business
BRIEFS AE Biofuels and Merrick & Co. sign strategic agreement AE Biofuels Inc., a vertically integrated biofuels company, signed a strategic agreement with Merrick & Co. to commercially implement AE Biofuels’ patent-pending enzyme-based technology to convert nonfood biomass into ethanol and other materials through the design of new or the conversion of existing biofuels facilities. Merrick is a provider of engineering and architectural design-build, procurement, construction management and geospatial services. Under the agreement, the companies will work to deploy AE Biofuels’ next-generation biofuels technology to address the demand for cellulosic ethanol created by the revised renewable fuels standard (RFS). The Energy Independence & Security Act of 2007 increased the RFS to 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels, the majority of which must be advanced biofuels. BIO
Recchia joins BTEC board of directors The Biomass Thermal Energy Council recently announced that Christopher Recchia, executive director of the Biomass Energy Resource Center, has been elected to the board of directors. Recchia brings to the board deep experience in environmental conservation and a broad understanding of the impact that biomass thermal Christopher energy can have on reducing carbon emisRecchia, sions and increasing energy security. He executive director, Biomass Energy was named executive director of BERC Resource Center in May 2007. He has more than 22 years of experience as an environmental leader, developer of state and federal environmental policy, and implementer of programs that manage air, land and water resources.
Enerkem receives GoingGreen award Enerkem Inc., an advanced biofuel technology and project developer, received the GoingGreen East Top 50 Private Company 2009 Award given by the AlwaysOn editorial team to 50 of the top private companies emerging in green technology. Winners were recognized at the GoingGreen East Conference in March in Boston. “The GoingGreen East 50 companies have demonstrated their tenacity even in the toughest economic conditions the technology world has ever encountered,” said Tony Perkins, founder and editor of AlwaysOn. “We applaud their success in pushing the boundaries of innovation, creating market opportunities and transforming the industry even in the earlier stages of their businesses.” BIO
New England Wood Pellet forms subsidiary to market biomass heating systems New England Wood Pellet LLC, a manufacturer and distributor of wood pellets in the Northeastern U.S., has announced the formation of Propell Energy. This wholly owned subsidiary imports, sells and services state-of-the-art European pellet boiler systems for municipal and commercial applications. Not only are these heating systems environmentally friendly, but their lower operating costs can also yield a significant return on investment. Considered carbon-neutral by the U.S. DOE and the U.S. EPA, the use of pellet fuel from sustainably harvested wood releases only slightly more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than the natural decay of the forest. Propell Energy heating systems can be used in municipal, county and state government buildings; schools; hotels; office complexes; and health care and manufacturing facilities. BIO
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Florida Syngas revamps Web site Florida Syngas recently announced that it has completed a significant overhaul of its Web site at www.FloridaSyngas.com. The site details the chronology of the organization and the technology development. The founders and the management team have bios on the site describing their skill sets. Featured are laymen’s descriptions of the technical jargon that is germane to the field of plasma physics as well as an animated photograph of an actual toroidal plasma arc. A glossary is provided and the Web site creator hopes to use public inquiries for alternative energy definitions to add to the breadth of the page. BIO
Landfill gas powers Poet plant Poet Biorefining-Chancellor, S.D., and Sioux Falls, S.D., have completed a landfill gas pipeline that is now providing methane gas to help power daily operations of the 105 MMgy Poet LLC ethanol plant. The 10-mile, low-pressure pipeline from the Sioux Falls Regional Sanitary Landfill began supplying methane to the plant at the end of February. The plant will utilize the landfill gas in a wood waste-fuel boiler to generate process steam. Combined, the two alternative energy sources will initially offset up to 90 percent of the plant’s process steam needs, currently met using natural gas, and has the potential to replace 90 percent of the plant’s total energy needs (combined with waste wood) over time. BIO 5|2009 BIOMASS MAGAZINE 15