CoolPlanet Energy Systems (CoolPlanet) is a Camarillo, California, company that is developing a “negative carbon” drop-in gasoline replacement fuel from biomass.

According to the company’s web site, the fuel is made using proprietary biomass fractionator technology, which extracts the useful carbons from biomass and leaves a solid carbon byproduct that can be sequestered. Even better, the sequestration entails burying the carbon byproduct in soil so it can be used as a fertilizer.

CoolPlanet owns several patent applications relating to its biofuel production processes, including two directed to the biomass fractionator technology.

U.S. Patent Application Publications Nos. 2010/0180805 and 2011/0177466 are related applications entitled “System and method for biomass fractioning” and directed to a biomass fractionator and method (Fractionator Applications).

An embodiment of a biomass fractionator includes a load and dump station shown in FIG. 2 below. Biomass is placed in a hopper (6) resting on a sliding gate valve (10). A transfer plate (11, 11A) is retracted to a fill position by a control bar (12, 12A).

While the transfer plate (11, 11A) is in the fill position, airlock door (15) is pushed down to the closed position, contacting pressure bulkhead (16) through guide slots (17), and transfer fill slots (18) are located in the hopper fill zone (19). The hopper sliding gate valve (10) is retracted to fill the transfer fill slots (18, 18A) with biomass.

The transfer plate (11, 11a) is then moved to the right and proceeds through airlock door (15) to a dump position. Entrained in the transfer lots (18, 18A), biomass is then free to fall through transfer opening (25) on to a biomass reaction compartment of discs or hinged plates (1, 2, 3) shown below.

According to the Fractionator Applications, the system effectively fractionates biomass pyrolysis products into various working streams of syngas.

U.S. Patent Application Publications Nos. 2011/0209386 and 2011/0212004, entitled “Method for making renewable fuels” and “System for making renewable fuels,” respectively (Fuel Processing Applications), seem to pick up where the Fractionator Applications leave off.

The Fuel Processing Applications are directed to systems and methods of converting biomass to renewable fuels including a series of processing stations and a series of catalyst channels comprising a dehydration catalyst, an aromatization catalyst, and a gas-upgrading catalyst. Volatile gases are routed through the catalysts, which react with the gases to produce renewable fuels.

Finally, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0257775, entitled “System and method for atmospheric carbon sequestration” (’775 Application), is directed to methods for carbon sequestration in which biomass is subjected to pyrolysis, and the resulting biochar and filtrate carbon are heated to form inert carbon. The ’775 Application also contemplates using the biochar as a capture element for the filtrate carbon.

Together, the Fractionator Applications, the Fuel Processing Applications, and the ’775 Application seek to protect CoolPlanet’s key systems and processes from different angles.

That protection may go global as well. According to Cleantech PatentEdge™, CoolPlanet has two international, or PCT, patent applications based on the Fractionator Applications and the ’775 Application.

Eric Lane is a patent attorney at Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps in San Diego and the author of Green Patent Blog. Mr. Lane can be reached at elane@luce.com.

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According to a recent study released by the Texas Forest Service, as many as 500 million trees in the state – roughly 10 percent of the state’s forests – succumbed to heat and water stress over the past year as a result of 2011’s unrelenting drought. The study does not include the 4 million acres already lost to wildfires across the state over the past year.

The finding is an alarming reminder of the deteriorating health of forest landscapes worldwide. From pine beetle infestation in evergreens to declining aspen forests throughout the Rockies, a number of tree species are showing signs of acute stress. In areas already clobbered by persistent drought, wildfires root out what’s left. Across Russia, 10 million to 30 million acres of forest have gone up in flames, or are still burning. Estimates suggest that 2009 wildfires in Australia released the energy equivalent of 1,500 Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs.

In light of dying forests, large scale biopower, which mostly relies on wood biomass to generate electricity and heat, faces difficult challenges ahead. Derivatives of woody biomass – black liquor, tree trimmings, urban waste wood, sawdust, etc. – currently account for nearly three-quarters of the fuel used in the biopower industry. In the forthcoming Pike Research report, Biopower Markets & Technologies, we estimate that consumption of biomass resources will reach 1 billion tons by 2021. Industry expansion depends heavily on a burgeoning trade in densified biomass pellets, largely derived from wood resources, expected to reach at least 17 million tons by the end of the next decade. The two trends – the succumbing of forests to drought and wildfire on one hand, and growing demand for wood biomass from the biopower industry on the other – appear to be on a collision course, with difficult consequences for the industry.

