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Longer resources
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This excellent 21-page 2020 scholarly article entitled “Recent Progress in the Conversion of Biomass Wastes into Functional Materials for Value-added Applications” reviews the literature from the last five years to provide an in-depth introduction to our topic: biomass conversion.
- In this reading they talk about research within 5 years including * Natural polymers * Biomass wastes * Using carbon materials as * Absorbents * Catalyst carriers * Electrode materials * Functional composites - Going into the third paragraph, they write about different examples of biomass including * Wood * Ag waste peels * Biochar - Online def: black carbon produced from biomass sources * wood chips * plant residues * manure * other agricultural waste products - Agricultural waste and biomass wastes that come from ag are produced over hundred million tons per year. - They also stated that coffee industries produce over 7 million tons of coffee grounds coffee pulp and cherry hush which ends up causing disposal problems - crop straw (Cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) - rice husk(cellulose (25–35%), hemicellulose (18–21%), lignin (26–31%) and silica (15–17%)) peanut shells, corn cob(contains 39–45% of glucan, 25–35% of xylan, 17–21% of lignin) - Natural polymers can be used instead of synthetic polymers which come from fossil resources. * Within all of these natural resources, the different types of polymers that come from them are often overlooked - Overview of first reading: This text was meant to highlight newer ways of using natural resources other than having them dumped in landfills. There are still some uses for biomass that have not been fully explored. -
This 60-page 2019 document entitled “Biomass for power, fuels (and bio-products) in California” produced by the “SB 100 Joint Agency Report: Charting a path to a 100% Clean Energy Future” seems to be a slide deck presented at a California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) workshop gently arguing against the prevailing sentiment that biomass energy should be eliminated in the state of California. This argument is made in the context of Senate Bill 100 (or SB100) “requiring renewable energy and zero-carbon resources supply 100 percent of electric retail sales to end-use customers by 2045.” It’s evidence-based, thorough and can be found in the background reading module.
- The SB 100 policy mandates that California will achieve 100 percent renewable energy and zero-carbon resources for electric retail sales to end-use customers and state agencies by December 31, 2045, while ensuring that the transition does not lead to increased greenhouse gas emissions within the western electricity grid. - The transition to a zero-carbon electric system faces challenges in sectors such as aviation, long-distance transport, industrial materials, and maintaining highly reliable electricity. Energy-dense liquid fuels derived from biofuels or advanced synthetic processes present potential solutions to these challenges. - Achieving high reliability in a power sector heavily reliant on variable renewables requires storage solutions or flexible generators with low fixed costs. Alternatives and innovations are essential to ensure grid stability and reliability. - California's biomass resources, including forest, urban, and agricultural biomass, offer transformation pathways for generating power, fuels, and bioproducts. These resources can be integrated to create a more sustainable energy system. - The utilization of solid fuel biomass in California involves a variety of agricultural and food processing residues, clean urban wood, and forest product residues. While biomass steam plants were initially constructed to mitigate pollution from open burning, they currently face challenges related to cost, efficiency, and perception of pollution. However, the significant availability of woody biomass from expanding tree and vine acreage presents opportunities for power, liquid fuel, and biogas production, while also reducing emissions from open burning and maximizing resource utilization.
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To provide context for the above, this webpage on the California Energy Commission’s site entitled “2021 SB 100 Joint Agency Report, Achieving 100 Percent Clean Electricity in California: An Initial Assessment” includes links to the complete report and a summary of it. The complete report “includes a review of the policy to provide 100 percent of electricity retail sales and state loads from renewable and zero-carbon resources in California by 2045. The report assesses various pathways to achieve the target and an initial assessment of costs and benefits. The report includes results from capacity expansion modeling and makes recommendations for further analysis and actions by the joint agencies.” The recommendation is made to exclude “electricity generated from combustion of biomass and fossil fuels, including natural gas.”
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This 13 page chapter from Meadows, Randers and Meadows 2004 book entitled Tools for the Transition to Sustainability” calls for a Sustainability Revolution to follow in line after the Agricultural Revolution and the Industrial Revolution. It provides a nice macro history of human social evolution and some tools for change making.
