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May 17th, 2013:

Airbus & Air Canada Explore Waste Based Aviation Biofuels

http://www.waste-management-world.com/articles/2013/05/airbus—air-canada-explore-waste-based-aviation-biofuels._printarticle.html

Airbus & Air Canada Explore Waste Based Aviation Biofuels

14 May 2013

By Ben Messenger
Managing Editor of Waste Management World magazine

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Airbus & Air Canada Explore Waste Based Aviation Biofuels

Air Canada and Airbus have signed an agreement with BioFuelNet to help them find the most promising biofuels for aviation, and will research biofuels made using municipal solid waste and agricultural and forestry waste as feedstocks. (Free webcast available now – Accelerating Biofuels: Waste Gasification to Aviation and Transport Fuels in the UK and US/Canada)

BioFuelNet Canada is not-for-profit organisation hosted by Montreal’s McGill University that brings together the Canadian biofuels research community to address the challenges impeding the growth of the advanced biofuels industry, while focusing on non-food biomass as biofuel feedstocks.

According to the organisation, Air Canada (TOR: CA:AC.A) and Airbus – a subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS.PA) – are part of a broad coalition, which has pledged carbon neutral growth from 2020 and to reduce greenhouse emissions by 50% by 2050.

BioFuelNet went on to explain that under the agreement the research into the use of aviation biofuels will focus on diverse raw materials, such as municipal solid waste and agricultural and forestry waste, as well as a range of conversion processes available for biofuel production.

The ultimate goal is to determine which advanced biofuels are the most sustainable for aviation.

Reducing the carbon footprint of air travel

“Aviation biofuels are one of the most promising ways to reduce the aviation industry’s carbon footprint, making air travel more environmentally-friendly”, commented Dr. Donald Smith, president of BioFuelNet and McGill University professor

Frederic Eychenne, new energies programme manager at Airbus added: “The commercialisation of sustainable alternative fuels is a key to reducing our sectors carbon footprint.”

Eychenne explained that Air Canada has already operated two flights with biofuel and on each occasion substantially reduced its emissions.

“New technologies, such as alternative fuels, are one of the ways our industry plans to reduce its emissions to meet its target of carbon-neutral growth for 2020 and beyond,” commented Paul Whitty, director of fuel purchasing and supply at Air Canada and chair of the Air Canada Alternative Fuels Working Group.

BioFuelNet was launched in 2012 as part of the Federal Networks of Centres of Excellence program, which funds BioFuelNet through a $25 million grant over 5 years.

The organisation said that it brings together 74 researchers working on advanced biofuels in Canada, as well as industry partners and government, in order to accelerate research, development, and commercialisation of advanced biofuels.

Trash is treasure, Waste Summit told

http://www.joburg.org.za/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8636:trash-is-treasure-waste-summit-told&catid=88:news-update&Itemid=266

Trash is treasure, Waste Summit told

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17 May 2013


Waste has immense value and trash can be turned into treasure.

This was the common thread that ran through the two-day Waste Summit organised by the City of Johannesburg’s waste management company, Pikitup, and held at the Sandton Convention Centre earlier this week.

“(In) creating a liveable, sustainable world-class African city of the future we need to find better methods to deal with increased amounts of waste,” said Johannesburg City Manager Trevor Fowler.

“The City of Johannesburg is looking at various projects to develop solutions to address the challenges we face. There is a need for green or clean technology to ensure a solution as opposed to dealing with waste on our ever-burdened landfill sites. It is now crucial to focus on research and technology to tackle the issue.”

There are currently numerous waste to energy and alternative energy projects being run throughout the city in a bid to assess and gauge their effectiveness.

One such project is the mapping of landfill sites in proximity to hospitals.

Gauteng MEC for Infrastructure Development Qedani Mahlangu said a partnership with the private sector had resulted in securing funding for the sourcing of alternative fuel- landfill gas electricity generation, which will be used to ensure hospitals are energy- secure.

“Currently, we are utilising gas brought in from Mozambique to use in local hospitals. But there is a need for a cheaper alternative, hence the landfill site and hospital proximity mapping process currently under way.  It is critical we take cognisance of the fact that we no longer enjoy the luxury of looking for alternative fuel and energy sources, such alternatives have become a necessity,” said Mahlangu.City Power’s Paul Vermeulen said the way forward for the City in its search for cleaner and greener technology was through the use of photovoltaics, solar hearing and gas powered co-generation projects.

“City Power has also rolled out its low pressure solar heating campaign in a bid to push for lower electricity use.

“This campaign aims to fit 110 000 RDP houses with these solar geysers. Targeted at low-income and RDP houses, the campaign has already seen 24 000 low pressure solar systems installed. We have seen a definite reduction in electricity usage, especially during peak times since the launch of this campaign. Phase 2 will be rolled out shortly and will be aimed at middle to upper income areas on a ‘fee for service’ basis,” said Vermeulen.
Joburg Water’s Ronell Viljoen said the City’s water management company was also playing its part in finding alternative energy sources.

She said due to unavoidable spikes in running costs, Joburg Water was working towards generating its own energy from waste for usage at Waste Water Treatment (WWT) plants.

“We have two plants currently converting biogas into electricity, which has the potential running cost and generation saving of up to 55%. By sourcing electricity from waste water, Joburg Water is taking a step closer to making inroads into satisfying several objectives that will benefit both the environment and the consumer,” Viljoen said.

During the two-day summit, delegates listened to and took part in several talks and debates on numerous issues such as waste minimisation and recycling, which includes the separation of recyclable waste at source and alternative waste treatment technologies including waste-to-energy, composting, incineration, anaerobic digestion, gasification, mechanical biological treatment, plasma arc waste disposal, pyrolysis, UASB (applied to solid waste) and waste autoclave.