Watch this blog for Anaerobic Digestion News and information. This blog is unique. It is independent and carries News from all AD sources. We are not allied to any particular manufacturer or product, so you will see all the Anaerobic Digestion News here first.
ESSEN, Germany, Nov. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Elster (NYSE: ELT) announced today that Gaz reseau Distribution France (GrDF), the main gas utility in France and wholly-owned subsidiary of GdF Suez that manages the longest natural gas distribution network in Europe, has selected Elster as the sole supplier to establish at least five biogas injection stations throughout the country. The first station will be delivered in the first quarter of 2012.
Here is our quoted section from the original article:
The two-year agreement calls for the stations to measure the quality of biogas and inject it into GrDF's natural gas grid after it is processed by the producer through purification stations. Each station will be equipped with two Elster EnCal 3000 high-end process gas chromatographs, Elster rotary or turbine gas meters, electronic volume correctors and odorizing devices. All of the stations will be assembled in France by Elster.
Following the first tests of injections into GrDF's gas grid in Lille last July, this initiative marks the starting point of a new era for GrDF's natural gas grid. To enable use of this renewable energy source, the source biogas first needs to be cleaned and transformed into biomethane, which has the same quality and energy characteristics as natural gas.
The Elster stations will allow GrDF to assure the precise volume and quality of biomethane it injects into the grid.
"Biomethane is an important strategic priority for France and a real stake for GrDF as part of the overall effort to develop cleaner, renewable energy sources," said Cedric Aubry, head of biogas projects at GrDF.
"Elster has worked with GrDF for more than 60 years, deploying both residential and commercial and industrial measurement applications, and recently piloted its residential automated meter reading system," said Michael Calovini, executive vice president of Elster's international gas business.
"We look forward to continuing to grow our partnership with GrDF as the utility continues developing its innovative approach to managing natural resources and integrating renewable energy sources," Calovini added.
About Elster
Elster (NYSE: ELT) is one of the world's largest electricity, gas and water measurement and control providers. Its offerings include distribution monitoring and control, advanced smart metering, demand response, networking and software solutions, and numerous related communications and services – key components for enabling consumer choice, operational efficiency and conservation. Its products and solutions are widely used by utilities in the traditional and emerging Smart Grid markets.
Elster has one of the most extensive installed revenue measurement bases in the world, with more than 200 million metering devices deployed over the course of the last 10 years. It sells its products and services in more than 130 countries across electricity, gas, water and multi-utility applications for residential, commercial and industrial, and transmission and distribution applications.
For more information about Elster, please visit www.elster.com.
One of the biggest visitor traffic jumps we have ever experienced in the four years in which we have been running this blog occurred when we featured Toilet Maker TOTO's publicity campaign. No doubt many others who featured the story saw public interest peak. It certainly was a very effective campaign at raising awareness of biogas and anaerobic digestion in Japan, and must have been a welcome light relief from all the tragic and weighty events which JAPAN HAS HAD TO DEALWITYH SINCE THE AERTHQUAKE EARLIER THIS YEAR.
At one stage at the peak of the campiagn, our blog was receiving over 1,000 vists per hour according to Google's statistics!
So, we cannot help saying that "Toilet maker is flushed with success after bio-gas bike ride!!
Here is a quote from a recent article about the campiagn:
It's named Neo - part motorcycle, part toilet. Neo runs on eco-friendly biogas. Toto, the toilet company that created Neo, says the biogas that powers the bike was produced from sewage but is quick to point out that the rider does not not contribute to its supply. According to spokesman Kenji Fujita, it's a combination of livestock waste and household sewage, broken down and fermented to create fuel.
"The motorcycle carries two tanks which allow it to run for a total of 300 km at a speed of up to 70 km/h. It's a surprisingly nice way to travel." The toilet bike toured more then 1400 kilometers across Japan in an effort to promote the use of biogas. With a toilet for a seat and a giant role of toilet paper mounted on the rear, Ichie Tanaka, one of six volunteers who rode the bike says Neo definitely attracted attention.
"At first when I saw the bike, I was taken aback, but after riding the motorcycle, I found it quite interesting. It doesn't hurt at all and it's actually quite comfortable to sit on." Toto says while Neo may not run on human waste, it hopes future models will. The company says recycling human waste is a practical solution to the environmental problems caused by the use of fossil fuels.
The company believes it has come a long way toward achieving awareness about the use of biogas. Ichie Tanaka says she's is happy and relieved the journey is over. She says that while the bike was a pleasure to ride, after three long weeks - she is just plain pooped. Ben Gruber, Reuters.
Biogas is one of many forms of alternative energies being promoted as the way of the future, but no one has yet done it in the style of Japanese toilet manufacturer, Toto. The company has created a stir with what it calls its Toilet Bike Neo, a motorcycle that runs on biogas and looks like a toilet on wheels. Ben Gruber reported. ( Transcript )
At this blog we have recently had reason to question the UK industry's questionable practises by Biogas Plant installation and maintenance Contractors, and the Client's who appoint them, both of which have been seen to be less than perfect in the manner in which they are treating health and safety on Biogas Plant Sites.
(Please don't expect to see any safety problems in this video - we simply thought you might like to see some good examples of biogas plants.)
Here we have another example. Is this a coincidental occurence or a warning to te industry to tighten its Health and Safety procedures before we see some really nasty accidents?
26. 10. 11. A man from Vienna is recovering after plunging from a factory in Burgenland.
The worker fell off a biogas station in Güssing, well known for its eco-friendly approach to electricity and heating issues this morning (Weds). He was busy removing casing fragments when he slipped and fell, according to radio news. The worker was taken to a clinic in Oberwart by ambulance.
The incident occurred three days after the body of an elderly holidaymaker was discovered at a hotel’s inner courtyard. The man, 62, from Linz in Upper Austria is understood to have lost his balance on the balcony of his room at night before plunging to his death. No one witnessed the incident, police in the Styrian town of Arnfels said on Monday. They said a physician examining the body ruled out foul play.
The number of industrial fatalities decreased by 57 per cent between 1990 and 2010, according to a labour ministry spokesman. The office of Social Democratic (SPÖ) Labour Minister Rudolf Hundstorfer said in August that 90 people lost their lives at work last year.
Around 280,000 Austrians sustained injuries doing household chores in the same year, according to insurer Allianz Austria (2000: 230,000). Cuts are most common at 40 per cent, followed by bruises (21 per cent), according to magazine profil which presented the insurance company’s figures.
Austrian Times
Maybe, Austrians need to be more careful when not at work, as well! See our site at www.anaerobic-digestion.com .
This is good news for the west and shows that India is becoming a participant in global warming prevention.
The Delhi Jal Board ready to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Swedish central authority for upgrading its sewage treatment plant at Keshopur, with a capacity of 72 million gallons a day, for the purposes of manufacturing biogas from sewage sludge. The 2 year pilot project, first of it's type in India, suggests to utilize the sludge produced in the sewage treatment process and change it to compressed biogas that'd be entirely compatible with Delhi's grid of Compressed Natural Gas ( CNG ).
The DJB will then use the gas to fuel over 120 DTC buses at the Keshopur filling station. We understand that DJB is a stakeholder / financier in the project, providing land and gas for the project.
We are going to consider commercial sales later on dependent on the successfulness of this pilot project," DJB's chief engineer for the project. For the upgrade and distribution of biogas, a Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU ) will be signed on Wed. between the DJB, Indraprastha Gas Limited and Swedish company KG Renewables L.T.D , in the shadow Delhi Chief Secretary P K Tripathi and Swedish envoy Lars-Olof Lindgren. The Keshopur STP will ne able to produce up to 25,000 cubic metre of the newable fuel/ gas each day.