- Most “answers” for sustainability, things ‘every day people’ can do, are not cut & dry, one-fits all answers that are attainable for everyone - Ie buying an energy-efficient car, recycle bottles and cans, or vote -“if you are among those people in the world blessed with cars, bottles, cans, or elections” - There are five essential tools which any society that hopes to survive over the long term must utilize: - Visioning - Networking - Truth-telling - Learning - Loving - If a small group of people are persistent and consistent with the application of these then they have the potential to produce enormous change, perhaps producing a revolution -Revolution being defined as a large scale social, behavioral, and educational change - Visioning: - Imagining, first general then with increasing specificity, what you really want -Removing any and all restraints of “feasibility” - Networking: - A network is nonhierarchical, it is a web of connections among equals, held together not by force, obligation, material incentive, or social contract, but by shared values and the understanding that some tasks can be accomplished together that could never be accomplished separately. - Truth-telling: - Instead of giving information with negative undertones try to use positive ones - A warning about the future being a predication of doom vs a warning about the future as a recommendation to follow a different path - Learning: - Learning means the willingness to go slowly, to try things out, and to collect information about the effects of actions, including the crucial but not always welcome information that the action is not working - Loving: -Individualism and short-sightedness are the greatest problems of the current social system, we think, and the deepest cause of unsustainability. Love and compassion institutionalized in collective solutions is the better alternative. -
McKinsey Global Institute’s 25 page executive summary of their 2020 report entitled “The Bio Revolution: Innovations Transforming Economies, Societies, and our Lives” This report is about the emerging bio economy but unlike the Schmidt report, this one highlights risk factors.
- Biomolecules, biosystems, biomachines, and biocomputing are all emerging and evolving technologies, and are being adapted for commercial use. - Approximately 60% of physical inputs to the global economy could be produced biologically: about one-third are biological materials and the remaining two-thirds are non-biological. - Biotechnology advancements and currently feasible applications could be valued up to $4 trillion a year over the next 10 to 20 years. - Very serious risks exist with new biological capabilities and there needs to be an established proactive, rather than reactive approach moving forward. - There are 3 stages from lab to market: scientific research, commercial availability, and diffusion at scale. - Bio-literacy will need to be instituted across populations for effective risk-reward mitigations. - Research and development is shifting from discovery by accident to rational design. - Biological precision applications are advancing in medical and agricultural sciences. - Gene editing of human and non-human organisms show promise for increased food production and drought resistance, gene driving, and disease vector mitigation, however, there are significant ecological risks, both known and unknown, that need to be addressed. - Automation and AI are being employed to dramatically reduce R&D costs and throughput times. - Roughly 30% of private sector R&D could be in industries employing some kind of biological means of analysis, inputs, and production. - Current primary domains involving biotechnology research and innovation are health and agriculture. - Over the next 10 to 20 years, more than half of the biotechnology impact will likely be in agriculture and consumer products. - Over time, fully recognized biotechnology applications could address 45% of the global health burden. - As discoveries and advancements commence, adjacent technologies and industries may further enhance adoption speed, reduce costs, and spur rippling changes throughout global economies. - Knock-on economic effects may augment broader economic forces caused by increased lifespans, better health outcomes, repurposed land and commercial real estate, and rising retirement ages. - Biology is self-replicating, is self-sustaining, and does not respect jurisdictional boundaries. - The interconnected nature of biology can increase the potential for unintended consequences. - Low barriers to entry open the door to potential misuse with potentially fatal consequences. - Differing value systems make it hard to forge consensus, including on life-and-death issues. - Privacy issues are, and will continue to be, ongoing issues as questions about who really owns DNA sequences, genetic information, brainwave data, and eventually thoughts. - Socioeconomic disparities will provide unequal access to new medical technologies and may further divide the wealthy from the poor at all scales. - Biotechnology creation and adoption follows three broad phases: scientific research, commercialization, and diffusion. - Diffusion of responsibility is especially important, due to inherent risks. - Value propositions will play a significant role in adoption, feasibility, and cost effectiveness as emerging technologies come into the open market.
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Read around in this 80-page white paper which was published by Schmidt Futures in 2022 entitled “The U.S. Bioeconomy: Charting a Course for a Resilient and Competitive Future.” This report is motivated by the fear of losing the race to dominate the burgeoning bio economy and provides development strategies.
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This 64-page 2023 report entitled “Bold Goals for U.S. Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing” is published by the White House per executive order. Like the McKinsey and Schmidt reports, it charts a course for establishing a new economy. From the Executive Summary: “This report on climate change solutions provides an overview of ten bold goals and associated R&D needs to safely harness rapid developments in biotechnology and biomanufacturing to dramatically decrease GHG emissions, increase carbon sequestration, and develop innovative products.”
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The 2016 “Billion Ton Report” was the third of three studies and reports undertaken by the U.S. Department of Energy to assess the availability of biomass for energy production. It finds that U.S. biomass has the potential to replace 30% of American’s fossil fuel use. This web page has a two-minute video introduction, links to all of the reports, and fact sheets. The video and fact sheets provide nice snapshots, and if you want to go deeper, “Volume 1: Economic Availability of Feedstocks” is linked and has a 12 page executive summary.
