WBIA BLOG
Posted on June 22, 2010 by Nick Bullock @ 2:32 pm

Following initial backlash, biomass plant supporters emerge

Categories: Bio Fuels,Development,biomass
Tags: ,

For the past several weeks, we have posted blogs and news stories about the opposition facing the proposed biomass plant in Rothschild, Wisc. The plant’s supporters are now taking their turn to speak up.

The Wausau Daily Herald ran Tom Tyskiewicz’s letter to the editor on June 17 in which he stated his support of the project. Tyskiewicz asked  Rothschild residents to embrace change and progress for the sake of our future. He said he believes renewable energy is a big part of that future.

Tyskiewicz reminds us that Domtar and WE Energies are two companies “held in high standards by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, EPA and DNR.” He adds that “nothing will be built without their final stamp of approval.”

Tyskiewicz was not alone in his sentiments. Today the Wausau Daily Herald ran Kathleen M. Ruenger’s letter to the editor pledging her support of the plant and calling it “a win-win situation for all involved: Domtar, WE Energies, the Village of Rothschild and all other communities involved.”

Ruenger address concerns that the new biomass plant would reduce air quality in the area. She refers to the Rothschild Paper Mill’s storied past in which it was always environmentally and socially responsible. Ruenger believes the new plant will be no different.

We at the WBIA are glad to see Wisconsin communities rise up in support of a good cause. The support of Wisconsinites like Ruenger and Tyskiewicz is crucial if the WBIA hopes to achieve it’s goal of helping Wisconsin be the nation’s leader among states to improve the efficiency, conservation and profitability of bio fuel production.

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Posted on June 16, 2010 by Nick Bullock @ 3:11 pm

Biofuels advancement taking place right here

Categories: Bio Fuels,Development,Uncategorized,Wisconsin Ethanol,bio power
Tags: , , ,

Wisconsin continues to lead the way in bio industry advancement.

A University of Wisconsin-Madison research group at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center developed a strain of bacteria which could lead to more cost-effective cellulosic biofuels. The team’s findings were published online by the Journal of Applied and Environmental Microbiology on June 11.

The breakthrough has made it possible to perform genetic analysis on the bacteria, which has long been known to convert biomass to sugars. The team developed a way to mutate any gene with the bacteria, which should bring greater success to the difficult process of breaking down plant cell walls to extract sugar molecules for producing biofuels.

Also advancing the bio industry is Milwaukee-based Lallemand Ethanol Technology, which just introduced Thermosacc® GOLD, a new fresh-cake yeast better able to withstand fermentation. Thermosacc GOLD was designed to use sugars more efficiently and increase yield.

The WBIA is proud to see Wisconsin leading the way in the biofuels industry, and we hope this is just the beginning of Wisconsin’s contribution to the global movement toward bio power.

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Posted on June 9, 2010 by Nick Bullock @ 3:21 pm

Newest protester of Rothschild biomass power plant baffling

Categories: Biopower,Development,bio power,biomass
Tags: , , ,

In a great Wednesday article, the Wausau Daily Herald reported that the D.C. Everest Area School District is looking to join the decision making process behind the proposed $250 million Rothschild biomass power plant.

The district wants “intervenor” status along with such groups as the Wisconsin Public Service Co., Citizens Utility Board, Wisconsin Paper Council, Memominee Tribal Enterprises, labor unions and a group opposed to the power plant called Save Our Air Resource.

The Superintendent Kristine Gilmore said the district’s involvement is crucial because it is responsible for the health and safety of all its students and staff. The district believes that the plant’s emissions could be harmful to students with asthma and other respiratory conditions and that nearby schools do not have the proper ventilation or cleaning equipment to handle the emissions.

The district’s intervenor request was filed well past the April 30 deadline, but  WE Energies spokesman Brian Manthey said PSC typically grants intervenor requests even if they are filed after deadline.

Superintendent Gilmore’s concerns are genuine and respectable, but perhaps the district is missing the bigger picture. It is precisely this younger generation that will suffer if we do not continue to strongly pursue bio power.

Also important to remember is that use of biomass as an energy source results in little net production of carbon dioxide, because the CO2 generated during combustion of plant material equals the CO2 consumed during the lifecycle of the plant. Biomass reduces air pollution by being a part of the carbon cycle, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 90 percent compared with fossil fuels.

