Drax in major biomass energy investments.

On October 1st Drax Power Station announced a £10 million (US$18 million) Engineering, Procurement and Construction (”EPC”) contract with Doosan Babcock Energy Limited (”Doosan Babcock”) to supply direct injection biomass co-firing systems to all six coal-fired generating units at the 4,000MW Drax Power Station in North Yorkshire. These will be in operation by end 2009.(Doosan Babcock have been involved in large scale refurbishment projects in Kosovo and Serbia. )

Co-firing involves the mixing and burning of renewable biomass materials with coal and, given the carbon neutral status of biomass, is a recognised carbon abatement technology that has significant potential to reduce carbon dioxide (”CO2”) emissions from coal-fired power stations.

The direct injection firing systems represent a major component of the new co-firing facility at Drax and are designed to receive and transport processed biomass materials to the power station’s coal-fired boilers.

On completion, the biomass co-firing facility will be the largest of its type in the world, which alongside Drax’s existing co-firing capability will provide a total of 500MW of renewable electricity, or the equivalent output of over 600 wind turbines. In the half year report the company announced that the plant maintained a high plant availability of 93%.

3 new biomass plants planned jointly with Siemens

Drax have also announced plans to build, own and operate three 300MW biomass-fired generation plants in the UK at a cost of £2 Bn (Immingham , Drax and one to be decided). It has entered into a joint development agreement with Siemens (whose turbine technology will be used in the new plants) which will also own 40 % of the new business.

With all 3 plants running in 2014 Drax will supply 15 % of the UK's renewable power, and 10 % of total UK electricity supply. Commitments to construction contracts and financing will be finalised in the next 12-18 months.

Drax's equity investment will be funded by a cut in the dividend from 2010. The new distribution policy targets a pay-out ratio of 50 % of underlying earnings from 2010 onwards.

Axion Power International, Inc - fascinating possibilities in redesigned lead/acid cell storage technology - Good news due ?

You can generate electricity, you can use it, you can move it but it is very difficult to store it. Clever guy Mr Faraday but that was something he missed - and nobody has really improved things much since Mr Leclanche and his famous cell.

In moving electricity around from where you generate it to where it's wanted involves the use of unstable grids that have grown like topsy. This results in increasingly severe disruptions when variable power supplies ( sun, wind, tide ) fail to mesh with variable and increasing power demands - picky consumers who expect the lectric light to go on when they flick the switch.

Energy storage is , remarkably still in it's infancy.

There are three areas which require immediate and urgent attention ...

A : Current common and widely used energy storage technologies such as lead / acid batteries need to be improved

B; Some existing small format energy storage technologies must be examined to scale up their storgae capacity

C : New large format energy storage technologies need to be explored

Naturally no-one in the field of Government funded development is very interested. All effort is directed to generating electricity, be it photo- voltaics, wind, tidal power, barrages, geo-thermal, or aste rec-cycling.

Lead Acid batteries are used as reserve power in very single automotive vehicle produced. They are also used for power transmission, in say golf carts, milk floats -even we note from tonight's TV news, nifty Police runabouts in Kashgar, chasing separatists from the East Turkestan Islamic Movement.

Lead acid batteries are simple to make, dependable, they work, the lead can be recycled almost 95%. Their design has remained virtually unchanged for many decades.

There is however an intersting small OTC company, Axiom Power who have introduced some recent developments which look very promising.

On Thursday July 24th Edward. R. Buiel, Ph.D, the Vice President and Chief Technical Officer, of Axion Power International, Inc (OTC Bulletin Board: AXPW ) gave evidence to the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources about new technologies being developed for traditional lead-acid batteries to improve efficiency, sustainability, manufacture and the ease of recycling.

He declared that 120 million lead-acid batteries per year are produced in the US (which has massive internal supplies) employing over 100,000 people. Currently the power quality market presently accounts for US$487 million in annual battery sales and is expected to grow to US$615 million by 2009. The motive power market presently accounts for over US$2.2 billion in annual lead-acid battery sales and is projected to grow to US$2.8 billion by 2009.

