The Ultimate Garbage Disposal

A power station eats up dirty landfill and churns out clean electricity.

by Tony McNicol

Plasma turns garbage into gas that powers a turbine at a Japanese facility.

What could be better than a power station that eats up dirty landfill and churns out clean electricity? One facility in Utashinai, Japan, has been doing just that since 2003, using plasma—an electrically induced stream of hot, charged particles—to process up to 220 tons of municipal solid waste a day. Now a bigger and better $425 million plant is scheduled for completion by 2009 in Saint Lucie County, Florida. The operator, Atlanta-based Geoplasma, expects it to generate 160 megawatts of electricity—enough to power 36,000 homes—from a daily diet of trash.

At the plant, garbage will be superheated to more than 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit—about the temperature of the sun's surface—by a NASA-developed plasma torch. Organic components will be gasifed by the heat; the inorganic remainder will be melted and removed. Syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen, will be extracted from the gas output and used to drive turbines and generate electricity. Gases from the plant will be processed to remove dangerous compounds like dioxins, and the company pledges that emissions will be well under state and federal environmental limits. Heavy metals from the inorganic dross will be collected and sold as scrap.

Geoplasma hopes to do better than the Japanese facility, which generates just enough power for internal consumption. Operators there say that a chronic shortage of trash and unfavorable electricity prices have hampered the plant's operations. The Florida facility, however, will be built right next to a large landfill, which the company will dig into at a daily rate of 1,000 tons—along with 2,000 tons of brand-new trash to be trucked in. Geoplasma is negotiating contracts to sell three-quarters of the electricity generated by the plant to a utility company. "It provides a solution to two growing problems for communities: increased waste and the need for more energy," says Geoplasma president, Hilburn O. Hillestad. "Garbage disposal problems and rising energy costs have driven the economics of a plasma arc solution beyond possible to necessary."

What is Plasma Gasification?

Plasma gasification is a new garbage disposal solution using plasma technology. This process of garbage disposal is self-sustaining and converts garbage into electricity. Although plasma technology has been around for years, its application to garbage disposal was never seriously considered because the conventional approach of using landfills was less expensive (even with tipping fees and transportation costs). It was only recently - with landfills in scarce supply and with fuel costs on a constant rise - that the plasma gasification process has merited deeper consideration.

Plasma Technology

The basics of plasma technology are straightforward. A high-voltage current is passed between two electrodes to create a high-intensity arc, which in turn rips electrons from the air and converts the gas into plasma or a field of intense and radiant energy.

This is the process behind fluorescent and neon lighting where low voltage electricity passing between electrodes in a sealed glass tube containing an inert gas excites the electrons in the gas. The gas releases radiant energy and electric arc welding or cutting; this electricity passing between electrodes creates plasma that can melt metal.

Plasma Gasification

First, garbage is fed into an auger, a machine which shreds it into smaller pieces. These are then fed into a plasma chamber - a sealed, stainless steel vessel filled with either nitrogen or ordinary air. A 650-volt electrical current is passed between two electrodes; this rips electrons from the air and creates plasma.

A constant flow of electricity through the plasma maintains a field of extremely intense energy powerful enough to disintegrate the shredded garbage into its component elements. The byproducts are a glass-like substance used as raw materials for high-strength asphalt or household tiles and "syngas".

Syngas is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide and it can be converted into fuels such as hydrogen, natural gas or ethanol. Syngas (which leaves the converter at a temperature of around 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit) is fed into a cooling system which generates steam. This steam is used to drive turbines which produce electricity - part of which is used to power the converter, while the rest can be used for the plant's heating or electrical needs, or sold back to the utility grid.

Therefore, aside from the initial power supply from the community's electrical grid, the whole machine can produce the electricity it needs for operations. It also produces materials that can be sold for commercial use so, at some point, the plasma gasification system will generate profit for its users.

Current and Future Applications

The benefits of the system are evident. It is self-sustaining after the initial electrical charge is used; it is environmentally friendly; and it produces materials that have commercial applications or use and thus can generate profit.

Aside from disposing of newly-produced garbage, the system can also be used to dispose of accumulated landfill garbage so land reclamation is entirely possible. Another application planned is using the syngas as a base for producing hydrogen in commercial quantities, which will be used as fuel for hydrogen-powered vehicles.

Biomass Gas & Electric to Build Largest Wood-Fired Power Generating Plant in U.S.

Biomass Gas & Electric Company LLC, working with Progress Energy Florida, will be constructing a 75 megawatt waste wood fired electricity plant in Florida. IT will be the largest of its kind in the country. More here.

