Torrefied biomass test burn reported successful

Feb. 10, 2011, Pittsburg, CA – California
utility Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and power generator GWF
Power Systems report a successful test burn of Renewable Fuel Technologies
(RFT)’s bio-coal. The bio-coal was produced from woody debris provided by
PG&E’s vegetation management team using RFT’s demonstration mobile
torrefaction processor. Twelve hundred pounds of bio-coal were co-fired with
petcoke during the two-hour test at GWF’s Pittsburg petcoke power plant. The
test generated approximately 1 MWh of electricity, which was delivered to
PG&E without changes in operations.

KEMA, a global authority on energy
consulting, testing, and certification, witnessed the test burn and verified
that the power plant stayed within its normal operating range during the test.
No power plant modifications were needed.

“It is important that we develop renewable
energy solutions that can leverage our existing power generating
infrastructure,” says RFT CEO Mark Wechsler. RFT’s patent-pending torrefaction
process involves trailer-based mobile torrefaction processors that can convert
woody debris at its source.