Bioenergy is energy produced from organic waste such as agricultural, forest and urban wastes that would otherwise go into landfills or be burned.  Increasing production of bioenergy in California can create thousands of new jobs, especially in rural areas that have been hit hard by the economic downturn. Bioenergy also helps to protect public health and safety by reducing the risk of wildfires and the pollution from landfills, dairies, wastewater treatment facilities, and other organic wastes.

“Swift action on bioenergy will create jobs, increase local clean energy supplies, and help businesses grow in California,” said California Natural Resources Secretary John Laird. “Increasing bioenergy opportunities will also help California meet its climate change goals and protect public health and safety.”

The 2012 Bioenergy Action Plan was developed by state agencies and outside experts under the leadership of Governor Brown’s Office. The state agencies responsible for developing and implementing the plan are the Natural Resources Agency, Department of Food and Agriculture, California Environmental Protection Agency, Public Utilities Commission, Energy Commission, Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), CalRecycle, and the State Water Resources Control Board.

The plan contains more than 50 recommended actions to increase the sustainable use of organic waste, expand research and development of bioenergy facilities, reduce permitting and regulatory challenges, and address economic barriers to bioenergy development.  The plan will help facilitate the creation of more than 4,000 jobs and help California meet its clean energy, waste reduction and climate change goals.

“Bioenergy is an exciting new frontier for agriculture,” said Karen Ross, Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture. “It creates jobs, reduces energy costs and reduces pollution.  Early adopters are already realizing these benefits and are blazing the path towards self-sufficiency for agriculture.”

Expanding bioenergy development benefits California agriculture by providing an onsite or local source of clean energy, either electricity or liquid fuels for farm and other vehicles.  Technologies such as anaerobic digestion also reduce waste and pollutants from dairies, agricultural trimmings and residues, and food processing operations.  Bioenergy generation can also produce biochar, a valuable soil amendment that can be used in place of chemical fertilizers.

“Wildfire is increasing dramatically in California, but there are ways we can reduce the risk to public health, safety and property,” said CAL FIRE Chief Ken Pimlott.  “Generating energy from forest waste  helps to reduce dangerous fuel loads in our forests while providing jobs and local energy supplies in forest communities.”

Wildfire is an increasing threat in many parts of California, costing hundreds of millions of dollars per year in fire suppression and property losses, not to mention impacts on public health and safety.  One of the most important and cost-effective ways to reduce forest fire hazards is to generate energy from forest biomass collected to reduce dangerous fuel loads.  Using forest biomass to generate energy protects health, safety and property while providing jobs, income and local energy supplies.

California currently produces about 600 megawatts of electricity and 50 to 100 million gasoline gallon equivalents from organic waste each year.  Bioenergy facilities employ about 5,000 people and contribute $575 million to the California economy.  By reducing the economic and regulatory barriers to bioenergy development in California, the Bioenergy Action Plan will help to nearly double these numbers.

“The state of California has the most comprehensive and thoughtful bioenergy policies in the world,” said Michele Wong, Chief Executive Officer of Sacramento’s Clean World Partners. “By coordinating waste, energy and air quality, we are in the midst of a technology revolution that will dramatically reduce garbage and pollution while creating a clean energy future.”

Clean World Partners – which builds facilities that transform food and green waste to renewable energy and soil – will break ground in September on its third major commercial facility this year.

“Our company has created 30 clean tech jobs this year and stands to create more than 400 jobs in the next three years,” continued Wong.

For the complete PDF of the 2012 Bioenergy Action Plan click here.

For more information about the California Energy and Climate Change plans click here.

One might be inclined to call this "organic waste." But not Clean World Partners: This is biodigester food.

It's feeding day for the four huge cylindrical tanks of the biodigester on the grounds of the American River Packaging plant in North Natomas. Nearly 10 tons of leftover plant matter are being dumped into the mouth of the digester and stuffed in with a garden fork.

Without breathing any greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, the biodigester will turn these scraps into electricity and less than a ton of solid compost and fertilizer.

It works like a cow's stomach, says Kathryn Oliver, environmental engineer at Clean World Partners (CWP). Taking in food, the biodigester produces carbon dioxide and methane, or "biogas." But unlike a cow's burps and farts, its gases are turned into electricity with a microturbine. And it is far less pungent.

It is about two weeks, says Oliver, "from the day that the apple goes in to when the apple is biogas."