Mitsubishi Corp to invest in three types of biofuels both in Japan and abroad

Japan's largest trading company Mitsubishi Corp. aims to take a slice of the growing green fuel market with a planned annual capacity of 2 billion liters (530 million gallons) of green ethanol by 2017, a senior manager tell Reuters.

The new plants will be based in Japan and other parts of Asia as well as in South America, where supply of feedstock is sustainable, competitive and ample, says Takashi Miyazaki, a general manager at Mitsubishi's renewables energy business unit.

Mitsubishi in April set up a team of 15 staff to produce and market three types of green fuel: (cellulosic) ethanol, (second-generation) green diesel and biomass fuel pellets.

• Ethanol: In one of the first few deals, Mitsubishi this month invested 300 million yen (€1.9/$2.6 million) to take a 34-percent stake in a government-backed project to build an ethanol plant with annual output of 15 million liters on the northern island of Hokkaido. Kirin Brewery Co. Ltd., Japan's second largest brewer, is providing fermentation technology to the Hokkaido project.
• Biodiesel: Miyazaki also said Mitsubishi plans to produce 1 to 1.5 million tonnes a year of biodiesel by 2017 after building plants in Asia or in Central and South America. The volume is compared with 5 million tonnes a year of the existing rapeseed-origin biodiesel market in Europe. Japanese household goods maker Lion Corp. will provide expertise when Mitsubishi starts its biodiesel projects. Lion has developed technology to produce methylester sulfonate, used in laundry detergents, from palm oil, a major feedstock for biodiesel in Asia.
• Pellets: on bio-pellets used to co-fire with coal and used to reduce CO2 emissions, Mitsubishi plans for a capacity of 4 million tonnes a year by 2017, of which domestic output will be 20,000 to 30,000 tonnes. Global demand for bio-pellets made from wood waste is expected to grow to 150 million tonnes a year by 2030, up from 8 million tonnes currently, according to the company's estimate.

The company is not new to the bioenergy sector. Recently it signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Dynamotive, a developer of second-generation biofuels based on the pyrolysis of biomass. Mitsubishi also agreed to a 30-year ethanol supply agreement with Brazilian producer Sao Martinho. But the Japanese trading firm now wants to go beyond trading and actively pursues a stake in the production chain:

The production of renewable energy - biofuels, biomass, solar energy and wind energy - has become one of Mitsubishi's new focused business segments.

Analysts said investing in unconventional areas is an industry-wide trend as trading firms look for a new source of profit growth. "I think biomass energy is relatively contiguous with the company's existing business," said Ben Wetmore, senior analyst at Mizuho Securities.

Global demand for biomass ethanol is set to leap to 280 billion liters (74 billion gallons) a year by 2030, boosted by policy incentives and new technology cutting production costs, more than six times as much as the 40 billion liters (10.5 billion gallons) produced currently, according to the company's forecast.

"Manufacturing is the most profitable in this field of business as we think supplies will have to catch up with high-flying demand in the next few decades," Miyazaki said. But he declined to elaborate on details of Japan's top trading company's investment plans for renewable fuels.

"It's difficult to sum it up. We understand it takes four to five years to build a facility and five to six years to make profits out of it," he said. "Also, situations differ from one country to another," he added.

Plasma Gasification Transforms Garbage into Clean Energy

It sounds too good to be true: a machine that can get rid of almost any kind of waste at a fraction of the cost of today's disposal techniques, eliminate existing landfills, and produce an excess of clean energy to be sold back to the grid. This very realistic process is called plasma gasification.

One of the leading companies that is developing plasma gasification is called Startech. The company was founded in 1988 by Joseph Longo, the engineer behind the invention of the trash compactor in the '70s. As Longo explains, plasma gasification works somewhat like the big bang in reverse, as you get nothing from something.

A sealed, stainless steel vessel is filled with a stable gas, such as pure nitrogen. When a 650-volt current passes between two electrodes, electrons are ripped from the air, converting the gas into plasma. As current continues to flow, it creates an intense energy field with plasma arcs, which are like lightning. The radiant energy of the 30,000˚F plasma arcs disintegrates trash into its basic elements by tearing apart the materials' molecular bonds.

Tile, wood, nails, glass, metal, plastic, diapers-almost any material can be broken down with Startech's technology, eliminating the time-consuming, tedious and costly process of sorting waste by hand. (Nuclear waste is an exception due to its indestructible isotopes.)

Only two by-products come out the opposite end of the machine: an obsidian-like glass and "syngas," which is a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The glass can be recycled as a raw material for applications such as tiles and asphalt.

