St. Louis, MO – Roeslein Alternative Energy was named the 2016 Groundbreaker of the Year by BBI International, at the annual International Biomass Conference and Expo in Charlotte, North Carolina on April 12, 2016.
Roeslein Alternative Energy (RAE) has recently launched a significant project, which warrants the nomination for this award. RAE has partnered with Smithfield Hog Production (SHP) of Missouri. RAE is utilizing SHP’s hog manure lagoons by placing impermeable covers over them in order to anaerobically digest the manure to create methane gas. The captured methane will then be refined and used as a renewable natural gas. Once refined the gas will then be injected into main grid pipelines, and accessible to millions. Along with manure conversion, RAE looks to utilize marginal and highly erodible land and restore them back to the native prairies that they once were. It is the goal of RAE to restore ultimately 200,000 acres of land to native prairies which will boast natural rehabilitation of habitats for plants and wildlife.
“Being a relatively young company, many in the industry are not aware of our advances on this project. Attending this conference and expo, was a way to spread the word,” said Chris Roach, Director for Roeslein Alternative Energy. “However, by receiving this award, not only was it a true justification of all the hard work and dedication we have been pouring into our projects, it helps accelerate this process and get others on board with what we are doing.”
The Groundbreaker of the Award is given to one company who is nominated and voted on by BBI International, a globally recognized bioenergy events and trade magazine company, and a committee for the International Biomass Conference and Expo. This award is in recognition that significant quantities of money and energy must be invested into a bioenergy project before construction can begin. Companies and organizations that reach the groundbreaking stage represent the minority of potential bioenergy projects. The dedication and perseverance needed to navigate design, funding, permitting, purchase agreements and community acceptance indicates extreme aptitude worthy of acknowledgment. The Groundbreaker of the Year Award recognizes the company or organization that has significantly advanced the bioenergy industry by breaking ground and making meaningful headway on a commercial scale biomass-to-energy project.