06 December 2010

Waste-to-energy schemes could save cash - Gazette Live

Nov 30 2010 by Kelley Price, Evening Gazette


GREEN chiefs on Teesside say food waste-to-energy schemes could prove a money saver for cash-strapped councils.


As many as 1,000 energy plants could be built in the UK using Anaerobic Digestion (AD), which uses food and other types of organic waste to produce power.


Last week top Defra minister Lord Henley, who was visiting Teesside, said the Government supported AD.


The following video may be of interest but is not linked to this article.




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In January, industries from manufacturing to construction will attend an event by Wilton-based RENEW and Manufacturing Advisory Service North-east to find out about the opportunities from the emerging sector.


Work on the North-east’s first commercial AD plant will begin in a few weeks, fuelling hopes the scheme will be a springboard for more like it.


Newton Aycliffe company Emerald Biogas will take commercial food waste and turn it into green electricity.


RENEW chiefs claim advances in the technology to produce renewable gas as well as electricity could lead to a revolutionary “closed loop” system for councils, turning waste from kerbside collections into fuel for their fleets.


The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), a cashback scheme that comes into force next year, is also expected to galvanise the industry.


The next step for RENEW is a study with Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Stockton councils to gauge the potential for AD on Teesside.


“The scale we are talking about makes AD plants large enough and too expensive to ship from the continent, so there’s a very real need for local production,” said Peter Walsh, RENEW’s energy manager.


“That means more work for manufacturing, fabrication, installers processing, equipment installation, civil works.


“We want to see much more local content, not importing of technology. Large fabrication structures, tanks, pipework instrumentation - these are all skills and industries that people are familiar with on Teesside.


“There hasn’t been the financial incentives until now - although they’re not as high as we wanted,” he added.


Speaking during his tour of world leading plastics recycling plant Biffa Polymers, Redcar, Lord Henley, who has overall responsibility for UK waste and recycling, said: “We are keen to encourage AD, and we’re working hard with other departments to do what we can.”


Antony Warren, from Emerald Biogas, said: “Landfill tax makes its competitive to take food out of the waste stream for companies.


“We need this to take off, there’s a push from Government and all the marketplace incentives are there to make it happen.”


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05 December 2010

Harvest Power Receives Canadian Government Grant to Open First High Solids ... - Business Wire (press release)

Company moves closer to goal of first commercial HSAD facility in Canada


WALTHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Harvest Power, a developer of renewable energy and compost facilities for next-generation organics recycling, today proudly announced that its Fraser Richmond Soil & Fibre facility will receive up to $4 million over two years from the Government of Canada. The funding will be used to finance the construction of the country’s first high-efficiency system for producing renewable energy from food and yard waste.



“We are especially excited by this project because of the incredible potential of HSAD to serve as a fundamental pillar in the North American organic waste management portfolio.”




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Harvest founder and CEO Paul Sellew announced the grant alongside the Honourable Christian Paradis, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, at a ceremony in the Fraser Richmond facility. The grant comes from the Government of Canada’s Clean Energy Fund, which is investing $795 million in clean energy technology development and demonstration over five years.


The project will utilize Harvest’s high solids anaerobic digestion (HSAD) technology, which efficiently biodegrades dry organic waste (such as urban food and yard waste) in a two-stage system that maximizes throughput, system stability and methane concentration in the resulting renewable biogas. The project will divert up to 27,000 tons of food and yard waste per year from landfills.


“Harvest has already made dramatic progress in our goal of becoming the first commercial HSAD facility in Canada, and this grant from the Canadian Clean Energy Fund positions us to achieve that goal in the near future,” said Sellew. “We are especially excited by this project because of the incredible potential of HSAD to serve as a fundamental pillar in the North American organic waste management portfolio.”


“Investments in clean energy technologies are a key part of our balanced approach to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and climate change,” said Minister Paradis. “Our Government is investing in this project to encourage clean energy innovation and help create high-quality jobs for Canadians.”


The Clean Energy Fund is investing $795 million in clean energy technology development and demonstration over five years. The Government of Canada’s support will help launch nearly 20 projects, including the Fraser Richmond facility, under the renewable and clean energy portion of the Clean Energy Fund, totaling up to $146 million. Three carbon capture and storage projects have also been announced, totaling $466 million from the fund.


Recently named both a 2010 Global Cleantech 100 Company and the “Emerging Company of the Year” by the New England Clean Energy Council, Harvest is rapidly expanding its business and developing new facilities throughout North America.


