Biomass leader receives funding to accelerate expansion

Biomass industry leader, REPREVE® RENEWABLES, LLC, has secured a debt financing arrangement with CoBank and Carolina Farm Credit, through the Rural Infrastructure Opportunity Fund managed by Capitol Peak Asset Management. Repreve Renewables’ giant miscanthus is a perennial grass utilized as the feedstock for an array of industries, from poultry bedding to bioenergy and a host of other commercial applications. The funding will enable Repreve Renewables to accelerate the expansion of its operations in the U.S. to meet the growing demand for its giant miscanthus biomass.
"Capitol Peak is delighted to assist Repreve Renewables with this round of financing and is committed to helping the company continue to grow its business across the range of potential markets," said Leo M. Tilman, Capitol Peak's executive chairman. "This is a perfect example of the companies and projects we are focusing on in an effort to bring capital and economic growth-creating opportunities to rural America."
The investment positions Repreve Renewables to further deliver on its vision of developing cost-effective, reliable and renewable solutions that provide customers with measurable value, while improving the environment for future generations. The funding will aid in expanding the Company's proprietary suite of planting technologies, called the ACCU YIELD™ System, building a N.C.-based processing center, expanding the procurement of land leases, and growing sales and marketing to meet the increasing demand for giant miscanthus biomass in the poultry bedding and biopower markets, and beyond.

"A financial commitment from two leading agricultural lenders validates the value Repreve Renewables provides to our customers, and demonstrates their confidence in the biomass feedstock industry, specifically giant miscanthus," said Jeff Wheeler, president and chief executive officer of REPREVE RENEWABLES. "This financing enables us to expand our operations and bring our products to more customers in the U.S., which in turn grows the rural economy."  

Giant miscanthus is a high-yielding, low-input perennial crop that is drought-tolerant and has minimal pests and diseases.  Because it is capable of growing on marginal and underutilized land that may not be suited for most food crops, Repreve Renewables’ giant miscanthus provides landowners and growers with an alternate revenue stream, helping to support rural economic development and new markets in the agricultural segment.
"Innovation that drives the creation of new agricultural products and markets is critical to the continued success of America's rural economy," said Mary McBride, president of CoBank. "As a member of the Farm Credit System, we're pleased to be supporting a business that has identified a significant market opportunity and that is focused on future growth and expansion."

Vance C. Dalton, Jr., President and CEO of Carolina Farm Credit stated, "We are thrilled to support this expansion by Repreve Renewables. The expansion aligns with our mission to support agriculture and rural communities in North Carolina. Their innovation will fuel opportunities in agriculture and job creation in our state."

Currently Repreve Renewables sells its THRIVEZ™ bedding product to the U.S. poultry market, consisting of 8.5 billion chickens and 253 million turkeys raised annually.

Indiana Pork gets grant for biomass digester project

Indiana Pork has been awarded an Indiana Livestock Market Development Grant from the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA). The grant will provide up to $15,000 in matching funds toward the development of a biomass digester project planning tool for livestock producers. 
The project will address barriers to the construction and use of biomass digesters in livestock operations in Indiana by developing a standardized planning template for producers exploring the construction of a biomass digester on their farm. In addition, the project seeks to increase the knowledge and comfort level for financial institutions that may provide funds for such projects.
By creating a more effective and efficient means of determining both a biomass digester project’s feasibility and its ability to be financed, livestock producers will have a tool to mitigate the costs of doing the research on their own.
“We are glad that the ISDA sees the potential of biomass digesters in Indiana and that the department shares our vision of developing a resource to make it less difficult for producers and lenders to analyze these complicated projects,” said Josh Trenary, executive director of Indiana Pork.
The ISDA Livestock Market Development Grant exists to fund projects that encourage the development of business and industry related to livestock production, processing and distribution.

