Posts Tagged by biomass-to-energy
From Guest Blogger Joshua Okomo: Top Challenges to Develop Green Energy in Africa
| December 1, 2011 | Posted by okomo under Renewables - Politics |
Africa faces the greater challenge of energy access, energy availability and energy affordability than all the rest of the world. Assessment undertaken in 2008, Africa was the lowest per capita energy consumer averaging 0.66 tons of oil equivalents (TOE) compared to the global average of 1.8 TOE. The greater challenge to energy development especially renewable energy is weak or lack of policy and effective renewable energy development institutions, low technology acquisition, low investment and inadequate financing. Government policy and unfavorable political good will rank higher as factors.
Successful development of renewable energy requires strong political will, government regulatory and fiscal muscle, incentives for private sector, innovative financing, considering the opportunity in clean development mechanism and technical capacity building. Policy makers in African governments have not given adequate attention to the potential of meeting renewable energy challenges of Africa. The continent is endowed with vast renewable energy resources, the continent has 1,750 TWh potential for hydropower and 14,000 MW potential geothermal, and potential for solar throughout the year. Wind power potential is also abundant.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.”
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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..
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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.
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Bill Gates on Renewable Energy
| July 8, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
2GreenEnergy Business Director George Alger sent me this interview in which Bill Gates speaks on renewable energy.
George: Yes, he makes some good points, and he’s a fan (as am I) of Donald Sadoway’s work at MIT.
But as you can see from the comments, not everyone agrees with a lot of what he says. I, for one, completely disagree with a great deal of this. 
His position that biomass holds huge promise while solar is “cute” and “for rich people” is pretty far out there on the fringe.
It’s as if he said that Dorothy Hamill was his favorite ice hockey team. But when you have a guy of that stature, he can say that 2 and 2 are 5, and it will garner huge amounts of attention.
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2GreenEnergy Video Report: Biomass to Energy — Processing Chicken Manure
| May 2, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
In this episode of the 2GreenEnergy Video Report, I discuss one of the dozens of different kinds of biomass to energy technologies — in this case, processing chicken manure.
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2GreenEnergy Video Report: Biomass to Energy with Construction and Demolition Waste
| April 23, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Biomass |
Here, I discuss a unique renewable energy business concept in the biomass to energy arena, involving construction and demolition waste.
