Conferences, Symposiums, Field Trips, and Commercial Demonstrations

[erich]

BIG FOCUS on BIOCHAR at Midwestern Universitie's Bioenergy E-conference

 

Hi List;

This is exciting news from Ron Larson (RWL) from the Biochar list; biochar : Biochar

 

(I'm going to try like hell to get to the ISU 2010 North American Biochar Conference)

Cheers

Erich

 

 

RWL

1. On December 1, a group of midwestern Universities are hosting a

Bioenergy E-conference, with an amazingly heavy emphasis on Biochar

 

(see the site Bioeconomy Conference 2009 .)

 

2. The cost for one computer link-up is $50 - which can be shared by as

many as can get around a big enough screen. Even better, for groups

that are reasonably well organized (undefined) as Biochar entities, and

can demonstrate a pretty good (undefined) attendance, we have a donor

able to pick up a small number of the $50 tabs.

 

3. I will identify this person after I get his/her/its approval. In

the meantime (being retired) I have volunteered to answer questions and

accept proposals. (phone 303/526-9629)

 

4. Here is what one person at Iowa State wrote a few hours ago about

this Dec. 1 event:

 

"ISU has developed a whole set of resources to promote the conference

(including two video clips and several postcards that include video

clips --- see example below). You can review all of the promotional

pieces at: Resources.

 

We hope you will plan to join the conference! It is perfectly fine for

one person to go in and register at the $50 rate ("Broadcast viewing),

and then invite others to join them in their office, conference room, or

whatever. The program can be projected with an LCD projector so that

many people can watch for one fee.

 

Originally, Dr. James Lovelock had planned to present live at the

conference in Ames. However, he let us know a couple months ago that

his doctor wanted him to greatly reduce the amount of travelling he did

(he is 90 years old!). So, we took a crew to St. Louis a couple weeks

ago to record a video with Dr. Lovelock. He is a champion for biochar!

We will be showing 30 minutes of his discussion with Robert Brown, and

it is wonderful!

 

You can bet we will use every opportunity during the sessions that will

be hosted at Iowa State University to promote the 2010 U.S. Biochar

Conference!"

 

5. RWL again: This last sentence gives one other reason to organize a

group. That is to see and hear from several people (like Prof. Robert

Brown mentioned above) who are presently actively organizing the 2010

equivalent of the 2009 Boulder Biochar conference. I think you will be

impressed by what ISU has to offer. In addition to Lovelock and Brown,

other Biochar presenters are Drs. Lehmann, Laird, and Amonette - all

experts.

 

6. If you are living in the Midwest, you may be able to attend in

person - but this note is intended only to encourage list members to

contact me about getting access to this free $50.

 

7. One part I like is that we will all have a chance to ask questions

(if we are part of one of these fee-paying groups). I look forward to

hearing your question on the 1st.

 

Ron

 

 

Resources.

[Essay]

BIG FOCUS on BIOCHAR at Midwestern Universitie's Bioenergy E-conference

 

Hi List;

This is exciting news from Ron Larson (RWL) from the Biochar list; biochar : Biochar

 

(I'm going to try like hell to get to the ISU 2010 North American Biochar Conference)

Cheers

Erich

 

 

RWL

1. On December 1, a group of midwestern Universities are hosting a

Bioenergy E-conference, with an amazingly heavy emphasis on Biochar

 

(see the site Bioeconomy Conference 2009 .)

 

2. The cost for one computer link-up is $50 - which can be shared by as

many as can get around a big enough screen. Even better, for groups

that are reasonably well organized (undefined) as Biochar entities, and

can demonstrate a pretty good (undefined) attendance, we have a donor

able to pick up a small number of the $50 tabs.

 

3. I will identify this person after I get his/her/its approval. In

the meantime (being retired) I have volunteered to answer questions and

accept proposals. (phone 303/526-9629)

 

4. Here is what one person at Iowa State wrote a few hours ago about

this Dec. 1 event:

 

"ISU has developed a whole set of resources to promote the conference

(including two video clips and several postcards that include video

clips --- see example below). You can review all of the promotional

pieces at: Resources.

 

We hope you will plan to join the conference! It is perfectly fine for

one person to go in and register at the $50 rate ("Broadcast viewing),

and then invite others to join them in their office, conference room, or

whatever. The program can be projected with an LCD projector so that

many people can watch for one fee.

