Acciona Energy

5. January 2009 by Mykel Pereira.

 Acciona Energy

In 19 countries

The Energy Division of ACCIONA has over 200 companies in 19 countries.

The corporate purpose of most of them is the development of wind parks and the production of electricity from them. Within the wind power sector the group also has manufacturing companies that produce wind turbines.

ACCIONA Energy also has companies that operate in the thermolectric field (biomass and solar thermoelectric), solar (photovoltaic and thermal), biofuels and others.

About

World leader in renewables

ACCIONA Energía is a world leader in the renewables sector. The company has taken on the mission of demonstrating the technical and economic viability of a new energy model on the basis of criteria of sustainability.

ACCIONA Energía is present in the main clean energies, in line with their different levels of maturity and profitability. It focuses its activities on wind power, in which it is the largest developer and constructor of windparks in the world.

It is also present in other electric power generation technologies based on renewable energy sources -biomass, small hydro and solar-, and also in the manufacture of wind turbines (designed in-house) and the production and marketing of biofuels. It also has assets in the field of cogeneration.

ACCIONA Energía is currently carrying out research projects to produce hydrogen from wind power, to manufacture more efficient wind turbines and to optimize the production of biofuels.

The company has a workforce of over 1,000 people, one of the biggest and most highly qualified in the clean energies field.

The solidity of a great group

ACCIONA Energía is the energy division of ACCIONA, a leading group in infrastructures and services aimed at sustainable development and social welfare.

ACCIONA is a homogeneous and integrated business group with a focus on operations with high added value that enable it to create synergies and make profitable investments in strategic sectors.

Technology

Wind energy

A global leader in wind energy

ACCIONA Energy focuses its activity on wind energy, a field in which it has so far installed 5,577 MW at 30 September 2008. It has built 200 windparks for itself and other companies with over 5,500 turbines, making it the world leader in the development and construction of windparks. At the same time, it has 900 MW under construction and around 15,000 MW in development.

The wind power installed by ACCIONA Energy in Spain amounts to 4,471 MW.

On all five continents

As well as Spain, there are windparks installed by ACCIONA in the United States, Canada, Germany, Australia, Italy, Greece, Hungary, France, India, Portugal, South Korea, Mexico and Morocco. Of these, 142 windparks (4,105 MW) are owned by the Group, with an attributable capacity of 3,285 MW. The 58 windparks built for other companies account for 1,472 MW.

ACCIONA is currently building windparks in most of the above mentioned countries.

Current projects are being carried out in the United Kingdom, Croacia, Poland and Slovenia.

Production

In 2007, ACCIONA Energy produced a total of 7,494 GWh of wind energy, of which 6,316 GWh were produced in Spain and 1,178 GWh in other countries. Attributable wind energy generation reached 5,570 GWh.

In the first nine months of 2008, the wind energy production was 5,840 GWh (4,784 GWh in Spain and 1,056 GWh in other countries). The attributable wind energy generation was 4,620 GWh.

Mini hydro

19 small hydro plants in operation

ACCIONA Energy has 19 small hydro power plants located in different river basins in Navarre (Spain). Their total installed capacity is 58.79 MW.

In 2007 hydroelectric production from these plants reached 193 million kilowatt-hours. Until September 2008, the power output was 182 GWh.

ACCIONA also handles the operation and maintenance of another six hidroelectrical plants.

Biomass

Three plants in operation and seven under development

ACCIONA Energy is present in the field of biomass with three plants that total 33 MW of installed capacity. They produced around 240 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) a year.

The largest is a 25 MW cereal straw-fired plant in Sangüesa (Navarre), a pioneering facility in southern Europe in the exploitation of this source of renewable energy. Its average annual output is around 200 million kWh.

In addition to the Sangüesa plant, ACCIONA Energy has biomass plants in Talosa (province of Soria) and Pinasa (Cuenca), each one with 4 MW capacity.

New projects

The company is giving a boost to the biomass business in Spain. It plans to install seven new plants in different Spanish regions, which will be entering into operation between 2010 and 2012. They total 110 MW of capacity, 306 million euros investment and an estimated annual output of 880 million kWh. These facilities will represent 175 direct and 515 indirect new jobs, mainly devoted to primary sector.

