The world is full of hot topics these days. Number 1 is of
course the economy and how to tackle it. Interesting how diverse
the opinions are and that no one has a really good answer. The
reason is simple: this situation has not existed in recent
history, maybe never.
Governments everywhere are throwing Billions, even Trillions of
Dollars/Euros/Pounds, even Yuans at it. Kind of difficult to dig
yourself out of a hole you dug for yourself as the sides are
caving in all around you.
This is the time to do more than repair highways, bridges and
municipal infrastructure (necessary as that is also). This is
the time to develop and implement useful new technologies that
produce new efficiencies, where we need it, and which are at the
same time beneficial to the environment.
This is exactly what a group of Austrian and Canadian
entrepreneurs, headed by Southern Ontario businessmen George
Piller and Chuck Martin, are proposing to do: implement a proven
European technology in the North American market, which provides
a multitude of benefits, such as:
- renewable energy
- local finance and operations (cannot be produced for
us elsewhere in the world)
- reduction of the ever growing waste disposal problems
- reduction of pollution and other environmental
concerns
- contribution to the production of electrical energy
and heat
- end product of the production cycle is a needed
product, so no waste at all.
The process uses Biogas (largely Methane) developed from
anaerobic processing of organic waste generated by the food
industry (grease, fats and oils) and farming operations (both
energy crops and animal waste). Not exactly a new process, but
one that has had only limited application in North America so
far until the cry for renewable energy became increasingly
louder.
Europe has had an eye on the long term benefits of this process
on both a large and small farming scale for decades and has
built thousands of such facilities since the seventies,
particularly in Germany, Holland and Austria. Europeans were
always energy hungry, as evidenced by the multitude of Wind
power, Solar Cell, Biofuel, Biogas, Geothermal etc., etc.
installations one can witness as one travels through Europe.
The time for implementing the latest biogas technology in Canada
is ideal. "We have worked on putting a biogas project together,
using the sophisticated Austrian technology, for the last 6
years", says George Piller, who has started numerous successful
businesses in his career, both in Austria and Canada, "and have
incorporated the company Bio-En Power Inc, chosen the people,
the latest technology and the location for our first project".
Members of their team include expert Austrian Consultants /
Designers Gerhard Agrinz, Frey Building Contractors, and a
number of enterprising individuals familiar with the organizing
of related industries and activities. Conestoga Rovers &
Associates guides the group through the approval processes and
is poised to get involved in construction supervision.
The first site is planned for Elmira, a strategic location for
access to the required waste products, which will partially come
from Toronto, partially from local industry and from the nearby
Kitchener-Waterloo area, and which also is ideal for feeding
electricity into the nearby power-grid as well as feeding heat
and electricity to the local industry. Other South Western
Ontario locations already secured are near London and
Leamington.
Financially it sounds like just the process to be successful.
Arriving waste trucks have to pay a tipping fee, most of the
work to produce the gas that feeds the generators is done by
heat and bacteria, the resulting electricity will be sold into
the power grid, a little heat and electricity will be used by
its own processing facility, also sold to adjacent local
industry, and the end product is an efficient organic
fertilizer, which can be sold to surrounding farms. These are
all operational and financial advantages in addition to the fact
that energy will be produced on a 24 hour basis and is not
subject to the variations inherent in harnessing wind and solar
energy, for example.
The approval process is well underway and construction is
targeted to commence later this year, if all goes according to
plan. An Open House presentation was attended by Elmira
residents, by designers Agrinz Engineers, by Bio-En Power Inc.
Executives and Directors, Earl Brubacher, Project Manager, (all
there to explain the process and the benefits), by Drazen
Miletic, Vice Consul of the Commercial Section of the Austrian
Consulate, interested investors and entrepreneurs as well as
Television and Newspaper Media. The public meeting was part of
the approval process required by the Ontario Ministries
involved.
The Elmira project is an ambitious and daring first venture by
Bio-En Power Inc. With preparations and approvals nearly
complete, this team of successful Austrian and Canadian
entrepreneurs, headed by George Piller and Chuck Martin, is
poised to lead this project to an environmental, financial and
economic success.
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