 

Originally, Dr. James Lovelock had planned to present live at the

conference in Ames. However, he let us know a couple months ago that

his doctor wanted him to greatly reduce the amount of travelling he did

(he is 90 years old!). So, we took a crew to St. Louis a couple weeks

ago to record a video with Dr. Lovelock. He is a champion for biochar!

We will be showing 30 minutes of his discussion with Robert Brown, and

it is wonderful!

 

You can bet we will use every opportunity during the sessions that will

be hosted at Iowa State University to promote the 2010 U.S. Biochar

Conference!"

 

5. RWL again: This last sentence gives one other reason to organize a

group. That is to see and hear from several people (like Prof. Robert

Brown mentioned above) who are presently actively organizing the 2010

equivalent of the 2009 Boulder Biochar conference. I think you will be

impressed by what ISU has to offer. In addition to Lovelock and Brown,

other Biochar presenters are Drs. Lehmann, Laird, and Amonette - all

experts.

 

6. If you are living in the Midwest, you may be able to attend in

person - but this note is intended only to encourage list members to

contact me about getting access to this free $50.

 

7. One part I like is that we will all have a chance to ask questions

(if we are part of one of these fee-paying groups). I look forward to

hearing your question on the 1st.

 

Ron

 

 

Resources.

Thanks Erich!

 

I'll see if we have a computer link-up here at CSU - or I'll try to advocate for one. There are several researchers here at CSU working on biochar, but they are working in isolation; which is why I recently spoke with various Lab Directors, College Deans, and the Vice Provost for Research, about starting a cross-disciplinary research program for the support and study of the production, characterization, and utilization (including monitoring) of biochar. A few deans thanked me for bringing this "new" topic of biochar to their attention (so there is one small victory!), and the lab directors already knew some things about biochar; so we'll see if the provosts move to take advantage of this great opportunity to encourage economic and environmental recovery.

 

I hope there will be a link, to review the ISU conference- after the fact, like the 2009 Boulder conference has posted:

 

North American Biochar Conference 2009

Welcome to the website for the 2009 North American Biochar Conference, held in Boulder, Colorado from August 9 - 12, 2009. The purpose of this site is to provide visitors access to the papers, posters and presentations—as well as other related resources—from the conference. The 2009 Conference was hosted by the Center for Energy and Environmental Security (CEES) and co-sponsored by the International Biochar Initiative (IBI).

[erich]

Thursday-Saturday December 3-5, 2009

 

Acres U.S.A. Conference

 

St. Paul, Minnesota

 

Acres U.S.A. -- A Voice for Eco-Agriculture

 

 

 

Pre-registration for Single, 3 days, full conference $175 by Friday, November 27, 2009 (At Door: $200)

 

Couples, 3 days, full conference $300

 

Single-day $100

 

Students (with valid ID) half price

 

 

 

Biochar Truth & Consequences by Ron Poitras

 

Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009 from 3-4 p.m.

 

 

 

This workshop will focus on how to use biochar to improve soils and increase crop productivity. The basics of what good biochar is, its historical development, how it’s made, and how it works in the soil to improve growing conditions will be covered. A special focus of the session will be how to work with biochar in soil conditions likely to be found in more temperate climate regions. The results of biochar trials conducted on a small farm located in a Maine coastal community where randomized, replicated research plots were established with varying types and amounts of biochar will be reviewed. In addition to its uses for soil improvement, biochar has a certain "moral beauty"; it also helps tackle waste management, energy production, and climate change issues. Is it a "silver bullet," another fad, or useful and worthwhile for eco-farmers? Attend this lecture and judge for yourself.

 

 

 

Lloyd Helferty, Engineering Technologist

 

Principal, Biochar Consulting (Canada)

 

603-48 Suncrest Blvd, Thornhill, ON, Canada

 

905-707-8754 ; 647-886-8754 (cell)

 

Grass-Roots Intelligence

 

Steering Committee member, Canadian Biochar Initiative

 

President, Co-founder & CBI Liaison, Biochar-Ontario

 

 

 

Canadian Biochar Initiative group | LinkedIn

 

Login | Facebook

 

Biochar Ontario | Google Groups

 

BIOCHAR ONTARIO (Toronto, ON) - Meetup.com

 

Canadian Biochar Initative -- Home Page

[erich]

Massey University Biochar Workshop

 

From 11 Feb 10 1:00 PM

to 12 Feb 10 3:00 PM

more info Manawatu campus - Turitea

Ag Hort Lecture Theatre

Massey University Manawatu Turitea campus

 

This workshop addresses biochar in the New Zealand context. Biochar is produced by thermal decomposition of biomass starved of oxygen.