The conversion is the work of legions of bacteria. They are the critical residents of the biodigester and the cow's (and probably your) stomach.

The bacteria naturally carry out a process called anaerobic digestion. Digestion, because they break down the food scraps. Anaerobic, because they do it without oxygen.

"From a science perspective, it's not new," says Warren Smith, co–founder and senior vice president of business development at CWP.

Anaerobic digestion has long been used to get rid of organic waste, and is common throughout Europe. Dairy farms will transfer cow manure to large lagoons, where anaerobic bacteria go at it. Water treatment plants use it to dispose of leftover sludge.

The difference with CWP's biodigester is its ability to efficiently handle lots of solid material. Most anaerobic digesters can only digest material that is 9 percent solid. In contrast, theirs can take half-solid, half-liquid material.

A carrot is one-fifth solid. To digest it with technology at water treatment plants, you would have to add a lot of water and use "really expensive blenders," explains Smith.

Instead, the CWP biodigester grinds up the material to the consistency of "really thick oatmeal," says Oliver, without adding much water. This mostly solid slurry travels through pipes to the biodigester's tanks.

Handling this high-solid material efficiently would not be possible without technology developed by University of California, Davis professor Ruihong Zhang.

Multiple types of bacteria each carry out a specific chemical step of anaerobic digestion. Some compete with each other, producing acid that others can't tolerate at high levels. Zhang's key innovation is a two-stage process, separating some of the steps into different tanks.

Josh Rapport, director of research and development at CWP, explained that the biodigester also can handle a "big spike" of food, and its bacteria live at a higher temperature than is common in other biodigesters, speeding up the conversion process.

The biodigesting process comes full circle. The end biogas turns microturbines, which generate about a third of the electricity needed to run the biodigester. Heat produced from the microturbine warms the tanks. Excess water is pumped back in.

Leftover material will be turned into fertilizers and compostable material. CWP is researching additional products that "we can make for tomorrow," says Smith.

With its voracious bacteria, the biodigester turns out to have some of the same nutritional requirements that humans do. A crate of iceberg lettuce won't produce as much biogas as a crate of spinach.

It also seems to have some of the same cravings. "The biodigester loves grease and fats," says Oliver.

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.

With the nation’s largest commercial solid waste digester about to be built in Sacramento, the area could soon be a leader in creating value out of garbage.

Clean World Partners and Atlas Disposal Industries, both of Sacramento, recently broke ground on a $13 million anaerobic digester and renewable natural gas fueling station in south Sacramento.

The Organic Waste Recycling Center at the South Area Transfer Station on Fruitridge Road will process 25 tons of food waste a day – 9,100 tons annually – collected by Atlas Disposal from local food-processing companies, restaurants and supermarkets and convert it into natural gas, electricity and heat, as well as fertilizer and soil amendments for agriculture. The project’s first phase is expected to be completed this summer.

In 2013, CWP plans to expand the plant to process 100 tons of waste per day – 36,500 tons annually – making it the largest commercial-scale, high-solids anaerobic system in the United States, according to company officials.

It will be CWP’s second commercial digester, joining one launched at American River Packaging in North Natomas in March.

Warren Smith, senior vice president for CWP, said the plants are a “triple benefit,” as they divert landfill waste, create renewable energy and eliminate greenhouse gases. And, he said, they are an example of how “green” business can make money and create jobs for the Sacramento region.

“The world is changing, and technology can be implemented to satisfy new regulations,” said Smith, a former Sacramento River Cats executive and a co-founder of CWP. “There’s worldwide promise in this market. Hopefully, we can create some new business opportunities out of it, and some jobs in the Sacramento area.”

The two plants are expected to create 16 long-term jobs and generate more than $1.1 million in annual combined tax revenue for the city of Sacramento, Sacramento County and the state.

The basic technology of anaerobic digesters is safe, reliable and being used in thousands of locations through the world, but commercial adoption hasn’t been widespread in the United States, CWP officials said.

In the conversion process, natural microorganisms break down biodegradable waste material to produce gas, including methane, carbon dioxide and small amounts of hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide. The gas can be used to generate electricity or as fuel for vehicles.

CWP was formed in January 2009 to commercialize a new anaerobic digester technology developed by Ruihong Zhang of UC Davis.

In January 2011, the company was acquired by Synergex Ventures, a subsidiary of Synergex International Corp., a software and professional services company based in Gold River. Synergex president and CEO Michele Wong also serves as CEO of Clean World Partners.