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Zero Foodprint is an organization that supports food producers as they zero out their carbon emissions, so it's not directly involved in biomass conversion industry though they support sustainable biomass practices. Many resources are available under the tabs entitled “About,” “Carbon Farming,” and “News.”
- Restoring the climate one meal at a time - Crowd funded grants are given to farmers to allow them to switch to renewable farming practices - How it works: - Consumers send 1% of every purchase from a ZFP business – often just a few cents - ZFP optimally and equitably distribute restore grants to farmers applicants for healthy soil projects - Local trusted conservation experts estimate the climate benefit, and help implement and verify carbon farming projects - A mere 2% increase in the carbon content of the planet’s soils could offset 100% of all greenhouse gas emissions going into the atmosphere - “Plants absorb carbon from the sky and turn it into sugars to eat and feed the soil which sustains their growth. (Basically, plants can transform “bad carbon” greenhouse gases in the atmosphere into “good carbon” in the form of soil biology, pulling that carbon back down where it belongs: underground)” - “The more living things in the soil, and the deeper the root systems, the more carbon gets sucked down from the sky” - There is a movement among farmers and ranchers who want to switch from extractive to renewable practices but many farmers can’t afford to take the leap - In 2018, American farmers lost about $60/acre before subsidies and only made $20 per acre after subsidies - Farmers using regenerative practices don’t qualify for subsidies - Cost for farmers to transition to sustainable practices is high and they do not have many options for funding. -
The Agriculture Information Network is an organization that produces short (two minutes or so each) ag-focused segments for local radio across the nation. There’s much to discover using their search engine; start with the search term “biomass.” Here’s a piece that comes up about a new biomass collaborative launched by Cal Poly to find new uses for biomass in light of the California Air Resources Board’s dictum that “nearly all agricultural burning in the San Joaquin Valley will be phased out by Jan. 1, 2025.” 2021 Stanislaus County Agricultural Report
- Number of Cattle & Calves: 265,274. Number of Poultry: 187,585,560 - Livestock and Poultry products went down in value by $100 million from 2020 – 2021 (pg. 6) - 453,156 pollination colonies in Stanislaus County ($201.88/colony - $91,483,000 total value) (pg. 7) - For hay crops, the top 3 are Alfalfa, Oat, and Wheat. Alfalfa is valued the highest. Wheat is valued the lowest. (pg. 8) - 23,057 acres used as Pasture for livestock (pg. 8) - Corn Silage was valued at $94,190,000. More than double the value of all Hay crops. - The cost of almond hulls was very cheap ($5.86 per ton) (pg. 9) - Livestock Associations based in Stanislaus County: California Poultry Association, Squab Producers of California, Western United DairyMen (pg. 12) - In Stanislaus County there were 3621 farms, 165 dairies, and 722,546 acres of farmland (94% farmed by families) (pg. 12, 27) - Top 10 commodities: 1. Almonds 2. Milk 3. Poultry 4. Cattle/Calves 5. Nursery Fruit and Nut Trees 6. Silage 7. Walnuts 8. Almond Pollination 9. Cherries 10. Hay (pg. 5) - Top Ten Export Countries: 1. Republic of Korea 2. United Arab Emirates 3. Japan 4. Germany 5. India 6. Spain 7. China 8. Italy 9. Vietnam 10. The Netherlands (pg. 26)
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Link to the Stanislaus County “Agricultural Statistics Report” for 2021 This is a 28 page report that inventories ag output in our county.
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Stanislaus County has invested ten million dollars into the biomass initiative to develop a new hub of economic activity as per Stan2030 goals. 99-page Board Action Summary
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This one-hour video provides a high-level overview of TID operations including the provision of clean water and electricity to their constituency. Biomass connection: TID operates almond and walnut biomass-burning generators.