 

Broadly, biochar has three promising features; (i), it is a stable form of carbon that can be sequestered out of the atmospheric carbon cycle, thus helping to mitigate the effects of climate change; (ii), when added to soil, biochar has potential to improve soil health; and (iii), the process of making biochar produces heat energy and byproduct streams of syngas and bio oil, which have potential value as energy and refined chemicals.

 

For a biochar industry to be viable, there must be quantitative certainty about these features, and there must be a market for biochar, its byproducts and its emissions offsets. Further we need to understand the full life cycle of the carbon to avoid any unintended consequences.

 

This workshop is open for both registrations and contributions.

 

Email [email protected] for details. Cost $80.

 

Event website

Contact: Linda Lowe

Email the event contact

06 3505574

 

event detail - Massey University

[erich]

Dear Lists,

 

Biochar2010: U.S. Biochar Initiative Conference - June 27-30

I understand that Jill is the "go to" Person for the US Biochar 2010 Initiative Conference.

 

I have agreed to serve on the the abstract review committee for the topic of “Markets and Business Opportunities”. This will be a review team for business

abstracts which will include producers with an intent to sell - as opposed

to producers giving a papers about the technical merits of production.

 

So Please encourage potential abstract writers to contribute.

 

Dr. Robert Brown , and the team in Ames Iowa are planing the next national biochar conference. The Conference will be June 27-30 in Ames Iowa Hosted by Iowa State University.

 

Hope to see you at ISU for the 2010 USBiochar Conference

 

The Call for papers can be seen here:

 

2010 U.S. Biochar Initiative Conference -- Welcome/home

 

 

Carbon to the Soil, the only ubiquitous and economic place to put it.

Cheers,

Erich

 

Erich J. Knight

Eco Technologies Group Technical Adviser

Shenandoah Gardens (Owner)

1047 Dave Barry Rd.

McGaheysville, VA. 22840

540 289 9750

Co-Administrator, Biochar Data base & Discussion list TP-REPP

[email protected]

 

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Euken, Jill E [bEI] <[email protected]>

Date: Thu, Dec 17, 2009 at 6:37 PM

Subject: Save The Date - Biochar2010: U.S. Biochar Initiative Conference - June 27-30

To: Erich Knight <[email protected]>

 

 

 

Please mark your calendars and SAVE THE DATE for the Biochar2010 conference:

(If you have trouble reading this email content, see full announcement here)

 

Biochar 2010

[erich]

Biochar for Sale

Welcome to Burt's Greenhouses

Burt's Greenhouses On-line sales Vegetable Seedlings and Biochar

 

 

If you care to become a Biochar expert , including a tour of Burt's Greenhouses

 

 

Seminar: Hugh McLaughlin, Director of Biocarbon Research, Alterna Biocarbon

Where: Wilton Women's Institute Hall, Wilton Ontario

When: 18 February 2010, 9:00-10:00.

Following the seminar will be a tour of Burt's Greenhouses heating system and char making process about 3K away from the Wilton Women's Institute Hall.

Biochars - what we know, what we think we know and what we do not know

 

As the saying goes "A wise man knows what he does not know". The biochar community is struggling with separating fact from hearsay about the role of biochar, especially when added to soils. Drawing from past and current observations concerning Terra Preta, biochar clearly has a role in soils. What that role is and how to control it remains an area requiring much more time and effort to sort out.

 

 

Burt's Greenhouses :: Hugh McLaughlin Biochar Seminar

 

 

 

 

 

US BIOCHAR CONFERENCE

 

GET YOUR ABSTRACTS IN NOW !!

 

 

(I can say this with such authority because of my title below)

Erich

 

 

Erich J. Knight

Chairman; Markets and Business Opportunities Review Committee

US BiocharConference, at Iowa State University, June 27-30

2010 U.S. Biochar Initiative Conference -- Welcome/home

 

EcoTechnologies Group Technical Adviser

EcoTechnologies Group

Shenandoah Gardens (Owner)

1047 Dave Barry Rd.

McGaheysville, VA. 22840

540 289 9750

Co-Administrator, Biochar Data base & Discussion list TP-REPP

BioEnergy Lists: BioChar (or Terra Preta) | Information on the intentional use of BioChar (charcoal from biomass) to improve soils.

