CEC Grants Wishes to Some for Biofuels Projects

by Helena Taveras-Kennedy (Biofuels Digest) Wishes are coming true for some California bioenergy projects. Aemetis, Oberon Fuels and others will receive millions from the California Energy Commission for their bioenergy projects, from DME to advanced ethanol.

Back in August 2018, the California Energy Commission released a solicitation (GFO-18-602) called “Demonstration-Scale Advanced Biofuels Production Facilities” under the Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program (ARFVTP). This grant solicitation was an offer to fund low carbon biofuel production projects that scale-up, scale-out, and prove a technology or process at the first demonstration-scale biofuels production facilities at a site-specific location. The grant solicitation offered the availability of up to a nice $6 million to fund such projects.

The second solicitation, GFO-18-601 called “Community-Scale and Commercial-Scale Advanced Biofuels Production Facilities” is also under the ARFVTP. This grant solicitation was an offer to fund low carbon biofuel production projects at new and existing biofuel production facilities. The grant solicitation announced the availability of up to a whopping $16.9 million to fund such projects.

Why is the CEC offering up all this dough? Well, the state of California is trying to encourage the production of alternative and renewable transportation fuels in California that can significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, displace petroleum fuel demand, and stimulate economic development.

It looks like their wish is coming true, as are the wishes of several projects that were approved. CEC came to a decision and published a proposed awards table that identifies which applicants got their wish to come true and which got a ‘nope’ or ‘maybe next time.’

Of course, the CEC made it clear in their disclaimer that funding of the proposed projects is contingent upon the approval of these projects at a publicly noticed Energy Commission Business Meeting and execution of a grant agreement.

The one with the highest “score” that the CEC gives each applicant based on various criteria, is California Grinding, Inc. for their Thermophilic Bacterial Pretreatment of Organic Feedstocks Demonstration. They are receiving the full $3 million they requested.

The Southern California Gas Company is receiving $3 million for its Hydrothermal Processing of Wastewater Solids (HYPOWERS Demonstration Facility).

Technikon LLC is getting a little over $1 million for its Hyper-Philic AD Demonstration of Green Waste Conversion to Renewable Natural Gas for fueling station.

Technology and Investment Solutions is getting $2 million for its In-situ Biomethanation in Food Waste Digesters Using CO2 and Catalytically Derived Hydrogen from Biogas.

Another interesting project is Oberon Fuels, Inc., #7 in The Digest’s 2017 Hottest Company list. Oberon is receiving nearly $3 million for its “Renewable DME: Pathway to Zero Emission Vehicles” project. Oberon Fuels converts biogas, methane, CO2 and other hydrocarbon rich waste streams to higher valued commodities such as DME and methanol. In 2013, their pilot plant, in Brawley, California, produced the first fuel-grade renewable DME in North America. This ASTM D7901 compliant fuel is currently being used in North American demonstrations of DME-powered, heavy-duty trucks. Check out The Digest’s Multi-Slide Guide to Oberon Fuels here.

For the GFO-18-601 proposed awardees, an interesting commercial-scale proposed project is Aemetis’ low carbon advanced ethanol project. They are receiving a decent $5 million – the exact amount they requested. On the other hand, Aemetis’ biomethane cluster community-scale project was passed but not funded, as was a biomethane plant from Quantitative BioSciences, Inc. READ MORE