As a recent New York Times article explains, in all cases, the magnitude of recent devastation raises concerns over the loss of carbon sinks and is a grim reminder of the potential threat posed by climate change. Forests play a pivotal role in mitigating the climate impact of greenhouse gas emissions. Studies show that tropical forests absorb about 18 percent of all carbon dioxide added by fossil fuels. The loss of forest cover can also increase the reflectivity of surface areas, contributing to a positive feedback loop that could accelerate global warming.

With “natural” phenomena already wreaking havoc on the world’s forests, if left unchecked, accelerated demand for wood biomass could compound the problem by hastening the loss of vital forest cover. Although the use of forest thinnings and sustainable forest management – or “milking” the forest – can alleviate fire danger in threatened areas, this process is often too expensive and the resources too distributed to justify large scale operations.

With an increasing number of 100MW+ biopower facilities under construction, the volume of demand for biomass feedstocks from the power generation sector will require the development of an efficient and stable supply chain.

The burgeoning biomass pellet trade is showing early signs of meeting this challenge. According to our analysis, the bulk of production is currently centered in North America with the EU-27 countries consuming an estimated 5.5 million tons or 70percent of the global supply.

Although Pike Research’s analysis shows that the trade in biomass pellets will grow rapidly over the next decade, markets that are highly dependent on these resources will have to contend with increased opposition from environmental groups. Our forecasts assume this to be the case in the EU, where despite strong policies promoting the use of biomass for power and heat generation, growth is expected to fall short of 2020 targets due to challenges associated with sourcing wood biomass.

The Swedish state-owned multinational Vattenfall, a company featured in our forthcoming Biopower report, demonstrates the challenges associated with navigating these issues. Currently Europe’s fifth largest energy producer, its affiliate Vattenfall Europe, based in Berlin, is planning to build one of the largest biomass power plants in Europe, with a total capacity of 190 megawatts (MW). The company has also drawn up plans for a smaller plant (32 MW) and will co-fired facilities (260 MW) in four existing coal-fuelled plants. With limited forest resources available locally, Vattenfall Europe is planning to import pellets from rubber trees in Liberia. The move has faced significant opposition.

As the Vattenfall case study illustrates, the large-scale use of biomass can hardly be met by local sources, leading to an increasing global trade in woody biomass. Although purpose-grown trees offer a sustainable solution, these short rotation species are hardly a replacement for the carbon abatement potential of old growth forests. The scale-up potential of the biopower industry rests squarely on the industry’s ability to navigate these complex issues amidst persistent drought and wildfires.

Mackinnon Lawrence is an analyst at Pike Research with a focus on advanced biofuels and bioenergy.

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The Canadian chapter of Greenpeace yesterday released a report that highlights the dangers of the large-scale use of wood and tree harvesting for heating, electricity generation or liquid biofuels. The report is called ‘Fuelling a Biomess’ and it argues that burning woody biomass on an industrial scale could severely harm Canada’s public forests and further contribute to the global climate crisis.

The report is based on recent peer-reviewed scientific literature, and challenges the claims that simply burning forest biomass is green, clean and carbon-neutral. It’s on such claims that current bioenergy boom is based, it says. As demand for biomass grows, it can no longer be met by traditional waste stream sources, such as the bark, sawdust and other residues from pulp and paper plants or sawmills.

“Forest bioenergy, as it is currently being developed in Canada, threatens the health of our forests and will harm the global climate for decades to come,” said Nicolas Mainville, Greenpeace Canada forest campaigner. “The amount of wood being burnt in power plants or turned into liquid fuels is growing exponentially without the public’s knowledge and little government oversight or regulation.”

Greenpeace said that in some jurisdictions forest biomass is increasingly consisting of elements essential to functioning forest ecosystems, including standing trees, naturally disturbed forests and remains of traditional logging operations that were previously left in the forest. The amount of wood and other tree parts cut from Canadian public forests could more than double under new policies that support the expansion of forest bioenergy production.

The organization added it is concerned that the growing demand for trees associated with the bioenergy boom will drastically increase pressure on forests and out compete the traditional forest products sector, particularly with respect to available wood supply and the development of new products and jobs.

“Using woody biomass to produce energy should be restricted to local, small-scale uses of mill residues” said Mainville. “Before we continue to approve new projects, public hearings, a full accounting of the climate and biodiversity footprint and life-cycle analyses of those projects are needed.”

In 2010, Canada exported 1.2 million tonnes of wood pellets to Europe, resulting in a 700 per cent increase in less than eight years. Canada alone releases approximately 40 megatons of CO2 emissions annually from forest bioenergy production, an amount that exceeds the tailpipe emissions of all 2009 Canadian light-duty passenger vehicles.