Axion also expect the Hybrid electric vehicles are an emerging market which currently accounts for $180 million annual power system sales. They claim this market to grow to $2 billion by 2009 - which if true should mean bonanza time - but just who is making hybrid vehicles in that sort of volume ?. certainly not GM and Ford.

This market includes power conditioning systems and uninterruptible power supplies. Power quality systems isolate sensitive electronics from grid-related power quality problems and provide emergency power for mission critical systems in case of power failure.

Key performance requirements for power quality applications include deep discharge, long useful life and minimal maintenance - features of major concern to mission critical operations in the military, supply of essential services such as water, oil, gas, and information - hard-wired telephone networks, cellular telephone networks, cable television networks, electric utility substations and traffic control systems.

Dr. Buiel joined the company 3 years ago from the Energy Storage Group of Meadwestvaco Corporation (NYSE:MWV), one of the largest producers of activated carbon in the world. In this position Dr. Buiel's team focused on developing activated carbon materials for electrochemical applications including Lithium-ion batteries, organic ultracapacitors, and asymmetric lead-carbon capacitors.

His responsibilities included managing a USCAR-Advanced Battery Consortium (http://www.uscar.org/
) project to develop activated carbon materials for hybrid electric vehicle ("HEV") energy storage systems and managing a joint program with Sandia National Laboratories (http://www.sandia.gov/) to develop lead-carbon capacitors for grid-connected energy storage systems.

Now Axion Power International, Inc has announced an Earnings Conference Call (Q2 2008)Scheduled to start on Thursday , Aug 7, 2008, 10:00 am Eastern Time. When it is possible we can learn more about how successful the company has been in it's production of what they call their "e3 Supercells".

Axion's proprietary PbCTM technology is a "multi-celled asymmetrically supercapacitive lead-acid-carbon hybrid battery."

This means it is based on the standard lead-acid battery, with a series of linked cells cells. It differs in that where the negative electrodes in lead-acid batteries are simple sponge lead plates, Axion negative electrodes are five-layer assemblies that consist of a carbon electrode, a corrosion barrier, a current collector, a second corrosion barrier and a second carbon electrode.

These electrode assemblies are then sandwiched together with conventional separators and positive electrodes to make the battery, which is filled with an acid electrolyte, sealed and connected in series to the other cells.

The benefits ?

Those anxious for the chemical details and analysis of the electrochemical reactions which occur on the negative electrodes where the carbon acts as a capacitor can go here

From this chart we can see that the complex negative electrodes add to the initial capital cost but the increase in useful life cycles and enegy density results in a lower ownership cost per Kilowatt Hr compared with other battery systems currently available and in use.

One essential area for use of such enhanced performance batteries is to capture the intermittent power generated by renewable energy producers - solar, wind , which should result in improved performance, productivity, reliability and reduced costs.

Axion also claim that the PbCTM design is ideal for for renewable energy units due to their long useful lives minimal maintenance of sealed units and low operating costs for remote units.

Axion see their technology with it's rapid charge/discharge capabilities and high power output of as ideal hybrid electric vehicle applications. Thye claim they will be able to offer similar or better power and a longer useful life and be lighter than Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries.

NiMH batteries provide high energy and modest power. Advanced supercapacitors offer higher power but far lower energy. Axion say that their PbCTM technology can fill the gap in the energy/power profile.

Where Now ?

Axion received the prestigous Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Award for North America in 2006 for their work in the field of lead acid batteries and developing an innovative lead-acid-carbon battery- supercapacitor hybrid that could cause disruptive changes in the market.

Axion wer based in Toronto but in 2007 they purchased the assets of the 70,000-square-foot New Castle Battery Company in Pennnsylvania and signed an agreement to lease the old manufacturing facility and upgraded it with new machinery and equipment.

