Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Bureau of Waste Management -- Solid Waste Waste

Exhibit ES-1 – Site Plan & Exhibit ES-2 - Site Location Map [1 Page Graphic, 870KB]

November 2010 — NEWS RELEASE: Fulcrum Bioenergy Project Selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to Advance to the Final Stage for a Loan Guarantee:

OVERVIEW/SUMMARY — Fulcrum Sierra BioFuels, LLC is developing a post-sorted municipal solid waste ("MSW")-to-ethanol production facility in Storey County, Nevada. Sierra BioFuels' process converts non-hazardous, post-sorted MSW feedstock into cellulosic ethanol using technologies in an innovative, clean, and efficient two-step thermochemical process. In the first step, the Feedstock is converted into synthesis gas in a down-draft, partial oxidation gasifier followed by a plasma arc. In the second step, the syngas is catalytically converted to ethanol through a process developed by Fulcrum BioFuels, Inc., using a proprietary catalyst technology.

Site Location — The Facility is located on a 16.77 acre parcel (the "Site") in the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center (the "TRIC"). The TRIC currently consists of approximately 6,000 acres zoned "I-2 Heavy Industrial" under the Storey County zoning ordinance which allows for the development of the Facility with approval of only a special use permit.

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Plant Operational Areas — The Facility has two operational areas, Plant Area A and Plant Area B. Plant Area A includes the activities associated with the first step of the process, mainly the delivery, processing, storage and handling of Feedstock to the outlet of each gasifier and plasma enhanced melter system of the Facility's three syngas generation units including the residual materials produced in Plant Area A. Plant Area B includes all other activities associated with the second step of Sierra BioFuels' process including the products produced, materials and supplies purchased for use at the Facility, the combined cycle power generation unit, and handling any industrial waste generated.

Plant Area A — Plant Area A includes the activities associated with the first step of the process mainly the delivery, processing, storage, and handling of Feedstock to the outlet of each gasifier and PEMTM system of the Facility's three syngas generation units including the residual materials produced in Plant Area A.

Feedstock Delivery — The Feedstock will be comprised of the organic component of MSW-derived from the residual materials remaining after recycling operations are performed by material recovery facilities ("MRFs") and/or commercial and construction and demolition waste streams. The Facility will be open to accept Feedstock deliveries 24 hours per day, seven days per week, resulting in approximately 15-23 Feedstock truck deliveries per day. The Feedstock will be transported to the Site by tipper-style fixed floor transfer trailers or construction-style roll-off trailers.

The Facility will receive approximately 375-675 tons per day ("TPD") of Feedstock depending on the hours of operation of the MRFs. All trucks will be required to have the loads covered to prevent blowing or spillage during transport. Upon arrival at the Facility, all loads of Feedstock will be weighed prior to unloading using a truck scale located near the main entrance gate. Unloading of Feedstock in unauthorized areas will be prohibited.

Feedstock Processing and Storage — A presort will be performed as the Feedstock is unloaded on the tipping floor to remove materials that are too large or to difficult to resize. A mobile front-end loader with a grapple device will remove the object(s) and place it in a reject dumpster for delivery to a landfill. The loader will also remove any large objects identified in the incoming material stream being pushed onto the walking floor feed conveyor. These objects will be placed in the rejects dumpster for return to the landfill. An eddy current and magnetic separator will remove non-ferrous and ferrous metals, respectively, for recycling.

The Feedstock will then be shredded to a size reduced form (approximately four inches and smaller) in an enclosed materials processing building which can hold one (1) day of unprocessed Feedstock. Processed Feedstock will then be stored at the Site for up to four (4) days in an enclosed feedstock storage building. Both the feedstock processing and storage buildings are equipped with mist odor environmental control equipment. Within the storage building, the Feedstock is moved to the feedstock handling system where it is fed into the gasification process for conversion to syngas.

Feedstock Processing Dust Control — Dust will be minimized and housekeeping improved in the feedstock preparation building by the placement of a feedstock processing dust suppression system with dust extraction pick-up at the feedstock shredder/hammer mill and conveyor material transfer points.