About Harvest Power


Through innovative technologies and unparalleled industry experience, Harvest is ushering in a new era of organics recycling. Harvest develops, builds, owns and operates state-of-the-art facilities that produce renewable energy and compost from discarded organic materials. Deploying best-in-class technologies, Harvest provides capital for projects and top-tier talent to finance, engineer, construct and operate the facilities. By harnessing the energy and nutrients of organic materials, Harvest enables communities to increase their energy independence, reduce their environmental impact, and harvest valuable resources.


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New anaerobic digestion plant opened - Guttridge

A new £9 million anaerobic digestion (AD) plant has been opened in Oxford, it has been revealed.


Organics recycling firm Agrivert has launched the facility, which is capable of processing 45,000 tonnes of waste a year, in Cassington.


The anaerobic digestors will turn food waste into around 2MW of renewable electricity for the National Grid.

Councillor Ian Hudspeth, cabinet member for growth and infrastructure at Oxfordshire county council, expressed his delight at the development.


He said: "This is a fantastic facility that is performing a key role in reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill in Oxfordshire, providing sustainable and renewable electricity for over 4,000 homes.


"The plant will also provide quality fertiliser for local agriculture – a real win-win scenario."


The plant was developed in a joint venture with M&M Skip Hire as part of Agrivert's 20-year contract with Oxfordshire county council.


Typical Guttridge equipment used in the anaerobic digestion industry includes;   View the original article here

04 December 2010

Siemens expands Anaerobic digestion offering - Environmental Expert (press release)

Siemens Water Technologies has acquired the JetMix hydraulic mixing system from Liquid Dynamics. This system agitates sludge within the anaerobic digestion process, optimising digestion and methane production. The latter can be captured and used as energy within a wastewater treatment facility.




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Compared to similar mixing systems, the JetMix system allows operators to schedule mixing times, which can reduce power usage by 60% to 80% without decreasing gas production or negatively affecting volatile solids reduction. Suitable for use in new installations as well as retrofits or upgrades for a variety of municipal and industrial applications, the JetMix system complements Siemens' existing line of equipment and solutions for anaerobic digestion.


The JetMix system creates an effective mixing volume rating of 95% or more, even with internal piping and roof support columns. The system uses powerful jets to maintain or resuspend solids. Nozzles mounted inside the tank can be rotated 360 degrees to create a flow pattern that virtually eliminates solids settling, reduces energy requirements, and makes dead spots obsolete. A top nozzle effectively controls scum and grease as well as foam and other floatables.


The modular design of the JetMix system allows for various pumps and nozzles to be used in combination to meet a wide range of application requirements and load fluctuations. Viscosity, particle size, density, settling rate and tank geometry are all considered when designing the mixing system.


The mixing system can be paired with thermophilic as well as mesophilic digesters, and can be coupled with heat exchangers. The system can be used in channels as well as in circular, square, and rectangular tanks. Suitable applications include tanks with gas holders, or fixed and membrane roofs, with the tanks located either above or below ground. There are more than 300 JetMix system installations around the world.


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UK brewery embraces anaerobic digestion - Guttridge



Rapid growth of the anaerobic digestion sector has been highlighted by the adoption of the technology by a Suffolk brewery.


Adnams Brewery has introduced anaerobic digestors to its Southwold plant to turn waste from the site and surrounding companies into biogas for the national grid.


Climate change minister Greg Barker expressed his delight at the move as it follows the announcement that Thames Water and British Gas will turn sewage into biogas.


He said: "This has been an excellent week for progress in renewable energy. As well as the waste from making beer, Adnams Bio Energy is taking in food waste from local businesses large and small."


Adnams claimed that the waste by-products generated from brewing 600 pints of beer could generate enough gas for one home a day.


In addition to producing power for the local community, the gas will also be used to power the Southwold brewery and run its fleet of vehicles.


Typical Guttridge equipment used in the anaerobic digestion industry includes; elevatorsbucket elevatorsvalves


James Smith ADNFCR-2798-ID-800107536-ADNFCR


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03 December 2010

United Ethanol to generate methane - Biofuels International


Bioenergy International Asia expo and conference 
"In an attempt to get more value out of the corn used in its biofuel production facility, ethanol producer United Ethanol is to install an anaerobic digester. Within a matter of weeks United Ethanol’s anaerobic digestion project will be underway at its 50 million-gallon-a-year ethanol plant in Milton, Wisconsin, US. Eisenmann Corp. has been contracted to install the biomass equipment, which is expected to be up and running by Q4 2011. ‘It’s a way to extract a little more value out of our inputs – the corn – and make the plant greener and more energy efficient,’ commented the VP of United Cooperative and United Ethanol Alan Jentz.