In the region of Castilla y León, it is developing three new plants summing 55 MW of installed capacity and represent an investment of 140 million euros. The three facilities -located in Almazán (Soria) -15 MW-, Briviesca (Burgos) -15 MW- and Valencia de don Juan (León) -25 MW- will be participated by the Regional Energy Board (EREN).

Altogether the three plants will produce around 440 million kWh a year, equivalent to the demand of 180,000 homes. They will also create 300 jobs and will avoid the emission of 423,000 tonnes of CO2.

The plants planned in Castilla-La Mancha are located in Mohorte (Cuenca) and Alcázar de San Juan (Ciudad Real), with a total investment of 86 M€.

ACCIONA also projects to install a 15 MW biomass plant in Miajadas (Cáceres) and a 10 MW one in Utiel (Valencia)

Solar energy

Leaders in solar energy

ACCIONA works with all three solar technologies - concentrating solar power (CSP), photovoltaic and solar hot water - amounting to a total owned capacity of 194 MW, of which 113 MW are owned by the company.

The company has so far installed 81.32 MW for other companies, of which 66.18 MW are photovoltaic, 14.14 MW are solar heating and 1 MW are CSP.

Technology	Owned capacity	Capacity for other companies	Total capacity
CSP	64.00	1	65.00
Hot water	0.72	14.14	14.86

The largest concentrating solar power plant in 17 years

In June 2007, in the state of Nevada (USA), ACCIONA connected to the grid the the largest CSP facility of its type in the world in the last 17 years: the 64 MW Nevada Solar One plant. The company has a 97.7% stake in the facility, which is operational since June 2007.

ACCIONA has various CSP plants under development in Spain - all of which have a capacity of 50 MW - and is also involved in major projects in the south-western United States.

The leading developer of photovoltaic energy in Spain

The photovoltaic capacity installed by ACCIONA at 30 September 2008 amounts to 114.44 MW. Through its subsidiary ACCIONA Solar, the Group has developed the concept of “huertas solares” (solar gardens), a system that has allowed more than 3.500 people to become owners of photovoltaic installations.

The “huertas solares” installed by the company - 18 in total - amount to a capacity of 61,5 MW and are located in diferent Spanish regions.

ACCIONA is currently building what will be the biggest solar photovoltaic plant in the world in Moura (Portugal), with a capacity of 46 MW. It is expected to be fully grid-connected by December 2008.

Solar hot water

In the field of thermal solar energy (solar hot water), ACCIONA Solar has installed 14 MW to date, virtually all of which has been for other companies.

The company is the leader in the installation of this technology in Spain.

Energy efficient building

ACCIONA is also involved in the field of energy efficient buildings, incorporating solar technology as much as possible.

The most notable example of this is ACCIONA Solar’s head office, a building which consumes 52% less energy than a conventional building of the same characteristics, thanks to the use of numerous measures for using energy efficiently and making energy savings, covering 48% of its needs from photovoltaic solar power - electricity; thermal solar power - climate control; and biodiesel.

This means that the office is classified as a “zero emissions” building, as it can cover its energy requirements without emitting CO2.

Biofuels

In biodiesel and bioethanol

ACCIONA Energy works in the area of biofuels for transport, a sector which represents over 30% of the greenhouse gas emissions in the OCDE countries and 50% of the global oil demand (67% in the European Union).

The company has already presence in the field of biodiesel, with a 70,000-tonnes production plant in Navarra, and a 200,000-tonnes one under construction in Bilbao. It also owns a 26,000-tonnes bioethanol plant in Castilla-La Mancha (central Spain).

The European Commission has set the objective of a 5.75% quota for biofuels in road transport consumption by 2010. Spain has adopted that goal by establishing a 5.83% quota in the Plan for Renewable Energies, approved by the Government in 2005. The EU plans to increase that goal up to 10% in 2020.

Wind turbines

ACCIONA Windpower, a global supplier

ACCIONA Windpower, is the ACCIONA’s subsidiary company that works on the design, manufacture, field assembly and marketing of wind turbines,  based on the experience of the group to which it belongs in the operation and maintenance of wind power facilities worldwide. It produces 1,500 kW and 3,000 kW wind turbines which have been designed from the point of view of the wind farm operator interested in achieving the best performance throughout the working life of the machine.In 2007 ACCIONA Windpower produced 582 turbines (873 MW). This figure is higher than the company’s production in the three previous years and duplicates the 2006 figure (426 MW), thus consolidating its position in the world ranking of major wind turbine manufacturers. The company expects to finish this year with over 1,500 MW of new capacity installed.