Odor Control — The Facility will control odors so that there are no obnoxious odors causing a nuisance to adjacent properties. The feedstock processing building and feedstock storage building will be equipped with mist odor control systems on the ceilings throughout the buildings and at ingress and egress points. The odor control system will have the capability to adjust the type of neutralizing additive used in the system based on actual conditions and constituents that may be causing odors.

Syngas Generation Units — The Facility's three (3) syngas generation units are each comprised of a gasifier, PEM™ system, a thermal residence chamber ("TRC"), and a heat recovery steam generator ("HRSG"). The gasifier, PEM™ system and its residual materials are included in Plant Area A.

Gasifier — The Facility's gasification process is a thermochemical technology designed to convert Feedstock into marketable products utilizing a chemical reaction in an oxygen-lean, non-combustion environment. Sierra BioFuels' gasification process will convert the Feedstock into the intermediate product, syngas, which is further conditioned and processed to produce a final product--ethanol--and other co-products and renewable electric power for station use. The majority of the Feedstock will be converted into syngas in the gasifier. Non-gasified material is further processed in the PEM™ system. The entire gasification train operates in an oxygen-lean environment.

Plant Area B — Plant Area B contains all other activities associated with the second step of Sierra BioFuels' process including the products produced and materials and supplies purchased for use at the Facility and industrial waste generated.

Thermal Residence Chamber and Heat Recovery Steam Generator— The syngas streams from both the gasifier and the PEM™ system are routed to the TRC where additional residence time allows the gasification reactions to reach equilibrium. The syngas discharged from each of the TRCs contains a mixture of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, steam, acid gases, and particulate. This hot syngas leaves the TRC and flows into the dedicated HRSG. The HRSG recovers heat from the syngas to pre-heat the feed gas stream entering the synthesis reactors. The syngas streams from the three syngas generation units are commingled prior to entering the syngas cleaning processes.

Ethanol Production — Two thirds of the conditioned syngas produced by the Facility will pass through a catalytic reactor for conversion to an ethanol product. Within the alcohol synthesis loop, excess carbon dioxide and other inert gases are removed to maintain the proper syngas composition. The ethanol product is then cooled and condensed prior to entering the alcohol separation equipment to remove excess water and any alcohol co-products before being sent to above-ground storage tanks, located in a bermed area designed to provide secondary containment, to await shipment to market.

Generation Facility — The Facility's Generating Facility is designed to operate very efficiently -- it will capture the direct and indirect energy in the syngas for conversion into renewable energy in a clean, efficient, and cost effective manner. The Facility's combined-cycle generation plant will consist of one combined-cycle train, comprised of a dual-fueled gas turbine and an unfired HRSG, with the steam from the HRSG being commingled, combined with the steam from three syngas generation unit HRSGs and ducted to one steam turbine. The gas turbines and steam turbine will each drive separate electric power generators to produce renewable energy for The Facility's station use.

Storage Tanks — Ethanol from the ethanol synthesis loop is transferred to one of two Ethanol Day Tanks within the tank farm where samples will be obtained and tested against plant quality standards. Ethanol will then be either transferred to a single product storage tank or transferred to a tank for off-specification material where it will be recycled back into the process and reworked to make first quality ethanol. Ethanol from the Ethanol Storage Tank will be loaded onto tanker trucks using a loading arm. Gasoline from on-site storage will be blended in at a 5 percent by volume during the loading process as the denaturant for the ethanol. All storage tanks, pumps, loading systems, and truck/railcars during loading/unloading will reside within containment areas to provide containment protection in the case of spills and/or leaks. All ethanol and gasoline tanks will have vapor recovery systems to route any vapors to the flare.

Contact Info
Nevada Division of Environmental Protection Bureau of Waste Managment	Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inc. 4900 Hopyard Road Suite 220 Pleasanton, CA 94588 Phone: 925.730.0150 Fax: 925.730.0157 Email — info@fulcrum-bioenergy.com Fulcrum Website