We understand the school district’s concerns, and considering its stake in the matter, it should be granted intervenor status, but the pursuit of bio power will benefit these child in the long run.

Manthey, however, did say that WE Energies plans to have the plant operational by 2013 and that opposition by the D.C. Everest Area School District, SOAR and others should not slow the project.

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Posted on March 25, 2010 by Megan @ 2:39 pm

WBIA Member Boldt Wins $255 Million Biomass Plant Contract

Categories: Biopower,Development,WBIA Members

WBIA member The Boldt Co. won the construction contract for WE Energies new $255 million biomass plant in Rothschild.  Boldt will provide all construction services for the plant that is to be built at the Domtar paper mill, and will use wood waste to produce electricity.

The project is now pending approval by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin.  If approved, work will begin in spring 2011.

This project will help Wisconsin toward complying with the mandate that 10 percent of all the state’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2015. It is another important step for advancing Wisconsin’s biomass industry and securing energy security for our state and nation.

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Posted on March 11, 2010 by Megan @ 4:25 pm

Didion Works to Increase Energy Efficiency

Categories: Development,Ethanol Production,Investment,WBIA Members,Wisconsin Ethanol
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WBIA Member Didion Ethanol has begun work to increase the plant’s energy efficiency using $5.5 million from a recent DOE grant.  The project, which will cost a total of $11 million, will decrease energy use while allowing the plant to produce more ethanol.  We are proud to see one of our members taking such a big step towards energy efficiency and the improvement of the ethanol industry.  The project will also created an estimated 10 permanent positions, plus 75 temporary construction jobs.

Read more about the project in this article in Ethanol Producer Magazine.

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Posted on March 1, 2010 by Megan @ 2:13 pm

Miron Executive Discusses Green Building, New Biorefinery

Categories: Biopower,Development,WBIA Members

Theresa Lehman, director of sustainable services for WBIA member Miron Construction was recently interviewed in the Appleton Post-Crescent about the new green building trend. Miron Construction has been a leader in this field and has shown a deep commitment to renewable energy.

Lehman discusses the new biorefinery they are helping to in Park Falls at the Flambeau River Paper mill:

Miron Construction is involved with an innovative project in Park Falls with the Flambeau River Papers mill. What can you share about that?

As we all know, pulp and paper mills were the bread and butter for the Fox Valley at one time. But paper mills today are having a tough time in the global marketplace. What’s happening in Park Falls is a unique opportunity. What they’re doing is creating a process … taking wood mass and converting it into wax and biofuel.

It takes a tremendous amount of heat to do this and what they’ll be able to do is take the heat to create steam to generate electricity for the plant. This will save a lot of money and help the plant become more competitive.

It certainly is a step toward energy independence and the technology is something that can help paper mills be more competitive in the global marketplace.

This is a key project for the bio industry in Wisconsin. With an ample supply of biomass materials, Wisconsin is poised to be a leader in this area. The Flambeau River project will be the second largest biorefinery of its kind in the US.

We at the WBIA are proud to see one of our members contributing so successfully to building this sector of the bio industry.

Click here to read the entire article.

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Posted on February 2, 2010 by Jason @ 1:37 pm

RELEASE: Alliance Federated Energy Announces Renewable Energy Project in Wisconsin

Categories: Development,bio power
Tags: , ,

MILWAUKEE, February 2, 2010 – Alliance Federated Energy (AFE) on Monday formally announced the development of “Project Apollo,” a 25MW renewable energy project located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Project Apollo plans to utilize Westinghouse Plasma Corp.’s (WPC) plasma gasification technology to process municipal and industrial wastes into renewable energy. Because there is no combustion, the waste is not burned but converted into its original elemental form, creating significant quantities of clean syngas that can be used to generate electricity, steam or bio-fuels. There are several facilities operating commercially around the world using WPC technology and several more in final design phase and or construction.

The $225 million project is expected to create more than 250 jobs during the construction process and employ 45 full time people once operational. Approximately 30% of the waste feedstock is already committed from Badger Disposal of Wisconsin, one of region’s leading industrial waste management services companies. Discussions are underway with third parties for the sale of syngas and electricity.