- Watershed comprised of Tuolumne River, Don Pedro Reservoir, Turlock Lake, La Grange Dam, regulating reservoirs, canals and additional bodies of waters to supply water for agriculture and water in homes and cities. - Turlock Lake is one of the largest recharge basins in the region. - Don Pedro Dam is 1 of 2 U.S. Dams that are locally owned and operated. - Diverse set of power generation methods including: Hydrogeneration (main source), solar, wind, geothermal (geysers), and natural gas (combustion). - There are a variety of sustainable and environmentally savvy initiatives in progress including, restoration of natural habitats by adding gravel and raising rivers’ water levels and Project Nexus, which is a state funded pilot project which is working to cover canals with solar panels. -TID maintains an Energy Imbalance Market which determines the most efficient and economical manner to compensate for inequities between power generation and consumer load required. - Natural Gas-fired Power Plants: - Walnut Energy Center (WEC ) (2 turbines) – 75 MW output each / steam turbine runs solely from exhaust fumes through boiler - 100 MW output = 250 MW total output - Walnut power plant (2 combustion turbines) – 50 MW output each - Almond power plant (4 combustion turbines) – 200+ MW output total - Walnut power plant “does not run as often” as other plants - 2 Personnel minimum at all times (24/7, 365 days); 15-20 maintenance workers per plant, except Walnut power plant; 1 operator in control room with a helper in the plant observing and testing - “Load-following” facility: in collaboration with TID’s other power generating facilities, WEC’s power generation will go up and down according to signals from power control (central HQ) - Mike Tejada, Combustion Turbine Department Manager -
This 24-page San Joaquin Business Forecast is an annual report published by the Stan State Economics Department faculty. It’s an important resource though doesn’t have direct relevance to our biomass topic.
- Most workers in the valley are unskilled - Retail trade reporting increases unemployment - Farm related whole sale trade employment grew 3.42% in 2022 despite drought - Farm related trade transportation and utilities employment grew by 3.69% in 2022 - Construction employment up 7.75% - Fresno total employment 5.46% and surrounding areas a similar increase - Valley farm related whole sale up 3 times the sample average - Valley manufacturing development up .22% - Farm trade, transportation and utility grew even in the worst months of the pandemic it did decrease 6.63% still exceed the sample average of 2.04% - Construction employment up 7.75% - This region impacted more from inflation do to high living cost
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This 9-page World Economic Forum 2021 report entitled “Converting Biomass to Energy: A Case Study in Avoiding Greenwashing” promotes the wood-to-energy industry but also explores its challenges which is interesting in the California context where cogeneration is out of favor. World Economic Forum is a really interesting publication that “strives in all its efforts to demonstrate entrepreneurship in the global public interest while upholding the highest standards of governance.” Use some search terms like “biomass” or “biomanufacturing” to discover additional resources.
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The Biomass Magazine’s website includes wonky articles and podcasts. Search the archives based on your interests and consider reaching out to authors and podcasters for interviews. And check out their youtube channel
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The 17th International Biomass Conference and Expo being held March 4-6, 2024 in Richmond, VA is completely focused on energy production and offers four tracks which themselves are informative about how the biomass energy industry is divided.
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This 20-page article entitled “Nut Shells as Adsorbents of Pollutants: Research and Perspectives” explores the research concerning nut biomass and their ability to be converted into substances that clean up waste water.
- "the last 5-years average of the world pistachio production amounted to just above 250 Mton" - In the intro they spoke about how because of the shells being peeled on the sites getting of the shells is easier. - Pistachio Hulls have been used as absorbents in removing pollutants including: - naphthol green B (NG-B) - phenol red (PH-R) dye - Methylene blue - Remazol red - There was a study done by Yetilmezsoy and demirel in 2008, using raw Antep pistachios to absorb lead - In 2010 Moussavi and Barikbin did studies on removing chromium VI from synthetic wastewaters using raw pistachios - Biochar is also another product that can be created by pistachio hulls and shells - These points also apply to - Cashews - Pecans - Castor seed hull - Overall the text spoke about many pollutants that different hulls and shells are able to absorb. Maybe this could apply to almond hulls and shells as well -
This 20-page article entitled “Torrefaction of Almond and Walnut Byproducts” could be especially interesting for a chemistry major.