For years after having launched the AW-1500, one of the most reliable wind turbines in the market of the megawatt segment, ACCIONA Windpower introduced the new AW-3000 at Windpower 2008 Exhibition in Houston (Texas, USA) last June. It is based on the same concept of strong, reliable and durable wind turbine as its successful predecessor and extent our capacity to meet the rising market expectations.

Four wind turbine assembly plants

ACCIONA Windpower has four wind turbine manufacturing facilities, two in Spain, one in China and one in the USA. Their total annual production capacity is 2,625 MW.

ACCIONA Windpower also has an assembly plant for hubs and other components in Toledo (Spain) and will build a blade production plant in Navarre (Spain) in 2008; its opening is planned for the end of the same year.

Turbines in wind parks in twelve countries

By the end of 2008 ACCIONA Windpower turbines will have been installed in wind parks in twelve countries: Spain, the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, China, South Korea, Italy, Greece, France, the UK and Poland.

A good part of these projects have been (or will be) carried out by other companies with which ACCIONA Windpower has signed contracts for the supply of turbines. This modality will increase over the next few years.

Working on design since 1997

The technology developed by ACCIONA Windpower is the result of more than fourteen years of knowledge accumulated by one of the most technical teams in the world on the operation and maintenance of wind parks.

The ACCIONA Group’s experience and acumen gained from the management of wind parks containing thousands of wind turbines of different technologies installed in various countries has been the cornerstone to the succesful development of our technology.

Before launching series production of the AW 1500 the company installed three prototypes of a 1300 kW in 2000-2002, followed by twenty units of the same model in a wind park in Navarre.

Work on the series production of the 1.5 MW machine started in 2004. To date, over 2,000 units have been assemblied.

Posted in Biomass Techs, Spain, Biofuel Techs, Solar Techs, Wind Techs | No Comments »

Innovations Fuels, Inc.

23. September 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Innovations Fuels, Inc.

20 Corporate Woods, 3rd Floor Albany, NY 12211

T: +1.212.609.3509

F: +1.212.937.1937

About

Innovation Fuels is a leading biodiesel company with a regional focus and global reach. They operate within the United States at strategic port locations that allow them to supply regional customers and a network of international partners. They own and are actively developing and operating strategically-sited, state-of-the-art biodiesel processing plants with a combined, planned production capacity of more than 5 million barrels by 2010.

Biodiesel is produced by chemically reacting alcohol with vegetable oils, fats, or greases. Using innovative, proprietary production technology, Innovation Fuels biodiesel is the highest quality at the lowest cost to you. Plus, their Research and Development center is studying next generation technology and feedstocks including jatropha and algae—both crops that don’t divert resources away from feeding people.

As a leading biodiesel manufacturer, Innovation Fuels cares about making the world a better place to live today and tomorrow. But taking care of their customers is their number one business priority. Their goal is to help you choose biodiesel as a viable, sustainable, high-performance fuel. Let them put their extensive experience in the fuel industry to work for you.

Biodiesel is the fastest growing alternative fuel. It’s clean and non-toxic so it’s good for you. It’s high-quality and easy to integrate into your operation so it’s good for your business. And it’s biodegradable and renewable so it’s good for the world. Biodiesel contains no petroleum but it can be blended at any level with petroleum diesel and works in any diesel engine.

Products

Innovation Fuels biodiesel is produced according to ASTM D6751 and EN14214 standards, using a variety of plant oils derived from soy, canola/rapeseed, sunflower, and palm, as well as used vegetable oil. Their blenders license allows them to sell neat biodiesel or any percentage of premium blend with petroleum. In the spirit of their core principle—good for you, good for your business, and good for the world—Innovation Fuels also sells their production byproducts for inclusion in bio-based products including glycerol/glycerin, a very common additive used in many items like cosmetics, food, and baby care products.

The ASTM standard for biodiesel is subject to updates on a periodic basis. Innovation Fuels keeps current with these changes.

