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Future Looks Good for Biogas in Canada, USA and UK!
Here’s an overview of key biogas news.
GOVERNMENT POLICIES & LAW
A closer look at Washington’s superb new 100% clean electricity bill
The trend of states targeting 100 percent clean electricity has gone viral. Last month, New Mexico targeted 100 percent clean by 2045. The Maryland legislature recently passed a bill targeting 50 percent renewable by 2030 and looking into the viability of 100 percent by 2040. Illinois might pass a 100 percent target soon. Of course California and Hawaii already have, to say nothing of more than 100 US cities (most recently Chicago). It’s a lot to track. So it’s understandable that there hasn’t been much coverage of the 100 percent clean energy bill that is on the verge of passing in Washington (SB 5116), the one Washington governor and presidential candidate Jay Inslee has been pushing.
New York State Passes Landmark Food Waste Bill
Last week, Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature reached agreement on one of the most pro-environmental budget sessions in many years. Not surprisingly, Albany’s agreement on a new comprehensive congestion pricing plan and a new law to ban plastic bags grabbed top headlines in the press. But along with the excitement on these important bills is another environmental victory worthy of celebration—a first-of-its-kind food waste bill that will help direct more healthy food to disadvantaged New Yorkers while also slashing climate pollution around the state.
Irish scheme for renewable heat generation gets EU nod
An Irish scheme to support the generation of heat from biomass and anaerobic digestion was approved by the European Commission on 15 April. The scheme is open to a wide range of heat users, namely commercial, industrial, agricultural, district heating and other non-domestic heat users, the Commission said, adding that beneficiaries will receive operating aid in the form of a payment for the useful renewable heat generated over 15 years. The Commission said the EC assessed the measure under EU State aid rules, in particular, the Commission’s 2014 Guidelines on State aid for environmental protection and energy. It found that the scheme is proportionate as the payments granted to beneficiaries will not lead to overcompensation.
CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES
SUEZ supports the city of Montréal in its waste recovery policy
The City of Montréal has selected SUEZ to design, build and operate the city’s first organic waste treatment center. This 7-year contract, worth €117 million, will come into effect in April 2019. SUEZ will build a composting facility in the Saint-Laurent borough that can process up to 50,000 tons of organic material each year. The facility will recover in compost the green and food waste produced by the inhabitants of the West Island of Montreal as well as the pre-compost from one of the city’s biomethanation centers. Commissioned in the Fall of 2021, the facility will be operated and maintained by SUEZ for a period of five years.
COMPANIES & ORGANIZATIONS
Ameresco Declares Commercial Operations of Historic RNG Plant
Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC), a leading energy efficiency and renewable energy company, today announced that it achieved commercial operations in early 2019 at its 91st Ave renewable natural gas (RNG) plant located in Phoenix, Arizona. Now operational, this plant is the largest wastewater treatment biogas-to-RNG facility of its kind in the US and is capable of processing 3,250 standard cubic feet per minute (scfm) of raw digester gas produced at the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The 91st Ave WWTP is owned by the sub-regional operating group (SROG) member cities: Phoenix, Glendale, Mesa, Scottsdale and Tempe and is operated by the City of Phoenix.
How Technology, Alternative Fuels are Enhancing Refuse Fleets
In anticipation of WasteExpo, Waste360 sat down with Don Ross of New Way Trucks to discuss current fleet trends and the role technology is playing in enhancing refuse fleets. Over the years, refuse fleets have gotten smarter, more durable and more efficient thanks to things like advances in technology, safety and alternative fuels. These advances have allowed refuse truck manufacturers like Scranton, Iowa-based New Way Trucks to ramp up their fleet offerings and grow their business.
Suncor Energy invests in Enerkem waste-to-biofuel projects
Enerkem Inc., a global leader in biofuels production from solid waste, announces the closing of a new round of financing totalling $76.3 million. The financing comes from Enerkem’s existing investors, as well as a new investor, Suncor Energy Inc. This injection of additional capital will help foster the company’s growth by continuing the development of its other projects, including in Varennes, Que., and Rotterdam, Holland. Suncor, one of Canada’s largest energy companies, is joining Enerkem’s shareholders, comprising Braemar Energy Ventures, Cycle Capital, Fondaction, Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Investissement Québec, National Bank of Canada, Rho Ventures, Sunkem, the Westly Group and Waste Management of Canada.
Read more on Canadian Biomass Magazine
The implementation of a green waste valorisation technology
The HORIZON 2020 ToSynFuel project, coordinated by Fraunhofer UMSICHT, will demonstrate new integrated waste valorisation technologies into industrially relevant environments, says Dr-Ing Robert Daschner from Institute Branch Sulzbach-Rosenberg At the end of 2015, the European Commission adopted an ambitious Circular Economy Package to stimulate Europe’s transition towards a circular economy, which will boost global competitiveness, foster sustainable economic growth and generate new jobs. The actions to be implemented will contribute to “closing the loop” of product lifecycles through greater recycling and re-use of resources, and bring benefits for both the environment and the economy.
Read more on Open Access Government
RESEARCHES & STUDIES
RNG on-road fuel use reaches historic high
Natural Gas Vehicles for America (NGVAmerica) and the Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition) today announced that 32 percent of all on-road fuel used in natural gas vehicles in calendar year 2018 was renewable natural gas (RNG). Captured above ground from organic material in agricultural, wastewater, landfill or food waste, RNG—or biomethane—produces net carbon-neutral and even net carbon-negative results when fueling on-road vehicles like short- and long-haul trucks, transit buses, and refuse and recycling collection vehicles. RNG fuel in 2018 had an EER-adjusted carbon intensity as low as -303.30 according to the California Air Resources Board. By comparison, California’s electricity grid rated between 25.0 and 38.95.
New study shows LNG can reduce shipping GHG emissions by up to 21%
A new study jointly commissioned by SEA\LNG and Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF) has revealed that greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions of up to 21 percent are achievable now from Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a marine fuel, compared with current oil-based marine fuels over the entire life-cycle from Well-to-Wake (WtW). Additionally, bioLNG and synthetic LNG – both fully interchangeable with fossil-derived LNG – offer the potential for significant additional GHG emissions reduction. Launched on April 11, 2019, the independent study report “Life Cycle GHG Emission Study on the Use of LNG as Marine Fuel” was carried out by Germany-headed data and consultancy provider thinkstep AG according to ISO standards.