The syngas is one of the biggest attractions of plasma gasification. The 2,200˚F mixture can be cooled to generate steam for electricity, or converted into fuel such as ethanol, natural gas or hydrogen. About two-thirds of the fuel powers the plasma machine to make it self-sustaining, and the rest could be used for onsite electrical use or sold back to the grid for profit.

The power of plasma gasification makes it not only an environmentally clean technique, but also economic. Longo says that a Startech machine that costs about $250 million could break down about 2,000 tons of waste daily-enough to accommodate the needs of a city of a million people. Such an investment could pay for itself in about 10 years, not even including the money made from selling the excess electricity and syngas.

With the rising transportation prices and concerns about the environment, countries and organizations are taking notice. Three waste-disposal executives who recently formed a partnership called U.S. Energy plan to build the first plasma gasification plant on Long Island, New York.

New York City currently pays about $400 million a year to get rid of its trash, due to many closed landfalls around the city, incinerators being banned, and the city having to transport its trash to Virginia and Pennsylvania. A few Startech machines could reduce the current cost of $90 per ton to $36 per ton-and after generating surplus electricity, the city would actually make $15 per ton.

U.S. Energy's Paul Marazzo has one concern, though. Many landfill operators are politically well-connected, and enjoy getting a million dollars a month out of debris. With a plasma gasification converter, these businessmen would lose much of their revenue.

Besides New York, plasma gasification machines could be built literally all over the world. The National Science Foundation might install a system at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, the Vietnamese government may build one to get rid of stockpiles of Agent Orange left behind by the US military, and an assortment of investors from China, Japan, Romania, Poland, Italy, Russia, Brazil, Venezuela, the U.K., Mexico and Canada are interested. In Panama, overflowing landfills are polluting groundwater and drinking water, causing outbreaks of cholera and hepatitis A and B.

With so much disease being caused by pollution-much of which comes from excessive waste-many countries could benefit from a plasma gasification system.

BioEnergy: Buzz or Evolution?

Dr. Fernando Preto, talks about potential for Bioenergy   (photo opinion250 staff)

Since the day the forest industry learned there was a limited shelf life for mountain pine beetle trees, there has been a push to diversify the economy of not only Prince George, but all northern communities which have many of their eggs in the same wood fiber basket.

Enter BioEnergy. 

Energy produced through the burning of biofuels.  Already in Canada, 6% of all energy used comes from biomass energy. 80% of the bioenergy is being used in the pulp and paper industry, the remaining 20 % is being used to heat our homes.

Canada already produces 200 million litres of bioethanol from grain products, and 200 million litres a year of biodiesel from waste fats and oils.   Dr. Fernando Preto says that production level isn't astounding, but "It is a start".  Preto is  the Group Leader for Biomass Conversion in Natural Resources Canada's CANMET Energy Technology Centre in Ottawa.  He was the guest speaker at a  Prince George Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

The buzz for Prince George has been the development of pellets for which there is a growing demand and market. The problem says Preto, is that there is no fiscal incentive to use this type of fuel, and cost is a major concern "The cost of converting the wood to bio mass energy has to be cost effective," right now he says, the cost difference  is too close to make it cost effective to  switch to bio-mass.  "There would have to be some sort of incentive, whether it is financial or a carbon credit, something, otherwise the cost of the energy will be too high." 

Will Government be willing to offer some incentive?  "Your guess is as good as mine" says Preto. 

Right now, pellets are being produced with the residue from sawmills, but market demand for dimensional lumber and plywood means that supply of residue may be difficult to obtain. "You have to have some other value added process so the costs are low"

Preto says there are also challenges for transportation fuels " If we are looking for transportation fuels we need to look somewhere else.  By the year 2025  we could be producing 4 billion litres of ethanol from grain, but that is only 5% of the  Canadian fuel demand and to create that 4 billion litres, we used 20% of all the grain produced in Canada, doesn't really sound very promising."

Preto says "I think there is a lot of opportunity but I wouldn't think of harvesting it just for energy.  I  think you have to look at other things.  For example, the pellet industry works right now here because  they get their wood from sawmills which is a residue.  So if you can harvest the pine  for another use first, and have  energy  as well then you're o.k, but you have to have some higher value  added thing you are going for.  Just  doing  it for energy is more expensive."

Preto  says there is a huge potential including using portable  machines on site that can turn wood waste into a  biofuel oil.  The transportation problems are then reduced. "There is huge potential but it will take a little bit of investment and some dedication."

Sampoerna to Produce 19% of Indonesia's Ethanol Output by 2010

Aug. 14 (Bloomberg) -- Indonesian billionaire Putera Sampoerna, who sold his cigarette company for about $2 billion two years ago, plans to build ethanol plants that may account for 19 percent of the nation's output by 2010.

