Meridian Waste Solutions, Inc., a vertically integrated, non-hazardous solid waste services and technology company, announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Attis Innovations, formerly Meridian Innovations, has initiated commercialization plans for it first biomass processing facility. Attis will immediately begin feedstock evaluation and assess potential locations for commercial scale operations.
Attis now holds an exclusive license to American Science Technology Corporation’s (AST) patents and AST’s biomass processing facility in Wausau, Wisconsin. Utilizing the acquired intellectual property rights and qualified personnel, Attis plans to take the next step and looks to build its first 60,000 ton per year commercial production facility in Minnesota.
Attis has begun evaluating potential feedstocks for conversion into pulp, cellulosic sugars and AST’s unique melt-flowing lignin. Of particular interest for its first commercial scale facility is the hardwood and softwoods found in northern Minnesota as well as the agricultural crop residues from corn, soybean and wheat growers found in the southern part of the state. Collectively, Minnesota generates approximately 27 million tons of forest and agricultural residues each year in addition to having a living tree inventory of about 465 million tons.
The Minnesota region is appealing not only for its abundant feedstock opportunities but also because of the Minnesota AGRI Bioincentive Program. Through the program, Attis will be able to apply for direct production payments from the state. Attis’s unique grade of melt-flowing lignin will qualify for a $0.06 per pound payment and, in many cases, Attis’s cellulosic sugars will qualify for $0.03 per pound produced. This incentive program will allow Attis to offset some of the costs associated with commercialization.
Attis believes it will be able to prosper where traditional pulp & paper operations have not as Attis technologies are capable of converting both cellulose and lignin into a wider variety of marketable products.
Attis is capable of generating between 35 percent and 100 percent more revenue than pulp, paper, and cellulosic fuel production facilities. Their technology applies to most any form of biomass.
Published in the January 2018 Edition
