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One of the Largest University Biomass Installations Part of Program to Reduce Utility Costs and Carbon Footprint

EIU will finance the improvements and use the savings, guaranteed by Honeywell through a 20-year performance contract, to pay for the work. As a result, the program will not place a burden on the university's budget, or require additional taxpayer dollars or student fees.

The upgrades will impact all facilities on the 320-acre campus, and significantly curb the university's energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. For example, they will reduce electricity consumption by an estimated 6.2 million kilowatt-hours per year -- enough energy to power more than 580 homes annually. Carbon dioxide emissions will also decrease by nearly 20,000 metric tons each year. According to figures from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this is equivalent to removing more than 3,600 cars from the road.

"Like many universities, our list of needs across campus is much larger than the financial resources available," said Bill Perry, president of Eastern Illinois University. "This program allows us to make critical improvements and keep our facilities comfortable and functional for years to come. Plus, we're able to reduce our carbon footprint at the same time. It's an ideal solution for the university and surrounding community."

The focal point of the program is the construction of a new steam plant on the southeast corner of campus that will be driven by two large biomass gasifiers, the first application of this technology in the region. The plant will use wood chips sourced from the local logging industry to generate steam and heat buildings on campus. And it will replace the university's aging steam plant, which is inconveniently located in the center of campus, consumes more than 10,000 tons of coal per year and requires constant maintenance.

Through biomass gasification, the wood chips are heated in an airtight, oxygen-deprived chamber until they break down to create a synthetic gas that burns similar to natural gas. The gas is then used to fire the boilers, giving the university a carbon-neutral solution for heating its facilities. As a result, all of the steam heating load for the university will be met through a renewable resource.

EIU chose the biomass system based on input from the Honeywell Renewable Energy Scorecard, a first-of-its-kind selection tool that analyzes location-specific details to pinpoint the technology with the most significant environmental and economic drivers.

As part of the new plant, Honeywell will also install a small turbine that uses excess steam
to produce electricity. The turbine is expected to generate more than 2.9 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, reducing the amount of energy the university purchases from the grid and providing another environmentally friendly energy source.

Additional conservation measures include:

• Retrocommissioning all mechanical systems on campus to ensure efficient operation;
• Constructing a new high-voltage switch yard to consolidate two intake points for electricity, which will lower the university's utility rates.
• Updating the chilled water system to provide more flexibility in determining which chillers to use for its cooling needs;
• Replacing windows at five residence halls with double-pane insulating glass;
• Upgrading lighting fixtures and installing occupancy sensors throughout campus to help reduce energy use;
• Retrofitting plumbing systems to conserve water use;
• And sealing building envelopes to prevent the loss of warm and cool air.
  

Honeywell will also provide ongoing commissioning, and measurement and verification as part of the contract. The upgrades are expected to be complete by end of 2012.

"Using renewable energy not only delivers environmental benefits, it can also generate economic payback," said Paul Orzeske, president of Honeywell Building Solutions. "Through guaranteed energy savings, organizations like Eastern Illinois University can make investments in their facility infrastructure and reduce carbon dioxide emissions without impacting the bottom line." 

This release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that we or our management intends, expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon certain assumptions and assessments made by our management in light of their experience and their perception of historical trends, current economic and industry conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate. The forward-looking statements included in this release are also subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to economic, competitive, governmental, and technological factors affecting our operations, markets, products, services and prices. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results, developments and business decisions may differ from those envisaged by such forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Honeywell

According to a recent Forbes Magazine article entitled "America's Best Places For Alternative Energy," the abundance of biomass in Georgia's Bioenergy Corridor ranks third in the nation as a potential source of renewable energy. The article referenced the amount of privately owned forest in Georgia, more than any other state in the country, as a reason for the state's ranking. Forbes also cited that roughly 50 million tons of the state's own timber ends up in the state's wood-products manufacturing plants every year and the industry returns nearly half of it in the form of primary mill wood debris.

"Georgia's wealth of natural resources combined with our research institutions and a strong business climate create an ideal environment for the development of renewable energy," said Georgia Governor, Sonny Perdue. "We appreciate Forbes' recognition of our ability to develop alternative energy sources."

The proposed Georgia facility would be designed to produce alternative/green energy. When completed, the plant would have the capacity to produce several hundred thousand metric tons of biomass fuel pellets annually. NFI recently announced it has entered into a Letter of Intent to purchase a 20% equity interest in a biomass manufacturing facility currently under construction in MAP Ta PHUT, Thailand.