Sampoerna, 59, expects his first ethanol plant to be ready in the next two years, he said in an interview in Jakarta on Aug. 10. He wants to produce 375,000 kiloliters of ethanol a year, out of the country's estimated output of 2 million kiloliters, according to the Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources.

``We are already far along in designing our first ethanol plant,'' Sampoerna said. ``We are doing ethanol in a big way.''

Sampoerna, who sold his family's stake to Altria Group Inc., wants to tap the rush to meet government regulations worldwide that make it mandatory for part of the fuel used by trucks and cars to come from biofuels. Indonesia needs to boost ethanol production 20-fold to meet demand for 1.7 million kiloliters of the fuel in three years should the government enforce fuel companies to mix 10 percent of the biofuel to gasoline, according to state oil company PT Pertamina.

``It's a good move as the Indonesian government is now promoting biofuel projects seriously,'' said Stefanus Darmagiri, an analyst at PT UOB Kay Hian Securities in Jakarta. ``But we are yet to hear what incentives, including tax breaks, the government may offer to companies producing biofuels.''

Vast Land

The National Bio-diesel Development Team, a taskforce formed by Indonesia last year, has proposed that the government draw up regulations to make the use of biofuel, especially by industries, mandatory, Evita Legowo, secretary of the taskforce, said in an interview on Aug. 10.

``Making it compulsory would further make the sector attractive to investors,'' Legowo said. Bio-diesel is sold at 216 gasoline retail stations in Jakarta and Surabaya, the two biggest cities in Indonesia. Ethanol is sold at 12 gas stations in three Indonesian cities, Legowo said.

Indonesia has more than 6 million hectares of land available for crops that make biofuel, Alhilal Hamdi, chairman of the taskforce, said on July 24 last year, after the group's establishment. About 3 million hectares could be used for oil palm, 1.5 million hectares each for jatropa and cassava, and about half a million hectares for sugar cane, Hamdi said.

``Nobody can compete with Indonesia in agriculture and forestry,'' Sampoerna said. ``So let's develop those. If you want to sit there and develop industrial programs or incentives, it should be related to the agriculture.''

Investments

Sampoerna may set up his ethanol plant in Madiun and Pawonsari on Java island, according to the energy ministry.

Total production capacity of fuel grade bio-ethanol in Indonesia was 82,500 kiloliters a year as of the end of April, according to Indonesia's energy ministry.

Sampoerna, who has so far invested in a 20 percent stake in Israel's Harel Insurance Investments Ltd. and in Mansion (Gibraltar) Ltd., an online gaming company, declined to give detail of his Indonesian bio-ethanol project in the Aug. 10 interview. He also has a unit, PT Sampoerna Agro, which produces palm oil.

In June, Sampoerna Agro, based in Palembang, south Sumatra, raised 1.08 trillion rupiah ($115 million) selling new shares, equivalent to a 24.4 percent stake. The company will use the proceeds for expansion and to reduce debt.

The Sugar Group, owned by Indonesian businessman Gunawan Yusuf plans to build ethanol plants with a total capacity of 500,000 kiloliters a year in Sumatra and Kalimantan islands by 2010, according to the energy ministry.

A venture between a Japanese company and a Brazilian company also plans to build ethanol plants with a similar capacity in Papua and Kalimantan by 2010.

2006 Malaysian Palm Oil Market Summary

August 13, 2007 (TheEdgeDaily.com) — Kuwait Finance House Research said agriculture has been an important sector of the Malaysian economy, providing the impetus for economic growth in the past few decades and contributing to higher rural incomes.

In 2006, Malaysian agricultural exports rose to RM42.1 billion (2005: RM37.4 billion) or 7.15% (2005: 7.1%) of Malaysia's total export value.

Palm oil, being the largest contributor to the agricultural sector, recorded strong export earnings of RM21.6 billion or 51.4% of total agricultural exports value during the year, propelled by continuous R&D efforts to boost industry output and productivity.

The past two years have also seen Malaysia achieving milestones, especially on the biofuel front. Currently, there are five biodiesel plants in the country, with an additional five plants expected to come onboard by year-end.

Global efforts to reduce the dependency on fossil fuel, coupled with Malaysia's advantage in the palm oil industry will see the country continuing to pursue further biofuel initiatives.
2006 review and 2007 outlook

The palm oil price touched this year's high of RM2,886 per tonne on June 6, driven by expectations of a supply shortfall and rising global demand.