Here is a quote from the news item:
"The signing of the MoU is supported by the Government of Sweden and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India, in line with the Indo-Swedish MoU on renewable energy. It is an innovative way to achieve energy conservation" DJB CEO Ramesh Negi said.
"The new technology will upgrade biogas to the highest-quality CNG, and will ensure minimal leakage of methane. It will also contribute to environment conservation by reducing 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year," a DJB official said.
Believe it or not, that headline is a direct quote from a new report from the right wing Adam Smith Institute, titled "Renewable Energy: Vision or Mirage?" which was published on December 12.
The Edie.net web site has picked up on this report. I include a portion of their article as a quote below, but for the full text you should visit their web site:
The report has been criticised by the renewables industry as the 'same little clique of people repeating the same tired old arguments'.
According to the report the government's focus on renewable energy sources is misguided and unrealistic.
As these technologies cannot provide the secure energy supply the country needs and could potentially lead to an energy crisis by the middle of this decade.
The report concludes the 'official enthusiasm' for renewables has more to do with the 'power of the green lobby'.
Joint author Martin Livermore: said: "For too long, we have been told heavy investment in uneconomic renewable energy was not only necessary but would provide a secure future electricity supply.
"The facts actually show that current renewables technologies are incapable of making a major contribution to energy security and - despite claims to the contrary - have only limited potential to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
"It seems ministers have not yet realised the need to invest in more nuclear and gas generating capacity if the electorate is not to be badly let down." "
It is of course hard to contest that nuclear and gas are the most viable energy sources for base load electricity demand for the near future.
Renewable sources are "orders of magnitude" smaller, and the shear numbers of facilities needed will take time to gather investment funds, build, and train the owners in operating. So, governments should not be distracted from pushing forward with the next generation of nuclear and gas installations, nor take their attention away from those just because renewables might seem attractive.
A quick look around the web and you will find that the opposing view to that made in the Adam Smith Institute report is well made on blogs such as the Maritime Journal where they announce that the anti-renewables report is "slammed" and quote s follows:
Dr Gordon Edge, director of policy at RenewableUK said: “This report is simply another example of the same little clique of people repeating the same tired old arguments against renewable energy, regardless of the facts. Their report cannot be seen as an impartial piece of research - it was written by anti-renewables campaigners.”
The report even goes so far as to suggest that the UK generates electricity by importing vast quantities of expensive fossil fuels from abroad, rather than utilising the free and abundant low carbon source of wind energy that it has at its disposal.
This is because renewable energy sources "only produce power intermittently so they can’t replace gas, coal or nuclear."
RenewableUK has hit back that wind turbines generate electricity 80-85% of the time and that it’s not that the gas industry needs a more viable back-up, it needs wind energy to supplement it and deal with demand.
So far the Anaerobic Digestion Community seems not to have risen to the bait, to counter this report.
A quick internet search revealed no that there are no responses online today which defend Anaerobic Digestion. That is surprising as so much of the case made by the anti-renewables lobby is about the lack of availability of other competitor renewable energy sources wind and solar when there is no wind and the sun isn't shining.
Anaerobic digestion is so different and much better. It will always win over those renewable sources precisely when neither solar nor wind power will deliver. That's during those very cold windless winter nights (and cloudy overcast days) which are exactly those times when peak power demands will require every power station in the land to be belting out power as fast as they can go!
That's how anaerobic digestion power generation earns its strategic "weight in gold" allowing the community to avoid building power stations which will only ever be needed on those peak demand days. Providing power for those coldest days, risks having to keep open old fossil fuel power stations which don't run for the rest of the year, at a huge cost for the power they do create.
So, if you would like to make the case for anaerobic digestion. If you don't agree that "renewables have no prospect of becoming economically competitive". Don't forget that we have a comments facility below (click through to the "posts page if you can't see the comments form) for you to comment and air your views. Or, if you know of a web site where anaerobic digestion has been defended please add that link to your comment.
PURPA Plus bill permits states to make their own calls about eco-friendly energy. Since the US's General Public Application Regulatory Act was passed in 1978, power resources have been needed to pay an "avoided cost" rate to particular kinds of tiny power production, cogeneration facilities and other kinds of qualifying facilities.
That rate is generally the price of the least expensive sort of power the use has in its portfoliousually coaland that could be a price with which little renewable power suppliers can't compete. More than twenty years after, PURPA is doing something it wasn't intended forlimiting individual states' capability to make their own choices about incentivizing little distributed clean energy.
A new bill introduced in the Senate Energy & Resources Board nonetheless, could change that. PURPA And , which is meant to inspire distributed generation of eco-friendly energy, would take away the evaded cost limitation and let states set their own costs, according to Patrick Serfass, manager of the North American Biogas Council.
In numerous cases, PURPA makes micro-scale green energy generation unfeasible. As an example, if a biogas producer has to turn on his facility's lights or use power for something else, he is doubtless paying a retail rate, Serfass says.
"If he's selling any power back, he's getting a little fragment of that rate, so he isn't even getting paid the same rate he is being charged. Mostly, they just need to pay you for the price of avoiding an identical quantity of electricity from coal."
PURPA Plus is a route for states to raise that price to incentivize distributed replaceable electricity generation.
"Generally in the energy industry it makes the most sense to supply your own electricity where you want it as it costs cash to move it some place," Serfass explains. "If you have got a hereabouts available resource, and folks who want energy regionally, why not produce and use it there? That is where distributed generation comes in.
If states need to inspire that, not only will it create business for those firms and roles, but also increases the quantity of electricity the state produces with no need to upgrade transmission systems." The most significant element of PURPA And is that it permits states a choice, and it's at no charge to taxpayers.
Serfass says.
“It’s a gateway for states to create more incentives, one of which could be a feed-in tariff. That would allow biogas projects to compete with other traditional energy sources on a level playing field.”
Though it’s less of a priority, the ABC would like to see PURPA Plus tweaked so that the cap is raised from 2 to 5 megawatts..
“Over half of current biogas projects are less than that, but a lot of larger projects in the works are between two and five,” Serfass says. “A slightly larger project could have a big impact on the industry.”
The ABC is urging its members to write their senators to request support of the bill.
“With the current Congress being focused on cutting our federal budget and reducing costs everywhere, this bill is important because it doesn’t cost taxpayers any money,”
I was amazed to read this article, which is quoted below. "Low energy prices" - do these people live on the same planet as the rest of us? This would have been an exceeding forward thinking and imaginative scheme.
An eagerly anticipated feasibility study on Cayuga County’s biogas pipeline concept has not yet been published, but it appears that economic and political factors may lead some interested farmers in another direction.
The current proposal, for a county-built pipeline connecting several large farms with the county’s industrial park in Aurelius, is the latest iteration of an idea that’s been in the works for about a decade.
The thinking of the farmers and their public and private partners has evolved with the vagaries of energy markets, politics and public opinion, with the fluctuating price of natural gas being perhaps the biggest variable.
From the 1970s until the turn of the century, the cost of natural gas stayed near $2 for 1,000 cubic feet. But beginning in 2000, it started on a steady rise, hitting a high of $10.79 in July 2008.
For investors, the calculus was simple: as traditional energy prices continued to rise, it became more and more appealing to explore alternative energy sources, biomethane gas first among them.
In the last three years, however, those historic high gas prices have fallen back to Earth, trading at $3.82 this September.
The lower the natural gas prices, the less incentive to find an alternative-energy replacement, something Spruce Haven Farm owner Doug Young acknowledged in an interview last week.