Along with this arrived US$1.2 Mn fro Governer Rendall's Energy Independence Strategy designed to help save consumers and businesses US$10 billion in energy costs over the next decade.

This is funded a minimal charge on electric power consumption. Similar charges are in place in 15 states and the District of Columbia. The charge is proposed at $0.0005 per kWh of electricity used.

Axion's package included a US$750,000 grant through the Department of Environmental Protection's Small Business and Household Pollution Prevention Program, a US$150,000 grant through the Opportunity Grant Program, US$42,300 in Customized Job Training funds and US$258,000 in Job Creation Tax Credits.

On July 8th The Quercus Trust of Newport Beach, California made their final closing US$10 million equity investment and, along with two previous investments of $4 million each announced in January and April. Quercus bought 4,761,905 additional units for $10 million. Each closing unit will consist of one share of Common Stock and a 5-year warrant to purchase one share of Common Stock at an exercise price of $2.60 per share.

Quercus invest in a range of altrenative energy stocks and some details can be found here eg CHINA SOLAR & CLEAN ENERGY SOLUTIONS, INC. Quote Solar Enertech Corp. (SOEN.OB)

Fort Carson boosts Colorado Governor's vision for sustainable energy with massive PV arrays

"Before we can change the climate, we have to change the culture," Vince Guthrie
The Flags were out and the trumpets blowing at Fort Carson , Colo, last week when far sighted, sutainable energy junkie, Colorado Governor, Bill Ritter opened the US$13 Mn. 12 acre solar Photovoltaic Array on a former landfill site. Fort Carson won the Governor's Renewable Energy Award for 2007 for its efforts in building the solar array project.

California based 3 Phases Energy Services, LLC, SunTechnics Energy Systems, Inc., and Morgan Stanley, developed, engineered, installed and financed the 2-megawatt (MW), ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) array - it is designed to generate 3,200 megawatt-hours (MWh) of solar power annually - Xcel Energy will purchase the renewable energy credits (RECs) for 20 years under its Solar*Rewards program, which provides incentives for residential and commercial solar installations. The RECs will support Colorado's renewable portfolio standard. Colorado Springs Utilities which provides services to Fort Carson will host the system on its grid. Under its power marketing authority, Western Area Power Administration's Rocky Mountain Region will procure the power from the system on behalf of Fort Carson.

This will generate 2.3% of Fort Carson's electricity - enough power for 540 homes per year = US$24,000 capital cost per house.

This didn't cost the base a cent but they are locked in for 17 years to pay for electricity at 5.5 cents per kilowatt hour from the Grid supplier - which sounds like a very, very good deal.

Col. Eugene Smith, Fort Carson garrison commander, said "Our vision for Fort Carson is to be a sustainable installation, and it is energy projects like this and our commitment to other projects, that propel us along that journey." (In Iraq, troops have been using portable Power Plastic® lightweight solar chargers made by Konarka Technologies of Lowell, Mass a spin off of MIT - they are also developing portable, electric-generating buildings for the military.. )

Smith said the long-term energy goal for Fort Carson is to sustain all facility mobility systems from renewable sources by 2027.The solar modules are warranted for 25 years and the plant can be expected to produce energy efficiently for up to 40 years.See also detailed news on previous sustainable projects at the base.

Stephanie Carter the Directorate of Public Works utilities program manager was to prepare the landfill for construction. Vince Guthrie, coordinated the efforts of all the third party organizations involved.

Guthrie said he believes the efforts of this project will spur other renewable energy programs.

"Before we can change the climate, we have to change the culture," said Guthrie. "That's what these projects are all about."

Governor Bill Ritter recently led a successful campaign to double the amount of renewable energy in the state's renewable portfolio standard. By 2020, Colorado will get 20 percent of its power from renewable energy, including solar, wind, biomass and geothermal resources.