The new anaerobic digester will produce methane from thin stillage, reducing the consumption of natural gas at the facility by 25%.


In addition to reducing the plant’s carbon footprint the anaerobic digester will also minimise the amount of fermentation solids that need to be recycled, reduce both fermentation inhibitors and evaporator bottlenecks and eliminate syrup load-out. $2.25 million (€1.6 million) of the $6.75 million project will come from Wisconsin’s economic development tax credits and energy programme, which is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.


In an attempt to get more value out of the corn used in its biofuel production facility, ethanol producer United Ethanol is to install an anaerobic digester. Within a matter of weeks United Ethanol’s anaerobic digestion project will be underway at its 50 million-gallon-a-year ethanol plant in Milton, Wisconsin, US. Eisenmann Corp. has been contracted to install the biomass equipment, which is expected to be up and running by Q4 2011.


‘It’s a way to extract a little more value out of our inputs – the corn – and make the plant greener and more energy efficient,’ commented the VP of United Cooperative and United Ethanol Alan Jentz. The new anaerobic digester will produce methane from thin stillage, reducing the consumption of natural gas at the facility by 25%.


In addition to reducing the plant’s carbon footprint the anaerobic digester will also minimise the amount of fermentation solids that need to be recycled, reduce both fermentation inhibitors and evaporator bottlenecks and eliminate syrup load-out. $2.25 million (€1.6 million) of the $6.75 million project will come from Wisconsin’s economic development tax credits and energy programme, which is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  


United Ethanol to generate methane
1 November 2010


In an attempt to get more value out of the corn used in its biofuel production facility, ethanol producer United Ethanol is to install an anaerobic digester.


Within a matter of weeks United Ethanol’s anaerobic digestion project will be underway at its 50 million-gallon-a-year ethanol plant in Milton, Wisconsin, US.


Eisenmann Corp. has been contracted to install the biomass equipment, which is expected to be up and running by Q4 2011.


‘It’s a way to extract a little more value out of our inputs – the corn – and make the plant greener and more energy efficient,’ commented the VP of United Cooperative and United Ethanol Alan Jentz.


The new anaerobic digester will produce methane from thin stillage, reducing the consumption of natural gas at the facility by 25%.


In addition to reducing the plant’s carbon footprint the anaerobic digester will also minimise the amount of fermentation solids that need to be recycled, reduce both fermentation inhibitors and evaporator bottlenecks and eliminate syrup load-out.


$2.25 million (€1.6 million) of the $6.75 million project will come from Wisconsin’s economic development tax credits and energy programme, which is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.


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Renewable specialists Farmgen seal £2.1m of bank funding - Click Green

by ClickGreen staff. Published Tue 09 Nov 2010 10:55 Work starts on pioneering new AD site Work starts on pioneering new AD site

Renewable energy specialist Farmgen has secured a £2.1million loan from the Co-operative Bank – marking the first bank debt-financed on-farm anaerobic digestion (AD) plant in the UK.

The pioneering 11-year deal will support the construction and operation phases of the AD plant at Carr Farm, in Lancashire – which will become the blueprint for Farmgen’s future sites.

Central to the funding structure and securing the loan for Carr Farm is a 20-year Feed in Tariff, the Government backed scheme that guarantees payments for electricity generated from renewable sources.

In addition, Marks & Spencer has signed a five-year contract to buy the energy generated from the plant at a fixed price – in keeping with the retailer’s commitment to procure more renewable electricity from small-scale energy sources.

Manchester-based solicitors Heatons advised Farmgen on the deal, which represents a major milestone in the company’s plans to drive the biggest AD ‘energy farming’ expansion programme in the UK.

The construction of the £3m AD plant at Carr Farm, near Preston, is now well underway. When the plant becomes fully operation in spring 2011 it will generate 800kW of electricity – the equivalent of powering more than 1,000 homes.

Ed Cattigan, Chief Operating Officer at Blackpool-based Farmgen and broker of the deal, said: “This arrangement is the first of its kind for an AD plant in the UK. The Co-op was chosen as the bank has previous experience in this type of deal for wind farms and this philosophy was utilised in the brokering of the loan.

“To have secured such a deal with the Co-op Bank is testament to how robust our offering to the market is and the growing belief in what AD plants can deliver in the UK.”

Matthew Andrews, Senior Corporate Advisor of The Co-operative Bank, added: “The bank recognises the importance of renewable energy in helping the UK's transition to a low carbon economy and is committed to supporting projects that not only fit perfectly with our ethical values but also make full use of sustainable energy resources.