Posted in New York, Biofuel Techs, USA | No Comments »

Verenium, LLC

5. September 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Verenium, LLC

Verenium Corporation
55 Cambridge Parkway, 8th Floor
Cambridge, MA 02142
TEL: 617.674.5300

4955 Directors Place
San Diego, CA 92121
TEL: 858.526.5000

Verenium Biofuels, LLC
PO Box 389
11107 Campbell Wells Road
East Highway 90
Jennings, LA 70546
TEL: 337.824.4180

About
Verenium Corporation is a leader in the development and the commercialization of cellulosic ethanol, an environmentally-friendly and renewable transportation fuel, as well as higher performance specialty enzymes for applications within the biofuels, industrial, and animal nutrition and health markets.

Integrated capabilities: our competitive edge

The Company possesses integrated, end-to-end capabilities in pre-treatment, novel enzyme development, fermentation, engineering, and project development and is moving rapidly to commercialize its proprietary technology for the production of cellulosic ethanol from a wide array of feedstocks, including sugarcane bagasse, dedicated energy crops, agricultural waste, and wood products. In addition to the vast potential for biofuels, a multitude of large-scale industrial opportunities exist for the Company for products derived from the production of low-cost, biomass-derived sugars.

Verenium’s Specialty Enzyme business harnesses the power of enzymes to create a broad range of specialty products to meet high-value commercial needs. Verenium’s world class R&D organization is renowned for its capabilities in the rapid screening, identification, and expression of enzymes that act as the catalysts of biochemical reactions.

Cellulosic ethanol: first mover advantage

Verenium operates one of the nation’s first cellulosic ethanol pilot plants, an R&D facility, in Jennings, Louisiana and has recently entered the start-up phase at its 1.4 million-gallon-per-year demonstration-scale facility. In addition, the Company’s process technology has been licensed by Tokyo-based Marubeni Corp. and Tsukishima Kikai Co., LTD and has been incorporated into BioEthanol Japan’s 1.4 million liter-per-year cellulosic ethanol plant in Osaka, Japan — the world’s first commercial-scale plant to produce cellulosic ethanol from wood construction waste.

Verenium and Marubeni are continuing to advance the commercialization of cellulosic ethanol projects utilizing Verenium’s proprietary technology in Asia with the opening of a three million-liter-per-year plant in Saraburi, Thailand. The cellulosic plant in Thailand is co-located with a facility that will produce ethanol from sugar-cane derived sucrose, which is widely abundant in the region.

The need for alternative fuels

The urgent need for cleaner automotive fuels is pushing the private sector to develop low-carbon alternatives. Cellulosic ethanol is widely recognized as one of the most promising ways to meet our need for clean fuels with dramatically lower energy inputs and net carbon emissions. Verenium is a leader in the development of cellulosic ethanol - a clean-burning fuel derived from canes, grasses, softwoods, and other biomass sources that are readily available and are not utilized for food.

The need for alternative fuels has led to new federal law mandating the production and use of billions of gallons of biofuels within the next decade. The market is vast. The first companies entering the market for next-generation cellulosic ethanol will be tapping into a multi-billion dollar market at the beginning of commercialization.

Posted in Louisiana, California, Biofuel Techs, Massachusetts, USA | No Comments »

GALTEN

14. August 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

GALTEN

Phone: +972(0)54-646-3233
Kadima 60920
P.O.B 1746
Israel.
info@galtengroup.com

About
Galten realized that controlling “row material” is of major importance as it will be the bottle neck in the coming years. Therefore, we adopted the “seed to Biodiesel” strategy. Galten has the technology to grow hi quality feedstock and produce hi quality product – Biodiesel, meeting all required standards. Galten is committed to become a leading company in the biodiesel arena, by implementing and executing its ambitious plans in the coming years. Galtens’ personel has a long track record and experience in managing and controlling large scale projects.

Since the beginning of 2006 Galtens’ co founders have established the basis and the infrastructure of the company.
After intensive and deep research, Ghana was chosen as the first country for the first biodiesel project. A local company was established headed by Mr. Raymond Okudzeto.

Galten is composed of:
A group of scientist, that are continuously researching and developing the local Jatropha species to continuously improve yield and biodiesel output.
A project management group that execute the control and management of the large scale cultivation.
Galten intends to refine the extracted vegetable oil in the market country.