Those interested in the financiers viewpoint would benfit from reading Morgan Stanley’s Commitment to Addressing Environmental Challenges

Iowa - protecting the farmer's fuels and the Smithsonian

They were dancing in the streets of Des Moines, Iowa (pic) when US Senators Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) and Pete Domenici (R-NM), respectively chairman and ranking member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, introduced the Biofuels for Energy Security and Transportation Act of 2007” (S.987). Thus effectively putting a floor under the price of corn, farmers earnings, land values, and boosting the US agrochemical industry and the farm machinery makers.

Following on POTUS's call in the State of the Union speech for the use of 35 billion gallons of alternative fuels by 2017 they have framed a requirement that increases the required renewable fuel standard from 8.5 billion gallons in 2008 to 36 billion gallons in 2022 which they place a national upper limit on the use of corn for ethanol of 15 billion gallons and remainder from biomass such cellulosic ethanol, biobutanol and other fuels derived from unconventional biomass feedstocks - crop residue, switchgrass and forestry waste.

Whilst they have stretched the POTUS's time frame by 5 years they do not include coal derived fuels, as he suggested.

Naturally the far sighted farmers of the mid-west have more immediate concerns such as the extending the tax credits that subsidize ethanol and biodiesel and increasing the number of service stations that actually sell the finished product - vehicle fuels with 15% ethanol, or E85 - not that they intend to pay for them - they expect the mineral oil distillers and refiners to sell the stuff in competition to their gasoline.

Corn growers naturally see a 15 Billion gallon limit as unhelpful - "Over the long haul, to say that once we get 15 billion gallons (of corn ethanol) we really don't want any more is not a good thing to do," Monte Shaw, executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association said on hearing the details of the proposed bill.

Sen. Charles Grassley, R and Sen. Tom Harkin, D both representing Iowa ,being good country farmer boys were cautious and protective , Sucking on a corn stalk , "Any focus on making our country less dependent on foreign sources of oil is beneficial as long as it doesn't harm or handcuff the existing industry that is making great strides toward energy independence," said Grassley .

Tom Harkin likes the idea but wants more folks selling the stuff and the car industry (if there is any left by 2017 ) should be made to build more flex-fuel vehicles. Judging by the way they have refused to cut fuel consumption of new vehicles for the last 20 years , he is SOL on that one.

Don't expect this one to swish through on the nod ...there are lots of vested interests at work here, oil, coal, agriculture to name the smaller ones - as well as the Indiana boondogglers building ethanol refineries like Levittowns.

Small problem at the Smithsonian

It's good to see Charles Grassley in the news again - last week he got the Senate to freeze a $17 million Smithsonian budget increase (70% of their funding is federal - US$715 Mn. last year) when he exposed their spending habits , in a report which he had demanded as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee;

Lawrence M. Small, who was previously an executive at Citibank and Fannie Mae, is only the second non-scientist to serve as Smithsonian secretary in the organization's 160 years. On appointment, the Board of Regents said, " his business acumen would help improve the organization's finances."

Well certainly Small saw his finances improve , he saw his salary raised from U$330,000 to US $915,968 (more than the President of Harvard which has endowments 30 times the size of the Smithsonian) and received hundreds of thousands of dollars in reimbursements for personal expenses, revealed by Inspector General, A. Sprightley Ryan .These included chandelier cleaning and pool heating at his home, payments for a notional mortgage on his home (he owned it outright) chartered jet travel, his wife's trip to Cambodia, hotel rooms, luxury car service, catered staff meals and expensive gifts adn meals a deux with his wife at NY's swanky Cosmos Club . He also received US$1.15 million for making his house available for official functions.

4 days later, on Monday, Small.. er..resigned and Smithsonian Regent Patricia "Patty" Stonesifer, who is also co-chairwoman of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and like her husband an ex-Microsoft employee, will head the new Smithsonian governance committee.