“Low energy prices are the reason this (pipeline) is probably not going to happen,” he said. “A few years ago the energy prices were high and people were very concerned about climate change. Since they’ve found these huge reserves of natural gas and are tapping into them and it looks like the U.S. has a long-term supply of fossil fuel, it looks like it took the pressure off.”
That price swing complicated two previous efforts to get the pipeline built with public and private funding.
In 2006, Long Island energy development company Global Common received a $1 million grant from NYSERDA for a cooperative project with Spruce Haven and Oakwood farms, two of the county’s largest dairies.
In the grant application, Global Common CEO Robert Foxen described a $17 million project to develop a centralized anaerobic digester at Oakwood, converting manure from four farms into biogas liquid fertilizer , liquid fertilizer and solids usable for bedding.
Foxen predicted 125 new full-time jobs, $75 million in construction and an increase in milk sales from $22 million a year to $67 million a year, the result of tripling the cow population at the participating farms to 21,000.
The digester was to have generated about five megawatts of electricity at start-up and up to 15 megawatts over the next 20 years, to be sold back into the grid through a long-term purchase agreement.
Of the $1 million, Global Common collected $100,000 for meeting preliminary planning goals, but never moved forward with the project.
For one thing, the two other farms that were to join Spruce Haven and Oakwood never materialized, according to Thomas Siesinger, the project manager with NYSERDA.
“We’re not really pushing that because the farms aren’t pushing it and want to go another way,” Siesinger said. “That money is still on the table (but) I guess I’d be surprised if they went back to the two-farm proposal or even the pipeline one.”
Young, the project leader, said he believed the remaining $900,000 from NYSERDA is no longer available.
Global Common is no longer intimately involved in the pipeline planning but could still have an interest in marketing the gas if anything ever gets built.
“There has been discussion of what their role could be in the project,” said Kelly O’Hara of Oakwood. “Really, (Foxen) is just willing to do whatever makes sense and helps. ... It’s a whole different realm from dairy farming.”
Foxen declined to comment on the NYSERDA grant or Global Common’s involvement with the pipeline, saying he was no longer up to date on the project.
Two years after granting $1 million to Global Common, NYSERDA heard another pitch for funding related to the pipeline.
This time, the solicitor was NYSEG, which has held informal discussions with the farmers over the years concerning the distribution and sale of whatever power may be generated.
In a 2008 presentation -- just when natural gas prices were at a record high -- a NYSEG representative told NYSERDA that the company was negotiating a gas purchase agreement with the farmers, known collectively as Cayuga Renewable Energy.
He detailed a two-fold project: first, the farmers would design and build on-site digesters at a combined (private) cost of about $13.5 million.
Second, the biogas would be cleaned and delivered via a pipeline to a NYSEG metering station, from where it would go into Auburn’s distribution system.
NYSEG requested $500,000 in funding for the second part only, part of what it estimated would be a $1.65 million project.
That state funding never materialized, largely because NYSEG cooled on the idea.
“For a variety of reasons, including the economic downturn and a reduction in the market price of natural gas, the project did not move forward,” company spokesman Clayton Ellis wrote in an email.
***
In the short term, the decision on the project’s progress rests with the county Legislature, which is awaiting the results of a feasibility study.
County Planning Director Stephen Lynch originally forecast that the first part of the $125,000 study would be public by the end of October.
That release has been delayed by a recent ruling from the state Public Service Commission that could change how farmers use their energy output.
Until this summer, the amount of electricity farmers could sell back to a utility company was limited by their usage at the meter to which the generator is hooked up.
The problem is that large farms can have as many as 20 different meters. The new state ruling issued this summer, and a new law passed by the state Legislature, allow farmers to combine their usage on all meters, a concept known as remote net metering.
The bottom line is that farms will be able to sell back much more electricity, with the possible consequence that they will no longer need a pipeline to get rid of excess energy.
Lynch said the supply side of the equation -- how much gas the farms can generate -- is more significant than the question of demand or natural gas prices.
“If the supply isn’t there, the gas price is a moot point,” he said.
The Legislature voted in July to spend up to $49,000 on the study and associated legal fees, but the county has spent almost none of that money so far by using state funds first, Lynch said.
O’Hara said he believed the pipeline has been the victim of unfair negative publicity and encouraged the county “to get out and do some PR work and make people understand that this is collecting energy that would essentially be wasted.”
“We don’t need this -- we’ll continue operating our farms the same way,” he said. “It’s just an opportunity for the county to attract some new industry. ... I think overall the level of interest (among farmers) is the same, but the economics of it is that it will either make sense or it won’t.”
Has anyone thought about phoshpate reserves? If chemical fertilizers will continue to be used then someone should be conisdering for how long phosphate sources will continue to be available at current prices...
A Wiltshire-based rural property developer is diversifying into renewables, with plans to open its first anaerobic digestion (AD) plant at Warminster next year.
Malaby Biogas, sister company of Malaby Martin Ltd, which has specialised in rural redevelopment for over 10 years, will begin commissioning the £5 million Bore Hill Farm Biodigester in the second quarter of 2012.
It will be Wiltshire’s first commercial AD plant and will be capable of processing up to 20,000 tonnes of commercial food waste and generating 500 kilowatts of green energy, the company said. The renewable energy will be fed into the National Grid, but will also supply nine business units set to open on the site in 2013, thereby creating jobs and offering low cost heat and power to commercial users.
"There is growing pressure on businesses in the food sector to dispose of their waste in a far more responsible and efficient manner than simply sending it to landfill," said Thomas Minter, director at Malaby Biogas, who added that by using local labour and British skills, Malaby was able to provide "real benefit in tough economic times."
In addition, Bore Hill Farm Biodigester will produce 15,000 tonnes of digestate which to be sold to farmers for agricultural use, as an alternative to traditional fertilizer.
Strong Criticism has been given of Anaerobic Digestion Industry Safety Standards for Its Workforce by respected industry insider Landia.
The experienced process industry supplier Landia feels so strongly about a lack of Biogas safety within the biogas industry, so much so that it has issued a press release on the subject. "Standards demand attention" – say Landia.
Pain like this and far worse will be the harsh reality for Anaerobic Digestion plant workers and management if the young industry does not pay more attention to safety on its sites.
Landia says it and several other established pump and mixer manufacturers are seriously concerned about health and safety at biogas plants, which they claim range from excellent to poor, to non-existent.
To date in the UK it is fortunate that there has (as far as we know) only been one biogas fatality, when a 29-year-old man was overcome by methane fumes at a farm anaerobic digester unit, but according to Landia, the thirst of the young industry to grow and become profitable has moved far faster than basic health and safety regulations.
“Our experience at some sites, quite frankly, has been a joke”
, states Landia’s Paul Davies.
“Recently we were asked to work up 8-metre ladders with large drills, which we explained we couldn’t and wouldn’t even consider doing because it’s totally unsafe – and is of course against all health and safety laws and Construction (Design and Management) Regulations. It wasn’t that the customer was trying to cut corners; they simply didn’t know. Maybe this is to be expected in a young industry? – but if that’s the case there needs to be some immediate training and education”.
Davies points to Landia’s 97% pass rate for UVDB VERIFY Approval, but says this exacting standard, which covers all areas of Health & Safety, Quality and Environment, Management Systems and On-Site actions, isn’t recognised by the AD industry. He says that promotion and direction from trade associations needs to be significantly improved, with a minimum standard implemented very soon.
Landia’s UK & Eire Director Hugh Vaughan said:
“This isn’t just another ‘what if’, or one of those ‘perish the thought’ plugs for safety or insurance. What Landia have witnessed both in the UK and abroad is frightening. So far it’s just pure good fortune that serious accidents haven’t happened”.