The release of the report was timed with the opening of the first European Biomass Exchange in Amsterdam.

Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.

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More demand for wood as a source of biomass could drive more acquisitions of land in developing countries with food security problems, says a new report by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). The organization suggests greater public scrutiny and debate.

Wood accounts for 67% of global renewable energy supplies, and many countries in the global North are increasing their use of it both to reduce their reliance on costly fossil fuels and to mitigate climate change. Demand for wood outstrips supply by up to 600% as renewable energy targets become more ambitious. So investors are looking South where tropical climates allow for higher tree growth rates.

IIED acknowledges that new tree plantations in developing countries to be transformed into export wood could bring economic and social benefits to local people but they need to be managed well.

One of the risks of bad management is that these plantations can displace poor and marginalized communities from land they have tended for generations without any formal claim over, IIED said.

“All eyes are turned to food and biofuels, but tree plantations for biomass energy may soon become an important driver in the global land rush,” said Dr. Lorenzo Cotula, a senior researcher at IIED and co-author of the paper.

Besides the social and economic impacts that biomass demand can generate, its carbon neutrality has also been questioned by experts.

For a PDF of the briefing paper, go here.

Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.

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Researchers at the Department of Energy’s (DOE) BioEnergy Science Center (BESC) have made a discovery that could increase the production of ethanol and lower its costs.

They say they have pinpointed the gene that controls ethanol production capacity in a microorganism, which could be the missing link in developing more efficient and cheaper biomass crops.

Current methods to make ethanol from a type of biomass found in switchgrass and agricultural waste require the addition of expensive enzymes to break down the plant’s barriers that guard energy-rich sugars. The gene discovered controls ethanol production in a microorganism known as “Clostridium thermocellum”. With it scientists will be able to experiment with genetically altering biomass plants to produce more ethanol.

“The Department of Energy relies on the scientific discoveries of its labs and research centers to improve the production of clean energy sources,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “This discovery is an important step in developing biomass crops that could increase yield of ethanol, lower production costs and help reduce our reliance on imported oil.”

The Clostridium thermocellum has been studied for decades, but scientists so far had been unable to determine the genetic basis for its ability to tolerate higher concentrations of ethanol.

The research team used a multi-disciplinary approach thanks to the various types of expertise from those involved. The team’s results were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and the invention is available for licensing.

Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.

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The burning of wood is currently the largest use of energy derived from a solid fuel biomass. Wood fuel can be used for cooking and heating, and occasionally for fueling steam engines and steam turbines that generate electricity. The use of wood as a fuel source for heating is as old as civilization itself. Historically, it was limited in use only by the distribution of technology required to make a spark. Wood heat is still common throughout much of the world. Wood fuel, one of the oldest energy sources on the planet, could become the newest commodity market if it can overcome supply limits and green concerns as demand grows for renewable energy. Experts say that supply constraints are starting to put wood fuel into competition with the paper industry, in an uneasy reminder of existing tensions between the food industry and companies making biofuels from food crops.

Wood has been used as fuel for millennia. The Greeks, Romans, Celts, Britons, and Gauls all had access to forests suitable for using as fuel. Over the centuries there was a partial deforestation of climax forests and the evolution of the remainder to forest management as the primary source of wood fuel. These woodlands involved a continuous cycle of new stems harvested from old stumps, on rotations between seven and thirty years.

John Bingham, a director at consultants Hawkins Wright, said that an open market was “coming very fast” citing Eurostat data showing European Union imports of wood pellets up 42% last year.

Shaped wood pellets are made for the energy sector, while raw wood chips are used mostly by the paper industry.

Those developments suggest a gradual shift to a more transparent market beyond bilateral deals between suppliers and users, such as timber companies and utilities.

Britain’s biggest coal-fired power plant, Drax, burned nearly 1 million tons of biomass last year – more than double the previous year’s figures – while burning ten times that amount of coal.

Wood pellets are said to have about 70 percent of the calorific value of coal.

The British arm of German utility RWE, RWE npower will this year convert a coal plant near London to burn 2 million ton of biomass until it closes in 2015.

Domestic UK wood fuel production, excluding recycled or waste wood, is currently about 1.5 million tons annually, according to Forestry Commission data.

But it is an open question whether there is enough volume for an open market, as utilities already have large volumes tied up in long contracts, or produce pellets for themselves.

