BioTown (IN) Conducts Tests to Produce Electricity From Organic Waste

[jpak]

http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/newsitem.asp?ID=19394

BioTownTM, USA, is one step closer to producing electricity from organic waste. Last week, burning tests were preformed on corn stover (waste from corn harvesting) and paper fluff (a paper mill waste product) in a gasifier, one of three processes that will make up the BioTownTM Technology Suite.

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Reynolds, Ind., is BioTownTM, USA, a showcase community where all the energy needs will be met through renewable resources. Announced in September 2005, Phase I of the project focused on promotion, education and increased use of ethanol and biodiesel as agriculturally-derived replacements for gasoline and petroleum diesel. Today Phase I is nearly complete: more than 125 flex-fuel vehicles that have been purchased by area residents, town-owned vehicles were replaced with flex-fuel vehicles that operate on ethanol and the “BioIsland” at the local fuel station which will offer biodiesel and E85 is nearly finished.

Phase II of the project, announced in May 2006, will break ground this fall. Phase II is generating electricity through the BioTownTM Technology Suite. The BioTownTM Technology Suite is composed of three complementary systems: an anaerobic digester, a gasifier and fast pyrolysis. The BioTownTM Technology Suite will be a nearly self-sufficient system. It will take animal waste, municipal waste, corn stover and other types of biomass and turn them into electricity, crop inputs such as fertilizer, thermal energy and biodiesel.

An anaerobic digester takes liquid biomass (waste) and breaks it down to produce methane and a high-value fertilizer. A gasifier takes dry or liquid biomass and “heats” waste, which releases biogas, heat/steam and a high-value fertilizer. Fast pyrolysis uses a lower temperature than gasification to break down liquid or dry biomass to produce heat/steam and bio-oil that can be refined to produce biodiesel.

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background info on the Biotown USA project here...

http://www.in.gov/biotownusa/

[orwell]

1. Cool...n/t

[kestrel91316]

2. But it can't replace 100% of our fossil fuel needs, so

we should completely scrap the idea.

:sarcasm:

'Cause, you know, it's REALLY IMPORTANT to keep putting all our eggs in one basket.