Following are links to the websites of selected conversion technology providers--companies that convert forestry, agricultural or solid waste to advanced biofuels, biobased chemicals and/or electricity utilizing gasification-related or other emerging conversion processes:
The Agilyx technology converts difficult-to-recycle waste plastics into crude oil through a patented system that is scalable, versatile and environmentally beneficial.
BlueFire’s patented Concentrated Acid Hydrolysis Technology has demonstrated production of ethanol and other petroleum displacing fuels from urban trash (post-sorted MSW), rice and wheat straws, wood waste and other agricultural residues.
Cobalt Technologies is pioneering the development of technologies for the commercial production of renewable biobutanol, a drop-in replacement for petroleum-derived products.
Coskata is a biology-based renewable energy company whose technology allows for the production of fuels and chemicals from a variety of input material (including biomass, agricultural and municipal wastes) However, its first plant, when constructed, will use natural gas as its feedstock..
Enerkem's thermochemical technology platform produces renewable biofuels and chemicals from solid waste. The company's first full-scale commercial facility is now under construction in Edmonton, Alberta, and a similar project is under development in Pontotoc, Mississippi.
Fiberight takes the non-recyclable components of municipal solid and industrial waste and produces biofuel using a biochemical and enzymatic process involving digestion and fermentation.
The Fulcrum process converts sorted, post-recycled municipal solid waste (MSW) into ethanol using a two-step process that consists of gasification followed by alcohol synthesis. The company's first commercial biofuels plant will be located in McCarran, Nevada and will produce up to 10.5 million gallons of ethanol per year.
INEOS Bio’s bioenergy technology takes wastes and sustainably turns them into advanced biofuel and renewable power. Its Indian River BioEnergy Center, now commissioning in Vero Beach, Florida, will produce eight million gallons of ethanol annually and 6.3 MW of power from green waste and citrus residues, ultimately adding 10% municipal waste to its feedstock mix.
KIOR, a next-generation renewable fuels company, has developed a proprietary technology platform to convert biomass into renewable drop-in crude oil. KIOR's first commercial facility is scheduled to commence operations in Columbus, Mississippi, before the end of 2012. The facility will produce 11 million gallons of gasoline, diesel and fuel oil blend stocks annually.
Plasco Energy uses plasma arc technology to refine synthetic gases released from the gasification of solid waste in an orygen-starved conversion chamber. The gases are then used to generate electricity. The Plasco process results in net energy production while converting 95% of waste to clean, valuable products.
ZeaChem uses a hybrid combination of biochemical and thermochemical processing steps to produce a wide range of chemicals and fuels from such feedstocks as hardwood, softwood, switchgrass and corn stover. The construction of its first commercial-scale cellulosic biorefinery will be assisted through a $232.5 million loan guarantee from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Section 9003 Biorefinery Assistance Program.