The existing biomass power generating industry in the United States, which consists of approximately 11,000 MW of summer operating capacity actively supplying power to the grid, produces about 1.4 percent of the U.S. electricity supply.

But how green is wood or biomass combustion? In theory wood is a natural product that is periodically harvested and reused in a sustainable fashion.

Such concerns are reflected in a European Commission study of the environmental impact of biomass incentives, which will lead to new eligibility rules later this year.

The biomass industry says it is working on its own green standards, and that plantation forests and waste will be the main sources of supply.

Article by Andy Soos, appearing courtesy Environmental News Network.

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International demand for cleaner sources of energy has spawned a surging wood biomass industry in British Columbia, where 11 plants now produce wood pellets for a global market.

The market growth has so far largely occurred in Europe, where use of pellets as a coal substitute has emerged as one solution for governments and companies looking to meet strict carbon emissions standards.

In British Columbia alone, seven companies produced 1.2 million tons of wood pellets in 2010, most of which were shipped to Europe, according to a report in the Vancouver Sun.

This year, that amount is expected to nearly double. And the Canadian industry predicts that the global market will expand further, particularly as Asian countries look for alternatives to burning coal.

Another factor driving the wood pellet market has been the pine beetle epidemic that has decimated large swaths of pine forests across western Canada, creating an abundance of dead trees.

In the U.S., however, some environmental groups are increasingly concerned about a growing number of wood biomass plants that produce air pollution and CO2 emissions.

Article appearing courtesy Yale Environment 360.

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College campuses across the United States are taking the lead in the transition to a clean energy future, thanks both to their roll as developers of new technologies and ideas, and to the activities of students themselves who are determined to create a more sustainable world. But as more and more colleges and universities move to reduce their reliance on coal and other dirty fossil fuels, some have found themselves in a quandary over what cleaner fuel makes the best alternative. Will colleges that once relied on coal power merely switch to slightly cleaner natural gas, or can they go all the way and transition to truly renewable energy?

A technology deployed by Energy Exchange Enterprises at Middlebury College in Vermont could eventually help colleges, utilities, and other institutions make the jump to clean energy more easily. Middlebury has some of the most ambitious climate and energy goals of any college in the country, and aims to be carbon neutral by 2016. Among other efficiency and clean energy goals designed to help the college meet that target, Middlebury is developing a wood gasification plant, with the hope of using sustainably harvested local resources to generate a sustained clean energy supply.

In contrast to a conventional wood stove, gasification involves burning woody material at extremely high temperatures to generate steam. This steam can then be used for heating buildings and water. The system is much more efficient than a wood stove, and other features help reduce particulate matter and other harmful emissions. According to the Middlebury College blog, filters in the system ensure more than 99% of particulate emissions are removed.

What seems important about Middlebury’s experiment with biomass is that it addresses many of the problems with other biomass experiments. In addition to using energy as efficiently as possible and minimizing particulate emissions, Middlebury has a stated goal of obtaining all wood chips for the plant from sustainably managed forests within seventy-five miles of the college. Successful implementation of this goal will be one of the most important tests of the gasification system’s success. If wood can be provided from truly sustainable sources, it will mean the biomass facility isn’t simply replacing fossil fuel combustion with deforestation that also contributes to climate change.

The even larger question, of course, is whether a sustainable biomass model developed at a single college can be applied to other projects throughout the country. Of course the more energy you are trying to produce, the harder it is to make sure all of it comes from sustainable sources. For this reason biomass will never be the silver bullet that fixes the US addiction to dirty fuels. However Middlebury’s daring experiment could help energy providers throughout the country build biomass systems that are as clean and sustainable as possible. Such biomass plants could play an important part in the new clean energy economy.

For biomass to become a viable replacement for fossil fuels that doesn’t create a host of new environmental problems of its own, biomass facilities must be designed to run on a locally grown food supply, minimize particulate air emissions, and of course be as efficient as possible. Energy Exchange Enterprise’s wood gasification plant at Middlebury College seems to incorporate each of these key requirements, and could help a growing industry reduce its carbon footprint and local pollution impacts. With momentum building for a clean energy revolution, this goal has never been more important.

Article by Nick Engelfried, appearing courtesy Justmeans.

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As the expected environmental benefits of biofuel made from food crops such as corn, rapeseed and wheat have not materialized, the race is on to find a competitive second generation of biofuels whose raw material is wood, grasses and non-edible parts of plants, which do not compete with food crops and forest coverage.

Brazil, a world leader in sugar cane ethanol, has been investing in cellulosic ethanol research, focusing on bagasse, the residue of sugar cane.