Zhang’s research focused on reducing the amount of time required to convert waste material into usable gaseous products. Zhang still serves as the company’s technology adviser.

“We founded the company around the technology, but it was struggling to find a market,” Smith said. “Since I have a commercialization background, I came on board, and I fell in love with the idea. I feel we can be better stewards of the earth, and it’s a great way for our community to play a significant role in this industry.”

CWP’s organic waste recycling plant at American River Packaging’s headquarters was the first commercial high-solid anaerobic digestion system in the United States. It was the product of a public-private partnership including the packaging company, Campbell Soup Co., Atlas Disposal, Otto Construction, UC Davis and Sacramento Municipal Utility District. CWP is sole owner of the plant, which it paid for with private financing and a federal grant. A $1.31 million grant from the California Energy Commission helped with pre-development work.

The $2.9 million plant co-digests 7.5 tons of food scraps – collected and delivered daily by Atlas – and unrecyclable corrugated material from the packaging plant, diverting 2,900 tons of waste annually from area landfills.

It generates 1,300 kilowatt-hours of green energy each day – about 37 percent of American River Packaging’s needs – and produces an estimated 1,000 tons a year of compost and soil amendments for regional farming and gardening operations.

The new digester in south Sacramento will produce natural gas to fuel part of Atlas Disposal’s truck fleet, said Dave Sikich, president and chief executive officer of Atlas.

Sikich said the company, which manages waste for the greater Sacramento area, already has 14 trucks, about 25 percent of its fleet, running on cleaner-burning compressed natural gas.

At first, the renewable natural gas will power Atlas Disposal trucks, but eventually, the fuel could be used by local school districts, transit and distribution companies. Sikich envisions the center in five years fueling 100 to 150 trucks and up to 80 school buses.

“I’ve been talking to school districts, such as Elk Grove, and Sacramento City,” Sikich said. “We’re looking at city, county and state vehicles, and privately owned fleets, such as distribution trucks. If we educate our customers about this, and it catches on, it could blow our initial numbers out of the park, which would be great.”

Sikich said diesel prices are at $3.80 a gallon, while an equivalent amount of CNG costs around $2.25.

And natural-gas-powered heavy-duty vehicles reduce smog-causing emissions by more than 80 percent and reduce greenhouse gas emission by 10 to 15 percent over a comparable diesel vehicle, Sikich said.

They are also as much as 90 percent quieter.

When complete, the new center will replace 1 million gallons of diesel per year with renewable natural gas, produce 2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year and divert 37,000 tons of waste annually from landfills, CWP officials say.

Roughly 90 percent of the electricity produced will be used to power the digester and refueling station, and the balance will be sold to SMUD though a net metering agreement, Smith said.

The state energy commission gave CWP a $6 million grant, and Atlas a $300,000 grant, to build and run the the new site. The rest of the cost was covered by Synergex Ventures, through cash and securities.

Smith said CWP hopes to start making money from the plants by early next year. The local plants are just the beginning of CWP’s foray into building anaerobic digesters, he said. The company plans to make and package the technology behind the digesters, along with designing and building plants for customers.

There’s plenty of opportunity – the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said the country produced more than 34 million tons of food waste in 2010.

“We’re trying to privatize the system, develop standards and replicate those standards,” Smith said. “There’s unbelievable market potential, once we learn how to do it. I’m getting calls from Boston, L.A., Chicago, and there’s just as much international interest.”

TRASH TALK

• Americans dump nearly 225 million tons of municipal solid waste in landfills every year.

• Between 25 and 40 percent of this waste stream is made up of food and agricultural waste, which if left untreated is a major source of harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

• In California, about 16 million tons of organic waste is dumped every year, at an average cost of $40 per ton, or roughly $640 million annually.

– U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Gold River, Calif. – Clean World Partners today received a $6 million grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) to increase the capacity of its Organic Waste Recycling Center at the South Area Transfer Station, making  it the largest commercial-scale, high solids anaerobic digestion (AD) system in the United States.

Clean World Partners on June 7 broke ground on the new facility.  The first phase will be completed this summer.

The center initially will convert 25 tons of food waste per day collected by Sacramento-based Atlas Disposal Industries from area food processing companies, restaurants and supermarkets into renewable natural gas.  The CEC grant will support expansion of the facility to handle 100 tons of waste per day by early 2013, which will make it the nation’s largest such system.