He continued: “Apart from shouting out a suitable four-letter warning or such like, there isn’t much you can say when, with your own eyes, you see somebody perched on the edge of a high top rail of a tank whilst he’s unclipping a membrane cover that happens to be partially inflated. Or young workmen walking over the top of a partially unclipped membrane when the digester is full!
“Don’t take a chance. Consider the consequences before placing that biogas order, and make sure those you’ve chosen to work with a company that has a proper understanding of how a biogas plant works, how to maintain it, and how to do it safely”.
Is it possible that Farming Industry and other AD Plant clients are not aware of their responsibilities for Health and Safety in the way in which other industries are? Managers and indeed anyone commisioning contractors to come onto the site of an Anaerobic Digestion Plant within all small businesses are responsible for ensuring that they provide all necessary H&S information to the Contractor. They must also ensure that their appointed contractors have demonstrated to them their competence for carrying out such works safely, before they award work to them.
This should include providing a Method Statement and Working Methods for the work to be done, and which must include DSEAR Compliance where any explosion risk is also potentially present. For DSEAR advice contact info@anaerobic-digestion.com and ask for DSEAR compliance information for AD Plants.
The UK Government has signed off seven more Regional Growth Fund deals helping two waste energy projects to get going along with a factory scheme and science park, including one Anaerobic Digestion Plant.
Here is the news item:
INTRODUCTION
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced a further two bidding rounds for cash after the Chancellor revealed plans to set aside a further £1bn pot of cash to create jobs.
Cities will be encouraged to put forward innovative programmes and packages of projects in future rounds.
Clegg said: “This additional billion pound boost for British businesses means the Regional Growth Fund will create an estimated half a million jobs before the end of this parliament.
“With this targeted support for companies we’re unlocking private sector investment, with at least £5 put in for every £1 of public money.
The Regional Growth Fund was launched in October 2010.
So far it has allocated £1.4bn through two bidding rounds. There were 50 successful projects in the first round sharing £450m. More than 50% of the projects from the first round are already up and running.
In the second round, 119 bids received conditional allocations of funding, with a further 10 requiring further discussion.
Of these 10, seven have funding conditionally allocated to them, increasing the number of bids receiving a share of £950m to 126, and the total of new and existing jobs supported to 244,000.
Of the 244,000 jobs created or protected, around 38,000 will be directly created jobs, and more than 170,000 will be in the supply chain.
AND THE AD PLANT IS:
A BF Biogas Limited Project to build an anaerobic digestion plant in Teesside, converting food and garden waste into biogas for power generation.
Just to let you know that you've not much time left to book this conference, by the ADBA.
The ADBA National Conference 2011, will be held in London on the 14th December. It will give attendees the chance to learn about and have their say, on the state of the UK Anaerobic Digestion industry.
Do you want to understand where the AD industry is headed and how fast?
Or,
Would you like to raise your biggest issues directly to the Minister, the regulators or the food, waste, farming, transport and finance sectors?
Do you have strong views on the role of standards in the AD industry?
If any of these apply to you then this is your chance to address them and make your voice heard, by interacting directly with Government and high profile experts from across the anaerobic digestion sector at AD’s biggest conference of the year.
If so, they say that their conference is for you, but time is short to book so register now.
Who has already booked?
We are informed that as well as a host of AD developers, operators and suppliers, other delegates who will also be attending include Tesco, Defra, Siemens Industry, Anglian Water Group, Suez Environnement, RPS Group and E.On Bioerdgas.
If you want to network and develop new business contacts in the AD industry then book a ticket today!
Key Topics addressed at the even will be:
Is the AD Momentum Building?
Waste Collection, Gate Fees and the Impact of Eric Pickles
Ofwat - OFT Market Study and impact on Water and AD industries
The Role of Standards in the Development of the AD Industry
Delivering a Strategy for Biomethane as a Transport Fuel
As well as debating key issues with our high level expert panelists this event offers a superb opportunity to network with decision makers who have purchasing approval and command large budgets. The organisers also say that:
Also featuring a table-top exhibition and a host of networking opportunities the ADBA National Conference 2011 promises to be a day well spent. If you are involved or interested in the AD and biogas industry then this is an event that cannot be missed. We look forward to seeing you there.
As well as discussing main issues with our high level expert panelists this event offers a fantastic chance to network with call makers who've buying approval and command huge budgets.
Also featuring a table-top exhibition and a bunch of networking opportunities the ADBA Countrywide Meeting 2011 guarantees to be a day spent wisely. If you're concerned or keen on the AD and biogas industry then this is an event that can't be missed.
Click here to visit the ADBA web site for more information and to book your place.
Summary of a new report on Biogas Upgrading: Technologies and Global Markets with a Focus on Asia-Pacific :
We hope you like the following article. Please visit their website for the full article. The link is provided at the end of this article:
An overview – with a focus on Asia-Pacific – of biogas upgrading with discussion of the advantages of biogas compared to other forms of renewable energy, global greenhouse emissions, and the barriers to large-scale biogas plant deployment Analyses of market trends, with data from 2010, estimates for 2011, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2016 Coverage of the market by upgrading technology type, including pressure swing adsorption, water scrubbing, membrane technology, cryogenic upgrading, and in situ methane enrichment, with a breakdown of market values by technology type Evaluations of feed sources, including sewage sludge, biowaste, landfill gas, and energy crops Examination of the industry structure, with comprehensive company profiles. Explore comprehensive Table of Contents of this report @ http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/135858-biogas-upgrading-technologies-and-global-markets-focus-on-asia-pacific.html
STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Renewable, sustainable energy generation will be the fastest-growing energy sector over the next two decades. From 2010 to 2016, the market is projected to rise from $124 billion in 2010 to $217 billion in 2016. Price volatility, supply concerns, and the environmental aspects of fossil fuels are expected to accelerate the pace of all non-fossil fuel development.
At this writing, the price of oil has hit highs of more than $100 per barrel on the world market, while U.S. drivers are paying nearly $4 per gallon of gasoline. Renewable domestic energy supplies are seen as a means of overcoming these problems. Biogas, a clean fuel derived primarily from waste materials, is an important alternative to conventional fossil energy.
This Biogas upgrading report provides an in-depth analysis of the world market for the biogas upgrading equipment used to transform crude biogas from waste materials and energy crops into sustainable energy. Six types of upgrading systems are reviewed: water scrubbers, pressure swing adsorption systems, physical absorption and chemical absorption units, membrane systems, and units based on cryogenic technology
Four categories of materials are evaluated as feed sources for biomethane production: municipal wastewater (sewage sludge), agricultural wastes and energy crops (manure, agricultural residuals, and purpose-grown crops), biowaste (industrial organic wastes and the organic fraction of municipal solid waste), and landfill gas. Two different end uses for the gas are also examined, injection to the natural gas grid and transportation fuel.
The biogas production and biogas upgrading markets are far better developed in Europe than in North America, so it is the main focus of this study. Germany has, by far, the largest number of upgrading plants, most of which feed into the grid. Sweden ranks second, with the bulk of its facilities purifying biogas for use as vehicle fuel.
So far, North America’s upgrading capacity is primarily based at landfills; little new capacity has been built over the past decade. Although Asia has the largest number of biogas generating systems, the vast majority of these are small-scale plants that serve single dwellings or small communities. In the rest of the world, biogas production is at different stages of development; however, gas upgrading is only just emerging.