AFE plans to have the project operational in late 2013. The first phase of the renewable energy facility is expected to process approximately 1200 tons of municipal and industrial waste per day, generating enough clean energy to power roughly 20,000 homes in the Milwaukee area. “This commercially proven technology is the ultimate in recycling,” said Christopher Maloney, CEO of Alliance Federated Energy, “and we are pleased to be building our first project right here in Wisconsin, a state committed to promoting environmental stewardship and technological innovation.”

“We are pleased that AFE has selected Wisconsin for their first renewable energy project,” said Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle. “This technology has real potential to help us address the growing need for clean renewable power. Project Apollo will create new clean energy jobs in our state, reduce the need for continued land filling of our wastes, and reduce greenhouse gases.”

“The site AFE has chosen for this project is well suited for this facility”, said Mike Zebell P.E. of AECOM (NYSE:ACM), a Fortune 500 company serving clients in more than 100 countries and a global provider of professional technical, environmental and management support services. “We believe that this technology is not only environmentally friendly but ready for large-scale commercialization. We are excited to partner with an entrepreneurial firm like AFE, one of the industries leading developers focused on building environmentally responsible energy projects using plasma gasification technology.”

CorVal-Ryan (CorVal), a leading EPC firm in the alternative energy sector, has been selected to design and fabricate the facility, bringing their 85-year history of performance excellence to the AFE team. “We believe that plasma gasification technology has the potential to be a major player in the renewable energy market and are excited to be working with AFE on their Apollo Project” said Bob Cutshall, President at CorVal-Ryan. “We have a number of plasma gasification based renewable energy projects in design or under construction and see that number growing in the coming years” he added.

About Alliance Federated Energy
Established in 2005, Alliance Federated Energy is a developer of renewable energy and related infrastructure projects focused on environmentally sustainable technologies, with a specific focus on plasma gasification technology for electric generation and energy production. For more information, please visit http://www.afeservices.com.

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Posted on January 21, 2010 by Jason @ 2:13 pm

WBIA Member Miron Construction Named Contractor for $250 Million Green Diesel Plant

Categories: Collaboration,Development,WBIA Members,bio power
Tags: ,

WBIA member Miron Construction and international engineering and project management company AMEC were recently selected to team up as EPC contractor for Flambeau River Biofuel’s $250 biorefinery.  The plant, which will be located at an existing pulp and paper mill in Park Falls, Wisconsin, will be the largest second generation “green diesel” plant in the U.S.

The press release from Miron Construction and Flambeau River Biofuels gives more details about the project:

“The Flambeau River bio-refinery will create permanent, high-skilled operating jobs in the region, long-term logging jobs, and short-term engineering and construction jobs, contributing to the economic stimulus of Park Falls, Wisconsin,” said Butch Johnson, majority owner of Flambeau River Papers and Flambeau River Biofuels.

“The AMEC-Miron team was selected for its experience and innovation in developing green energy and biofuel facilities,” said Johnson.  “When completed, Flambeau will have the first integrated pulp and paper mill in North America to run on fossil-free energy.”

Tim Gelbar, President, AMEC’s Power and Process Americas business said: “The Flambeau program has been a long-term strategic focus of AMEC’s and it will play a key role in our continued development of new bioprocesses and the expansion of clean renewable energy.”

“We have been working with Flambeau for two years developing this project” said David G. Voss, Jr., President, Miron Construction. “The Flambeau BioFuels project is key to developing “green fuel” renewable energy alternatives and will have a significant positive economic impact in Wisconsin.”

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Posted on November 11, 2009 by admin @ 4:43 pm

Bio Industry Basics #9: PSC Approves Xcel Biomass Plant

Categories: Bio Industry Basics,Development,General Info,bio power
Tags: , , , , , ,

Xcel Energy Corp. will move forward converting their Ashland power plant from coal to biomass after the Public Service Commission unanimously voted in favor of the project last week. Here are a few facts about the project:

• Expected to be complete in 2012, the plant will be the largest in the Midwest burning biomass.

• The project will convert a coal-fired boiler to burn wood waste.

• With two out of three boilers already burning wood, the conversion will enable the plant to run entirely on renewable sources.

“Bio Industry Basics” is a series of weekly facts from the Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance highlighting the positive benefits of bio fuel, bio power, and bio products production and use in Wisconsin.

Bio Industry Basic 9

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