by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) In these top 20 projects, we usually say that we are using waste, but really we are converting something from a state of waste to a state of value — and that’s not just good for the project owners in question, it’s good for every stakeholder connected with that waste stream. A successful waste project is the beginning of the death of waste — where technology permits, that’s about the fastest path one can take to a more sustainable society and a more affluent one.
Here we look at the top 20 waste projects and R&D breakthroughs of the past year. They involve food waste, crop waste, municipal waste, orchard waste, forest waste, waste CO2, industrial wastewater, manufacturing waste gases and more.
It’s a global effort – we’re profiling work throughout Europe, the Americas and Asia — typically, based on international partnerships.
From these previously useless and odious streams, they are making fuels, chemicals and materials for everyday use — only with an attractive low-carbon footprint since in most cases these are cases of “rescued carbon” where we are capturing old carbon for a new use.
#1 Commercial time: Aemetis embarks on $158 million cellulosic ethanol project in California …
In partnership with its key technology providers InEnTec and LanzaTech, Aemetis successfully optimized the integration of an advanced arc furnace and gas fermentation technologies to convert waste biomass into low carbon, renewable cellulosic ethanol and fish meal.
#2 From the Dump to the Pump: Fulcrum BioEnergy breaks ground on landmark trash-to-jet fuel project …
#3 Clariant to build flagship cellulosic ethanol plant in Romania: 8-figure sales potential envisioned …
#4 Breaking the Bottleneck – POET-DSM achieves cellulosic biofuel breakthrough …
#5 Enerkem to build EUR250 million facility in Spain …
#6 Red Rock Biofuels scores $245 million state bond for Oregon plant …
#7 British Airways chooses Velocys for MSW-to-biojet 2.0 …
#8 Indian Oil to buy 4% stake in LanzaTech …
#9 Fiberight: Secures the Stash to Unlock the Cash in Trash …
#10 Genifuel to demonstrate wastewater hydrothermal processing next month …
#11 Canadian researchers produce ethylene from waste CO2 …
#12 Sierra Energy building MSW gasification demo plant at California Army base …
#13 Carbon-negative fuels in the spotlight as Ohio State, Argonne National Labs, Energy Vision make material progress …
#14 UPM launches EIA for possible biorefinery in southeastern Finland …
#15 EU-funded project looks to produce biodiesel and biomaterials from olive mill wastewater …
#16 USDA labs convert almond waste to beer, plastic and fuel …
#17 Omani researchers produce ethanol, biodiesel and bioplastics from paper waste …
#19 The Wonder from Down Under, and Canada’ll fund ‘er: Canfor picks up $13M for Licella biofuels project …
#20 Port-Cartier, Quebec – Ensyn’s Biocrude Expansion Project Under Construction READ MORE