[erich]

Biochar2010: U.S. Biochar Initiative Conference June 27-30

 

The announcement below was emailed to ISU's list of 1975 recipients yesterday. It is the first of several email blasts planned over the next 3.5 months about the USBI 2010 Conference. Please feel free to pass this announcement on to your friends, colleagues, and fellow biochar enthusiasts

 

Biochar 2010 Speakers

 

 

The ISU conference is forming up nicely,

 

ISU abstracts look very interesting, Highlights;

Dr. Paul Hepperly Organics & Char Practice,

Large field trials from China 08 on wards ,

Purpose built diesel engines for raw Bio-oils ,

MYC / Glomalin presentation by Kris Nicoles & 1/2 dozen others from USDA, PNNL & USGS,

Ad & absorption of many compounds,

Soil C Standard by Gary DeLong,

Virgin's Carbon War Room will Report

We got the Biochar Fund's Laurens Radimaker there from Cameroon!!; See Smiles,

Biochar Fund - fighting hunger, deforestation, energy insecurity and climate change - Biochar Cameroon pictures

 

Hunter Lovins will be speaking , But Keynote is still in the air; Al Gore turned us down , Sec. Salazar & Sen. Tester, are next in the batting order.

I had a nice chat with E. O. Wilson when he called to turn down my request to speak, he is very interested in biochar however. I tried to win him over arguing Biochar systems were the ultimate manifestation of "Consilience".

 

I put an abstract in the Policy & Econ Session , basically on my advocacy stuff with; soil carbon standards, WalMart Sustainability Index, Remote carbon sensor technology and a humorist sermon on a Carbon Based Religion.

They granted this oral presentation, but moved it out of Policy & Econ to Monday's lunch venue, where the whole congregation can hear it.

 

Carbon to the Soil, the only ubiquitous and economic place to put it.

 

See ya at the Fair,

Erich

[maikeru]

Very good, Erich. :)

[erich]

Hi List,

Check out Peter Hirst, and his Turnip..............Any Questions??

 

These Nips far surpass Danny Day's Turnips, grow in Georgia , not New England!

 

Cheers,

Erich

 

Introductions at New England Biochar

Introductions at New England Biochar Symposium, Amherst, MA, Nov. 13, 2009 on Vimeo

 

MY VIDEOS on Vimeo

 

 

 

 

Initiatives In India ;TSBI

 

ABOUT US

The Society of Biochar Initiatives ( India Chapter) was formed with a group of passionate founder members,most of whom are currently involved with "hands on" Biochar Initiatives, at the grass root levels in various parts of the Indian subcontinent.

 

The Founder Members have commited themselves to creating a "Vision 2012" statement, for Biochar Inititaives in India.The emphasis will be on creating Regional Biochar Societies within India, working towards establishing a Universal Methodology for Quantifying GHG Emission Reductions with the application of Biochar,empowering the rural communities in India with the multi faceted usefullness of Biochar as a soil amendment,etc., promoting new and commercially viable technologies for gasolysis and pyrolysis in rural areas, managing the collection of fragmented biomass resources, within different parts of India within a sustainable model,aiming to alleviate the energy situation in rural India, thru a combined effort of biomass waste to energy and eventually Biochar as a soil amendment.

 

Sustainable biochar is a powerfully simple tool to fight global warming. This 2,000 year-old practice converts agricultural waste into a soil enhancer that can hold carbon, boost food security, and discourage deforestation. It’s one of the few technologies that is relatively inexpensive, widely applicable and quickly scalable.

low cost Smokeless Stoves on our subcontinent.

 

THE SOCIETY OF BIOCHAR INITIATIVES

TSBI (THE SOCIETY OF BIOCHAR INITIATIVES)

ANNOUNCEMENTS (THE SOCIETY OF BIOCHAR INITIATIVES)

[erich]

You know that these PNW folks are just too creative,

 

This post from Tom Miles reports what we could all do in our local school systems.