- The US nut industry is growing. The market for nut byproducts is not. - Torrefaction is a thermochemical process used to improve physicochemical properties of biomass for energy and their applications. - The process consists of thermal treatment of biomass at 200 and 300c in the absence of oxygen. - Torrefied biomass exhibits higher hydrophobicity and calorific value with reduced moisture absorption making it a better fuel source for energy than raw biomass. - The heat treatment removes most of the hemicellulose and amorphous cellulose but leaves the lignin mostly intact. - Products from biomass torrefaction: permanent gas composed mostly of CO2 and CO; a condensable liquid , composed mostly of water, organic acids, aldehydes, and phenolic compounds; and a carbonized solid referred to as torrefied biomass. - The condensate can be used as a herbicide, pesticide, Fungicide, insecticide and repellent. - Typically the torrefied biomass results in solid yields over 50%. - Almond processors have reported paying disposal fees of $11-27 per metric ton to dispose of excess shells. - A few studies have been done to assess torrefaction and they show that torrefaction is a successful alternative to just incinerating the shells. - Utilization of torrefied biomass includes pretreatment for energy products, soil amendment, soil remediation, sorbent and filtration media, filler or additive in composites, carbon black substitute, precursor for activated carbon, and as a source for carbon sequestration. - Torrefaction can produce products with similar or improved properties to biochar with better energy input and cost. - For energy products torrefaction can decrease transportation and storage costs of biomass by improving properties like moisture content prior to transportation. - Biomass energy provides 5 times more than wind and solar globally. - Torrefaction pretreatment benefits: reduced moisture of biomass ; lower oxygen-to-carbon ratio, increasing heating value of the biomass; higher hydrophobicity; and improved ignitability, reactivity, and grindability. - Torrefaction found to be more efficient then pelletization and pyrolysis. - Has potential to reduce the cost of bio power/fuel. - Torrefied biomass as a filler in composites improves biocomposites mechanical and thermal properties. - Increased temp results in increased carbon content, reduced hydrogen and oxygen but lower yields. - Torrefaction removes moisture first, then hemicellulose, then cellulose than lignin.
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This 27-page document/slideshow entitled “Empowering Resilient and Productive Landscapes” outlines some of the work that is being done by UCANR to meet climate goals. It contains information regarding biomass conversion
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The UCANR website has a lot to offer but seems to be under construction at the moment, so I’ll just paste in their mission statement and let you explore the site later: “UC Agriculture and Natural Resources connects the power of UC research in agriculture, natural resources, nutrition and youth development with local communities to improve the lives of all”
- As a vital component of the University of California system-wide Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, our mission encompasses the dissemination of scientifically grounded insights, expert guidance, and valuable insights into funding avenues, all in support of advancing biomass utilization endeavors across the expanse of California. - California's vast expanse spans approximately 100 million acres, with nearly 40 percent of its territory designated as forested regions, encompassing an array of ownerships including National Forest System lands, privately held, tribal, state-owned, and other federal government-managed areas. - Forest activities such as logging, thinning, and ecosystem restoration generate substantial woody biomass, with a substantial portion left within the forests. The accumulation of residual materials like mastication debris and timber slash, when scattered, amplifies wildfire risks by augmenting dry surface fuels, underlining the necessity for alternative management approaches. - The challenge of economically extracting woody biomass from forests often necessitates significant subsidies or compromises, as the cost-effectiveness of removal frequently requires sacrificing more valuable resources like saw logs, further emphasizing the complexity of sustainable forestry practices. - Sawmills offer a pragmatic and cost-efficient reservoir of readily accessible woody biomass, consisting of bark, sawdust, wood chips, wood shavings, and cull logs. This versatile material finds utility across multiple sectors, from powering plants and crafting landscape amendments to producing compost, animal bedding, pulp, and panel boards, showcasing its multifaceted potential for enhancing various industries while mitigating ecological concerns.
Shorter Resources
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This four-page Forbes article “Bio-Revolution Ready To Scale“ provides an overview of the federal government’s scale-up plans for biomanufacturing.
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This four-page article entitled “Why the World Needs a 'Circular Bioeconomy' - for Jobs, Biodiversity and Prosperity” published by the World Economic Forumin 2020 approaches its call for economic change from an environmental standpoint of valuing nature and biodiversity
- 1/3 of our land is severely degraded. - In 2019, we were losing forests at a rate of one football field per six seconds - Up to 1 million species are threatened with extinctions - Over half of the world’s GDP ($44 trillion) is threatened by such nature loss - The sustainable management of forests can create $230 billion in business opportunities and 16 million jobs by 2030. - Shifting energy and extractives’ socio-economic system to a circular and resource-efficient models can lead to $2.3 trillion in business opportunities and 30 million jobs by 2030. - Working with nature in the infrastructure and built environment system can generate a total of $3 trillion business opportunities and 117 million jobs by 2030.
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A 2012 USDA Fact Sheet on bioproducts
- The bio-economy uses renewable biological resources from land and sea to produce food, feed, materials, chemicals, fuels, and energy. It is not a new idea but an old idea that historically was employed in the production of bread, cheese, and wine through fermentation. - In recent years, bio-products have been increasingly produced, sold, and used by industries. Within the United States, 4 million jobs and 2,500 USDA certified biomass-based products were - Evonik Industries is a German industrial corporation investigating biomass-based chemicals with $13 billion in sales in 2016.5 In that same year, the company started a $600 million commercialization campaign of bio-surfactants; this is surface-active biomolecules produced from microorganisms with variety of applications. Europe’s approach on bioproducts mainly centers on the processing technology of bioproducts. The bio-economy is thriving now, but the future holds more in store. Many bioenergy firms are still in their R&D stages. - Bio-products should build on the idea that one’s waste is another’s input. - Institutions matter and the development of the industrialeducation complex that support R&D in these sectors will have significant effects on its development. Institutions that support these industries should be probed and better understood.
