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Companies are involved in the fight against climate change
Here’s an overview of key biogas news.
GOVERNMENT POLICIES & LAW
New $50 Million Funding Opportunity Targets Natural Gas Technologies
Emissions Reduction Alberta’s new $50 million Natural Gas Challenge is now accepting applications. This funding opportunity will unlock innovation across Alberta’s natural gas value chain by supporting clean technology projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). ERA will fund up to $10 million per project and up to 50 percent of total project costs. Proponents must match ERA’s investment with private funds. The application deadline is December 19, 2019 at 5 p.m. Mountain Time.
Read more on Emissions Reduction Alberta
Food waste collections ‘need central funding’
Increased central government funding is essential if councils are to meet the 2023 deadline to introduce separate food waste collections. The need for the funding support was emphasised by to Hillary Tanner, policy advisor at the Local Government Association (LGA), who was speaking at the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association conference yesterday, December 11. Ms Tanner explained that around 51% of councils in the UK collect food waste, and despite saving costs in the long run in waste disposal fees, many have reported issues with upfront costs.
CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES
These Cities are Turning Food Waste into Fuel!
As recycling problems increase in cities and food waste grows around the country, some cities are adopting anaerobic digestion to help solve climate change. This process uses bacteria to break down organics in an oxygen-free enclosure. The material is then converted into biogas. Biogas can then be used as a coal or fuel replacement. It’s like a faster compost process. In Los Angeles, the city is using wastewater treatment infrastructure to develop an anaerobic process. The system will convert food waste into biogas.
COMPANIES & ORGANIZATIONS
Sweden’s first bioenergy carbon capture and storage pilot inaugurated
Swedish energy utility Stockholm Exergi AB has inaugurated the country’s first bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS) pilot plant at its Värtan biomass-fired combined heat and power (CHP) plant in Stockholm. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was officiated on December 9, 2019, by the Minister for Energy Anders Ygeman. “This initiative shows how Swedish industry takes their climate goals seriously,” said Minister Ygeman during his address. As the UN Climate Summit (COP25) in Madrid, Spain enters into its second week of negotiations, Stockholm Exergi has inaugurated its bioenergy carbon capture and storage (BECCS) pilot plant.
Read more on Bioenergy International
Dominion, Vanguard plan $200M effort converting livestock waste into RNG
Virginia-based utility Dominion Energy and Vanguard Renewables are teaming up on a $200 million nationwide partnership focused on converting methane from U.S. dairy farms into renewable natural gas. The partners already have numerous projects under development in Georgia, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. Under the strategic partnership, Dominion Energy will own the projects and market the gas, and Vanguard Renewables’ subsidiary Clean Energy Investment USA dba Vanguard Renewables Ag will design, develop and operate the projects.
Read more on Power Engineering
Bioenergy DevCo takes over Perdue’s Sussex facility
“We’re very confident that the technology that we bring will be successful here in Delaware,” said Shawn Kreloff, Bioenergy DevCo’s CEO. Perdue Farms is celebrating after striking a twenty-year deal with Bioenergy DevCo, a Maryland company that is taking over their composting operation in Delaware. “Perdue has made a major commitment to the environment out here,” said Kreloff. To help Perdue Farms become more environmentally friendly, Bioenergy DevCo plans to build what could be the first large-scale facility on Delmarva that converts poultry manure into energy.
Drax aims to become carbon negative by 2030
Drax group plc CEO Will Gardiner has announced the U.K. energy company plans to be carbon negative by 2030. Gardiner made the announcement on Dec. 10 at the Power Past Coal Alliance event at COP 25 in Madrid, Spain. In his remarks at the event, Gardiner said Drax’s journey beyond coal began more than a decade ago when the company began to replace coal generation with sustainable, renewable biomass. “With the right support and commitment from successive U.K. minsters, and through the ingenuity of our people, within a decade we transformed into Europe’s largest decarbonization project and its biggest source of renewable power—generating 12 percent of the U.K.’s renewable electricity last year while reducing our carbon emissions by more than 80 percent since 2012.”
Panda to invest €10m in greener fleet to cut carbon emissions
Waste company Panda is to invest €10 million in a fleet of greener vehicles fuelled by compressed natural gas as the company seeks to cut its carbon emissions. The plan will see Beauparc-owned Panda commission 45 natural gas vehicles over the next three years, with Gas Networks Ireland coming on board to construct two new fillings stations in Dublin. The stations, which will be operational next year, will be operated by Panda Power and publicly accessible to both private and commercial vehicle owners. One will be located in Ballymount near the N7 and M50, and the other in Finglas close to the N2, M50 and M1. Construction is expected to get under way next summer.
RESEARCHES & STUDIES
Canadian Anaerobic Digestion Guideline
The Canadian Biogas Association (CBA) is pleased to announce the release of the final version the industry-led, national Anaerobic Digestion (AD) Guideline document. The AD Guideline provides recommended planning, design, and operational practices for AD facilities that process food and organic waste materials. The document aims to create a clear outline of best practices for biogas projects and assist developers and stakeholders with the regulatory process and remove barriers to support growth in the green economy. If you wish to receive a copy of the Canadian AD Guideline, please contact the Canadian Biogas Association.
Read more on Canadian Biogas Association
Enhancing energy recovery from corn straw via two-stage anaerobic digestion with stepwise microaerobic hydrogen fermentation and methanogenesis
Anaerobic digestion (AD) technology attracts increasing concerns for organic waste disposal, renewable energy production as well as organic fertilizer preparation. However, the AD of cellulosic substrate is limited by low efficiency. Microaeration has recently been used to improve the AD efficiency. However, the inhibition of methanogenesis by microaeration limited its application. To enhance the energy recovery from AD of corn straw and avoid the inhibition of microaeration on methanogenesis, two-stage AD including microaerobic hydrogen fermentation (stage I) and methanogenesis (stage II) was investigated.