News

EVENTS

Alternative Technology Advisory Subcommittee Meeting (ATAS)
December 21, 2017
Alhambra, CA
For more information on this event, please visit the website:
http://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/tf/meetings.cfm 

Southern California Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) Founding Chapter Workshop
January 18, 2018
Ontario, CA
For more information on this event, please visit the website:
http://socalswana.org/events/socal-swana-chapter-workshop-january-18-2018/

NEWS

Enerkem's Edmonton Waste-to-Biofuel Facility Receives Registration Approval From U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to Sell its Ethanol Under the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard

Earlier this year, Enerkem expanded its Edmonton plant to produce 13 million more gallons of ethanol per year. This facility has just received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to sell ethanol in the United States under the U.S. Renewable Fuels Standards (RFS). By 2022, it is expected that 16 billion gallons of biofuels are to be blended into the conventional transportation fuel pool as a part of the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act. The registration process for EPA approval is meant to meet the stringent regulatory requirements of the RFS program. This approval registers Enerkem for Renewable Identification Numbers (RIN) credits which can be purchased by refiners to comply with the RFS program. It has been established by the EPA that the cellulosoic biofuels that Enerkem intends on selling reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 60% when compared to gasoline. To read more, click here.

Household Digester Creates Biogas from Food Waste for Cooking

HomeBiogas is a kickstarter firm that developed a biodigester for home use two years ago. It took just 24 hours for that project to meet its crowdsource goal and HomeBiogas has recently developed another domestic biodigester for leftover food waste. The project, dubbed HomeBiogas 2.0, is currently launched on kickstarter and boasts that it works two times faster than its predecessor and even comes with a ready-to-use stovetop. Leftover organic waste up to 1.5 gallons per day can be deposited into the biodigester and converted into enough biogas to power the accompanying stovetop for up to three hours daily. The solid digestate can then be used as fertilizer. Typically home food waste is thrown into a composter, which demands constant upkeep, may develop odors, and attract pests. HomeBiogas says installation is simple and the biogas is fed directly to the stovetop through its patented mechanical pressure mechanism. The company hopes this domestic biodigester will create opportunities to provide clean energy and natural fertilizer in underserved communities and developing nations. To read more, click here.

Nebraskas Newest Power Plant Will Use Wood, Other Waste, as Fuel

A power plant planning to utilize gasification of wood products and other waste has been announce by the Nebraska Forest Service (NFS). According the NFS forest products program leader, the new facility that will be located in South Sioux City will be a great help the states foresters. Despite a lot of active management, there is still wood resources like eastern red cedar causing problems in grasslands and forests with nowhere else to take it. Nebraskas sawmill industry mostly creates wooden pallets, which develop wood waste that can also feed into this planned power plants feedstock. The gasification system will be a welcome addition to the states foresters who only have a few boilers that can take so much wood waste. Not only will the large supply of wood waste be dealt with, but the city will be able to get 57% of its energy from renewable sources once the power plant is operational. To read more, click here.

The Rise of Biofuels in the Age of Electric Vehicles

Recent trends show that despite the popularity of electric vehicles, there is a present and growing demand for the biofuel industry to thrive on. A process for producing biodiesel, called the Fischer-Tropsch method, was initially utilized to produce liquid fuels from coal or natural gas. However, there is development of the process that uses biomass as feedstock to convert green waste into syngas and automotive fuels. An additional step in the process, in which Fischer-Tropsch wax is produced, can also produce a higher yield with cleaner emissions. The benefits of pyrolysis not only close the loop in the waste-to-fuel industry, but the byproduct of biochar can also contribute to agriculture as it had in the past with the Amazons as a soil amendment. One possible avenue that may open things up for the biofuel industry is a process that can adapt components of both bio-oil recovery and biochar production as a soil amendment. Investments must be continually made in the science, technology, and markets of biofuel for its economy to stand on its own feet. To read more, click here.

Why the Time is Right for Aviation Biofuels to Take Off

The International Air Transport association projects that number of air travelers will almost double in 2035 from 3.8 billion to 7.2 billion in 2016. So while aviation currently produces 2% of human induced carbon dioxide emissions, there is potential for it to grow which makes the present day a crucial turning point to switch to sustainable fuels. Projections also suggest that even if just 5% of commercial aviation fuel were sustainable fuels, the overall industrys carbon footprint could drop by 4%. Because these sustainable fuels are competing with an incumbent system, it is expected to see the setbacks that biofuels have been experiencing. However, unlike solar and wind power which took 50 years to compete with the incumbent system, biofuels are quickly gaining the support from national and local governments and multi-stakeholder groups. The industry is primed for the growth and success of biofuel infrastructure with investor confidence increasing and demand growing as conversion technologies continue to stabilize and become more sophisticated. To read more, click here.

Sending Recycling to Waste-to-Energy in Honolulu Could Save Millions, Audit Shows

One of the disadvantages of being a small archipelago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean is the high cost of dealing with waste. For Hawaii, sending materials to a landfill or importing materials from the mainland to recycle is getting expensive. The uncertainty in the recycling market also exacerbates the issue. Honolulus City Auditor wrote a report detailing that $7 million dollars could be saved by sending more material to the city-owned waste-to-energy facility, H-Power. The costs to process recyclable materials have increased while the value of recyclable materials has decreased. As a result, Hawaii County and other jurisdictions are moving to ban certain materials such as expanded polystyrene to help decrease waste and litter. While the numbers seem to support the moves that the Honolulu government are making, it remains to be seen if they can get the same support from the general population. To read more, click here.

New York Starts Gasification Pilot Project

Clarkson University and One World Clean Energy, a Kentucky-based energy provider aiming to provide sustainable energy to underdeveloped communities, have teamed up to convert one ton of waste per day (along with some leachate) into renewable energy. The waste will undergo gasification and the syngas produced will be used to create heat energy and electricity. The system to be installed will come from One World Clean energy and will have a capacity of 100 tons of mixed waste per day. The project will be located in a transfer station that processes approximately 50 tons of waste per day. The pilot facility is part of a new research program and will be operated by students of Clarkson University. As part of the research program, data will be collected for the development and commercial stages of the project with the potential to become a new disposal option in the county. To read more, click here.