PS. "Women of Biofuel" the 2007 calendar still available here BUY NOW (pictures unsuitable for this blog! -WARNING)

Neste Oil and StoraEnso in joint Finnish forest products bio-fuel venture

Finnish wood products and an integrated paper, packaging company Stora Enso and oil refiners Neste Oil have agreed to build Finland's first factory in Varkaus , SE Finland to wood into bio fuel.

Neste are currently commissioning their 1st biofuel plant to produce 170,000 t/a of NExBTL Renewable Diesel, from vegetable oil and animal fat at its Porvoo refinery in Finland ... a 2nd similar plant is also under construction. The original plant has been delayed due to a fire and will be on line in April - total cost are in the region of Euro 200Mn.

The company have scrapped plans for a Plant in a joint bio-fuel venture with Total at Dunkirk with but are negotiating to open a biofuel plant in Vienna with OMV, Austria's largest public company.

Using felling scraps, small trees, and stumps , the wood-based biomass will first be converted into crude biodiesel, it will then go to the Neste Oil refinery in Porvoo, for refining .

The Euro 14 Mn. Varkaus plant , due to start up in 2008, will also produce heat and electricity for use locally and also use a process developed by Technical Research Centre of Finland (VTT) for converting the bio-mass. They have been testing a pilot plant in a 4 year Government funded project. The in house plant will use the Fischer-Tropsch process to produce crude biodiesel from gas which will equal the energy needed to heat 4,300 homes and cut local carbon dioxide emissions significantly.

Whilst Neste Oil has developed expertise in developing biofuels on plant oils and animal fats CEO Risto Rinne sees the need to use a non food raw material . Varkaus was selected as the first plant as it has has a million cubic metres of biomass within a radius of 80 Km., and three times that in a radius of 120 kilometres."

Stora Enso sees huge potential for the process in Finland and envisage 3 such plants could be built in connection with Stora Enso sites in Finland, and believe a total of 6 plants could be set up within Finland.... with the opportunity to also export the process.

Greenergy / Tesco / Morrisons - is there a problem with bio-ethanol fuels using UK ethanol from beet sugar ?

Kangaroo jumping cars, stalled, and costly oxygen sensors replaced in high spec cars at £300 a throw ... and petrol bought at Morrrisons and Tesco is being blamed ... maybe.. but it's an interesting tale.

Regular readers will know that Lord Patel highlighted the introduction of ethanol into road fuel on Wednesday, July 5 2006.....This pill is NOT sugar coated - EU / CAP reform kicks in on sugar growers .

This related to the plans of AB Foods (who own British Sugar) to shut its York and Allscott (near Telford) beet sugar plants at the end of this processing year 2006 / 7 , and consolidate processing at their remaining four sugar factories in East Anglia.

They would be investing £60m in newer and more efficient plant, said Colm McKay, head of agricultural operations, not including £20m to be invested in the Wissington bio - butanol plant with Du Pont. This plant will open in February 2007 and will manufacture 55,000 tonnes (70 million litres) of bioethanol each year from sugar beet.The plant already has forward contracts to supply Greenergy who already supply Tesco who sell a 5% bioethanol petrol at 185 petrol outlets in the South East."

British Sugar issued a press release on 27th January 2006 when the £20Mn. Wissington plant construction was commenced, with local ex MP Baroness Gilllian Shepherd digging a sod - Stephen Ladyman, Transport Minister, said

"Last year the Government announcedthe Renewable Transport Fuels Obligation which will mean that by 2010, 5% of all the fuel sold on UK forecourts will have to come from a renewable source. I'm delighted that this announcement has helped give companies like British Sugar the confidence to invest in biofuels, and hope that others will shortly follow. This project is excellent news for the burgeoning UK biofuels industry - and ultimately for motorists, and the environment. "

Ford and Saab also showed off cars at the event (probablyincluding the Ford'1.8-litre FFV technology in the Coupé-Cabriolet concept, C-MAX and existing Focus bio-fuel which achieves CO2 emissions of 99.6g/km.that would meet the E85 fuel (85% ethanol requirment - see pic) and BBC reported in March about Morrisons opening bioethanol pumps at their supermarkets mentioning Ford and Saab cars.

