Advanced BioFuels USA

by James L. Stewart (California’s BioEnergy Producers Association/Technikon/Biofuels Digest) A major worldwide effort is underway through the non-profit organization R20 Regions of Climate Action to assist sub-national states and jurisdictions in developing projects that promote clean energy and combat climate change. Currently, R20 has more than $1 billion of low-carbon, economic development projects in process in 20 countries. Although some are early stage, others have already been completed.

One of R20’s key initiatives is to stimulate “Zero Waste” projects worldwide. These projects use new technologies to convert waste streams, such as municipal solid waste, used tires, and biosolids, into high value products such as liquid fuel, oils, electricity and other valuable outputs. To develop these projects in the “waste-to-value” space, R20 has partnered with Waste Resources International LLC.

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In 2011 (Terry) Tamminen and Governor Schwarzenegger founded the R20, which began as a consortium of 20 sub-national jurisdictions determined to move more aggressively than their national governments on solutions to climate change. Its initial members included the states of California, Connecticut and Michigan, the province of British Columbia and regions and states in nations including Mexico, Brazil, Peru, France, Morocco, India and China.

R20 was conceived as a vehicle to assist sub-national and local governments around the world, not only in policy development, but also in the design and implementation of specific projects addressing climate change–projects ranging from the electrification of areas of Africa to renewable energy and energy efficiency in South America.

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Waste Resources International is the business development partner of the R20 in the waste optimization sector, addressing opportunities for R20 member jurisdictions in the recovery and use of carbon-based wastes, both fossil and cellulosic, as feedstocks for the production of energy, liquid fuel and sustainable products. Founded by Richard Baskin, WRI identifies available waste streams and serves as an integrator of technology, management teams and finance.

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While the R20 serves as a project and finance matchmaker, WRI serves as a master developer, evaluating technologies, feedstocks, operating teams and project sites, as well as bringing its own financial resources to the projects, which currently are in process in the United States, Europe, MENA, and South America. WRI/R20 estimates that between $2-3 billion of additional new, low-carbon “waste to renewable energy” infrastructure projects will be initiated in a three-to-five-year timeframe through its collective efforts.  READ MORE / MORE