Dive Brief:
- Minneapolis-based organic waste-to-energy company, Novus Energy, has secured an $11 million loan guarantee from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to build a $22 million biorefinery plant in Boardman, OR, as reported in Waste Management World. Novus was chosen from six finalists for the loan guarantee, funded by the 2014 Farm Bill.
- The company will convert non-food organic waste into renewable natural gas and organic fertilizer by leveraging Novus Bio-Catalytic System, an integrated process that the company said will streamline operations and process hard-to-digest materials in significantly less time than standard anaerobic digestion, including potato peels, straw, and corn stover.
- Construction will begin this year and will generate 55 jobs. The company plans to begin production in 2017.
Dive Insight:
Not only will the five-acre, high-tech biorefinery reduce landfill methane and recover clean water, but it will also provide new products for farm commodities, drive far-reaching economic growth, and provide jobs.
"This [loan guarantee] will help us in the financing of this ground-breaking project, and also create economic development in both areas of the country," said Novus Energy President and CEO Joe Burke, as reported in Waste Management World. "We’ve been working on this project for over three years. Our selection into this program validates our technology— this is an accelerator for us."
The project has been in the works for a long time; with securing funding representing the most major hurdle to its launch. It is one of a few examples of advancing biorefinery technology to convert waste into energy and other resources, from jet fuel to fertilizer.