REASONS FOR DOING THE STUDY
The need to responsibly dispose of mounting volumes of waste and the requirement to procure sustainable, secure energy supplies are two of the most important issues facing governments and industries around the globe. The production of energy from a number of waste streams (i.e., municipal and domestic sewage, industrial wastewater, landfills, livestock manure, and agricultural residues) is a process that addresses both of these challenges.
In the current waste-to-energy market, anaerobic digestion offers a sustainable conversion process. With the addition of a biogas refining step, the waste-derived gas can be used in all applications where conventional natural gas is used. In this context, it is important to have an overview of the market and the drivers that support adoption of the best strategies by governments responsible for sustainable waste handling and energy supply solutions. It is also important for industry players and technology developers to understand current as well as future trends in order to strategize their investments.
INTENDED AUDIENCE
This study intended to be useful to a broad audience. Because they stand to see the greatest profit from expansion of the biogas industry, manufacturers and suppliers of biogas upgrading equipment and providers of upgrading technology would likely benefit the most from the data contained in this study. Companies with plant components, ancillary equipment, and related products also might profit from the information collected here.
These include manufacturers and suppliers of anaerobic digesters and digester technology, biogas distributors, water and power engineering firms, suppliers of power plants and electricity generating equipment, environmental management firms, companies specializing in anaerobic digestion equipment and other water and wastewater treatment equipment, companies developing additives (chemicals, enzymes, etc.) to enhance gas production yields and process efficiencies.
Other beneficiaries of biogas upgrading that might find this study of value are farmers, participants in the food industry, waste processors, transportation sector players, and project developers and investors.
SCOPE OF REPORT
The scope of this report is the global market for biogas upgrading equipment. Market value and growth is evaluated for six different types of upgrading systems: water scrubbing, pressure swing adsorption, physical absorption, chemical absorption, membrane separation, and cryogenic technology.
The market is broken down by four different feed sources: municipal and domestic sewage, industrial wastewater, landfill gas, and agricultural wastes, a category that includes animal manures and crop residues. Additionally, the market is examined according to end use, injection into the gas grid and transportation fuel.
A discussion of the market by world region includes overviews of North America, Europe, Asia, and the rest of the world, with individual profiles for countries most active in each region. Present market status, biogas upgrading plant installations, and policies and incentives that support the industry are given for each country. All market valuations and projections cover the years from 2000 to 2016.
Market figures are based on the revenues derived from equipment sales and are projected in 2011 constant dollars (i.e., inflation is not computed into the projection figures). The revenue figures are derived from estimated revenues of the key players in a particular year.
A technology overview, a discussion on the structure of the industry, and brief profiles for major participating companies are included. The machinery used to transform the gas to electricity: reciprocating and other types of gas engines, turbine and microturbines, and fuel cells, is not included in the analysis.
Inquire before buying or Request a Sample of the report 'Biogas Upgrading: Technologies and Global Markets (Focus on Asia-Pacific)' @ http://www.reportsnreports.com/reports/135858-biogas-upgrading -technologies-and-global-markets-focus-on-asia-pacific.html
We hope you like the following roundup, (or should we say mash-up nowadays?) from Biomass Power and Thermal:
New Dealer for Continental Biomass Industries Continental Biomass Industries Inc., a manufacturer of portable and stationary biomass processing and recycling systems, has announced that McCourt & Sons Equipment Inc. is an exclusive dealer for CBI’s product line and will provide equipment, parts and service for Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Mississippi. Established in 1997 and family owned and operated, McCourt & Sons has more than 65 years of combined industry experience.
Madison college receives grantfrom Thermo Fisher Scientific Madison Area Technical College in Madison, Wis., has received a $10,000 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inspire Grant to support student participation in Renewable Energy for International Development. The course, which is offered through Madison College and the Consortium for Renewable Energy Technology, examines energy and economics in developing countries with special consideration to renewable energy sources. The class combines eight weeks of online instruction with 10 days of study and hands-on work in Costa Rica. Students design and install working renewable energy systems that can be applied in developing countries. The Inspire Grant provides six $1,500 scholarships, as well as a $1,000 stipend that will be given to a program participant from Costa Rica to offset their expenses to attend related workshops in Madison.
GE introduces gas engine for small biogas projects
Please note that the video shows GE Jenbacher equipment, but is inluded as the closest model to the new Waukesha for which a video appeared to be available from GE.
Expanding the company’s lineup of biogas engines for a wider range of power outputs, GE has introduced its Waukesha 1-megawatt APG1000 gas engine that can utilize a broader variety of biogases, including from landfills, wastewater treatment plants and agricultural waste. The Waukesha unit’s expanded biogas capabilities are the result of an 18-month redesign and testing initiative that includes modifications to the combustion chamber, a new spark plug design, and a new fuel control system that simplifies engine start-up and operation. For example, the engine’s greater fuel tolerances allow it to handle fluctuations in the thermal quality of the biogas with little or no manual intervention. These modifications address the unique operational challenges of using biogases and were validated at both landfill and digester biogas-to-energy project sites.
Blythe takes over at B&W Mechanical Handling Andy Blythe was appointed managing director of U.K.-based B&W Mechanical Handling Ltd. He joined the company in early May succeeding Andrew Mitchell, who is focusing on his own consulting business but will maintain strong links with B&W. Blythe brings his vast experience in aggregates, minerals and the bulk handling industry with a proven track record in business expansion and strategic development. With B&W, Blythe’s initial focus is to improve the strong presence in the ports and terminals sector as well as expand into other high-end markets that need the same technologies.
Reliable Renewables joins CEA Consumer Energy Alliance welcomes Reliable Renewables LLC as its newest affiliate member. Reliable Renewables develops owns, and operates modular biomass gasification power plants of 2 to 5 megawatts. The power plants are fueled by agricultural waste, pulp and paper waste, energy crops and refuse-derived fuel. These power plants operate around-the-clock providing a consistent, sustainable flow of renewable energy. The biogas produced can be utilized to generate electricity in a GE Jenbacher, or a similar engine. Alternatively, the biogas can be used to fuel incumbent processes such as kilns, fractionation towers or existing engines and turbines. Fuel cost is reduced or eliminated as the gasification plants are small enough to be located adjacent to biomass supplies.
Nortrax expands Morbark territory into eastern New York Morbark Inc. has signed an agreement with Nortrax Inc., a Morbark forestry and recycling dealer, to expand its territory to include eastern New York State. The expansion added 10 New York counties to an already established Nortrax northeastern territory of Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire. Nortrax has been a steadfast Morbark dealer for more than 20 years. With excellent product support, as well as an extensive equipment and parts inventory, the expansion of the Nortrax-Morbark partnership into eastern New York state will greatly benefit regional Morbark customers.
Morbark names new president Morbark Inc., a manufacturer of forestry, sawmill and wood recycling equipment, announced the appointment of James W. Shoemaker Jr. as president. Shoemaker replaces Lon Morey who will remain as the chairman of Morbark’s board of directors. Prior to his appointment, Shoemaker served as Morbark’s vice president of operations and board member. He joined Morbark in 2003 as the manager of operations and has held numerous positions in the company. Prior to joining Morbark, Shoemaker served 25 years with the Jervis B. Webb Co. managing operations, accounting and supply chain.
Bandit Industries receives EPA award Wood chipper manufacturer Bandit Industries received a National Partnership for Environmental Priorities achievement award from the U.S. EPA. The award was given to the company for efforts in reducing hazardous chemicals in the workplace, specifically with the reduction of mercury. Bandit was one of only three organizations in Michigan to receive the award. Bandit’s proactive replacement of mercury thermostats resulted in approximately three pounds of the dangerous metal being removed from the company grounds. The old thermostats were then securely packaged and sent to a recycling facility. These reductions were achieved as part of the NPEP program, a voluntary reduction program in which companies, municipalities, federal facilities and tribes partner with the EPA to reduce and/or recycle toxic chemicals. The NPEP program also works to identify environmentally preferable alternatives and fosters technology transfer. To date, NPEP partners have been successful in removing more than 40 million pounds of potentially hazardous material.