It may be of interest that Wissington had filtration problems with their sugar production in 2002 - but it is unlikely .

Tesco announced their bio -ethanol green energy fuels which constitutes 5% of their fuel in 150 Southern outlets on 12/5/05 and stated that the bio-ethanol came from Brazil and was added by Greenergy.
Greenergy since then started supplying Morrisons from their Thames estuary site.

"The bio-ethanol is produced in Brazil from sugar cane and shipped to fuel supplier Greenergy’s plant on the Thames Estuary where it is blended and then delivered to Tesco forecourts."

Today Greenergy .... "Our fuels are tested to the highest standards by independent inspectors before release to ensure they conform to our sales specification." (website) have published the following announcement......

Greenergy statement, 28 th February 2007

Greenergy is aware of the reports from drivers who are experiencing problems after filling up with fuel in the South East of England. We take quality very seriously and we are doing everything we possibly can to find out what the issue is and whether it is related to us. Over the last 3 years we have sold more than 8 billion litres of fuel into the UK market and have not had any problems. So far we have conducted extensive tests on the fuel supplied to Tesco and Morrisons. We have found it is fully compliant with BSEN 228 – the independent standard everyone works to. We are continuing our investigation and will update you as soon as we have more information.

BSI BS EN 228 (International equivalent EN 228:2004) Automotive fuels Unleaded petrol Requirements -- specifies requirements and test methods for marketed and delivered unleaded petrol. It is applicable to unleaded petrol for use in petrol engine vehicles designed to run on unleaded petrol it covers Gasoline, Motor vehicles, Unleaded gasoline, Automotive fuels, Liquid fuels, Fuels, Petrol engines, Internal combustion engines, Fuel pumps, Marking, Grades (quality), Chemical properties, Octane number, Physical properties of materials, Volatility, Antiknock ratings, Test methods, Trading standards, TSS. A typical low sulphur, unleaded fuel would show the characteristcs defined by the BS EN 228 standard can be seen here

This is the highly detailed Greenergy specification available on their website which will no doubt figure in discussions when the testing results are published tommorrow.

If there was a problem with ethanol volume or quality it would probably show as elevated Olefins % Vol Max 18.0 % Vol Max or Aromatics 35.0 % Vol Max.

UKPIA, the trade association representing the nine main oil refining companies operating in the UK has put out a press release which basically says nothing. "The problem is not thought to be widespread and we have no reports of quality issues with petrol or diesel supplied from UK refineries."

On the radio Mr Vandervell CEO of UKPIA said it seemd that there was "a rogue batch of fuel from somewhere in the Thames Estuary."

The bottom line seems to focus on problems either with quality or volume of ethanol from Greenergy.

It must be remembered that the more ethanol, the less fuel tax, the lower the cost of production and the greater the margin on sale to the retailer. However the switch over of source of ethanol from Brazil to UK manufacture has probably resulted in some problems.

If it was , you read it here first.

PS Cargill the giant US / worldwide food traders took a 25% interest in Greenergy in DEcember - website page down at present - Indy media has a story protesting that Tesco shouldn't deal with Greenergy end December 2006 here. because of oil plantations deforesting Sumatra etc., Two blogs have stories. Jon Worth and Big Biofuels

Biomass : Energy independence

Selim Zilkha is a US based expatriate Iraqi Jewish banker who founded and sold Mothercare PLC, a pioneering childrenswear company in the UK in 1960's. With his son Michael Zilkha (who used to manage the Red Hot Chilli Peppers) they pioneered new and emerging technologies in the oil industry, earning them a reputation as “technology wildcatters.” Zilkha Energy Company bought old data from wells thought pumped dry and using computer modeling to drill for oil in the Gulf of Mexico. Locating useable reserves with pinpoint accuracy, the Zilkhas successfully reopened U.S. oil fields thought too prohibitive to drill economically. At one time they had over one and a half million acres under lease, and an enormous seismic database.