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This web page, “Investment Opportunity to Convert Biomass into Natural Gas in the San Joaquin Valley,” announces a new biomass-to-fuel conversion company, San Joaquin Renewables, in Bakersfield and calls for investors.
- The San Joaquin Valley in California plays a crucial role in the U.S. agricultural sector, contributing nearly 12% of the U.S. agricultural gross domestic product. It is also a primary source of petroleum and natural gas for the state. - Despite its agricultural significance, the San Joaquin Valley faces a severe air quality problem, with some of the worst air quality levels in the U.S. This poses a significant health hazard to local residents, as it fails to meet compliance standards for five of six ambient air pollutants. - Farmers in the San Joaquin Valley resort to illegal open burning of excess agricultural residues due to the lack of viable disposal options. This practice contributes to the region's air pollution issues, even though fines of up to $500 per acre are imposed. - San Joaquin Renewables, LLC aims to address the issues of air pollution, excess agricultural waste, and the shortage of cellulosic biofuels by building and operating a biomass energy facility near Bakersfield, California. The facility will produce Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) from sustainable almond orchard waste wood and nut shells, offering a cleaner alternative to open burning and generating valuable RNG transportation fuel. - The proposed biomass energy facility will employ Frontline BioEnergy's Biomass into Natural Gas (BING™) process, which utilizes patented gasification technology and proprietary methanation catalyst. This technology allows for more efficient and cost-effective production of RNG from biomass compared to other cellulosic biofuel processes. The success of this initiative is expected to have positive environmental and economic impacts, reducing waste, improving air quality, and providing returns for investors.
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This poster published by The Central Valley Air Quality Coalition (CVAC) is entitled “Sustainable Alternatives to Biomass Incineration in the San Joaquin Valley” and argues against biomass incineration due to its air pollution and provides alternatives.
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This NSF Innovation Engines Grant website explains the grant that Karen Warner and her team at BEAM Circular were awarded to begin the complicated process of launching a new hub of industry in the Northern San Joaquin Valley around biomass conversion a.k.a. Biomanufacturing.
- NSF Engine program fosters innovation across the U.S. - Each engine can receive up to $160 million over 10 years - goals of NSF Engine program: - boost innovation capacity - create sustainable innovation ecosystems -demonstrate inclusive economic growth -
The bioeconomy requires people with expertise for operations, expansion, and innovation. This short article describes several possible bioeconomy careers.
- bioeconomy set to double in growth in next 10 years - bioeconomy has potential to solve: - how to meet the requirements of a growing population - reduce our reliance on fossil fuels - combat climate change - Jobs include microbiologist, energy engineer, anaerobic digestion plant operator, forest/woodland manager, chemical engineer -
This website entitled “Bioeconomy Degrees and Where To Get Them” describes four dedicated bioeconomy degree programs. None are in the U.S. If you choose this resource to digest perhaps you can find one or two at home starting with Solano Community College which is right up the road in Fairfield (here are their biomanufacturing and biotechnology pages);
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The title of this one-page article published by Farm Bureau Financial Services in 2020, “4 Uses for Agricultural Waste That Can Save Farmers Money,” explains it all
- Farm waste - Manure - Corn stalks - Unproductive seeds - Stalks of cotton and sugarcane - Plant based byproducts - Different ways of "recycling" and using these products - Biofuels - Plastic substitutes - Bioplastics - Compost - What I took from this text is that farms really do produce a lot of ag waste that can have many uses that can bring money into the farms but also be better for the environment -
This three-page 2019 article entitled “Scientists Around the World are Turning Agricultural Waste into Food, Packaging and Skincare Products” describes three regional biomass initiatives involving cacao in Colombia, biomass-based packaging materials in France, and biomolecules in Australia.
- A 2018 study out of Brazil estimated that in 2013, there was a total of 5.5 billion tons of crop residues globally. - When harvesting and processing cacao, for every pound of cacao seed, 12 pounds of excess waste material is produced. - Researchers in Colombia have found ways to use the waste to make beer, juice, pudding-like deserts, and nutraceuticals. - They have also found a way to incorporate some of the cacao plant waste, through extraction, into chocolate bars and are replacing some of the traditionally used sweeteners and emulsifiers. - A French project Glopack is using spoiled fruit juices, cattle manure, wheat straw and grapevine shoots as feedstocks for biodegradable polymers in packaging. - Australian researchers are looking for new pigments used in food and cosmetics derived from fruits and vegetables.