Rodman named to NECA's Renewables and Distributed Generation committee Steve Rodman, president of Rodman & Rodman P.C., has been named to the Northeast Energy and Commerce Association's Renewables and Distributed Generation committee. NECA is a nonprofit trade association serving the electric power industry. Its Renewables and Distributed Generation committee is dedicated to increasing awareness of the benefits of renewable/clean energy and to facilitating growth of the industry in the Northeast. Rodman & Rodman is a CPA firm with a dedicated "Green Team" Renewable Energy and Clean Technology Practice, where Rodman is a client adviser and advocate in the provision of expert green energy tax advisory, accounting services, and business strategy for alternative energy producers and investors through all stages of their project and business life cycle. The Green Team offers its services for companies in the biomass, wind, solar, geothermal, landfill gasses, municipal solid waste, hydroelectric and hydrokinetic sectors of the renewable energy industry. They also assist startup projects with the Section 1603 program.
Campaigners have vowed to launch a judicial review after controversial plans to build a biogas renewable energy plant near their homes were approved. In this article from Cogeneration & On-Site Power Production Magazine, it is not clear why the local continue to object. Is this Nymby-ism at play or do they have a specific objection? I suspect that Cogeneration & On-Site Power Production Magazine must think not, or the article would contain that information?
(The video is not linked with the article, but we hope you find it interesting.)
Stephen Gordon, chairman of Kenninghall Parish Council, announced that objectors would not give up their 18-month fight following the decision by Breckland Council's planning committee yesterday.
About 30 residents from the south Norfolk village, near Diss, attended the meeting with placards and protest banners.
Greenshoots Energy Ltd had applied to build an anaerobic digestion unit on land off Garboldisham Road, which would be fuelled with locally grown maize, poultry litter and cattle slurry. The electricity created would be transferred to the National Grid. The plant would be linked to a combined heat and power (CHP) plant just over half a mile away at Crown Milling, off Heath Road, which would use the waste heat generated by the energy plant.
Both applications had been recommended for approval despite opposition from the parish council, North Lopham Parish Council and about 500 residents who had signed a petition.
James Alston, who runs Greenshoots Energy with fellow farmer Robert Gooderham, said creating anaerobic digestors helped farmers maintain the viability of their industry.
Copyright 2011 Archant Regional Limited All Rights Reserved
We are pleased to be able to provide news on the further development of biogas use in national natural gas supply systems with the following posting.
ESSEN, Germany, Nov. 16, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Elster /quotes/zigman/616990/quotes/nls/elt ELT -2.51% announced today that Gaz reseau Distribution France (GrDF), the main gas utility in France and wholly-owned subsidiary of GrDF Suez that manages the longest natural gas distribution network in Europe, has selected Elster as the sole supplier to establish at least five biogas injection stations throughout the country. The first station will be delivered in the first quarter of 2012.
(Above video creator and GrDF have no connection.)
The two-year agreement calls for the stations to measure the quality of biogas and inject it into GrDF's natural gas grid after it is processed by the producer through purification stations. Each station will be equipped with two Elster EnCal 3000 high-end process gas chromatographs, Elster rotary or turbine gas meters, electronic volume correctors and odorizing devices. All of the stations will be assembled in France by Elster.
Following the first tests of injections into GrDF's gas grid in Lille last July, this initiative marks the starting point of a new era for GrDF's natural gas grid. To enable use of this renewable energy source, the source biogas first needs to be cleaned and transformed into biomethane, which has the same quality and energy characteristics as natural gas.
The Elster stations will allow GrDF to assure the precise volume and quality of biomethane it injects into the grid.
"Biomethane is an important strategic priority for France and a real stake for GrDF as part of the overall effort to develop cleaner, renewable energy sources," said Cedric Aubry, head of biogas projects at GrDF. (Blog master Note: biogas is produced from the Anaerobic digestion process.)
"Elster has worked with GrDF for more than 60 years, deploying both residential and commercial and industrial measurement applications, and recently piloted its residential automated meter reading system," said Michael Calovini, executive vice president of Elster's international gas business.
"We look forward to continuing to grow our partnership with GrDF as the utility continues developing its innovative approach to managing natural resources and integrating renewable energy sources," Calovini added.
Do you also see this as a major step forward for the maturing biogas industry? Please comment below. If you don't have time to comment please use the buttons below to Google +1 us, or "like" us on your Facebook page using the buttons below. By doing that you help us to continue to provide this Anaerobic Digestion News service.
The American Biogas Council is encouraging its members to help support one of its highest legislative priorities—a bill that would create an investment tax credit for biogas.
Although not yet introduced, the bill is being considered by Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis. If passed, it would grant qualifying biogas (anaerobic digestion) projects parity with other renewable energy projects that already qualify for a 30 percent investment tax credit under Section 48 of the Internal Revenue Service Code of 1986.
The bill defines qualified biogas property as comprising of a system that uses anaerobic digesters or other biological, chemical, thermal or mechanical processes (alone or in combination) to convert biomass into a gas, which consists of not less than 52 percent methane, and captures the gas for use as a fuel.
Besides the tax credit, the bill would also require the government to enter into an agreement with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to undertake a study of biogas. The agreement would require NREL to supply a written report to Congress within two years after the date of the enactment of the bill to address multiple issues, such as the quality of biogas and a comparison of biogas to natural gas and the identification of any components of biogas that make it unsuitable for injection into existing natural gas pipelines. Other issues the study would address include methods for obtaining the highest energy content in biogas, including the use of codigestion and identifying the optimal feed mixture, and recommendations for the expansion of biogas production, including an analysis of the extent to which increasing the methane content of biogas would result in its greater use and an analysis of how the expanded use of biogas could help meet the growing energy needs of the U.S.
Patrick Serfass, excutive director of the ABC, said one type of project that would benefit from the tax credit would be one that injects renewable natural gas into the gas pipeline, or uses the biogas to power cars and heavy duty vehicles. "For example, this tax credit will help a dairy farmer who makes biogas from cow manure and then uses it to heat the buildings and power the trucks that deliver the milk," he said. "In another example, it would help a facility that takes food waste from area restaurants and grocery stores, turns their trash into biogas and then injects the renewable natural gas into the pipeline to be used by any natural gas customers."
Serfass said the idea of turning organic waste into usable, renewable biogas, is just taking off in the U.S. and it's something that should be encouraged. "Whether you've got rural farm waste, urban food waste or the sludge filtered out of wastewater, a tax incentive like this will create new jobs with every new project constructed that will put people to work turning garbage into green energy," he added.
The ABC is requesting that members write to their congressional representatives to make them aware of the legislation and urge them to support it. To view a copy of the bill, click here.
Enter the Neo. Part motorcycle and part toilet, it runs on eco-friendly biogas produced from sewage — and recently completed a journey of more than 1,000 km across Japan.
The three-wheeled vehicle, developed by Japanese toilet maker Toto, features a toilet for a seat and has a giant roll of toilet paper mounted on the back that flutters in the breeze as the bike cruises along.
But there are no plans to put the bike on sale. Toto intends to put it on display.
The biogas used as fuel for the Neo is produced from a combination of household sewage and livestock waste, broken down and fermented, company spokesman Kenji Fujita said.