2 Sisters upgrades poultry farms with biomass energy

2 Sisters Food Group’s sister company, 2Agriculture, is upgrading 20 of its poultry farms with biomass energy.
The company says that the GBP20 million (US$22.7 million) investment will further improve chicken welfare standards, reduce carbon dioxide emissions and lower running costs at the upgraded farms which supply poultry to 2 Sisters.
The new solution involves indirect heating from a water-air heat biomass exchanger, powered by a wood pellets source. Efficient “dry heat” will now ensure optimum litter and air quality by providing total control over the humidity levels throughout the crop cycle. The birds will grow better and there will be considerably less waste, the company said.
Lionel Halls, director of agriculture at 2Agriculture said: “We’re always looking to improve efficiency and innovate where we can, so this deal not only ticks both of these boxes, it also raises standards across our estate. As the key 2 Sisters Food Group poultry supply chain, we’re hoping that this contract will reap benefits right across the wider organization.”
Installations are expected to start in April 2014 and will run throughout the year. 

Biomethane plant supplies power to 5,000 homes

After an eight month construction period, one of Germany's largest biomethane refineries has gone live in the Altmark Industrial and Commercial Zone and has been supplying the public grid since May. With four digesters of 4,900 cubed meters, six digestate storage units of 5,000 cubed meters and a liquid reservoir, the Nordmethan plant from Vechta, Lower Saxony, produces 1,650 standard cubed meters of raw biogas an hour. Fifteen percent of this raw material is used for the heat needs of the plant, which was designed by Weltec Biopower.
By using chemical amine treatment, the gas converts about 700 standard cubed meters of processed biomethane an hour, with a methane content of 99 percent - enough to supply 5,000 homes with power and heat. For this purpose, a solid matter dosing feeder loads maize silage, whole-plant grain, sugar beets, dry chicken dung, chicken manure, liquid manure and water as substrates into the stainless-steel digesters. In total, the substrates delivered by local farmers amount to more than 70,000 tons a year.
"The biomethane refinery in Arneburg demonstrates that we must provide the right answer to the growing demand for biomethane for the various utilization paths. This sustainability is also highlighted by the fact that Nordmethan has created ten regular jobs and two training jobs, "says Jens Albartus, Director of Weltec Biopower.

BioNitrogen approved for bonds to acquire Louisiana plants

BioNitrogen Louisiana Holdings LLC, a cleantech company that utilizes proprietary technology to build environmentally friendly plants that convert biomass into urea fertilizer, has announced that the Louisiana State Bond Commission approved $1.25 billion in tax-exempt bonds for the acquisition, development and construction of five plants in Pointe Coupee Parish, La. The Louisiana Community Development Authority (“LCDA”) granted preliminary approval earlier in 2013.
BioNitrogen intends to continue working with its team of key contractors, including KBR and PRM Energy, to engineer and construct the plants in Pointe Coupee Parish, which will be built in parallel with the Hardee County facilities. The proposed five plants are projected to produce 1,800 tons of urea daily or 621,000 tons of urea annually. In February, BioNitrogen received approval from the Florida Governor to issue up to $175 million of tax-exempt bonds for the construction of the Hardee County plant.
“The approval of this issuance is another important step toward providing green domestic urea fertilizer to North American farmers,” said Bryan Kornegay, Jr., president and CFO of BioNitrogen. “We look forward to planning, zoning and permitting for the site to move the project forward as quickly as possible.”

Clean technology company announces agreement with fertilizer supplier

BioNitrogen, a cleantech company that utilizes proprietary technology to build environmentally friendly plants that convert biomass into urea fertilizer, announced that it has signed a supply agreement with United Suppliers for the offtake of urea fertilizer for its planned plants in Pointe Coupee Parish, La.
United Suppliers is owned by 735 locally controlled agriculture retailers and provides crop nutrients such as urea fertilizer to its owners in 20 states from east of the Rockies to west of the Mississippi River plus three of the western provinces in Canada.
This will be the second supply agreement under the framework agreement announced with United Suppliers in August 2012. The supply agreement contract will provide United Suppliers with the plant production of approximately 124,200 short tons annually per plant for 25 years.
"The agreement for these plants provides a framework for building plants in a strategic area to provide green domestic urea to our nitrogen fertilizer customers based on BioNitrogen's sourcing of biomass raw material. It will enhance our ability to obtain US-manufactured fertilizer from BioNitrogen," said Matt Carstens, United Suppliers Vice President of Crop Nutrients.
Bryan Kornegay Jr., president and CFO of BioNitrogen, said, "We are pleased to further our relationship with United Suppliers. This supply agreement is another important step toward providing green domestic urea fertilizer made from U.S. biomass to North American farmers."