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This two-page 2019 article, “Making High-value Products from Agricultural Waste,” describes the launch of the Research Consortium Program for Agricultural Product Development at the University of Adelaide and provides an overview of several projects underway.
- In late 2019, the Research Consortium Project was launched in South Australia with the goal of creating high value products from agricultural waste. - Up to 40 percent of Southern Australia’s harvest ends up as waste. - They are looking for compounds within their harvest waste products for value in skincare products, pre and pro-biotics, food additives, lubricants, and structural materials. - Current projects are working with apples, berries, Brussels sprout stalks, and mushrooms.
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This two-page 2018 article “Making Products With Crop Waste Could Improve India's Air and Water” is about using biomass to make food packaging material that decomposes in several months (like leaves). Bio-plastics replace single-use plastics which Americans use in abundance; the article states that while India produces 5.5 million tons of plastic waste per year, The U.S., which has four times as many people as India, creates 31 million tons of plastic. We create 25 times as much plastic waste per capita then Indians. Let’s pursue this one and figure out how to create biodegradable packaging materials right here at MJC.
- Bio-lutions, a German based company, uses Mulberry plant scraps to create eco-friendly and biodegradeable food packaging - A sister company has began efforts in India to attempt to combat the estimated 15,000 tons of plastic that are created every day, roughly 5.5 million tons per year - In comparison, the US produced 31 million tons of plastic waste in 2010 - Leaves are shredded and dried for two days before being cleaned, mixed with water, and converted into self-binding fibers in a patented machine. Additional water and centrifugal force are applied to the material to create a pulp which is then put through a forming machine and hot press to create the final packaging tray. - This company also uses wheat and rice straw, sugarcane leaves, banana stems, pineapple leaves, and tomato plants - The factory uses just 3.7 to 5.3 quarts of water for every 2 pounds of product - No chemicals are added and very little energy is used for the process - Their products biodegrade in about 3 months. -
This three-page article “Organics Management Success Story: Mid Valley Disposal” provides specific information about how one residential waste management company overcame a bunch of challenges and expanded their composting operation
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Check out the Suscon website. Their mission is “to manufacture eco-friendly products in an environmentally safe facility with minimal waste. Increased energy-efficient manufacturing with flexibility to suit your needs are just two of the areas we target as we strive to improve as a green friendly facility.” Here is the website of a local plastic manufacturer, Jacto, who is innovating in the eco-friendly direction.
- The web page didn't have really any info on the eco-friendly part of their business - All of our resins are recyclable. - Our goal is to manufacture eco-friendly products in an environmentally safe facility with minimal waste. Increased energy-efficient manufacturing -
I’m not sure that these technically count as biomass-made, but here are some cool products that offer alternatives to single-use plastics: Palash-sal leaf plates and bowls and bamboo bowls and plates. See if you can find some more.
- These links take you to ecofriendly and biodegradable Tupperware - As soon as I typed in "Bio" it came up with a list of things including biodegradable: - poop bags - trash bags - grass seed mat - plates - soap - wipes - Sunscreen straws - Cups - I went ahead and just searched in amazon "biodegradable" and saw: - Floss picks - Natural kitchen sponges - Toothbrushes - Forks - Food storage bags (ziplock) - Ecofriendly disposable gloves - Dishwasher detergent pods - Clear cold cups -
WBUR (Boston Public Radio) presented a one-page story of a biomass facility in Springfiled, Mass., that has been a battle for 15 years. The author of the article is Miriam Wasser, senior reporter, Climate and Environment She may offer interesting insights.
- Residents didn't want a factory burning waste in their city for fear of pollutants - Air quality permits revoked - Potentially could lose millions if not allowed to finish construction - The developers say they would be using state-of-the-art technology to trap air emissions, critics say the facility would still release harmful and climatewarming pollutants
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The Biomass webpage of the California Energy Commission has a useful description of the four types of biomass power plants: biomass, digester gas (anaerobic digestion), landfill gas, and municipal solid waste.
