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Companies are working to expand the biogas industry
Here’s an overview of key biogas news.
GOVERNMENT POLICIES & LAW
Canada funds project to generate RNG from forest residues
The Canadian government recently awarded more than $4 million to two projects that aim to create value from forest products. One project focuses on the production of renewable natural gas (RNG), while the other aims to improve the competitiveness of Indigenous businesses in the forestry sector. The University of British Columbia will receive $2.38 million to support research and testing of clean technologies that generate RNG from forest residues. Information released by Western Economic Diversification Canada said the project will use clean technology to produce affordable fuel that can be used to power pulp mills or sold to export markets.
CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES
Largest Oregon dairy plans to make natural gas from cow manure
Oregon’s largest dairy farm plans to turn millions of gallons of cow manure into renewable natural gas, if state regulators approve a key permit for the project. Threemile Canyon Farms in Boardman already uses waste from about 30,000 cows to generate electricity on site using a methane digester built in 2012. Now the farm wants to expand the facility and install new equipment that will convert the methane into “pipeline quality” natural gas. But first, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality must OK an amended air quality permit for the proposal. Environmental groups are asking DEQ to deny the permit, arguing that manure-to-gas is inherently “dirty” and a false solution to climate change.
South Australian pilot program uses human waste biogas to deliver renewable energy
A pilot program in South Australia will use the power of poo — or, technically, biogas from human waste — to store and deliver cheap, renewable energy. The technology will take biogas from a wastewater treatment plant, store it as latent heat in molten silicon at a temperature of 1,414 degrees Celsius, and then deliver it back as heat or power. “You can all make your contribution to the success of this machine,” said Kevin Moriarty, chief executive of 1414 Degrees, the start-up behind the program. The SA Government provided 1414 Degrees with a $1.6 million grant for the technology. SA Energy Minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan called the pilot “a tremendous technological breakthrough which sits perfectly with our government’s priorities of cleaner, more reliable and more affordable electricity.
Biomethane from organic waste: a new project in San Damiano d’Asti
The composting plant operated by Gaia spa in San Damiano (Asti), is being restructured to double the organic waste treatment line and to be able to manage 50,000 tons of waste per year. This restructuring is part of a broader “green” project, which will also see the installation of one or more semi-dry digesters and a biomethane plant. The goal is to produce approximately 6 million standard cubic meters of biofuel per year. Gaia CEO Flaviano Fracaro explains the advantages and benefits of this investment. Watch the interview to know more.
COMPANIES & ORGANIZATIONS
QED Environmental Systems acquires leading Italian safety instrumentation systems manufacturer
As part of its global growth strategy, QED Environmental Systems has recently acquired Italian based safety instrumentation systems manufacturer – Huberg SAS. Established in 1987, Huberg is known among industry professionals as a manufacturer of safety instrumentation systems for the gas and water mains supply. Through the years, Huberg’s goal has been to provide customers with well-engineered products, continuous innovation, professional information and consulting, as well as customised services, all to guarantee the highest quality and reliability.Amongst Huberg’s product portfolio that will be acquired by QED, is the state-of-the-art Laser One product.
Read more on Instrumentation Monthly
HoSt secures contract to supply wood waste boiler to ‘IKEA Industry‘ Poland
HoSt has been selected by ‘IKEA Industry Poland’ as supplier of the 2.5 MWth wood waste boiler installation for replacement of the old biomass boiler at IKEA’s production site in Stepica, Poland. Residuel wood from the furniture production is turned into renewable heat for the production process. First fire is expected in October. IKEA Industry, part of the Inter IKEA Group, is the world’s largest producer of wood furniture. The furniture manufacturer has 39 production sites including the Stepnica site in Poland. An important principle of IKEA Industry is not wasting a single piece of wood: all wood used for the products is sawn so that unnecessary waste is minimalized.
Read more on the Website of HoSt
Velocys closes out joint venture with Envia Energy
Alternative fuel company Velocys said it had closed out a joint venture with plant owner Envia Energy. Velocys was a minority equity stakeholder of, and the senior secured lender, to Envia Energy. It had agreed with Envia to transfer rights of the site to another joint venture partner for $4.15m. As part of the agreements, Envia would sell certain parts of the site infrastructure and remove the remaining equipment from the site. Velocys also released its liens on all equipment from the site in return for a significant recovery under its collateralised loan note to Envia. A total of $2.2m had already been received by Velocys and an additional $2.0m would be paid upon the completion of several performance milestones related to the removal of equipment.
Read more on Shares Magazine
Agility Launches CNG Trucking Products for U.K. Market
Agility Fuel Solutions, a provider of clean fuel solutions for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, has introduced two new compressed natural gas (CNG) products for the U.K. market: a 6×2 tractor and a trailer-mounted fuel storage system. Agility developed the extended-range tractor in collaboration with renewable biomethane fuel provider CNG Fuels. It is an extended-wheelbase 4×2 CNG tractor with an added mini-midlift axle and two lightweight Agility ProRail 30 rail-mounted fuel storage systems. The tractor has a total CNG fuel capacity of 168 kg at 250 bar service pressure, which is enough to provide approximately 350 miles (560 km) of driving range, says Agility.
RESEARCHES & STUDIES
CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT RECOMMENDS LANDFILL BAN FOR BIODEGRADABLES
The UK should implement a ban on biodegradable waste being sent to landfill by 2025 and invest in low-carbon energy technologies such as anaerobic digestion if it is to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, according to a new report from the Committee on Climate Change (CCC). The CCC advises UK governments on how to prepare for climate change. Its report, entitled ‘Net Zero: The UK’s contribution to stopping global warming’, lays out what the UK must do if it is to drastically reduce its carbon emissions in line with its international climate change commitments. The report was requested by the UK Government following the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015 and the more recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which warned that global temperature rises must be limited to no more than 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels in 12 years.
Farming has ‘huge potential’ to produce renewable gas
Ireland has the potential to deliver 20pc of renewable gas into the national grid by 2030, and to increase that share to over 50pc by 2050. European studies have shown that Ireland has huge potential to produce bio-methane from agri-based resources, said PJ McCarthy, chair of Renewable Gas Forum Ireland (RGFI). Mr McCarthy said there was real potential for increased use of anaerobic digestion (AD) in the wider farm and food processing sector but he cautioned that the Government needed to provide certainty for potential investors by announcing feed-in tariffs (REFIT) for bio-methane. The energy sector was losing investors because of the continued delay in the announcement of a definitive REFIT regime, Mr McCarthy warned.