“Although the seat of the bike is indeed a toilet, it is not for actual use. The fuel is eco-friendly biogas, stored in the tanks on the back,” he said.
“It’s a surprisingly nice way to travel.”
The 837 lb motorcycle can run for a total of 300 km and reach speeds of up to 70 km an hour.
Ichie Tanaka, one of six people who rode the Neo across Japan during the three-week, 1,400 km tour to promote biofuels, said she was relieved the journey was over.
“At first when I saw the bike, I was taken aback. But after riding it, I found it quite interesting,” the 28-year-old said.
“It doesn’t hurt at all and is actually quite comfortable to sit on.”
Two state-of-the-art waste processing facilities in Lancashire, England, report quick start-up times and strong levels of performance by newly installed BgPur™ biogas purification systems.
(The video is not directly relatede to the article - but we thought our readers would find it interesting.)
Designed and manufactured by Canadian-based Eco-Tec Inc., the BgPur units have begun purifying biogas produced at waste treatment facilities in Lancashire, by removing corrosive levels of hydrogen sulfide (H2S); in turn, recovering the gas for use in power generation. The first BgPur began operation in July 2011 at the Thornton Waste Facility and the second in November 2011 at the Leyland Waste Facility. Both were designed by international engineering and project-management company AMEC, and are run by waste management and recycling organization Global Renewables.
While the systems are set up to clean H2S at 99% efficiency per site, they have recorded levels beyond 99% and continue to perform consistently since the start ups. "We're happy with the system's performance. In some instances, it has gone beyond the capabilities specified and was also one of the easiest start ups we've experienced so far," said an AMEC representative.
The BgPur systems are playing an essential part in Global Renewables' unique waste-treatment process known as ‘UR-3R' (Urban Resource - Reduce, Recover, Recycle), made up of a combination of some of the world's leading environmental technologies. Through the process, the facilities will treat over 300,000 tonnes per annum of Lancahsire County's household waste while extracting the maximum amount of recyclables from the waste stream and turning the environmentally damaging organic fraction into a high-quality type of compost product called Organic Growth Medium (OGM).
As these organic wastes are digested, Eco-Tec's BgPur purifies the biogas produced through patented, high efficiency gas-liquid contactors. The contactors process 1,100 m3/hr sulphur with a concentration of 5,000 ppmv (parts per million volume) of H2S per site, purifying it to consist of less than 50 ppmv of H2S. In turn, the recovered gas is used as fuel to generate electricity for the parasitic demands of the sites. The net result is 100% recycling, reducing the waste to the landfill by 70%, and reducing the carbon dioxide emission by 1.5 tonnes per tonne of solid waste collected.
"Eco-Tec is proud to play a part in such an innovative, meaningful waste-treatment process. And we're glad to be able to add real value to the market by providing technology that not only lowers our clients' operating costs but is also solving greenhouse gas issues at the same time," says Carmine Fontana, Eco-Tec vice-president, Gas Processing.
About Eco-Tec Eco-Tec is a globally recognized manufacturer of water purification, gas processing, and chemical recovery systems for industrial operations. Eco-Tec provides proven integrated technologies based on proprietary technologies that offer significant cost reduction, superior process efficiency, and facilitates an environmentally responsible approach to using natural resources. Eco-Tec has provided more than 2,000 systems in over 55 countries, and is represented in all major markets.
Rob Mears, UK managing director of Bernard Matthews Foods Friday, November 11, 2011 - 6:00 AM
TURKEY giant Bernard Matthews has unveiled a £4million project to convert waste into biogas at its Suffolk factory which it hopes will save energy and reduce the number of lorries going into the facility.
The firm has teamed up with Glendale Power for a renewable power project at the site in Holton, near Halesworth, which it hopes will supply 13% of its electricity and 10% of its heat.
A planning application is expected to be submitted to Waveney District Council in the coming weeks, and if approved the firm hopes the facility, which will be funded by venture capital, will be up and running by April 2013 with work likely to start next year.
The proposal would see the construction of an anaerobic digestion facility which would treat 28,000 tonnes of liquid waste including blood fluids and fat and see it converted into gas which can be turned into electricity.
The digester will be connected, by pipeline, to the existing on site effluent treatment system, and the liquid waste will then be converted into a methane rich gas, which will be piped back into the factory to power an engine connected to a generator.
Electricity produced will be fed into the factory power grid and heat recovered from the cooling system and exhaust will be used to heat water.
Spent “fuel”, which will be largely water, will be returned to the on site effluent treatment system to be cleaned up and discharged.
Richard Smithgate, group procurement director at Bernard Matthews Foods, said the facility would consist of three towers which would be integrated into the existing factory.
“This ensures that we treat our own waste rather than have it treated by a third party,” he said. “We want to become more self-sufficient and all energy will be used on the site and none of it will be exported.”
Around 60% of the factories traffic is linked associated with waste and Mr Smithgate said the proposal would removed more than 1,200 lorry trips in and out of the site.
He also said the process involved would not be open to the air and that would mean no odours would be emitted from the facility.
“It will be like a soup,” he added. “It will sit in the cylinders for about 35 days and that process will generate the gas to produce the electricity.
“We hope to get a positive reaction because we are taking 1,200 vehicles off the road and we hope that will enhance the community.
Rob Mears, UK managing director at Bernard Matthews Foods, said: “This is an important development for Bernard Matthews and the local community.
“It will not only reduce our carbon footprint and help create a sustainable, constant, environmentally-friendly source of power for the factory, but it will also provide significant environmental benefits to the local community and help strengthen our long term competitive position for the site.”
With all the worldwide business news being so bleak at the moment it is easy to forget that the Anaerobic Digestion Industry is still forging ahead with new projects.
So, it is good to be able to publicise a ground-breaking £2.5M renewable energy project, which is it's originator's Farmgen are claiming is changing the face of UK farming, has reached a major milestone.
After the completion of preliminary work on-site and the construction of service roads and clamps to hold material to feed the plant, building is now well progressed on the two large tanks, which will form the centre of interest in this biogas scheme.
Farmgen is the green energy specialist behind the farm-based Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plant at Warton, near Preston which they are describing as "revolutionary". At the Anaerobic Digestion News blog we are not so convinced that the calim to it being revolutionary can be sustained in reality.
Certainly, the site at Carr Farm is going to be "revolutionary" to farmer Jonathan Rigby who is moving out of dairy farming, which his family has been involved in for generations, into what is baing called ‘energy farming’.
We are also able to report that the construction of these two AD tanks is part of a push by Farmgen which will lead to a £30 million investment in what we are sure must be the biggest ‘energy farming’ expansion programme yet, in Britain.
Farmgen says that UK farmers of the future will set to make more money, more easily out of ‘energy farming’, than traditional dairy, animal husbandry and arable farming.
However, as a consumer it is surprising to read that farmers are receiving falling prices for farm products, whiel watching the weeekly food bil rise as much as it has done this year. However, they also state that farmers are being increasingly squeezed by the supermarket giants, and that would appear to be entirely credible as the bog chains consolidate their market share and enter into another supermarket price war to do so.
We are sure that more and more farmers are realising there’s a more sustainable future in helping to avoid Britain’s looming energy crisis and supporting the move towards a low carbon economy.
There is no doubt a power ‘generation gap’ which most likely will open-up over the next 5-10 years, as the UK’s ageing fleet of fossil-fuel-burning power plants come offline to meet tough new EU emissions targets.
At this blog site we, also agree that:
“Renewables and other sources of green energy will play a critical role in providing the country’s power supplies over the next decade,”
explained Farmgen’s chief operating officer, Ed Cattigan.
