Dan Gibson DOE Guarantees $23 Million for Biomass Project

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Dan Gibson | Comments Off


Nice write-ups from Green Energy Reporter and Business Wire about the Department of Energy (DOE) guaranteeing $23 million to two companies to support construction of a biomass gasifier at its Denver technology center.

From the story:

The grant award will be used to manufacture and install at RETC a 20 ton-per-day ClearFuels biomass gasifier designed to produce synthesis gas from various wood waste and sugar cane bagasse feedstocks. The gasifier will be integrated with Rentech’s existing PDU at the site, which uses the Rentech Process and UOP’s upgrading technologies to produce renewable drop-in synthetic jet and diesel fuels at demonstration scale. This joint demonstration of an integrated bio-refinery is anticipated to be completed in late 2011 and will lead to the final design basis for commercial facilities that are expected to use the combined technologies. The proposed team for the demonstration project includes ClearFuels, Rentech, URS, Linde/Hydro-Chem, Hawaiian Electric Company, National Renewable Energy Lab and Hawaii Natural Energy Institute.

Eric Darmstaedter, Chief Executive Officer of ClearFuels, commented, “We are very pleased with our collaborative discussions with DOE. We expect to complete submission of required supplemental information and start receiving funds in the next few months to facilitate the demonstration of our integrated technologies.”

Rentech, Inc. provides clean energy solutions. The Company’s Rentech-SilvaGas biomass gasification process can convert multiple biomass feedstocks into synthesis gas (syngas) for production of renewable fuels and power. Combining the gasification process with Rentech’s unique application of syngas conditioning and clean-up technology and the patented Rentech Process based on Fischer-Tropsch chemistry, Rentech offers an integrated solution for production of synthetic fuels from biomass. The Rentech Process can also convert syngas from fossil resources into ultra-clean synthetic jet and diesel fuels, specialty waxes and chemicals.

Rentech has a 25 percent strategic ownership interest in ClearFuels, which has begun development of multiple commercial-scale biomass-to-energy projects in the southeastern United States, Hawaii and internationally. These projects are expected to use an integrated ClearFuels-Rentech design and be co-located at biomass processing facilities.

If you’ve got a good biogas story, you can leave a link in the comments below.

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Dan Gibson New natural gas trucks coming to Waste Management

Posted on January 26, 2010 by Dan Gibson | Comments Off


We get a ton of natural gas vehicle stories coming through the AGA doors. Here’s another one via automotive-fleet.com. Waste Management deployed 12 new compressed natural gas (CNG) trash-collection trucks in Santa Ana and Irvine California. The trucks were purchased with a grant from the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) in an effort to improve air quality in the Southern California region. Waste Management of Orange County serves more than 200,000 residential customers and approximately 15,000 commercial customers in nine cities and several unincorporated regions of the county.

Every little bit helps and these 12 trucks will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 218 metric tons each year compared to their diesel counterparts. The equipment upgrade will reduce smog-causing nitrogen oxide emissions by 3.6 tons a year. The collection trucks are quieter and will also reduce noise pollution.

“We are happy to work with Waste Management on their continued effort toward cleaner air in the communities they serve,” said MSRC Vice-Chair Greg Winterbottom, who represents Orange County Transportation Authority on the MSRC. “Their leadership in clean truck technology is gratifying to us at MSRC and we enjoy our partnership with them.”

MSRC granted Waste Management a $32,000 award per truck to purchase seven trucks in Irvine and five trucks in Santa Ana, for a total award of $384,000. The MSRC’s sole mission is to fund projects that reduce air pollution from motor vehicles within the South Coast Air District in Southern California.

“We are committed to helping our region improve air quality and with our new trucks, we are investing in cleaner air,” said David Ross, senior district manager of Waste Management of Orange County.

Tell us about your natural gas vehicle story in the comments below.

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Tom Moskitis Natural gas powered City Center opens in Vegas

Posted on January 21, 2010 by Tom Moskitis | 2 Comments


The MGM Mirage City Center Project opened last month and it is the talk of the town. Attendees to the 2010 International Builders Show are flocking to see it.

100121.ibs .tom Natural gas powered City Center opens in Vegas

City Center is a dazzling array of towering hotels, condos, restaurants and high end shops and boutiques occupying 67 acres with more than a quarter mile of frontage on the Las Vegas Strip. With more than 18 million square feet of development, it is truly a city within a city.

One million tons of concrete were used in its construction, enough to build a four foot wide sidewalk from Las Vegas to New York City and back. The steel that was used would be enough to build ten Eiffel Towers and the fiber optic cable in the project could circle the equator four times! Clearing the site produced more than 300,000 tons of construction debris but 93 percent of it was recycled.

This, plus the fact that natural gas is used throughout the project has enabled City Center to receive LEED Gold certification for energy and environmental excellence.

A ten megawatt natural gas fueled cogeneration plant provides much of the electricity. Every residential condo unit features a top of the line gas cooktop and all of the hotels and restaurants have huge kitchens filled with natural gas cooking equipment. I think the only chef in the project that does not cook with gas is the guy that makes sushi.

The MGM Mirage City Center is an outstanding example of how the direct use on natural gas provides builders with a pathway toward high efficiency, high performance and a low carbon footprint.

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Lauren Blosse U.S. Natural Gas Supply-Then There Was Abundance

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Lauren Blosse | Comments Off


I’d like to call attention to a prolific report on U.S. natural gas supply written by my colleague Chris McGill. The report, U.S. Natural Gas Supply- Then There Was Abundance, was released today by AGA with the purpose of addressing common questions about the natural gas supply picture in the United States and North America.

Written in Chris’ usual “cut to the chase” style, the report includes an informative Q&A section along with graphs to illustrate many of these points. It provides critical information about both conventional and unconventional sources of gas (deep-water!  subsalt! arctic sands!) and about the transmission and importation of gas (what about Canada & Mexico?).

I always find it interesting that there are a healthy number of misconceptions about U.S. natural gas supply, despite the fact that natural gas fuels over half of American homes comfortably and reliably.  Chris’ report addresses many of these unknowns.

Take a look and let us know what you think.

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