We think the palm oil price has reached its peak and is projected to trade between RM2,300 and 2,400 per tonne for the rest of the year. For full-year 2007, the palm oil price is expected to remain firm, averaging at RM2,300 per tonne (2006: RM1,900 per tonne), driven by the following factors:

• The Malaysian biofuel project, when fully implemented in 2008, is expected to absorb up to 500,000 tonnes of palm oil per annum. Malaysia has also agreed to set aside up to 40% (about six million tonnes) of the country's total palm oil production for biodiesel.

• Increased demand for palm oil from China with the abolishment of palm oil import quota will see the country buying an additional one million tonnes per year of palm oil in the next few years.

• Robust economic growth, higher edible oil consumption and the removal of palm oil import quota in India will see higher demand for palm oil. Palm oil exports to India rose by 10.7% y-o-y in June 2007.

• Lower import duty on processed palm oil in line with Asean Free Trade Area (Afta) agreement commitment will see increasing palm oil demand from Vietnam.

• Higher projected growth of global demand for vegetable oils (to 169 million tonnes per year by 2020 versus today's 90 million tonnes per year).

• Increasing worldwide demand for biodiesel will ensure increasing demand for palm oil (palm oil being a cheaper material input for biodiesel production compared to soya oil).

Planted area

Over the past two decades, Malaysia's total oil palm planted area increased from 640,000 hectares in 1975 to 4.17 million ha in 2006. In 2006 alone, the total oil palm planted area increased 2.8% y-o-y, driven mainly by Sabah and Sarawak with a combined growth of 4.5% versus Peninsular Malaysia's 1.6%.

Sabah has the largest oil palm planted area at 1.24 million ha, accounting for 30% of Malaysia's total oil palm planted area in the country. Matured areas stood at 3.5 million ha or 87.5% of Malaysia's total planted area in 2006.
Palm oil production

In 1H07, palm oil production stood at 6.68 million tonnes, 8.03% lower than 1H06's 7.26 million tonnes. This was mainly due to floods in the southern peninsula states during early 07 (palm oil output fell by 21.4% y-o-y to 1.05 million tonnes in Johor in 1H), excessive rainfall in the past six months as well as a dry season in June 2007 in major producing states, thus reducing the country's total palm oil production.

Reflecting lower palm oil production, FFB yield per ha was lower at 8.15 tonnes in 1H07 compared with. 9.05 tonnes in 1H06, while the oil extraction rate (OER) fell to 20.08% in

June 2007 against 20.31% in May 2007.

Nevertheless for full-year 2007, we project palm oil output to trend slightly higher by 3.8% y-o-y to 16.5 million tonnes, boosted by peak production cycle in 2H07.
Palm oil exports

For full-year 2007, we expect palm oil exports to trend higher to 20.89 million tonnes, with total palm oil export earnings of approximately RM46 billion (with the assumption that palm oil price averages at RM2,200 per tonne in 2007).

We expect higher palm oil demand this year from Vietnam (due to lower import duties on processed palm oil); the US (with the new trans-fat labelling law; and Jordan due to re-exports to the Iraqi market.
Catalysts for plantation sector

Plantation sector merger

Last year, Malaysia announced a mammoth plantation merger which will result in the largest listed palm oil company in Southeast Asia and the world. The combined entity is expected to have an estimated market capitalisation of RM75.5 billion, planted estates of 511,000 ha, plantation landbank of 578,337 ha and produces 5% to 6% of global CPO output.

The research house is positive about this merger as the entity is expected to derive economic synergies and economies of scale by ensuring optimal production, cost cutting/ savings and optimal capital usage. It maintains its aggressive outlook for a buoyant year for palm oil in 2007.
Biodiesel outlook

Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) said palm oil is suitable for use as second-generation biofuel in reducing carbon dioxide emissions by more than 80%, provided the processing stages are finetuned.

Output is largely meant for exports to Europe, the US and Japan. Excess output will be marketed locally through the B5 blend under the Malaysian Biofuel Policy.

The industry is mainly driven by surging oil prices that have stimulated the industry worldwide. Generally, biofuel plants are growing at a dizzy rate supported by strong demand from the US, Europe and other parts of Asia to reduce dependence on crude oil, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and boost agriculture.

Although the expansion and the importance of the biofuels industry are currently on the radar, the reseach house says the industry may not grow as fast as expected due to rising feedstock prices.
Economic considerations on biofuels

Vegetable oils form 80% to 90% of the biodiesel production cost, therefore, the cost of feedstock plays a crucial role in the biodiesel vs. fossil fuel diesel competition.

If palm oil prices stay at US$500 (RM1,738) per tonne and crude mineral oil at US$60 per barrel, the subsidy required to make biodiesel competitive versus petroleum diesel is US$1.25/litre.