Technology

Galten’s technology is based on the Jatropha which has been investigated by their group for more then 15 years.  As a result of this long and intensive scientific work Galten is able to cultivate Jatropha – a non edible crop – in large scale on marginal lands (not using agriculture lands) with high yield and high quality vegetable oil that is refined to biodiesel. Galten will continue to improve the Jatropha species with an on going R&D and control the improved species genetically.
Our group of scientists is the most knowledgeable and experienced in Jatropha. The scientific group, from a European university is composed from university professors’ experts in Jatropha, soil experts, breeding experts and has enormous experience in all the scientific aspects of the crop such as the physiology, biochemistry and genetics of the plant.  The scientific group is part of Galten and they are the moderators and executors of the scientific part of the project.

Posted in Israel, Biofuel Techs | No Comments »

AXI

14. August 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

AXI

1 Adams Place
859 Willard Street, Suite 400
Quincy, MA 02169

phone: 781.353.6404

fax: 781.735.0550

email: info@AXILLC.com

About
AXI is a University of Washington spin-out Company created in partnership with the founders, the University and Allied Minds, Inc. Allied Minds is a seed investment company creating partnerships with key Universities to fund corporate spin-offs resulting from successful early stage technology research.

AXI is developing strains of algae that will bridge the gap between the promise of clean energy generation and the reality of economical biofuel production systems. Algae have the potential for producing vast quantities of biostock for conversion into biofuels for transportation and heating. Their proprietary methodology for developing specific growth and productivity traits will help any algae production system improve its output of inexpensive, oil-rich algae as the raw material for the production of biofuel.

The AXI technology is being developed by Professor Rose Ann Cattolico of the University of Washington.

Technology

A number of factors have contributed to the recent global increase in biofuels demand, including national and economic security, crude oil prices, depletion of fossil fuel reserves, and global warming concerns. Many countries have instituted economic incentives and mandatory biofuel content requirements to spur development of renewable sources of energy. Various requirements have recently been put in place that seek to ensure that biofuels production will not adversely impact food supply economics or increase green house gas emissions.

Biodiesel and cellulosic ethanol are two types of biofuels that are emerging as promising new technologies for the future. Of the many feedstocks that can be used for biodiesel, algae is emerging as the clear winner because of its promise of extremely high yields per acre, ability to be produced on non-arable lands (i.e., not displacing land for crops), and suitability for carbon dioxide absorption from exhaust flues.

AXI’s technology is derived from more than 25 years of research at one of the world’s preeminent algae research facilities at the University of Washington in Seattle.  The Laboratory, headed by Dr. Rose Ann Cattolico, has an extensive knowledge base on algae physiology, a renowned collection of non-GMO algae species and has developed a unique, patented technology licensed exclusively to AXI that will permit the customization of ours as well as other various algae species to our customer’s growth and production systems.

Posted in Biofuel Techs, Massachusetts, USA | No Comments »

EdeniQ

25. July 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

EdeniQ

1520 N. Kelsey St.
Visalia, CA
93291
559-302-1777

About
Peak oil. Inflation. Global warming. Conflict. Today’s headlines make it clear: we need a sustainable, affordable source of energy that protects the environment and meets the needs of nearly 7 billion – and growing – aspiring, remarkable humans.

EdeniQ’s scientists are pursuing solutions that cost-effectively convert abundant, non-food biomass into fuels. Making fuels from agricultural waste such as corn stover, sugarcane bagasse, rice straw and woodchips takes the controversy out of biofuels and puts the green – and the humanity – in.

Their name says a great deal about their mission. EdeniQ is an intentional misspelling of Edenic an adjective meaning “of or pertaining to the Garden of Eden.” The “IQ” ending of EdeniQ connotes intelligence. Together Eden IQ expresses our profound desire to engage in the wise use of all that nature provides.

Most of the energy plants store is not in their seeds, fruits or tubers. Most of the energy they store is in their actual structure, the so-called lignocellulosic parts of the plant. But these stiffer, woodier parts of plants, though rich in complex sugars, are not easily broken down into useable energy. Yet, we all know that given enough time, even the mightiest trees decay. There are animals, plants, bacteria and fungi that make their livings off of plant structure. In nature, nothing is wasted.