“As the country moves over to green energy, as part of the move to a low carbon economy, there is a strong opportunity for many farmers in the UK to create a sustainable and stronger future for themselves by switching to ‘energy farming’."
Go and take a look at the much longer article at http://www.farmgen.co.uk/news13.htm where you will also find out about the involvement of other UK and international companies involved in this biogas project, including:
Kirk Environmental, a specialist company manufacturing AD tanks
Edina, the leading renewable power generation specialists who will supply the plant’s generating equipment
Engineering specialist Agrilek, from Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, responsible for connecting the plant to the national grid
Inenco, based in Lytham St Annes, Lancs, to trade the energy produced at Carr Farm
Green Energy Farmers Ltd, who will supply the crops to the Anaerobic Digestion Plant
Eimco Water Technologies Ltd, based in Tonbridge, Kent who act as the water treatment experts
We understand that Farmgen offer to run and manage a farm’s AD business, while providing a guaranteed income level for farmers for up to 10 years. The company says that they can also source finance and offer a joint venture approach to farmers interested in a possible AD project.
STRASSEN, Luxembourg, October 18, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Enovos Luxembourg is successfully expanding its activities in the field of renewable energy and takes a share in the Biopower Tongeren N.V.
100% owned by Enovos International S.A., Enovos Luxembourg is a part of the Enovos-International-group.
On Monday, 17 October 2011 at the industrial estate "Tongeren Oost" (Tongeren, Belgium), Enovos Luxembourg S.A. and its project partners NPG Energy N.V. and Pholpa BVBA celebrated the first stone ceremony of the largest biogas plant in Limburg. In presence of a.o. Jean Lucius, CEO Enovos Luxembourg S.A. and the Mayor of the City of Tongeren, Patrick Dewael, a tree was planted to symbolise that this biogas plant will be 100% CO2 neutral.
In August 2011, Enovos Luxembourg S.A. signed the contracts to acquire a 24.9% stake in the biogas plant. For Enovos Luxembourg, this represents the first investment in renewable energy in Belgium.
Located in a predominantly agricultural area, the biogas plant will mainly ferment corn that is grown in close cooperation with local farmers within a 15 km radius. The resulting environmentally friendly biogas is converted into electricity via a motor and is then fed into the local power grid. The heat resulting from the process is used to dry the fermentation substrates. These substrates are returned to the fields as low-odour, high-quality fertilisers, thus producing a closed cycle.
"With a capacity of approximately 3 MW, the amount of electricity generated corresponds to the annual consumption of 6,500 households and an annual CO2 reduction of 10,000 tonnes, thus achieving an important step towards further expanding renewable energies," says Daniel Christnach, Head of Renewable Energies & Cogeneration at Enovos Luxembourg. In cooperation with the project partners, the plant's capacity can optionally be subsequently expanded to 5.6 MW. The building licence for this already exists.
Jean Lucius, CEO Enovos Luxembourg highlights: "The participation in the Biopower Tongeren N.V. emphasises Enovos' consistent commitment to the field of renewable energy and we are pleased that with this first project we were able to assert this message on the Belgium market."
The plant start-up will take place in April 2012.
The project developers NPG Energy N.V. and Pholpa BVBA are involved as additional partners in the project company, Biopower Tongeren N.V., each with 47.6% and 27.5% respectively.
As energy supplier on the Luxembourg, German, French and - since 2011 - Belgian energy market, Enovos Luxembourg's mission consists of generating electricity, natural gas and renewable energy for municipal providers, industries and private households and in delivering it to them.
They are subordinate to Enovos International S.A., which is an operative holding company with its headquarters in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. In addition to supplying energy, the parent company also acts as an umbrella for the management of the grid operator, Creos Luxembourg S.A.
Expressed in numbers, the Enovos-International-group currently consists of more than 1,300 employees, more than 280,000 points of delivery, over 8,700 km of electric lines and more than 3,600 km of gas pipelines.
In addition to its traditional core business, the company is expanding its activities mostly in the field of renewable energy.
25.44% of Enovos International S.A. belongs to Luxembourg State, 10.01% belongs to the state-owned investment bank SNCI and 8.00% belongs to the City of Luxembourg. ArcelorMittal owns 23.48%, RWE owns 18.36%, E.ON has 10.00% and Electrabel holds 4.71%.
Copyright (C) 2011 PR Newswire. All rights reserved
Flotech, the biogas equipment developer, says soaring demand for renewable energy from Asia, Europe and North America will likely see its revenues triple to $300 million as early as 2015.
The Auckland-based company develops proprietary processing technologies that converts decomposing organic matter such as fish waste and cow dung into a biogas. It plans to achieve the revenue boost by extending its dominant position in the biogas conversion market, predominantly through its Greenlane Biogas subsidiary.
Greenlane commands about 32 per cent of the biogas upgrading sector worldwide, the company said.
"We are one of the very few companies to have emerged with proven technologies for biomethane and our plan is to extend dominance of that sector," said group managing director Steve Broadbent. "Our reputation is now such that no serious developer would contemplate a biomethane project without at least including Greenlane for consideration on the supplier list."
Braodbent is the majority shareholder of the privately-held company with a 40 per cent stake. The company didn't release any actual financial figures, but it said the growth is due to a four-year transformation process in which it changed from a "projects-driven, compressor dominated business" into a worldwide marketing vehicle for the Greenlane products.
In spite of the costs of the additional costs of the transformation, which exceeded budget and ran over time, Broadbent said the expansion "is coming to fruition".
To date the company says it has sold more than 50 Greenlane Biogas upgrading systems, which produce biofuels for vehicle fleets, communities, power grids and pipeline gas.
Flotech joins a cadre of New Zealand companies which have pioneered green technologies overseas, most notably Lanzatech, the as-yet-to-break-even company which develops industrial pollution reduction technologies.
Both companies have won numerous awards in recent years, and have been the recipients of major government innovation funding.
The company behind plans for a new biogas plant at West Lexham, near Swaffham, says it will reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. By DAISY WALLAGE Thursday, October 27, 2011
A proposed biogas energy plant near Swaffham could create up to 30 jobs.
West Lexham Biogas Limited will begin consulting on its plans to build a waste recycling plant and anaerobic digester (AD) at a disused quarry near the village later this month.
The plant will generate green electricity using waste from the food and drinks industry, reducing the amount of rubbish going to land fill and also producing organic fertiliser.
Residents and local councils are being invited to an exhibition about the project in Castle Acre on November 10 and a planning application is expected to be submitted in December.
The company is being driven by Teun Smits, who has experience in developing and operating AD plants in Holland, and by Qualiflex Biproduct Solutions Limited (qbs), a Bury St Edmunds-based company specialising in the sustainable transfer of waste products.
A spokesman said: “As a country we landfill thousands of tonnes of waste food and drink. This project should be the first of a number of these units we will develop to process this waste across the country and we are delighted to have found a site which meets our East Anglian needs.
“The site has a good road network and is in a hidden part of the landscape away from residential properties. This plant should produce approximately 30 new jobs for the area and the construction work will also provide employment opportunities.”
Gases produced during the digestion of waste are pumped into gas engines to create electricity while the resulting “digestate” will be made available to local farms for use as an organic fertilizer.
Landowner, Niels Olesen, added: “As someone who is passionate about alternative energy production, I am delighted to be working with such a knowledgeable company. “The infrastructure is here and the former gravel working is a logical brownfield site for a use such as this. We hope to gain local support for this exciting project”.
The exhibition will be held at Castle Acre Village Hall, in Pye’s Lane, from 4pm to 7pm on November 10 and there will be the chance to answer questions.