“Farmgen was able to obtain the long term contracts that are fundamental to a project finance package and the bank was delighted to be able to assist in making the development of the facility at Carr Farm a reality.”

Mervyn Bowden, Head of Energy Management at M&S, said: “Since 2006 we’ve been actively encouraging the development of Anaerobic Digestion as a technology for generating renewable electricity.

“We’re delighted to see this plant going ahead. For M&S it helps to support our commitments under Plan A, our sustainability programme, to procure 100% ‘green’ electricity by 2012. For farmers and landowners it’s a great case study on how to get involved with renewable energy generation.”

James Flynn, Partner at Heatons LLP, added: “This deal represented a new direction for the Co-operative but Farmgen’s plans for the plant are absolutely ground breaking. This was a real team effort that encompassed a number of different specialisms within the firm and it was very rewarding to manage the project from inception through to financial close.”

The plant is also being supported by funding from a small group of major private investors, including Simon Rigby, the founder and former CEO of Spice plc.

Established in 2009, Farmgen is now Britain’s leading specialist in farm-based AD power generation. The company has several other sites in the pipeline in Cumbria, Lancashire, Yorkshire and the Midlands. Construction on a second Farmgen plant in Silloth, Cumbria is set to begin later this year.


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Call for more detail on renewables incentives - New Energy Focus

Friday 22 October 2010


Call for more detail on renewables incentives


Scottish finance secretary John Swinney has called for more information on Scottish Government access to the £190 million Fossil Fuel Levy


The government has been urged to set out details of its plans for renewable energy incentive schemes in order to provide investor confidence.


This has come as more trade bodies have joined in the celebration of Chancellor George Osborne's announcement that the government will fund an Renewable Heat Incentive and will not amend Feed-in Tariffs until 2013 (see this NewEnergyFocus.com story).


However, while the Spending Review has been fairly widely accepted by the renewables industry, it has now stressed the need for more information to come quickly so that projects can move forward.


Cathy Debenham, director of community energy forum YouGen, said: "Given that our recent poll found that 85% of people are holding back on installing renewable heat at home due to uncertainty about the renewable heat incentive, this announcement is good news. However, it does not go far enough.


"Until we know more detail people still won't have confidence to invest, and installers will continue to be in limbo. I urge the goverment to release its response to the consultation as soon as possible, so that consumers, industry and investors have clarity and the confidence to move forward."


She added that a rumour has been circulating that the microgeneration end of the RHI may be cut.


Also awaiting more surety on the scale of the RHI, Lord Redesdale, chairman of the Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association (ADBA), called for the government to prioritise AD.


He said: "Making a commitment of £860 million for the RHI is a major step forward. The most effective use of government incentives is to promote the production of biomethane through anaerobic digestion"Unlike many other renewable technologies, anaerobic digestion can help meet a wide variety of targets, including renewable energy, climate change and resource preservation. It can also scale up quickly at relatively little cost."


Elsewhere, the microgeneration sector welcomed the news that FiTs are unlikely to be reviewed and amended until 2013, as was scheduled. However, chief executive of the Micropower Council, Dave Sowden, added that it is important to have sufficient notice of changes to give investors confidence in the stability of the regulatory framework.


He said: "The reductions are of course going to be challenging, but they are sufficiently far into the future that the industry has time to plan for them, and assist government in constructive policy proposals to bear some of the burden.


"The most important thing is to give sufficient notice for customers and investors to remain confident in the stability of the regulatory framework. This is a good day for our industry, its investors, and its customers."


Looking at how the Spending Review announcements will affect the Scottish renewables sector, the Scottish Government and trade body Scottish Renewables welcomed many of the measures.


Scottish finance secretary, John Swinney, said: "There are elements in today's statement that we welcome. I note the Chancellor's words to support clean energy and renewables."


However, he claimed that there were major questions about how and when the proposed Green Investment Bank would operate.


And, the Scottish Government has also called for answers about what exactly the Treasury is proposing regarding Scottish Government access to the £190 million Fossil Fuel Levy, and how it can be used to directly support the renewables sector.


Following on with this issue, Niall Stuart, chief executive of Scottish Renewables, added: "We're still working through the detail, but the fact that any money drawn down by Scottish ministers from the Fossil Fuel Levy fund will continue to result in a corresponding deduction from Departmental Expenditure Limit means that it is not yet clear if the Scottish Government will be able to increase its spending on renewables at this critical time in the industry's development."


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