Harnessing natural processes that breakdown complex lignocellulosic materials into simpler sugars that can be fermented or otherwise crafted into fuels is just one area where EdeniQ’s team has made significant breakthroughs.

With natural processes as their guide, they give consideration to every aspect of turning biomass into useable energy. This means thinking not only about how to breakdown complex lignocellulosic polymers, but also about the use of water, the generation of waste, and the input of energy. Unlike other cellulosic ethanol processes EdeniQ’s process does not use harsh acids or rely on expensive metal catalysts. And, the heat and electricity needed for production are derived by burning residual lignin (the toughest of all plant matter). The end result is carbon-neutral energy that does not add incremental CO2 to our atmosphere.

By emulating nature, EdeniQ knows that remarkable things happen: processes become cyclical, adaptable and efficient. Costs actually decrease. To thrive in the 21st century it is clear that nations, companies, investors, shareholders and citizens alike must embrace the awesome, ancient lessons of our living world. EdeniQ does exactly that.

Technology

EdeniQ’s technologies help new and existing biofuels producers derive clean, affordable energy from a wide variety of biomass.

Their patented processes can be implemented for a fraction of the $6 to $12 per gallon capital cost it takes to build a cellulosic plant employing today’s acid hydrolosis or syngas technologies. And, by eliminating expensive catalysts and additives, EdeniQ’s solution is not only capital efficient, but also costs far less to operate.

EdeniQ knows that cellulosic ethanol will only enter the mainstream when the following key conditions are met:

• The processes for breaking down complex lignocelluosic materials must be fast and affordable;
• These processes must not produce wastestreams that are expensive to handle and deleterious to the environment;
• The refining processes must not use fossil fuels to generate the required inputs of heat and electricity;
• The plants employing these processes should not be tied to the use of any one type of feedstock, but rather be free to work with a wide variety of feedstocks;
• The processes should cost-effectively yield sugars that can be fermented or otherwise processed into a range of fuels (not just ethanol);
• The processes should be water efficient (meaning that a significant portion of the water required is reused);
• When measured end-to-end, the fuel produced by these processes should be carbon-neutral (i.e., not introduce incremental CO2 into the atmosphere);
• The processes should take advantage of valuable co-products;
• The processes should be able to work with many elements of today’s existing biofuels infrastructure and not require a complete overhaul of the industry;
• Plants should be able to add the processes in an incremental fashion by deploying profitable modules that help manage precious capital;
• The all-in cost of a gallon of fuel produced by these processes must be under $1.50 per gallon;
• The processes need to be available today, not 2-5 years from now.

Posted in California, Biofuel Techs, USA | No Comments »

Lanza Tech New Zealand Ltd.

19. July 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Lanza Tech New Zealand Ltd.

24 Balfour Road
Parnell
Auckland
New Zealand
Phone: +64 9 373 4929
Fax: +64 9 929 3038

About
LanzaTech New Zealand Ltd. is a privately held company funded by Khosla Ventures, LLC, arguably the top venture firm in the U.S. focusing on alternative, clean green energy systems.

The company was founded in 2005 and operates from its facilities in Auckland New Zealand.

LanzaTech has developed a proprietary platform for producing lowest-cost fuel ethanol in any industrialized geography, at a much larger scale than is currently being envisioned elsewhere.

Specifically, our plan is to develop an ethanol production process that can be retrofitted to industrial facilities to generate ethanol from the carbon monoxide component of waste flue gases.

Industrial flue gases are an inherently low cost, high volume, point location resource, produced in most industrialized regions. LanzaTech’s mission is to enable industries that produce high volumes of carbon monoxide containing flue gases to become the lowest cost, highest volume producers of fuel ethanol.

Technology

LanzaTech has developed a technology to allow high volume industrial waste streams to become a resource for bio-ethanol production. This technology has been developed and demonstrated in their purpose built laboratory.  The company is now embarking on a process refinement and scale-up plan.

Posted in New Zealand, Biofuel Techs | No Comments »

Coskata Inc.