The expanded facility will replace 1 million gallons of diesel per year with renewable natural gas and produce 2 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, enough to power 200 homes.

“Clean World Partners is clearly demonstrating that its waste-recycling systems can be used in a wide range of situations,” said Energy Commissioner Carla Peterman.  “We’re pleased to support expansion of this new facility in Sacramento and are excited about its growing influence in the waste-recycling market.”

The CEC also provided feasibility funding for the project’s first phase.

“The CEC’s support has been critical to our success so far.  This grant will help us quickly expand our newest facility and keep more waste out of landfills while we produce renewable natural gas for clean transportation fuel and clean power,” said Michele Wong, CEO of Clean World Partners. 

The South Area Transfer Station center when expanded will divert 36,500 tons of waste annually from landfills.

Also being developed at the South Area Transfer Station is the nation’s first digestion-based Renewable Natural Gas Fueling Station.  The Atlas Disposal Industries facility will use natural gas produced by Clean World’s digestion system to fuel the company’s clean-fuel fleet, as well as vehicles from area jurisdictions and agencies.

The fueling station will be powered by renewable energy from the digestion facility.  Natural gas produced from the 100-ton per day digestion system would fuel approximately 320 school buses for one year.

The two facilities combined will create 16 long-term jobs in Sacramento and generate more than $1.1 million in annual combined tax revenue for the City of Sacramento, Sacramento County and the state.

Clean World’s Organic Waste Recycling Center is based on AD technology developed at UC Davis to convert food waste, agricultural residue and other organic waste into renewable energy, fertilizer and soil enhancements.

About Clean World Partners

Clean World Partners provides businesses and communities with cost-effective solutions for converting organic waste to renewable energy, soil enhancement products and other valuable byproducts.  The company was formed in 2009 and bases its waste recovery systems on a proprietary solution using anaerobic digestion, a technology that converts waste to renewable energy and other valuable byproducts through a biological system with a mix of naturally occurring bacteria.  Clean World Partners currently offers scalable, affordable and flexible anaerobic digestion technologies for converting a wide variety of organic waste materials into high-quality biomethane, marketable bio-based products and clean water.

Clean World Partners’ Organic Waste Recycling Center at the South Area Transfer Station in Sacramento will convert 25 tons of food waste per day collected by Atlas Disposal from area food processing companies, restaurants and supermarkets into renewable natural gas.  In 2013, the facility will be expanded to process 100 tons of waste per day, making it the largest commercial-scale, high solids AD system in the United States.

When complete, the Organic Waste Recycling Center will replace 1 million gallons of diesel per year with renewable natural gas and produce 2 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year.

Atlas’ Renewable Natural Gas Fueling Station will use natural gas produced by the digestion system to fuel the company’s clean-fuel fleet, as well as vehicles from area jurisdictions and agencies.  Natural gas produced from the initial 25-ton per day operation would fuel approximately 80 school buses for one year.

Clean World’s Organic Waste Recycling Center is based on AD technology developed at UC Davis to convert food waste, agricultural residue and other organic waste into renewable energy, fertilizer and soil enhancements.  The South Area Transfer Station system when built out will divert nearly 37,000 tons of waste annually from landfills.

“Our development of this facility makes clear the viability of this technology,” said Michele Wong, CEO of Clean World Partners.  “Our systems are adaptable to a wide range of situations and we can get them up and running quickly.  We’re especially excited with this center about the use of renewable natural gas as vehicle fuel.”

The project’s first phase is expected to be completed this summer.

“We’re proud of our involvement in developing these cutting-edge facilities,” said Dave Sikich, CEO of Atlas Disposal.  “By using renewable natural gas to fuel more vehicles, we’re helping to improve our region’s air quality.”

The facilities will create 16 long-term jobs in Sacramento and generate more than $1.1 million in annual combined tax revenue for the City of Sacramento, Sacramento County and the state.

Clean World Partners and American River Packaging in April opened the nation’s first commercial high-solid AD system at American River Packaging’s Sacramento facility. 

About Clean World Partners

Clean World Partners provides businesses and communities with cost-effective solutions for converting organic waste to renewable energy, soil enhancement products and other valuable byproducts.  The company was formed in 2009 and bases its waste recovery systems on a proprietary solution using anaerobic digestion, a technology that converts waste to renewable energy and other valuable byproducts through a biological system with a mix of naturally occurring bacteria.  Clean World Partners currently offers scalable, affordable and flexible anaerobic digestion technologies for converting a wide variety of organic waste materials into high-quality biomethane, marketable bio-based products and clean water.