Cheers,

Erich

 

 

 

On Sat, May 1, 2010 at 4:59 PM, Tom Miles wrote:

 

Kelpie Wilson and I attended an energy fair at a Vancouver, WA, High School (Heritage High School) yesterday. For the past few months we have been helping teachers and students at the school learn about biochar. The display was outdoors and included a biodiesel processor, a biodiesel powered Go Cart, solar panels on the school, a solar pond, and solar cookers. One of the prominent exhibits was Kelpie's "Backyard Biochar" retort that the students built and have been using for the last couple of months. Kelpie also demonstrated a pellet burning tin can TLUD and later helped students make them.

 

kelpiewilson: biochar

 

 

 

Several of the schools in the district have achieved high levels of energy and resource conservation. At Heritage High School they have combined the biochar projects with biodiesel and agriculture so they all work together. Students have been making biochar from wood and paper waste from the school. They want to make biochar from non-recyclable waste from the school and community and use it in a community garden they are building on the school grounds.

 

 

 

We found the fair to be a fun learning experience. Students in or between classes and at lunch would wander out to look at the exhibits, ask questions, and make comments. I heard many very perceptive comments and suggestions.

 

 

 

Kelpie will be reporting on the project separately but I thought the teachers and principal at the school used a couple of great gimmicks to spice up the display: cookies and cops.

 

 

 

Cookies. Student had incorporated Kelpie's "pizza oven" feature in the retort so they could make cookies while the retort was heating, otherwise it's a little boring just watching the retort. Each batch of cookies that came out of retort was greeted with enthusiasm.

 

 

 

Cops. With dozens of students looking on the school principal went for a ride in the biodiesel Go Cart that was driven by one of the popular young teaching assistants. They disappeared out of view around the school. As they returned to the exhibit area they were followed by a squad car with lights flashing and sirens screaming. The cart was stopped and the driver was "arrested", cuffed, and taken off in the squad car. The cameras came out and the students thought that was the highlight of the day.

 

 

 

Students and teachers have big plans for more biochar next year.

 

 

 

Tom

[erich]

IOWA STATE US BIOCHAR CONFERENCE

 

Dear Char Colleagues,

What a whirlwind at ISU, What a lab that the $22M of Conoco oil money built, and the 40 Acres of field trials, just overwhelming.

 

My opening plenary was well received, particularly the closing humorist sermon on a Carbon Based Religion. The plenary speakers I recruited were the talk of the conference; Gary DeLong on Soil Carbon Standards, and Laurens Rademakers of the Biochar Fund Biochar Fund - fighting hunger, deforestation, energy insecurity and climate change - Home (his Talk not posted yet)

 

My failures included;

Not getting Kyle Howell to speak on WalMart's Sustainability Index, or getting NASA-JPL to speak on Remote carbon sensor technology.

 

It was exciting to meet and inspiring to talk with people like Josiah Hunt and Trip Allen. Two men with the energy and knowledge to drive this market. Josiah, a passionate compost driven landscaper, (like myself) , His curiosity for the mysteries of the rhizosphere is palatable and lead to collaborations with U of H Microbiologist & agronomist. Trip, with equal energy and a clear whole ecology vision for southern California has "Biocharm" on the market; Biocharm | “Pre-charged†biochar blend soil amendment

Jeff Wallin shared a totally integrated ecological system for a Mahogany tree Farm / Pyrolysis plant / Tropical Ag & live stock Farm. Including Char feed rations, Small Hydro Power and Aquaculture. The most holistic thinking I have seen for any Biochar project.

 

 

Kelpie Wilson; Biochar educator par excellence.

Every Science teacher in the country should have been there.

 

Laurens Rademakers; Biochar King of the Congo;

ISU was so wise to have Laurens as the closing plenary speaker. So evocative, I left the hall tears streaming down my face.

At the Iowa House, late into the evenings, spending time telling stories of his and my experiences in Africa, I found a most brilliant man. A culturally comprehensive understanding of the continent, His solutions cascade like rain and will fill each Hamlet & Community in turn. Bottom line; He doubled the income for thousands of subsistence farmers!

He gave me a hard time one night, in passing, about my superlative words on some of my postings where I said It was only time between him and a Nobel. Well, I recanted then, but after his powerfully moving presentation, Now I reinstate it. Every mile saved walking for deforesting wood, Evey tree saved and every clean breath taken, lightens the load and helps to preserve this society and wonderful cultural legacy of pastoral & farming community.