1. July 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Coskata Inc.

Coskata, Inc.
4575 Weaver Parkway, Suite 100
Warrenville, Illinois 60555
Main: 630-657-5800
Fax: 630-657-5801
info@coskata.com

About

Coskata, Inc. is a biology-based renewable energy company, with technology for the production of liquid fuels. Using proprietary microorganisms and transformative bioreactor designs, the company will produce ethanol for under US$1.00 per gallon anywhere in the world, from almost any input material (feedstock).
Process

Coskata is commercializing a proprietary process and related technologies for the conversion of a wide variety of input materials into ethanol. Coskata has an efficient, affordable, and flexible three-step conversion process:

1. Incoming material converted into synthesis gas (gasification)
2. Fermentation of the synthesis gas to ethanol (biofermentation)
3. Separation and recovery of ethanol (separations)

During gasification, carbon-based input materials are converted into syngas using well-established gasification technologies. After the chemical bonds are broken using gasification, Coskata’s proprietary microorganisms convert the resulting syngas into ethanol by consuming the carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2) in the gas stream. Once the gas-to-liquid conversion process has occurred, the resulting ethanol is recovered from the solution using “pervaporation technology.”

Coskata’s proprietary microorganisms eliminate the need for costly enzymatic pretreatments, and the bio-fermentation occurs at low pressures and temperatures, reducing operational costs. In addition, the Coskata process has the potential to yield over 100 gallons of ethanol per ton of dry carbonaceous input material, reducing both operational and capital costs. Coskata’s exclusively licensed separation technology dramatically improves the separations and recovery component of ethanol production, reducing the required energy by as much as 50%.

Coskata Ethanol

 

Ethanol is a clean burning fuel, with the ability to be completely renewable and transform the global fuel market with its many positive attributes:

 

• Ethanol from renewable sources is environmentally friendly, reducing greenhouse gas emission levels substantially
• Ethanol is great for the U.S. at large, helping to alleviate dependence on foreign sources of oil and allowing for domestic fuel production
• Stimulates the economy and increases the value of domestic resources while creating jobs
• Ethanol is great for the consumer because it can reduce fuel costs

However, not all biofuels are created equal. Coskata does NOT make ethanol from food products; it makes the fuel from sources like municipal solid waste (trash), agricultural and forest residuals, bagasse and many other carbon containing input materials. Coskata’s process technology converts what has frequently reached the end of its useful lifecycle into renewable energy, while being energy positive.

Posted in Illinois, Biofuel Techs, USA | No Comments »

Range Fuels

1. July 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Range Fuels

11101 W. 120th Avenue, Suite 200
Broomfield, CO 80021
Phone: 303-410-2100
Fax: 303-410-2101

About
Range Fuels is a privately held company funded by Khosla Ventures, LLC, arguably the top venture firm in the U.S. focusing on alternative, clean (green) energy systems. Their leadership team melds experience from the fast-paced, high-tech world, and the technologically intense coal, coal gasification, and gas-to-liquids industries.

They convert biomass into fuel-grade ethanol using emerging clean energy technologies. Biomass includes all plant and plant-derived material, such as wood, switch grass, corn stover, and miscanthus grass – making it a renewable energy resource that produces no net greenhouse gases.

Range Fuels can produce more ethanol for a given amount of energy expended than is possible with any other competing process. This key difference is a result of their ability to convert all – not just some – of the biomass used, along with their modular facilities, which bring the conversion process right to the biomass source. Their approach is highly flexible, efficient, cost effective, and scalable.

Technology

Range Fuels has invented a two-step thermo-chemical process to produce cellulosic ethanol. Even if these words are foreign to you, the positives are sure to resonate: the process is self-sustaining, produces virtually no waste products, emits very low levels of greenhouse gases, and produces high yields of clean ethanol.

A Design Driven by Efficiency
Their focus on efficiency goes beyond how they produce ethanol – it also extends to where they produce it. Their distributive design lets them bring systems to sources where biomass is most plentiful, instead of having to transport biomass to a central processing site. This reduces transportation costs and related transportation fuel consumption. Their modularity also allows the system to grow as more biomass becomes available. Simply adding another module – which is easy to ship and install – immediately doubles the output. They put their systems where they are needed, in just the size that is needed.

Nature’s Way

Range Fuels’ entire approach is based upon the invention of eco-friendly technology. The best evidence of this is that they produce more ethanol per energy input than competing technologies. Nature likes this. Especially since everything going in is plant and waste material that serves no useful purpose. We call this conversion “waste to value,” and this thrust is what motivates us to keep working our hardest.