This is possible through subsidies provided by the government to biodiesel producers or by reducing the diesel subsidy at the retail level, hence the cost is passed on to consumers.

Palm biodiesel will be attractive if the palm oil price stays below US$450 per tonne and crude oil prices stay above the US$70 per barrel (US$514 per tonne).
Possible solutions include:

• Allowing market forces to set the price of petroleum diesel;

• Legislation to make it mandatory to use biofuels blends. For example, EU countries used 4.5 million tonnes of biodiesel in 2006. This is expected to rise to about 6 million tonnes in 2007, and a mandatory 5.75% blending will take effect by 2010;

• Alternatively, the Malaysian government may cap palm oil prices at RM2,600 per tonne for its biofuel needs to ensure that prices remain competitive compared with fossil fuels. While this cap may not apply beyond the need of the biofuel industry, it is a bit of a dampener for industry players who may be forced to commit a percentage of annual production for biofuel purposes.
Outlook

From 2007 to 2012, the demand for vegetable oils is expected to increase by three million tonnes to 21 million tonnes due to relentless efforts in promoting the expansion of the global biodiesel industry.

The projected increase far exceeds the demand for food consumption by 40% to 60%. Due to competitive pricing, palm oil largely contributes as a cost-effective feedstock for biodiesel production.

Nevertheless, the growing demand for biodiesel is expected to counter the drawbacks of palm oil-based biodiesel. Meanwhile, palm oil exports from Malaysia and Indonesia are expected to surge moving forward as the palm oil-based biodiesel industry worldwide expands.

In conclusion, palm oil-based biodiesel seems to be the most competitive in terms of price and versatile in terms of usage. Malaysia and Indonesia, being the largest palm oil producers in the world, are in the best position to capitalise on biodiesel demand in the long term, hence creating a market with immense potential.

Moving forward, Malaysia is expected to take the lead in terms of palm oil-based biodiesel due to the country's supply, increasing prices and energy yields produced from palm oil-based biodiesel as compared with other vegetable oils.

Nevertheless, palm oil-based biodiesel will not take off as early as expected due to the costs involved for the development and expansion of the industry with the upsurge in palm oil prices stemming from the shortage of supply.

A new catalytic process efficiently converts biomass to syngas

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have developed a fast way to convert sawdust and waste biomass directly into a mixture of gases that can be burned to generate electricity or made into liquid fuels such as diesel. If the process can be scaled up, it could be a more energy-efficient method for making biofuels by allowing for small, fast reactors located close to biomass sources.

The researchers developed a system that makes it possible to transform solids directly into a useful mixture of gases. The process begins when millimeter-sized particles come into contact with a 700 to 800 degree Celsius porous surface and instantly form a mixture of gaseous compounds. These interact with a catalyst made of the precious metal rhodium that facilitates partial oxidation reactions that both keep the system hot and convert the gases to hydrogen and carbon monoxide. This mixture of gases, called syngas or synthesis gas, can then be burned in a gas turbine to make electricity, or purified and made into a number of different fuels using well-known processes.

The key to the new process is a catalyst bed with the right kind of porous structure to maintain the temperatures and movement of materials needed for the chemical reactions. The resulting system breaks down the biomass in just 70 milliseconds. That is ten times faster than other methods for making syngas, says Lanny Schmidt, professor of chemical engineering and materials science at the University of Minnesota. Ideally, that means a reactor with a given volume could make ten times the amount of syngas using the new method than it could using conventional methods. Or put another way, it could allow for reactors one-tenth the size, he says.

The catalytic approach is one of a number of methods in development that could convert cheap sources of cellulosic biomass, such as sawdust, grass, and agricultural waste, into liquid fuels. It's still not clear which of two broad categories of approaches will be more practical, thermochemical methods, such as Schmidt's, or methods that use enzymes and organisms. Thermochemical methods are expensive but have the potential advantage of being able to use a number of different source materials, whereas biological systems will likely need to be fine-tuned for particular feedstocks.

But the ability to make smaller reactors for converting waste biomass to syngas could help meet one of the most significant challenges of producing fuels from biomass. Transporting bulky materials such as wood chips and corn waste long distances to central facilities uses a lot of energy, often in the form of fossil fuels. It also makes the overall process more expensive. Small, distributed syngas plants could cut down on these transportation costs by decreasing the distance the biomass has to be shipped. Distributed reactors could also be valuable in developing economies, Schmidt says, providing power and fuel to communities that don't have reliable transportation infrastructure.