Biomass or biofuel is material derived from recently living organisms. This includes plants, animals and their by-products. For example, manure, garden waste and crop residues are all sources of biomass. It is a renewable energy source based on the carbon cycle, unlike other natural resources such as petroleum, coal, and nuclear fuels. The use of biomass fuels can therefore contribute to waste management as well as fuel security and help to prevent global warming

NFI's Business Plan calls for manufacturing facilities to be constructed in various locations around the world. The Georgia plant would be the Company's first in the United States and would serve as a model facility for other plants in the U.S. A plant of this size could create approximately 200 jobs.

NFI markets various products including energy efficient pellet fuel made from organic waste bi-products using unique and innovative ideas combined with proven technology. The Company's current expansion includes building manufacturing plants in various international locations that will produce biomass products and bio-diesel products for power generation units. It is estimated that in the next five years the biomass industry will become a $20 billion industry.

SOURCE Vega Promotional Systems, Inc.

Project will allow the recycling and conversion of 60% of Three Rivers region's waste material.

Enerkem Inc., a leading advanced biofuels and green chemicals technology company, today announced its plans to build and operate a second-generation biofuels production facility located in Pontotoc, Mississippi, USA. In addition, the company announced the signature of a Memorandum of Intent with the Three Rivers Solid Waste Management Authority of Mississippi (TRSWMA) for the supply of approximately 189,000 tons of unsorted municipal solid waste (MSW) per year for use as feedstock at the Pontotoc facility.

Plans call for the plant to be built, owned and operated by Enerkem Mississippi Biofuels, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Enerkem. It is expected to produce 20 million gallons per year of next-generation ethanol using a mix of feedstock comprised of wood residues from regional forest and agricultural operations, as well as urban biomass such as municipal solid waste, construction and demolition debris, and treated wood. In addition to the biofuels production facility, the investment includes an upstream municipal solid waste recycling and pre-treatment center. The total project represents a US$250 million investment. The Enerkem process will recycle and convert approximately 60% of the MSW that crosses the gate at the Three Rivers landfill. The majority of the MSW will be converted into biofuels and the remainder will be distributed to recycling processors. The overall project is expected to create 150 long-term direct and indirect jobs, and to generate an additional 300 jobs during the construction and start-up phases.

"We are pleased to collaborate with the northern Mississippi community on building an unprecedented advanced biofuels project. The project, our first in the United States, will leverage the expertise we've gained both at our large-scale pilot facility and at our first commercial plant," said Vincent Chornet, President and Chief Executive Officer of Enerkem. "This project is unique in that it uses a mix of municipal solid waste - which has negative cost - and wood residues as feedstock, allowing Enerkem to achieve substantial commercial scale and favorable economics."

Enerkem is working closely with the Three Rivers Planning and Development District, which is responsible for the administration of the Three Rivers Solid Waste Management Authority landfill site in Pontotoc, Mississippi, where the facility would be located. Enerkem and TRSWMA have signed a Memorandum of Intent and are in the process of negotiating final financial and binding agreements. The company is also developing strong ties with local organizations and associations including the Mississippi State University, which will be collaborating on future R&D efforts with Enerkem, the Mississippi Loggers Association, the Mississippi Development Authority and the Mississippi Technology Alliance.

"We are very excited by this project as it will create green jobs, contribute to the rural economy in northern Mississippi and give us the opportunity to become an important player in the next-generation biofuels industry, while enabling the local governments of the Three Rivers region to provide major recycling at no additional cost to its citizens", said Randy Kelley, Executive Director of the Three Rivers Planning and Development District. "This biofuels facility will also provide environmental benefits by transforming our municipal solid waste into a locally produced green fuel."

Enerkem has designed a technology platform that is feedstock-flexible and can produce an array of valuable advanced transportation fuels, green chemicals and renewable electricity. Enerkem's renewable fuels represent a new technology path towards environmentally friendly energy, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by using materials that would otherwise produce methane when landfilled, and by producing a renewable fuel for cars, buses and trucks. Unlike first-generation biofuels, or agrofuels, which are produced from sugar-rich crops such as corn and sugar cane, Enerkem's second-generation biofuels are produced from biomass and waste materials.

SOURCE Enerkem Inc.