Tuesday, October 31
BioCycle Presents The Sixth Annual Conference On:
Renewable Energy From Organics Recycling
October 30 - November 1, 2006 • Minneapolis, Minnesota • Ramada Mall Of America
REGISTER NOW!
Reserve your hotel room at the Ramada Mall Of America today.
Request the special BioCycle Conference Rate of $89 single/double per night.
Call (Monday-Friday 8 to 5) 1-800-328-1931 or 952-854-3411
This rate expires October 9, 2006.
Morning 8:30 AM – 12:15 PM
Concurrent Session A
Opportunities Growing In Commercial Biomass Use
BEST STRATEGIES FOR MARKETING BIOMASS-TO-ENERGY FACILITIES
Analyzing critical “change agents” in renewable energy portfolio; What’s being done to accelerate the pace of development; Report of regional partnership agencies.
Fred Kuzel, Great Lakes Biomass State & Regional Partnership
OPPORTUNITIES FOR BIOENERGY GENERATION
Evaluating available feedstocks for Midwest biomass conversion; Fuel uses and markets; Comparing alternatives — feedstock preprocessing options, conversion technologies — such as anaerobic digestion, gasification; Market driving factors.
George Savage, CalRecovery, Inc.
COMMERCIALIZATION OF RENEWABLE HYDROGEN TECHNOLOGIES
Developing cost-competitive, on-site hydrogen production systems; Creating fuels blended with hydrogen; Using gas turbines, generators, integrated energy systems and hydrogen infrastructure.
Linda Limback, Minnesota Department of Commerce
Energy Independence And Bioenergy-Based Local Economies
BIOTOWN, USA — FROM CONCEPT TO REALITY
Town of Reynolds, Indiana and state agriculture and energy agencies collaborate to create a homegrown energy infrastructure; Public policy, regulatory, financial and technology components; Project updates.
Paul Cummings, Indiana State Department of Agriculture
BIOTOWN, USA — COMMERCIAL-SCALE TECHNOLOGY SELECTION
Evaluation process identifies three technologies — gasification, fast pyrolysis and anaerobic digestion; Matching solid and liquid biomass feedstocks to processing/energy generation systems; Tapping existing agricultural production acreage and facilities.
Mark Jenner, Biomass Rules
“FUEL THE FUTURE” BIOENERGY SUMMIT
Agricultural, forest industries in northern New York provide infrastructure for harvesting, processing, and delivering biomass materials; Bioenergy Summit takes inventory of transportation, conversion technologies, distribution networks and end markets in the region.
Susan Powers, Clarkson University
Morning 8:30 AM – 12:15 PM
Concurrent Session B
Fitting The Pieces Together — Wastewater, Biosolids, Food Industry
BIOSOLIDS AS ENERGY-GENERATING RENEWABLE FEEDSTOCK
Rationale for selecting technology that converts biosolids and other high moisture wastes into high-grade, renewable fuel; How new contract complements other biosolids management programs utilized by sanitation district.
Michael Moore, Orange County Sanitation District
CAPTURING ENERGY, REDUCING FUEL COSTS AT MUNICIPAL WWTP
Generators powered by methane save Wisconsin Sewage District more than $400,000/year in electricity; Using 600,000 cu.ft. of gas daily; Current plans for improving system results.
Paul Nehm, Madison Metro Sewerage District
BIOMASS FACILITY GROWN ON SPENT GRAINS AND WOODY WASTES
Alternative power sources in Minnesota’s Koda Energy plant will pump $16 million/year into the local economy, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and soil erosion — and sustain the world’s largest malting facility.
Paul Kramer, Rahr Malting Company
Creating Bioproducts And Renewable Energy
PROMOTING DIGESTATE USE IN COMPOSITE MATERIALS
Converting fibrous digestate from manure digester into wood plastic composites; Successful use in pilots; Tapping market potential.
L.M. Matuana, Michigan State University
DIGESTION AND COMPOSTING — HOW THEY WORK TOGETHER
How biology affects materials breakdown, quality of finished products, e.g., fertilizer and energy value; Analysis of key factors, and their significance to projects.
Will Brinton, Woods End Research Laboratory
EXTRACTING THERMAL ENERGY FROM COMPOSTING
Heat energy from the hot water vapor during composting becomes source for power; Heat transfer system raises temperature of barn floor, produces energy in excess of 120,000 BTUs/hour.
Joseph Ouellette, Acrolab Inc.
Afternoon 2:00 PM – 3:45 PM
Concurrent Session A
Anaerobic Digester Performance On Farms
NEW DIGESTER AND FARM ENERGY PROJECTS ON WISCONSIN FARMS
What is working best at mid-size and large-size dairies; What alternative technologies are available for dairies; Evaluation considerations for alternative manure to energy systems.
Larry Krom, Focus On Energy
EVALUATING PAYBACK OF FARM-SCALE DIGESTERS
Results of monitoring five digesters in New York State; Factoring in gas production, electricity generation, odor management; Measuring related benefits of pathogen, organic nitrogen reduction in manure.
Curt Gooch, Cornell University (Invited)
PARTNERING FOR SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS
Innovative agreements with farms and energy companies to produce and sell digester gas; Case study analyzes partnerships with energy companies and the realities and benefits of digester performance and operations.
Mike Casper, Microgy, Inc.
TRADING CARBON CREDITS FROM METHANE DIGESTER
By “capturing” 525 tons of methane, first digester in Minnesota gets income from Chicago Climate Exchange greenhouse gas pollution credits; Update on digester, hydrogen fuel cell operations.
Dennis Haubenschild, Haubenschild Farms
Afternoon 2:00 PM – 3:45 PM
Concurrent Session B
Business Of Biofuels
WASTE-TO-ENERGY VIA PLASMA GASIFICATION
New plasma gasification facility in northeastern Minnesota processes municipal solid waste and woody biomass; Refining two main “constituent gases” into usable fuels; Conversion of inorganic portion into slag.
Steven Kluess, Laurentian (MN) Resource Conservation & Development Council
BIOFUELS IN THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR
Assessment of production capacity, commercial-scale technologies, pricing and distribution realities; Initiatives that address sustainable agriculture and soil conservation when growing non-food fuel crops.
Suzanne Hunt, Worldwatch Institute
ECONOMICS OF ETHANOL PRODUCTION
Assessing present and future development of the ethanol industry; Production costs and pricing in comparison to fossil fuels; Environmental considerations.
Vernon Eidman, University Of Minnesota
Afternoon 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Plenary Session
Fostering The Energy “Sea Change”
GROWING AN INDUSTRY
Conference speakers and participants wrap up two days of sessions with facilitated discussion on critical next steps to growing an industry around the production of renewable energy and fuels from organics recycling; Views on necessary public policies, likely capital and investment sources, connections with climate change and sustainability initiatives, and infrastructure development.
Panel Discussion
Moderator: Nora Goldstein, BioCycle