The overall affordability of such a system will partly depend on whether rhodium, which can cost upwards of $6,000 an ounce, can be used in small enough amounts–and over long enough periods of time. The process also has to be scaled up, even for small distributed systems. Right now, the prototype uses an experimental catalyst bed the size of a person's thumb. The researchers estimate that a system that can make enough syngas to produce 10 gallons of gasoline a day would require a catalyst bed many times this size, about 15 centimeters across and 3 deep. It could prove difficult, says Theodore Krause, head of basic and applied sciences at Argonne National Laboratory, to make a larger system that remains fast and efficient.

While challenges remain, Schmidt's system represents a distinct advance in the science of making fuels from biomass, Krause says. In demonstrating the ability to convert solids directly into syngas, he adds, the research has "demonstrated something that most people would have at first guessed was not possible."

Farmer considers ‘miracle grass’

Benny Herioux takes a walk through his crop of switchgrass on his farm in Schaffer. Herioux has been in talks with researchers from MSU Extension, and the Upper Peninsula Experiment Station on possibly marketing switchgrass as an alternative fuel. (Daily Press photo by Laura Mead)

By Laura Mead - lmead@dailypress.net

BARK RIVER — Local farmers could be in the energy business if the growing of switchgrass proves to be economical. Local crop and soil researchers are talking with farmers to see what could be done with this "miracle grass" and whether it could be marketed as an alternative fuel source.

For years now, northern Michigan farmers have considered the idea of harvesting and marketing crops used as alternative sources of fuel. In an effort to help, the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, the MSU Extension and the Michigan Department of Agriculture have joined in an effort to investigate potential crops for this use. The result showed switchgrass, a crop already native to this area, could be the answer to local farmers' prayers.

Benny Herioux, a dairy farmer in Schaffer who is already growing a crop of switchgrass on his farm, believes in its benefits.

"Switchgrass could solve the problem of unused land in this area that isn't conducive to other crops," he said. "It grows well in this climate, and it can also be used on highly erodable land because it will put roots down up to 30 feet below ground."

Herioux is actively involved with MSU Extension and has been meeting with researchers to talk about what could possibly be done with switchgrass in the Upper Peninsula. Herioux believes anyone in this area could start to grow switchgrass.

"Switchgrass is a prairie grass native to the northern U.S.," said Herioux. "Once people learn how to grow it, it's easy, and it's a crop that will last up to 15 years."

Outside research has found switchgrass can be converted to ethanol, a more environmentally friendly fuel that has been considered as an alternative to gasoline. switchgrass even got its 15 minutes of fame when Sen. Joseph Lieberman spoke of it as a means to relieve our nation's dependence on fossil fuels.

While researchers in Northern Michigan cannot yet say whether switchgrass would be a possible cash crop for local farmers, it has been found to have a greater tonnage per acre yield than most other alternative fuel sources. switchgrass can also grow quite easily in this area, and can be fairly inexpensively produced.

However, those who are looking into this idea say a commercial pelletizing plant would be needed to convert switchgrass to energy on a large scale.

According to Warren Schauer of the MSU Extension, once the switchgrass is pelletized, it could be used in any pellet burning stove. In this way, switchgrass could be used as a more energy-efficient way to heat a home.

"If the pelletizing of switchgrass proved to be economical, I don't think it would be that big of a deal for those who don't heat their homes with wood stoves to convert," said Schauer. "Many people in the U.P. already heat their homes with pellet burning stoves. If there was a conversion it would really save on the amount of heating fuel being used."

Herioux said he and others involved have discussed the possibility of pelletizing switchgrass at local plants that pelletize wood chips.

However, as of now, they are concentrating more on studying plants outside the country that are already pelletizing switchgrass.

"We realized that it might be our best bet to tour places in Canada that are already doing this, to see how they're doing it," said Herioux. "We want to bring people — possible investors — with us so they can see how it works and see what could possibly be done."

Schauer said, currently, the process of marketing switchgrass as an alternative fuel is really only in the preliminary stages.

"Right now we're just researching switchgrass, how it grows, and what kind of an environment it grows in," said Schauer. "We want to see if switchgrass has potential for the Upper Peninsula. As of now, we're just in the talks."

Colusa Biomass Attracts Global Attention as Interest Builds in Biofuels

COLUSA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Colusa Biomass Energy Corporation (Pink Sheets:CLME) today announced it has attracted international and national attention for its innovative process to make clean energy, ethanol and industrial grade silica from waste rice straw, the world's most plentiful agricultural waste. Last week, Colusa Biomass hosted a Chinese delegation made up of ethanol production company executives, county executives and rural economic development officers from western China's agricultural region.