BioNitrogen signs biomass supply agreement with CF Industries

BioNitrogen Corporation, a cleantech company that utilizes proprietary technology to build environmentally friendly plants that convert biomass into urea fertilizer, has signed an exclusive agreement with CF Industries, a global company in the fertilizer manufacturing and distribution industry, for the removal of its woody biomass from phosphate mining land to use for urea fertilizer production. This will supply BioNitrogen with biomass for its first plant in Hardee County, Fl., according to the company.
According to the terms of the agreement, BioNitrogen will be able to receive all of the woody biomass from CF Industries where it clears wooded land in Hardee County to mine for phosphate. The agreement is for an initial 180-day period with the opportunity for an extended partnership.
“We are pleased to be working with CF Industries,” said Bryan Kornegay, Jr., president and CFO of BioNitrogen. “This agreement will not only grow our secured biomass supply but it will also promote sustainability in Florida. Most of the trees in rural phosphate mining areas such as Hardee County are burned. It’s great to see a company such as CF Industries promoting environmentally friendly approaches to phosphate mining and creating positive impacts for the community.”
BioNitrogen has also received approval from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for woody biomass collection on the company’s 600 acre land parcel in Hardee County. Construction on the site is slated to commence in early 2013. The proposed plant will be able to produce 15 tons of urea fertilizer hourly, totaling 360 short tons daily or 124,200 tons annually.

South Carolina chicken litter energy plant opposed

Homeowners opposed to the construction of a chicken litter energy plant in Hart County, S.C., have set a meeting to discuss their concerns. A report in the Anderson Independent Mail said the group of area residents believes the plant being proposed by Homeland Renewable Energy-owned Fibrowatt LLC will pollute Hartwell Lake, the air and environment.
Calling it a source of clean, green energy, the county said the plant would also provide inexpensive energy and jobs, as well as provide electricity to 80,000 homes a year. Operating since 2007, the Pennsylvania-based company has built biomass plants that use poultry litter in Benson, Minn., and has projects in Arkansas, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi and North Carolina.

Poultry waste to fuel project

Fibrowatt, a member of the Homeland Renewable Energy Group, announced it has entered agreements with the Fagen company for the design and construction of its first biomass-fueled power project in North Carolina. The primary fuel consumed by this power plant will be poultry droppings.
The North Carolina project will produce 55 megawatts of renewable electricity, enough power annually to supply over 40,000 homes. This will help the state meet its commitment to renewable energy, provide jobs and give farmers an alternative use for poultry waste.

Fibrowatt selects site for renewable energy

A new biomass power plant is coming to North Carolina.
Fibrowatt has selected a site offered by Montgomery County near Biscoe, N.C., to build a new power plant that will be fueled with poultry litter and other biomass materials. Construction is expected to start in 2010 and the plant is scheduled to open in 2012.
“The substantial economic investment that Fibrowatt is making in Montgomery County is extraordinarily valuable, especially during these challenging economic times,” said Lance Metzler, county manager of Montgomery County. “This project will support 100 new jobs and have a significant, positive impact on our economy. At the same time, Fibrowatt is offering an important service to the local poultry industry that will deliver economic and environmental benefits.”
Fibrowatt has previously announced plans to build poultry litter-fueled power plants in Sampson and Surry counties. The next steps include signing long-term agreements for the purchase of the plants renewable energy and proceeding with permitting, financing, and construction.