They made a fortune.

They sold Zilkha Energy to Sonat for a billion dollars in 1998 - yes that's US$1,000,000,000.

They turned their energy and interests in energy to turning a small wind energy company into one of the most respected in the wind industry by building elegant and community-integrated wind farms throughout the country. with 250,000 acres under lease throughout the US. The subsequent sale of Zilkha Renewable Energy to Goldman Sachs (Now called Horizon Energy) - netting at least US$600,000,000 - a turning point for the wind industry—signalling an important move away from petroleum-based energy to renewables. (Their Brimbo Sands wind farm in the Mersey, UK obtained a £10 MN grant from the National Lottery)

The next step for the Zilkhas energy business is : biomass.

The Power Generating Inc. system—now the patented Zilkha Biomass Unit is unlike conventional biomass units, fuel is consumed in our high-pressure combustion chamber. The proprietary direct-fired biomass-fueled pressurized cogeneration unit can be installed to produce economical energy on-site, anywhere it’s needed - and Zilkha absorb 100% of the capital cost - with all their wealth that's a handy way to invest your cash.

The company have initially focussed on wood processing and products industry: sawmills, plywood mills, oriented strand board plants and other types of board plants, and furniture manufacturers and cabinet makers typically generating 3 dry tons per hour of available wood byproduct (chips, sawdust, shavings, etc.) Zilkha claim they are competitive.

The units are said not to require water for standard operation,- which eliminates the need for a steam boiler, steam turbine, or gasification equipment, have a net CO2 emission loop of zero or less (?) and also consume volatile (VOC) emissions.

The electricity transmission crisis in California in 2001 and the 2003 black-out in the Northeast concentrated minds on the problems of large transmission grids. Coal, hydro, and wind energy are all dependent on transmission availability. This new business removes the problem - generation is done , "inside the fence"

By shifting electricity generation close to the consumer, the grid is more stable and by reducing the dependence of some medium-sized customers on the grid, everybody gains. ...er .... except the big utility companies.

There is a pressing need for alternative energy sources if we are to avoid an ecological disaster says Michale Zilkha. "The electricity we provide is green, renewable, and cost competitive. With Zilkha Biomass Energy we can help address environmental concerns."
www.pelletheat.com.

The first installation was announced last May at New England Wood Pellet, LLC (NEWP) the largest manufacturer of wood pellet fuel in the northeastern U.S - it is a 1.5 MW unit to provide all of NEWP electric power needs and a substantial percentage of the heat it uses. Result - reduced reliance on the grid and non-renewable fossil fuels - although building work has started and completion date is unavailable - Jeff McMahon at Zilkha declined to talk about the project.

New England Wood Pellet is on track to be the largest manufacturer and distributor of wood pellet fuel in the U.S. Operation shave begun at its Palmer MA packaging and reload center, where over 80,000 tons per year of wood pellets are being imported from British Columbia, Canada, bagged and distributed throughout the northeast.

The company have also announced in October the plans to build a new 12 million plant on Route 5 just east of Utica, in the Mohawk Valley to produce 100.000 tons of pellets a year. Wood pellets provide low levels of particles (pm 2.5m) for a clean burn - see EPA site figures and 98.5% burn for low ash residues. Interestingly for a company involved in renewable energy they sell their chips in heavy duty polyethylene (oil based chemicals) sacks - and haven't considered using paper sacks - probably because of storage problems.

Reality check - if every home in the US used wood pellet stoves it would cut CO2 emissions by 8%. A 1,200 sq foot home in NY State might expect to use 3 tonnes of chips a year, at approx US$5 per 40 lb sack (approx US$250/300 per tonne Dld, dependng on Quantity/ Location.

We had a visit from Houston tonight to read this and spent a loooong time reading it.30/1/07