COMPOSTING FLEXIBILITY

WOODY BIOMASS PROJECT RECEIVES $4.2 MILLION IN USDA GRANTS

The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded $4.2 million to 18 small enterprises to develop innovative products and renewable energy from woody biomass from national forests. Altbougb many recipients are forest products companies, funds were also awarded to tbe Cawaco Resource Conservation & Development Council which will co-fire biomass with coal; Big Valley Power, a biomass power plant in Redding, California; the Montana Community Development Corp., wbicb bas been experimenting witb using wood waste from logging operations to fuel a boiler at a paper mill; Mt. Taylor Macbine in New Mexico that makes fuel for pellet stoves; and tbe town of Red River, NM whicb plans to ship wood chips from forest thinning to a biomass power plant. According to tbe USDA, tbe grant program improves forest bealtb and reduces wildfires by removing built-up fuel bazards.

STEEL CAN RECYCLING RATE INCREASED TO 6 3 PERCENT IN U.S. FOR 2 0 0 5

According to tbe Steel Recycling Institute, recovery rate for steel cans jumped to 63 percent in 2005 anotber increase from tbe previous year's record-setting rate of 61.7 percent. Nearly 1.4 million tons were recycled back into various steel products "a solid demonstration tbat Americans understand tbat they can become part ofthe solution," says Bill Heenan, Institute president.

TECHNOLOGIES EXAMINED FOR REMOVING IMPURITIES FROM BIOGAS

Biogas is generated by biodigesters at the city of Edmonton, Alberta's Gold Bar Wastewater Treatment Plant, as biosolids are broken down. While some biogas currently fuels hoilers, contaminants in tbe gas create scaling problems with existing equipment. "At certain times ofthe year, we could potentially use up to twice as much ofthe hiogas as we now do," says Darryl Seebagel, supervisor of the Wastewater Researcb and Training Center. Market value of tbe gas is "probably over a million dollars a year." Officials at the city, the Edmonton Waste Management Center of Excellence, and Alberta Research Council are examining ways to remove hydrogen sulfide, siloxanes, carbon dioxide and otber impurities from the hiogas. Tbe cleaning project could also bave otber benefits, says Seebagel. "If we did clean it up, our boilers would run more efficiently. There would be far less maintenance, and tbere would be options of using technology sucb as microturbines to create clean renewable energy onsite."

BIODIESEL FUEL AND WIND POWER TEAM UP IN AURI TEST

Tbe Agricultural Utilization Research Institute (AURI) is pairing two renewable energy sources - wind and biodiese! to produce electricity even wben tbe wind isn't blowing. Tbe demonstration project links seven wind turbines with a 2,800 hp diesel engine fueled by 100 percent biodiesel. The goal is to guarantee two megawatts of renewable electricity. Cogeneration would also provide soy-

Use our attachments and setf-propetled transportable units for your composting, dewatering or bioremediation projects.

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BROWN BEAR CORPORATION
PO Box 29 Corning, Iowa Phone (641)322-4220 Fax (641)322-3527 www.brownbearcorp.com
AUGUST 2006

BIOCYCLE

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