On my reflection of our discussions, I would add some other titles; "Whole Congo Ecologist", or "Socioeconomic Shaman" healing soil and self-esteem in the infrastructural chaos of Congo, or "Char Czar" We amend, We seed, We rule.

The next step is for village Pyrolitic electricity and Bio-Oil river transport.

 

Detailed Agenda, and click on the title of the session you want.

 

Thanks for all of your efforts.

Erich

 

Erich J. Knight

Chairman; Markets and Business Review Committee

US BiocharConference, at Iowa State University, June 27-30

Biochar2010

 

EcoTechnologies Group Technical Adviser

EcoTechnologies Group

Shenandoah Gardens (Owner)

1047 Dave Barry Rd.

McGaheysville, VA. 22840

540 289 9750

Co-Administrator, Biochar Data base & Discussion list TP-REPP

[erich]

Scottish Barley Trials

This is an introduction to a series of clips about the Biochar project meeting that took place in Edinburgh in April 2010

Bullet points; 10 , 20 & 40 tons / Ha trials , last year 8% yields in Barley in very fertile soils,

 

GeoSciencesEdinburgh

 

YouTube - Biochar - 1. Introduction http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBzyQuYjVY0

 

 

 

Now, along with Craig Sam's Char-Chocolate or "Charcolate" & Char-Coffee,

Green & Blacks chocolate founder Craig Sams launches biochar Carbon Gold growing media | Garden Retail | Horticulture Week

Craig Sams - Welcome to my home page

 

Maybe we will get a Char-brewed beer, or even better a Scotch Char-Whiskey!

 

Literally & Actually

CHEERS,

Erich

 

 

OTHER NEWS & JOBS:

 

USGS Conference;

Topical Session Announcement

2010 GSA Annual Meeting

Denver, Colorado, USA

October 31 – November 3, 2010

 

Abstracts are invited for the T54 symposium:

Pyrogenic (black) carbon, or biochar, in soils and sediments, its characterization and fate, its effects on the carbon cycle and carbon sequestration, and its effects on soil properties (Session T54).

 

This session addresses pyrogenic carbon in soils and sediments. The presence of this material can have profound effects on the nature of soil, and may have an increasing role to play in carbon sequestration. Pyrogenic carbon or biochar has been recognized as an important constituent of highly fertile agricultural soils. The application of biochar to soil has been proposed as a long-term sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide in terrestrial ecosystems while providing improved soil fertility and increased crop production. Talks pertaining to all aspects of black carbon research are welcome and students are encouraged to submit abstracts.

 

Abstracts are due by August 10, 2010.

For meeting information and abstract submission, see 2010 GSA Annual Meeting

 

For additional information, contact the organizers:

Colleen E. Rostad, cerostad at usgs.gov, (303) 236-3971 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting**************(303) 236-3971******end_of_the_skype_highlighting

David W. Rutherford, dwruther at usgs.gov, (303) 236-3978

U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, CO

 

 

 

 

Undergraduate design or research project available:

Sustainable Energy Cookstove Producing Biochar: Modeling and Optimization

 

PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Cookstove modeling and design A numerical model of the cookstove heat transfer, fluid flow, fuel devolatilization, and combustion will be developed and used for design purposes. We will make use FLUENT, a standard computational fluid dynamics software package used in industry

(CFD Flow Modeling Software & Solutions from Fluent).

 

http://www.mae.cornell.edu/PDF/undergrad/Fisher-cookstove%20undergrad%20project.pdf

 

 

 

 

SYNGEST'S BIOAMMONIA PROJECT RECEIVES SUPPORT FROM IOWA POWER FUND AND IOWA OFFICE OF ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

 

Mini plant will make 50,000 TPY of nitrogen fertilizer from biomass

 

San Francisco, CA - (Business Wire) - SynGest Inc. announced that the Iowa Power Fund and Iowa Office of Energy Independence are in final negotiations for a contract in the amount of $2.5 million for the development and commercialization of SynGest's bioammonia production technology in the state of Iowa. The award is subject to final contract negotiations, board approval, and contract execution. The contract would provide a grant in the amount of $2.5 million subject to the terms of the contract. One requirement of the contract is evidence that SynGest has raised an additional $3.5 million in new cash equity for the design and engineering stage of a biomass ammonia facility to be built and operated in Iowa. "The Iowa Power Fund board's intent to support the SynGest project will greatly help to accelerate our efforts to bring this critical technology to market," says Jack Oswald, Chief Executive Officer of SynGest. "This is a major milestone for SynGest," adds Oswald.