About Atlas Disposal Industries

Established in 1998, Sacramento-based Atlas Disposal Industries focuses on educating businesses about their recycling potential, and has emerged as the fastest growing waste and recycling removal company in the area.  Atlas Disposal now is the largest independently owned waste and recycling service provider in Sacramento.

# # #

Pictured (L-R): Julia Levin, deputy secretary for Climate Change, California Natural Resources Agency; Dave Sikich, CEO, Atlas Disposal Industries; Michele Wong, CEO, Clean World Partners; Phil Serna, Sacramento County Supervisor; Warren Smith, Senior Vice President, Clean World Partners.

使用戴斯維大教授張瑞紅（Ruihong Zhang）四項專利的沙加緬度「清潔世界合夥人」（Clean World Partners）發電廠19日啟用。該廠是全美第一家利用食品加工廠食品處理廢棄物，以及廢紙板箱發電的工廠，每天發電1300千瓦，相當於47家民宅的用電量。這也是張瑞紅的學術研究成果首次市場化。

張瑞紅說，該廠主要使用她的「快速厭氧發酵技術」（High-Rate Anaerobic Digester Technology）。發電原料是沙加緬度大廠Campbell Soup 食品處理之後的廢棄物、沙加緬度地區餐館的廚餘，每天用7.5噸。該廠就設在紙箱製造廠American River Packaging廠址內，每天還用半噸製造紙箱過程中剪下的邊角料。

Read more:世界新聞網-北美華人社區新聞 – 全美首家 食品廢棄物發電廠啟用

Translated using Google Translate:

Read more:World News Network – North America Chinese community news – the opening of the power plants in the nation's first food waste

Three-year-old Clean World Partners last month began operating its first system at the North Natomas plant of American River Packaging, with a public unveiling of the operation set for April 19.

Another Clean World system is starting up in June at Sacramento County’s south area transfer station and two more are set to open in the region by the end of the year, says Michele Wong, the company’s CEO.

That’s just a start, says Wong, who reports international interest in a system that’s based on “anaerobic digestion” technology developed at UC Davis.

“Everybody wants to see these things up and running,” she says of the three-tank systems. “I can’t tell you how many tours we’ve done” at the Natomas site.

The key attraction: Client companies can avoid the costs of storing and transporting their food waste to landfills – and generate power at the same time.

Beyond that, Wong says, the Clean World systems can be scaled to meet the precise needs of client firms and they can be installed quickly – within six to eight weeks after being ordered.

The initial system in Natomas – built at a cost of $2 million to $3 million – will process about 7.5 tons of food waste hauled to the site daily from Campbell’s Soup and other local processing facilities.

It also will process about a half ton a day of non-recyclable corrugated cardboard supplied by ARP.

The conversion process will produce enough natural gas to meet about one-third of ARP’s energy needs, says Wong, who also runs Gold River software firm Synergex International.

Wong became Clean World’s CEO last year after being recruited by company founders Warren Smith and Greg Hayes, and now is optimistic about the company’s future.

“It’s a very exciting space,” she says, “because there’s so much potential not only to make money but also to do good for the environment.”

Green is a new driving force behind business. Consumers want to be assured they’re making the right choices, even as companies meet standards. And now a study finds that companies that plug their emissions strategies saw a financial benefit when they saw stock prices rise.

A University of California Davis Graduate School of Management study examined stock prices of companies that publicized their strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. After the announcements, companies had higher stock prices, according to the study.

“When a company makes a voluntary disclosure of this kind, it signals to the investment community that this is a firm that is environmentally responsible,” Paul Griffin, a professor with the graduate school and co-author of the study, said in a statement.

The study, co-authored by Yuan San of the University of California Berkeley, analyzed a number of industries, from information technology, health care, telecommunications, financial services, energy and utilities.

The study examined 172 companies volunteering their emissions information, and found that average stock prices went up about a half of a percent in a week.

The study also looked at companies that didn’t share emissions information, and there was not a significant change in stocks.

“The matched sample companies do not behave the same way as the companies that disclose,” Griffin said.

The study also found that smaller companies divulging emissions information actually saw a greater increase in stock values, 2.32 percent, possibly partly because investors don’t know as much about these companies. The authors think the emissions information thus has a bigger effect.

Click here to read the study, ”Going Green: Market Reaction to CSR Newswire Releases.”