<span> </span><br>
<span>Just curious - is the ICM technology based on gasification or pyrolysis? Maybe this just highlights the fact that you cannot expect any single technology to deliver multiple outcomes.</span><br>
<span> </span><br>
<span>Peter Mason.</span><br>
<span> </span><br>
<span><em> A problem well defined is a problem half solved and always start with the end in mind.</em></span><br>
<span> </span><br>
<span>Mason & Associates.</span><br>
<span>Renewable Energy Project Developers.</span><br>
<span>pmason@telus.net</span><br>
<span> </span><br>
<span> </span><br>
<span>> -----Original Message-----</span><br>
<span>> From: Gasification [mailto:gasification-</span><br>
<span>> bounces@lists.bioenergylists.org] On Behalf Of gasification-</span><br>
<span>> request@lists.bioenergylists.org</span><br>
<span>> Sent: December-21-12 8:01 PM</span><br>
<span>> To: gasification@lists.bioenergylists.org</span><br>
<span>> Subject: Gasification Digest, Vol 28, Issue 7</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> Message: 1</span><br>
<span>> Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2012 22:44:03 +0000 (UTC)</span><br>
<span>> From: rongretlarson@comcast.net</span><br>
<span>> To: biochar@yahoogroups.com, Tom Miles <tmiles@trmiles.com>,</span><br>
<span>> albert.bennett@icminc.com</span><br>
<span>> Cc: gasification@lists.bioenergylists.org, biochar-policy</span><br>
<span>> <biochar-policy@yahoogroups.com></span><br>
<span>> Subject: Re: [Gasification] [biochar] ICM gasifier project comes to a</span><br>
<span>> close</span><br>
<span>> Message-ID:</span><br>
<span>> <469265106.1024285.1356043443355.JavaMail.root@sz0133a.emeryville</span><br>
<span>> .ca.mail.comcast.net></span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"</span><br>
<span>> </span><br>
<span>> </span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> Tom, Lists, Bert</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> Because this sounded pretty bad news for biochar, I have done a little</span><br>
<span>> looking around. I eventually talked to the key individual at ICM - Dr.</span><br>
<span>> Bert Bennett, who has agreed to comment on your news story below.</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> Bert gave a very informative plenary about this specific ICM plant at</span><br>
<span>> Sonoma. Anyone can watch a good 15 minute video found at:</span><br>
<span>> http://2012.biochar.us.com/conference-videos</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> I also found a shorter similar 5 minute audio from 2011</span><br>
<span>> http://domesticfuel.com/2011/05/10/icm-spotlights-biomass-gasification-</span><br>
<span>> at-conference/</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> There are also plenty of news releases on the facility - all I saw were</span><br>
<span>> very complementary.</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> Because Bert has agreed to give some more background, I won't say more</span><br>
<span>> except to say this should be by no means the end of the biochar story</span><br>
<span>> from this 350 person company, that is operating worldwide.</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> Ron</span><br>
<span>> ----- Original Message -----</span><br>
<span>> From: "Tom Miles" <tmiles@trmiles.com></span><br>
<span>> To: biochar@yahoogroups.com, "Discussion of biomass pyrolysis and</span><br>
<span>> gasification" <gasification@lists.bioenergylists.org></span><br>
<span>> Sent: Thursday, December 20, 2012 11:08:46 AM</span><br>
<span>> Subject: [biochar] ICM gasifier project comes to a close</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> > The article below demonstrates how difficult it Is to convert urban</span><br>
<span>> residues to heat, power and biochar in today?s economy.</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> > I observed that technically the ICM gasifier worked very well. The ICM</span><br>
<span>> gasifier can take wood, straw or corn stover and convert it to gas and</span><br>
<span>> biochar in various proportions. It makes a good quality biochar that</span><br>
<span>> has been tested in various locations. I was impressed by the fuel</span><br>
<span>> flexibility.</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> The economic challenges are manifold: if it is not feasible to generate</span><br>
<span>> and sell heat or power and biochar at one location then you can?t</span><br>
<span>> generate the cash flow necessary to run the plant. We hope that Bert</span><br>
<span>> Bennett and his team at ICM can find a suitable customer.</span><br>
<span>> </span><br>
<span>> Tom</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> ICM gasifier project comes to a close</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> By Ashley Bergner Newton Kansan</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> December 20. 2012 11:00AM</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> www.thekansan.com/article/20121220/NEWS/121229996</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> > The decommissioning of ICM's prototype gasifier at the Harvey County</span><br>
<span>> Transfer Station marks an end ? or at least a postponement ? of the</span><br>
<span>> county's vision of a viable waste-to-energy system.</span><br>
<span>> At Monday's county commission meeting, officials announced the project</span><br>
<span>> would be coming to a close, and within six months, all the equipment</span><br>
<span>> will be taken down.</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> "It would bring to a halt our hopes ... of what would be a waste-to-</span><br>
<span>> energy facility," said John Waltner, county administrator.</span><br>
<span>> ICM?s Biomass Gasification System, also known as a ?gasifier,? burns</span><br>
<span>> trash and converts it to synthetic gas, which can be used to generate</span><br>
<span>> power in industrial and commercial settings. ICM tested thousands of</span><br>
<span>> tons of different types of waste, which are referred to as</span><br>
<span>> ?feedstocks.? Feedstocks tested included wood chips, wheat straw and</span><br>
<span>> refuse-derived fuel (this includes junk mail, cardboard and other paper</span><br>
<span>> products thrown away).</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> Using a gasifier to convert Harvey County trash into energy had once</span><br>
<span>> appeared to be a possibility. The Harvey County facility likely would</span><br>
<span>> have needed to burn 90 tons of trash per day, a number officials had</span><br>
<span>> thought the county could reach.</span><br>
<span>> ICM plans to try to market the technology in a different area, perhaps</span><br>
<span>> overseas.</span><br>
<span>> Despite the county's disappointment the project wasn't ultimately</span><br>
<span>> viable here in Harvey County, they said their experience working with</span><br>
<span>> ICM was positive.</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> "It really has been just a terrific exercise for us," Waltner said.</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> Commission chair Marge Roberson agreed."It feels really good that</span><br>
<span>> Harvey County had the tenacity to push to take a good, hard look at</span><br>
<span>> doing something with trash other than putting it in the ground," she</span><br>
<span>> said. "I absolutely do not regret any moment we've spent with this</span><br>
<span>> partnership."</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> Waltner does believe the technology will be prove to be viable in the</span><br>
<span>> future.</span><br>
<span>></span><br>
<span>> "They're going to be successful," he said of the company. "This is</span><br>
<span>> something that's going to happen."</span><br>
<span> </span><br>