 

According to Oswald, of the biofuels/bioproducts under development, "nitrogen fertilizer represents the most highly leveraged opportunity. The United States imports more than 60% of its fertilizer". Unlike conventional ammonia production, the SynGest process does not use fossil fuel energy. SynGest's Iowa plant will be the first carbon-negative bioproduct project of its kind in the world, and will reduce greenhouse-gas-emissions by 150%. As world population increases from 6 billion to 9 billion, the need for fossil-fuel-free fertilizer is critical. Otherwise, the yield of corn, wheat, rice and other food grains would fall by 50%.

 

"Even a 20% shortfall in foreign ammonia supply, whether accidental or deliberate, will cause serious problems in our food industry and related financial markets," warns Oswald. "Our SynGest biomass-to-ammonia business model will help to mitigate this risk. We will help make farmers impervious to external energy price volatility, while converting agricultural waste into nitrogen fertilizer to replenish the soil."

 

The project will eventually create 360 skilled constructions jobs and 40 fulltime employees. Purchasing/ transportation of the biomass and sales of ammonia, and support services will add $10 million of new income to nearby communities. The plant will use 130,000 tons of biomass to manufacture 50,000 tons of BioAmmonia annually to fertilize 500,000 acres of corn farmland

 

###

Jack Oswald, CEO

SynGest Inc.

SynGest: BioAmmonia from Biomass

[erich]

Allpower labs is really moving their show on the road!

Look at the automation, and the next version will be all stainless steal.

They sell the basic unit for only $5,000 !

10Kw on a pallet......priceless

 

 

 

Philippines Power Pallet:

Here's a new photo gallery of the Power Pallet gasifier-genset we shipped to the Philippines last week for the workshop in early August. Hopefully we can get some of the GEK interested in Asia to join us in the Philippines for the event. More info on the workshop is here:

Workshop in Philippines, August 11-13th - GEK Gasification Forum: Pushing wood gas beyond the Imbert .

Write me if you are considering being there.

 

 

powerpallet_philippines_skidfront6-300.jpg powerpallet_philippines_skidfiltercorner3-300.jpg powerpallet_philippines_skidenginegenheadside-225.jpg

 

See here for the full gallery of the Philippines Power Pallet

10kw GEK Power Pallet Gasifier-Genset « Gasifier Experimenters Kit

 

Some changes of note in the current version of the Power Pallet

 

1. Engine and genhead reoriented to inline with a smaller drive system.

2. Premade metal pallet replaced with purpose made skid. the metal pallets were proving not easy to mount to, and not enabling the next step of a full enclosure.

3. 55gal stainless drum as a hopper for longer run time and improved corrosion resistance to acidic condensate.

4. Reorganization of skid components for 1-2 sided access and operation.

5. New podium mount for GCU electronics box.

6. and details details details, which you can see in the pictures.

 

I also assembled a page with galleries showing the version history of our gasifier-genset skid work. This starts with the Lister, then the China diesel, then the Honda, then the current Kohler v-twins:

GEK Gasifier-Gensets: Older Versions « Gasifier Experimenters Kit

 

We'll be running the current skid version for 7 days around the clock at the October workshop in Berkeley to generate a more complete dataset on its performance particulars. Information on the workshop is here: Workshop « Gasifier Experimenters Kit

 

Other upcoming international workshops of note are as follows:

 

- Germany in late October with Holger Roswandowicz of Biomass Consulting & Solution Development Intl.

- Kenya / East Africa in late September with Jon Bohmer of the Kyoto Institute at Narok University College:

Horufadhi news online

- Nigeria / West Africa in winter with Yoav Platnik of EcoPower Africa: Welcome

 

 

 

BEK "how to run it" Video:

 

 

Here's a first pass rough cut of the "how to run it" video for the BEK multi-mode pyrolysis reactor. YouTube - Biochar Experimenters Kit - the BEK http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAvVwjqTiI4 . The video still needs a bit of editing and explanatory overlays, but for now, it helps show the basics.