"These Chinese leaders want to build renewable energy production in their province and the Chinese Government has made it a priority," said Tom Bowers, Colusa Biomass CEO. These folks live and work in a major agricultural production area in western China that has great rice straw ethanol potential. The Chinese delegation visited Colusa for three days to explore Colusa Biomass' proprietary technologies to turn waste rice straw into fuel ethanol.

The delegation was in response to Bowers and CBEC Field Operations Manager Rick Nannen visiting China in March. "At this point, we are exploring the prospects of a strategic alliance with a China-based ethanol production company to convert waste rice straw to ethanol and silica sodium oxide for markets in China," said Bowers.

China, India, Indonesia and Bangladesh are the largest rice producing nations in the world and are rapidly growing economies with large fuel imports, hence a clear need to replace high-priced fossil fuel imports

Colusa Biomass Energy is currently raising money to build its first bio-refinery in Colusa County. The facility will have an annual capacity to produce 12.5 million gallons of ethanol from approximately 135,000 tons of waste rice straw. The process is based on patented and proprietary technologies that convert waste biomass into ethanol for use in transportation fuels. It is important to note that the process takes nothing from the food stream but only consumes renewable cellulosic waste biomass. The business model anticipates 11 such bio-refineries in the US.

TNB Increases Purchase Price Of Electricity Produced From Biomass Waste

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 7 (Bernama) -- To encourage the private sector to generate energy from biomass resources, Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) has increased the purchase price of electricity produced from palm oil biomass waste to 21 sen per kilowatt hour from 19 sen now.

"The new price structure, under the Renewable Energy Power Purchase Agreement (REPPA), will be implemented immediately," Minister of Enegry, Water and Communications, Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik, said at the press conference after launching the Renewable Energy Roadshow here.

Dr Lim said the new price structure would help address the nagging problem of project viability and bankability.

"The uptake of renewable energy-generated electricity is also expected to increase significantly with the new price structure," he said.

He said the generation of electricity from palm oil biomass was one way the millers could contribute to a cleaner environment through the proper disposal of the empty fruit bunches and the palm oil effluent.

"Under the clean development mechanism (CDM), they can get paid by being part of the environmental-friendly process of power generation using biomass.

"With the increasing price, better REPPA and more money from CDM, renewable energy will become a viable project," he said.

Dr Lim said under the 9th Malaysian Plan, the government aimed to achieve the installation of 300 megawatt (MW) and 50MW of grid-connected electric power from renewable energy sources in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, respectively.

He urged the private sector to increase the share of renewable energy in the fuel mix of the country as only 12MW of renewable energy were generated so far.

Shell Hydrogen LLC and Virent Energy Systems, Inc. Announce Agreement to Manufacture Hydrogen Using Biomass

Houston, TX and Madison, WI --Shell Hydrogen LLC (Shell Hydrogen) and Virent Energy Systems, Inc. (VirentTM) today announced a five-year joint development agreement to develop further and commercialize Virent's BioFormingTM technology platform for hydrogen production.

Virent's technology enables the economic production of hydrogen, among other fuels and chemicals, from renewable glycerol and sugar-based feedstocks. The vast majority of hydrogen today is produced using fossil fuels, including natural gas and coal.

Duncan Macleod, Vice President of Shell Hydrogen said, "One of the main challenges to introducing the environmental benefits of the hydrogen economy is reducing CO2 emissions associated with hydrogen production. This agreement further emphasizes Shell Hydrogen's commitment to collaboration and working with the world's most innovative companies to overcome the challenges associated with realizing the hydrogen economy."

Virent and Shell will collaborate on the development and testing of hydrogen systems targeted for fueling station applications at Virent's facilities in Madison and the Shell Westhollow Technology Center in Houston. If research and development goes to plan, initial deployment of the new technology at a Shell hydrogen fueling station could follow within several years.

"Strategic collaborations with organizations, like Shell, that have a strong environmental commitment, a global footprint, and significant technical expertise are a key component of our commercialization plan," said Eric Apfelbach, Virent's president and CEO. "This collaboration will speed development and deployment of our technology not only in hydrogen fueling station applications, but in the broader industrial hydrogen market as well."

The worldwide market for distributed and centralized hydrogen is estimated at approximately 45 million tons each year. In addition to its use as an energy carrier in transportation applications, hydrogen is a key chemical building block used in many chemical processes, predominately ammonia fertilizer production and, in oil refineries, to upgrade lower quality oil fractions into gasoline and diesel and to remove sulphur contaminants. Other applications include the manufacture of glass, vitamins, personal care products, lubricants, refined metals, and food products.