The Two-Step Thermo-Chemical Process

Step 1: Solids to Gas
Biomass (all plant and plant-derived material) that cannot be used for food, such as agricultural waste, is fed into a converter. Using heat, pressure, and steam the feedstock is converted into synthesis gas (syngas), which is cleaned before entering the second step.

Step 2: Gas to Liquids
The cleaned syngas is passed over the proprietary catalyst and transformed into mixed alcohols. These alcohols are then separated and processed to maximize the yield of ethanol of a quality suitable for use in fueling vehicles.

A Simple Process
Because Range Fuels’ process utilizes a thermo-chemical process, it relies on the chemical reactions and conversions between forms that naturally occur when certain materials are mixed under specific combinations of temperature and pressure. Other conversion processes use enzymes, yeasts, and other biological means to convert between forms.

Feedstock Flexibility
The Range Fuels process accommodates a wide range of organic feedstocks of various types, sizes, and moisture contents. This flexibility eliminates commercial problems related to fluctuations in feed material quality and ensures success in the real world, far from laboratory-controlled conditions.

Tested and True
Range Fuels’ technology has been tested and proven in bench and pilot-scale units for over 7 years. Over 8,000 hours of testing has been completed on over 20 different non-food feedstocks with varying moisture contents and sizes, including wood waste, olive pits, and more. This technology will be used in their first plant planned for a site near Soperton, Georgia.

Posted in Colorado, Biofuel Techs, USA | No Comments »

Mascoma Corporation

1. July 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Mascoma Corporation

Corporate Office
1380 Soldiers Field Road
Second Floor
Boston, Massachusetts 02135
General: 617.234.0099
Fax: 617.868.0408
Email: info@mascoma.com

Research Facility
16 Cavendish Court, Suite 2A
Lebanon, NH 03766
General: 603.676.3320
Fax: 603.676.3321
Email: info@mascoma.com

Mascoma New York
679 Ellsworth Road
Rome, NY 13441
General: 315.356.4780
Fax: 315.356.4787
Email: info@mascoma.comAbout

Mascoma Corporation was founded in late 2005 with initial funding from Khosla Ventures and Flagship Ventures in early 2006. A Series B round of funding was closed in November of 2006 and a Series C round of funding was closed in May of 2008.

Mascoma has subsequently received several state and federal grants, including:

* A $14.8MM grant from the State of New York for the establishment of a demonstration plant.
* A $4.9MM grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for organism development.
* Part of the $125MM U.S. Department of Energy Bioenergy Science Center Grant led by Oak Ridge National Lab.
* A $26 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for the establishment of a demonstration plant.

Mascoma is aggressively pursuing the development of advanced cellulosic ethanol technologies across a range of cellulosic feedstocks. As part of their strategy of technology discovery, development and deployment, they are aggressively patenting numerous technologies and forming a broad set of research and commercial partnerships.

Their corporate and engineering offices are located in Boston, Massachusetts; the R&D labs are headquartered in Lebanon, New Hampshire; and our demonstration plant is in Rome, NY.

Technology

In the current economic and political climate, there has been enormous attention focused on the need to develop sustainable and renewable sources of transportation fuel. Ethanol has a significant and growing role in this development, providing a cleaner, domestically-produced, renewable energy solution.

However, the current generation of ethanol production in the U.S. utilizes corn and other edible feedstocks. Mascoma is committed to developing sustainable, viable, next generation ethanol from cellulosic feedstocks.

Mascoma’s industry leading R&D team is focused on developing biofuels from non-food biomass wood, straws, fuel energy crops, paper pulp and other agricultural waste products. Processing ethanol from cellulosic biomass minimizes the environmental impact of fuel ethanol production.

In nature, no organism is capable of quickly and cost-effectively producing and fermenting sugars from cellulosic biomass. Mascoma’s research laboratories are now developing a new generation of microbes and processes for economical conversion of cellulosic feedstocks into ethanol.

Mascoma’s organisms and processes are designed to:

• Rapidly break down the components of biomass
• Convert a range of sugars and polymers of sugars to ethanol
• Thrive in a manufacturing environment

With Mascoma’s next generation of processing solutions comes a complete rethinking of the way in which we fuel our economy.

Posted in New Hampshire, New York, Biofuel Techs, Massachusetts, USA | No Comments »