Category: Biomass
Investing in Waste-to-Energy
| October 2, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
As Donald Trump famously said, “As long as you’re going to be thinking anyway, think big.” That certainly seems to apply to what we’re doing in clean energy, doesn’t it? It’s really not smart to apply time and effort to projects that don’t scale. Read More
Biomass-to-Energy Discussion Turns to Fisticuffs
| October 1, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
I’m trying to arrange a meeting with one of 2GreenEnergy’s great supporters, an international, high-flying guy whose fantastic biomass-to-energy project I support without reservation. His base in the U.S. is Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a place I like a great deal, but I don’t visit often on business. When I asked about his travel schedule, hoping to arrange a mutually agreeable meeting place and time, he wrote: “I’m in Vegas often for the UFC fights (“ultimate fighting”); I love them and try not to miss one when I’m in the States. I look forward to meeting you.”
I responded:
As I’ve told you, I love your project, and I’d like very much to meet you.
Not to sound like I’m totally out of the pop-culture (which I am), but what’s the main attraction of UFC?
It’s not that I don’t appreciate a good fight. Read More
Waste-Tire to BioFuels Using Pyrolysis — Investment Opportunity
| September 26, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
1) It’s modular; each plant costs less than $5 million to build.
2) The technology is proven; it’s been running 24/7 in the Ukraine for the past two and a half years, and
3) It’s “omnivorous.” It’s very easy and quick to convert to another feedstock if necessary.
Clean energy investors interested in pursuing this should let me know.
Waste-tire to Energy Using Pyrolysis — Solid Business Plan
| August 20, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
Here’s a summary of a business plan that would create diesel fuel or high-octane gasoline, along with carbon black, from waste-tires — of which, obviously, there are tens of millions land-filled in the US alone each year. The technology is a special form of pyrolysis.
Skeptics may say that this has been tried hundreds of times by people who couldn’t make it work effectively, which is true. Personally, however, I think this is the real deal.
Paper Made from Sugarcane Waste — Terrific Business Plan
| August 20, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
Here, I offer a summary of a business plan in which the company seeks to raise working capital to grow their business, which is importing and selling paper made from sugarcane waste. Needless to say, this is a hot area in terms of corporate sustainability programs. Instead of whacking trees, we’re using a form of biomass that has no economic or ecologic value.
Thermal Anaerobic Gasification — Hot Business Plan
| August 20, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
Here’s a summary of a business plan that would implement a unique approach to thermal anaerobic gasification, to extract the energy from biomass without creating harmful (carcinogenic) byproducts.
I find it interesting that many of these clean energy technologies are quite ancient. Wind turbines come to mind immediately, of course, but gasification and pyrolysis have been around for at least a century.
Having said that, the technology contemplated here is unique, and, I believe, capable of results that were heretofore unobtainable.
Biomass-to-Energy Conversation Takes an Abrupt Twist
| August 18, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
I had lunch with some local waste-tire-to-energy people this afternoon, one of whom I knew to be an ex-military guy, and something of an accomplished pilot. On the way back from the restaurant, as we were passing the local general aviation airport he said, “Oh, let me pull in here; I need to leave a door unlocked; a friend of mine needs to get into my hangar, and he doesn’t have a key.”
Seeing that I hadn’t gotten out of the car when he parked he asked, “Would you like to see the plane?”
“Sure,” I replied, more or less out of courtesy, thinking I was going to see some sort of Cessna or Piper Cub. “What kind is it?” I asked. “Oh, it’s a MiG-21.” I’ve linked to what this thing looked like, complete with rocket-launchers.
“This isn’t exactly carbon-neutral, Craig,” my host said with a wry smile. “And it would be wrong to say that it preserves the environment, as well. In fact, it’s designed to change the environment in a heck of a hurry.”
Biomass-to-Energy Business Plan — Pelletizing Babassu
| August 16, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
Here’s a brief discussion of a biomass-to-energy business plan that involves pelletizing babassu, which is the fruit of a palm tree, not unlike a coconut, grown for its high density of chemical energy. For biomass projects to be attractive, they need rock solid feedstock agreements, technology, and take-off agreements — and this has all three, which is the reason that I hold it in high esteem..
Clean Energy from Construction and Demolition Waste – Excellent Business Plan
| August 16, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
Here’s a short discussion of a business plan that contemplates the processing of enormous quantities of construction and demolition waste, and the generation of clean energy from the wood and other biomass it contains. I’ve spent some time getting to know the organization’s CEO over the last six months or so — quite an impressive gentleman, with a truly excellent cleantech business plan.
No Romance in Renewables
| August 1, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
I just spoke with Sean O’Hanlon, leader of the American Biofuels Council, a national institute for biofuel research, analysis, development, and education in the United States. Sean impressed me as a doer rather than a talker; the emphasis of his organization is moving biofuels out of the classroom and laboratory and into the world of day-to-day commerce.
But he made a pithy remark that I immediately jotted down with the smile that comes over me when I encounter something that’s truly well said: “There is no romance in renewables.” There are so many flavors of biofuels that simply do not compete well in the overall market. Sean told me, “Do not expect to enter a market with a low-grade product, or one that’s more expensive than a fossil fuel competitor, on the basis that there is ‘romance” to renewable energy. It doesn’t exist.”