More research is also taking place in the U.S. A couple of weeks ago Logos Technologies and EdeniQ announced they had received approval from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), via the department’s Biorefinery Program, to fully fund their $20.5 million Corn-to-Cellulosic Migration (CCM) pilot at EdeniQ’s headquarters in Visalia, California.

EdeniQ was founded in 2008 and, besides its 36 employees in the U.S, it has four employees in Brazil as well.

The companies were selected for the funding back in December 2009. The objective of the CCM Project is to focus the migration of billions of dollars of capital deployed in today’s corn ethanol industry toward cost-effective production of greener ethanol from corn stover, switchgrass, and woodchips.

“This project is part of the ongoing effort to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, spur the creation of the domestic biorefining industry, and provide new clean-tech jobs throughout the country,” said the DOE project officer, Gene Petersen. He added that funds for the 3.5 year project sustains 43 positions over its life cycle, with most of them located in California.

DOE released the first $2.8m to cover federal cost share for the initial “Budget Period 1″ portion of the cooperative agreement in April 2010. The release of the remaining $17.7m means that Logos and EdeniQ have satisfied all of the conditions associated with the design and engineering of the retrofit to EdeniQ’s currently operating pilot plant.

The funds will now be used to complete the engineering and construction of the additional equipment used to retrofit the plant and to fund the ongoing development of the second-generation enzymes and yeasts for saccharification and fermentation. The retrofit is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011. After plant start-up, the biorefinery will process 2 tons of cellulosic biomass per day.

“Of the many projects we have been involved in during our past many years of working with the U.S. federal government, this technology is one of the most exciting, as it provides a clear roadmap for companies to become next-generation fuel producers with very low capital costs and rapid returns on investments”, said Logos Technologies CEO Greg Poe.

EdeniQ CEO Brian Thome agrees:”The Corn-to-Cellulosic Migration technologies add tremendous value to our already robust corn ethanol industry by allowing them to incrementally add on cellulosic ethanol production and take a leadership role in this exploding biofuels market space”, he said.

Article by Antonio Pasolini, appearing courtesy Justmeans.

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Brazil, the world leader in sugar cane ethanol production and consumption, has announced that its national Development Bank (BNDES) and the Brazilian Innovation Agency (FINEP) have signed a Technical Cooperation Agreement, pledging R$1 billion between 2011 and 2014 for a Joint Plan to Support Industrial Technological Innovation in the sugar-based Energy and Chemical Sectors (PAISS).

According to a statement released last week, the objective of the deal is to stimulate the development, production and commercialization of new technologies to process sugarcane biomass. The hope is to bring this type of biofuel, also known as second generation or cellulosic ethanol, to the same level as Brazil’s established technologies for the production of conventional biofuels.

Another aspect of the deal is to obtain sugarcane biomass products, such as energy-rich fuels including diesel, gasoline and aviation kerosene, or chemical intermediates, with application in several different industries.

The approval of the PAISS more than doubles the number of currently available resources in the sector and brings Brazil near the investment levels of the U.S. and the EU, officials said. Currently, the joint innovation portfolios of BNDES and FINEP in ethanol and derivates production totals R$ 413.5 million.

Funding Process
The PAISS will focus on three key areas: Second Generation Bioethanol, New Sugarcane Products (including development from sugarcane biomass through biotechnological processes) and Gasification (with an emphasis on technology, equipment and processes).With the support of the PAISS and Brazil’s massive supply of low-priced biomass, the country hopes to become a pioneer in the production of cellulose-ethanol and other advanced biofuels in order to keep its leadership in the sector.

As new technology projects arise from the initiative, they will also be supported by BNDES and FINEP, based on existing lines of financing, programs and funds. Investors will have the opportunity to obtain financing from BNDES and FINEP according to project features and equity interest through the equity arm of the national development bank, BNDESPar.

The joint innovation portfolios of BNDES and FINEP in ethanol and derivates production totals R$413.5 million. BNDES is responsible for R$169.1 million through financing and FINEP for R$244.4 million. The approval of the PAISS more than doubles the number of currently available resources in the sector and brings Brazil near the investment levels of the U.S. and the EU.

In order to qualify for the PAISS, companies need to specialize in the research, development and innovation of the sugar-based energy and chemical market. Their proposals should tie in with company’s overall business strategy, with an introduction of their respective products in the market and technological outlook. More detailed information about the business plan selection process and PAISS will be made available on the BNDES and FINEP websites soon.

Article by Antonio Pasolini, appearing courtesy Justmeans.

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