- Biomass electricity produced by combusting or decomposing biomass matter - Biomass components include: cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, lipids, proteins, simple sugars, starches, water, ash, hydrocarbons, etc. - Anaerobic digestion: - Digester produces methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) from organic matter which is decomposed by anerobic organisms in an airtight lagoon - 3 steps: decomposition; conversion of decomposed matter to organic acids; conversion of acids to methane gas - Demonstrated use in with agricultural waste and treating municipal/industrial wastewater (examples: Knudsen and Sons project wastewater treatment; Langerwerf Dairy plug flow digester) - “Reduces odor and liquid waste disposal problems” - Programs policies such as Senate Bill 771 (old) and Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) provide funding for R&D involving biomass power generation. - Landfill Gas (LFG) Power Plants: - Collection system drilled into landfill which captures mainly methane gas - The EPA monitors landfills closely for fires, explosions, and air pollution emissions by authority of the Clean Air Act - LFG facilities provide solution to environmental and safety issues by collecting and using gas for power generation and/or heating - 1988 legislation prevents LSG from being sold to gas utilities and/or corporations - “Generally fewer permitting issues” for LSG recovery facilities compared to other MSW*-to-energy facilities due to them being located at existing landfills Municipal Solid Waste: - Processing methods: mass burn, refuse derived fuel, pyrolysis/thermal gasification - “Tipping fee”: MSW facilities are paid by fuel suppliers to take fuel *MSW: Municipal Solid Waste -
The California Biomass Energy Alliance has an interactive map with the names of the biomass producers by name, location, and website.
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This three-page 2022 article describes a USDA grant program to support wood innovation and lists and briefly describes the grant projects. There are a lot of interesting ones and notably, a number of them have to do with biochar like this one that caught my eye: “University of California—Merced, California: $207,361 to develop natural fiber insulation material from forest biochar for sustainable fire-resistant buildings”
- USDA grant program for projects that biomass that support bio-energy bio-fuel and bio-based product production - Aemetis was a one of the recipients of the grant, they received support to create a small, commercial-scale production of “carbon zero” biofuels from forest biomass - Yosemite Clean energy in Oroville received a grant to support development of a wood waste to biofuel gasification plant in Northern Sierra Nevada - UC Merced received a grant to develop natural fiber insulation material from forest biochar for sustainable fir-resistant building
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This two-page article “Peanut Shells to Power” published in 2022 describes a peanut producer’s sustainable setup; he grows peanuts, burns the shells and sells the resultant energy back to the grid, and finally makes bricks from the peanut shell ash.
- 1 million tons of peanuts produced in Argentina - Prodeman, a Cordoban peanut producer, generates 70 gigawatt-hours of electric power, annually, which is produced by solely burning agricultural waste from peanut production - 1 hectare of peanuts = 1.1 tons of peanut shells - 1 ton of peanut shells produces 1.25 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity – Peanut shells have high calorific value (17,570 kg) - Baling peanut shells is the only treatment – densifies material, enables sourcing from a larger radius - Peanut shells burned in water tube boiler to produce high pressure steam which powers turbine - Ash, which is byproduct of the burning, is used to produce bricks - The power plant complies with provisions of the 2015 Paris Agreement - Prodeman recieved funding from Argentina based on use of “an abundant waste product”, “low additional process energy”, “short distances to consumers”, and "low logistic costs” – Prodeman’s power plant cost $1.9 million USD/MW - Jorge Ruben Ciravegna is the engineer who is behind the power plant
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This two-page Fresno Bee article published in 2021 argues that biomass incinerators are a bad idea: “Far From Being a Good Energy Source, Biomass Threatens Central Valley Health, Climate.”
- Mendota biomass power plant one of the largest air polluters in the region - The plant produced dangerous fine particles that cause health problems like heart disease permeate death stroke and aggravated asthma - Biomass power plants are major emitters of air pollutants especially fine particulate matter and nitrogen oxides and are guilty of repeated air quality violations. - Mendota biomass plant was the largest stationary source of fine particulate pollution in Kings, Fresno, and Madera counties combined - Rio Bravo biomass plant is the second largest point source of fine Particle pollution in Fresno county - Particle pollution causes an estimated 1,200 premature deaths in the valley every year - In San Joaquin Valley 4 out of 5 bio plants are in disadvantaged communities with some of the highest air pollution in the state - Biomass power is more carbon polluting at the smoke stack then coal - Biomass power supplies less than 3% of the states total electric power
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Marin County also has a Biomass Project
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Here’s a great overview/definition of biomanufacturing.
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Did you know that “leather” can be made out of apple biomass? And it can be very fashionable.
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This is a company that claims to make biodegradable plastic.
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If you have Netflix, I recommend episode 3 of season 2 of Down to Earth “Regenerative Agriculture.” There’s a great segment on mushrooms. (Cordyceps are a little scary.)
- Positive Energy, a show on Disney +