Plant
Clean World Partners, Gold River, Calif., has opened a commercial high-solid organic waste conversion facility at American River Packaging’s (ARP) Sacramento, Calif. headquarters.

The Clean World Organic Waste Recycling Center is based on anaerobic digestion (AD) technology developed at University of California, Davis. The recycling center converts food waste, agricultural residue and other organic waste material into renewable energy, fertilizer and soil enhancements.

The Clean World system installed at American River Packaging will convert more than seven tons of food waste from Campbell Soup and other regional food producers, along with unrecyclable corrugated material from ARP, into natural gas.

The natural gas will be used to generate about 1,300 kilowatt hours (kWh) of renewable electricity per day, supplying approximately 37 percent of ARP’s electricity needs.

More than 2,900 tons of waste are expected to be diverted annually from area landfills, and 1,000 tons of organic soil amendments are expected to be produced per year for regional agricultural and horticultural applications, according to the company.

Clean World says that its digesters can process organic solid waste with up to 50 percent solid content without adding water. With minimal preprocessing and a highly efficient digestion process, Clean World’s systems are more efficient and flexible than other existing AD systems. Rapid waste throughput also requires less water for processing, reducing tank size and manufacturing costs, enabling economical AD applications in a wide range of industries and settings.

“Our technology is revolutionary because it enables businesses and communities to tap their own waste streams in their desired environment to generate affordable renewable energy. We expect that it will lead rapidly to more widespread implementation of commercial organic waste conversion solutions,” Michele Wong, Clean World Partners chief executive officer, says.

Clean World systems are designed to be located at client facilities and easily sized to match a variety of urban, industrial and agricultural needs. The modular systems are built in a factory and can be installed at a permitted site in six weeks to eight weeks.

The Clean World system installed at ARP is the product of an innovative public-private partnership. Support for research and feasibility studies was provided by UC Davis, CalRecycle and the California Energy Commission, with private investment funding the facility’s construction and installation.

“Installing the Clean World Partners system at our facility makes sense from an environmental and economical standpoint,” Tom Kandris, American River Packaging CEO, says. “We now provide our own plant with clean energy which comes from scrap byproduct that we’d otherwise pay to send to landfills.”

The City of Sacramento played a key role in the project’s implementation through its project-approval and permitting role.

“This project puts Sacramento at center stage in the development of new, globally significant clean technologies. Businesses and communities around the world are already showing interest in what we’ve developed here,” Wong says.
 

Energy from Waste

Covanta Commences Metal Recycling System in Virginia
Covanta Energy Corp. has opened a metal recycling system at its energy-from-waste (EFW) facility in Fairfax County, Va. The company, headquartered in Morristown, N.J., says the new metals recycling system is the first of its kind in North America.

The system has been designed to recover small particles of non-ferrous metal. The company says the operational commencement represents a milestone for Covanta’s organic growth initiative.

“Improving efficiency and sustainability are key aspects of our culture and as such, we are continuously looking for new ways to recover value from waste and divert materials from landfills,” says Seth Myones, Covanta COO. “I’m proud of the way our team recognized the opportunity to recycle additional non-ferrous metal and quickly got this new system up and running.”

In March, Covanta announced a strategic alliance with Steinert US Inc. for nonferrous metal recovery systems. The partnership supports the implementation of nonferrous systems at Covanta facilities that currently do not have them, as well as enhancing systems such the Fairfax operations.

“We are proud to have achieved one of the highest recycling rates in the state at 47 percent and work hard to continually improve the recovery of recyclable materials,” says Joyce Doughty, director of Fairfax County’s Division of Solid Waste Disposal and Resource Recovery. “The new recycling system at the EFW facility complements our recycling initiatives very nicely and is a great example of how energy recovery and robust recycling programs can go hand in hand.”

According to Covanta, last year the company’s 41 EFW facilities in North America recovered for recycling more than 400,000 tons of ferrous and more than 15,000 tons of nonferrous metal.

Anaerobic digestion

Clean World Partners, Atlas Disposal Break Ground on Large AD System
Clean World Partners and Atlas Disposal Industries have jointly announced the groundbreaking in Sacramento, Calif., of what the two companies say is the nation’s largest commercial-scale, anaerobic digestion (AD) system.

As part of the project, the facility will include California’s first AD-based renewable natural gas fueling station.

When the AD system is complete, Clean World Partners’ Organic Waste Recycling Center at its South Area Transfer Station will convert 25 tons of food waste per day collected by Atlas Disposal into renewable natural gas.

The companies add that in 2013 the facility will be expanded to process 100 tons of food waste per day, making it the largest commercial-scale, high solids AD system in the United States.

When complete, the Organic Waste Recycling Center is expected to replace 1 million gallons of diesel per year with renewable natural gas and produce 2 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year.

Atlas’ Renewable Natural Gas Fueling Station will use the natural gas produced by the digestion system to fuel its clean-fuel fleet, as well as vehicles from area jurisdictions and agencies.

Clean World’s Organic Waste Recycling Center is based on technology developed at the University of California Davis to convert food waste, agricultural residue and other organic waste into renewable energy, fertilizer and soil enhancements. When the facility is complete, Clean World’s South Area Transfer Station system will divert nearly 37,000 tons of waste per year from landfills.

“Our development of this facility makes clear the viability of this technology,” says Michele Wong, CEO of Clean World Partners. “Our systems are adaptable to a wide range of situations, and we can get them up and running quickly. We’re especially excited with this center about the use of renewable natural gas as vehicle fuel.”

The project’s first phase is expected to be completed in the summer of 2012.

“We’re proud of our involvement in developing these cutting-edge facilities,” says Dave Sikich, CEO of Atlas Disposal. “By using renewable natural gas to fuel more vehicles, we’re helping to improve our region’s air quality.”

