Southern California
Conversion Technology
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Conversion Technology E-Newsletter – October 2019
ANNOUNCEMENTS
CalRecycle: Organics Grant Program FY 2018-19 and 2019-20 (ORG4) - Application Due Date Extended
The Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) administers a program to provide opportunities for the Organics Grant Program. The purpose of this competitive grant program is to further the purposes of the California Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32) and lower overall greenhouse gas emissions by expanding existing capacity or establishing new facilities in California to reduce the amount of California-generated green materials, food materials, or alternative daily cover (ADC) being sent to landfills. For the Alternative Greenhouse Gas Methodology Request activity, if an eligible project cannot be calculated using the standard quantification methodology, applicant may request to use an alternative methodology by the due date. Please note that the Alternative Greenhouse Gas Methodology Request Period has also been extended to Thursday, October 31, 2019.
Application materials for (FY) 201819 and 201920 (ORG4) are due Thursday, November 7, 2019.
California Air Resources Board: California Biomass and Waste Combustion Survey
If your organization owns or operates facilities that combust biomass or waste in California, please consider participating in a voluntary survey to help the California Air Resources Board (CARB) quantify emissions from these sources. CARB has contracted with Eastern Research Group to facilitate the survey process. To participate, please visit the survey website below. There you can find a complete list of facilities of interest and request to receive a link to the survey for your facility or facilities. Note that the deadline for submitting survey responses is extended to Friday, November 1, 2019.
For more information go to California Air Resources Board Biomass and Waste Combustion Survey.
California Energy Commission: Food Production Investment Program
The Food Production Investment Program encourages California food producers to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The programs initial budget provided up to $57 million to help accelerate the adoption of advanced energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. The Food Production Investment Program will help producers replace high-energy-consuming equipment and systems with market-ready and advanced technologies and equipment. The program will also accelerate the adoption of state-of-the-art energy technologies that can substantially reduce energy use and costs and associated GHG emissions. Eligible technologies include solar thermal, microgrids, fuel switching, and renewable energy generation, including biogas production. Deadline to submit applications is November 20, 2019, 5:00 p.m. To read more, click here.EVENTS
Southern California Waste Management Forum (SCWMF) Annual Conference & Exhibit
November 7, 2019
Pomona, CA
https://www.scwmf.org/annual-conference-exhibit
Alternative Technology Advisory Subcommittee (ATAS) Meeting
November 21, 2019
Alhambra, CA
http://dpw.lacounty.gov/epd/tf/meetings.cfm
The Renewable Natural Gas Conference
December 2-5, 2019
Dana Point, CA
http://www.rngcoalition.com/rng-conference
Renewable Gas 360
January 22-23, 2020
Sacramento, CA
https://www.renewablegas360.com/
Verde Xchange Conference
January 26-28, 2020
Los Angeles, CA
https://www.verdexchange.org/
Compost 2020 Conference
January 28-31, 2020
Charleston, SC
https://compostconference.com/NEWS
Biological Recycling of Biodegradable Plastics
To meet demand for organics recovery and reduced plastic waste, biodegradable plastics will be an increasing part of the future and biological recycling infrastructure must be ready to respond. In order to meet jurisdictional requirements that single use plastics be biologically recyclable, the terminology and identification of biopolymers suitable for biological recycling must be created and communicated effectively and biological recycling infrastructure must be built, adapted and expanded to recover and recycle the biopolymers. To read more, click here.
How Garbage from Landfills Is Advancing UC''s Clean Energy Future
Under a recently-signed deal with Anaergia Inc., the University of California (UC) is expanding its shift away from natural gas to biogas. The university has agreed to purchase approximately $42M worth of renewable biogas from Anaergia over the next 20 years, a move that will help UC meet its climate neutrality goals while also putting it at the forefront of Californias next big environmental advance. Anaergia is building the Rialto Bioenergy Facility which will convert organic waste through an anaerobic digester into clean, renewable natural gas and fertilizer. To read more, click here.
Evolution of A Food Waste Digester
A digester built in 2012 by a rendering company to process its residuals is evolving into a merchant facility to manage all types of food waste streams. North State Rendering Co., Inc.s (NSR) anaerobic digestion facility produces renewable natural gas (RNG) for vehicle fuel. NSR has accepted clean high strength organics streams for a number of years, and recently installed a depackager to increase its ability to process packaged food waste. To read more, click here.
Plastics-To-Fuel Powered Ships Will Collect Marine Debris
A fleet of self-sustaining vessels will collect and process mixed plastic collected from the worlds waterways. Oceans United, a California-headquartered group, announced it has received a $40 million grant for its marine plastics cleanup effort. The organization plans to design and build a fleet of ships that can each collect up to 50 tons per day of mixed plastic from the oceans. The ship will then process the plastic onboard and convert it into a fuel using hybrid hydrothermal liquefaction technology and the resulting fuel will be used to power the ship. To read more, click here.
Department of Energy Awards $73M For Biofuel and Waste Projects
The Department of Energy recently selected 35 projects to receive $73 million worth of bioenergy research and development funding. This includes multiple projects relevant to the waste and recycling industry. Colorado State University will receive the highest grant in any category (nearly $5.1 million) for a project that aims to "valorize wet organic waste by using cheap, renewable electrons to drive targeted pathways in anaerobic digestion." Funding will also go to two other projects focused on "rethinking anaerobic digestion" and four on "plastics in the circular carbon economy." To read more, click here.
Anaerobic Digestion Facilities Processing Food Waste in the United States: Survey Results
The EPA surveyed operators of anaerobic digestion (AD) facilities that accept food waste about their operations and requested information. In September 2018, EPA published the first report of the findings. In September 2019, EPA published the second report of findings. The reports, which are the first and second of three years of data collection, summarize data received from three types of AD facilities: stand-alone food waste digesters, on-farm digesters that co-digest food waste, and digesters at water resource recovery facilities that co-digest food waste. The reports include information about the processing capacity of AD facilities as well as the total food and non-food waste processed. They also include information about facility operations, pre-processing/de-packaging technologies, feedstock types and sources, biogas cleaning systems, biogas production/uses, and solid/liquid digestate uses. To view the reports, please click here.
POLICY & LEGISLATION
California Energy Commission (CEC) Adopts Clean Transportation Funding Program
The CEC has adopted a new Clean Transportation Funding Plan (formerly known as the ARFVTP or AB 118 program) for 2019-2020. The overall funding remains at $100 million annually, but the CEC cut biofuels funding from $20 million to $10 million. The biofuels funding is now limited to low carbon, waste-based fuels and renewable hydrogen. To read more, click here.
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