Landfill Gas

Waste Management Completes Construction of Gas-to-Energy Plant in Michigan
Waste Management Inc. (WMI), Houston, has completed the construction of its newest landfill gas-to-energy plant at its Pine Tree Acres Renewable Energy facility in Lenox, Mich. When fully operational, the new plant is expected to generate around 12.8 megawatts of electricity, enough to provide power to 12,000 homes in the state, the company says.

Chuck Cassie, senior district manager for WMI, says, “Waste Management is committed to the investments and innovative technology required to bring a state-of-the-art facility like this to Macomb County communities. By converting waste into energy for more than 12,000 residents, the new Pine Tree Acres Green Energy Plant represents the best of having tomorrow’s technology here and now.”

WM’s Pine Tree Acres facility is expected to channel an estimated 4,800 cubic feet per minute of landfill gas into eight 20-cylinder Caterpillar engines to produce electricity. The electricity generated will be delivered to Consumers Energy through International Transmission Company’s transmission system.

WM’s other existing gas-to-energy plant at Pine Tree Acres generates 8.8 megawatts of electricity.

“Green energy is reliable energy,” Cassie says. “As technology allows Waste Management to extract more and more out of waste, landfill gas will continue serving as an ideal source of reliable energy—for Macomb County (Michigan) and beyond.”

Anaerobic digestion

EPA Launches Waste-to-Biogas Mapping Tool
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Pacific Southwest Region has launched an online “waste-to-biogas mapping tool” to support the use of organic waste for energy projects. The mapping tool is found at www.epa.gov/region9/biogas.

The tool is an interactive map created to link food and other biodegradable waste sources with facilities such as wastewater treatment plants that can enhance energy production with their existing infrastructure. Wastewater treatment plants and some dairies manage waste with anaerobic digesters, which produce methane-rich biogas as a natural byproduct.

By adding food scraps or fats, oils, and grease to an anaerobic digester, facilities can increase biogas production to make money while providing a renewable energy source, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, says the EPA.

The tool is designed for decision-makers with technical expertise in the fields of waste management, wastewater treatment, and renewable energy. The tool allows users to determine the types of facilities in their area, where clusters are located, and the distance between a waste producer and an anaerobic digester.

The tool also functions in reverse – allowing generators of organic waste to find partner facilities that will accept it.

Features include:

• Fats, oils, and grease (FOG) hauler information for California, Arizona and Nevada
• California landfill information
• On-site energy generation for California dairies with digesters (in kilowatt hours per year)
• Energy estimates for wastewater treatment facilities, with and without co-digesting FOG (in kilowatt hours per year).
• A “correct record” option that allows facilities to change information presented on the map for accuracy.

Renewable Energy Site

North Carolina Site Being Redeveloped for Renewable Energy
A project in Charlotte, N.C., has crews pulling out 90 tons of metal - including stainless steel and copper - from an abandoned textile dye manufacturing facility. The metals “will be put back to use in traditional and non-traditional ways,” according to land developers at the site, which will be known as ReVenture Park.

Featuring multiple clean-energy projects, ReVenture Park is being designed to advance the Charlotte region’s environmental goals and economic growth by attracting renewable energy and alternative fuel projects.

One of first projects will turn wood materials destined for the landfill into a synthetic gas similar to natural gas.

The process will generate clean renewable energy while generating only a tiny fraction of emissions produced by traditional power plants, according to developers.

The ReVenture Park plan also involves recovering an estimated 750 tons of metal from 15 shuttered industrial buildings located on the 667-acre site. “We are working diligently to ensure as much of it is sold and put back to work as possible,” says Tom McKittrick, president and founder of Forsite Development. “In the first building alone, we estimate we salvaged over 7,000 linear feet of two-inch stainless steel piping that we will use on other projects.”

Most of the buildings also have extensive piping, racking, tanks, and other processing equipment that will be harvested and recycled, according to McKittrick. Once those spaces are cleared, the developers will renovate them into low-cost space marketed to clean energy technology providers and companies.

ReVenture Park developers also are working with University of North Carolina-Charlotte art students on a beautification project involving salvaged metal. These students will be transforming some of the salvaged material into metal sculptures to be displayed throughout the site.

Plastics to fuel

Oil Company Accepts Green EnviroTech Holdings Samples
Green EnviroTech Holdings Corp. (GETH), Riverbank, Calif., has reported that a major oil company has determined its tire-and-plastic-to-oil samples to be of an acceptable quality for purchase. The oil company stated that lab results showed the crude oil samples received to be within typical specifications for its refinery, according to a news release from Green EnviroTech.

“This is another huge leap forward for GETH and our tire-and-plastic-to-oil project with Ebbros Energy LLC,” says GETH CEO Gary De Laurentiis. “This is the final piece of what was needed to move forward with our first plant. We are finalizing our agreement with Ebbros so we can move from the nonbinding LOI (letter of intent) to a finance and purchase agreement next week. Terms of a purchase agreement between Ebbros and the oil company are now being negotiated as to the delivery point and financial terms. We anticipate the contract to be completed in the next few weeks.”

De Laurentiis adds, “We are now working with a California commercial realtor and have identified a site and are negotiating the rental terms.”

He says once the terms are finalized and the address has been obtained, the company will apply for the required permits it needs to begin operations.

“We are very encouraged at the progress we have made over the past year with this technology and our ability to get an oil company to accept what we will produce,” says De Laurentiis. “Additionally, GETH has secured feedstock supplies of tires and plastic for the area where we intend to locate. With huge volumes of waste tires and plastic going to the California landfills, we foresee the plant growing from its initial startup to consume an enormous amount of waste tires and plastic that has no value and is not recycled.”