Rethinking the Renewable Energy Future: Accordant Energy

 Twenty-first century society is facing resource scarcity, global urbanization, climate change and energy production challenges like no other in history. This generation is in pursuit of clean renewable energy, which is affordable and easy to deploy. Accordant Energy is one such fuel technology company driven to deliver economic and environmental benefits via fuel pro- cured from waste. Founded by Paula A. Calabrese and Dr. Dingrong Bai Accordant Energy offers a zero-day, adaptable pollution control product.

Genesis of Accordant Energy

In March 2011 ReCommunity Recycling was founded following the acquisition of certain recycling and intellectual property assets from Casella Waste. ReCommunity Recycling, one of the largest privately owned recycling companies in the USA, established a subsidiary, ReCommunity Energy, in December 2011. In August 2013 the subsidiary was divested from ReCommunity and continued its mission to reform how municipal solid waste is recycled and reused to create a renewable solid fuel.

The new entity, Accordant Energy, forged its first product as an emissions reduction agent and a supplemental renewable, biogenic fuel to provide heat input to a boiler and thus replace a corresponding heat content of a base coal fuel.

Enduring various issues regarding finance, market acceptance, securing supply agreements for the municipal waste, securing off-take agreements for the renewable fuel and changing regulatory environment, the Company learnt valuable lessons. It rose to become an innovative leader in the area of clean technology, thereby creating economic, environmental and social value by avoiding landfill disposal, advancing recycling, and creating a renewable solid fuel. 

Prime Product- ReEngineered Feedstock

The flagship product of Accordant Energy, ReEngineered Feedstock is an adept, affordable and adaptable solution that combines the non-recyclable fiber and plastic products from the pre and post consumer waste streams that are impregnated and treated with sorbents or chemical additives forming a fuel that can serve to reduce boiler emissions such as sulfur, nitrogen oxides, mercury and carbon dioxide, while also lowering the total amount of coal used in a power plant.

Concentrated on multi-pollutant emission control, this patented, state-of-the-art technology is marketed to electric utilities, municipalities and waste management companies to maximize the recovery of recyclables from mixed waste streams and aggressively reduce landfill disposal of these materials. Waste that cannot be recycled is converted to ReEngineered Feedstock and processed with the addition of virgin materials, such as sorbents, using Accordant Energy’s patented manufacturing process.

A meticulously engineered product, the technology of ReEngineered Feedstock is the result of two core innovations: an advanced solid waste recycling and recovery process known as Multi- Material Processing Platform (“MMPP”) and a patented fuel production technology known as Advanced Product Manufacturing (“APM”).

To demonstrate the efficacy of co-firing the ReEngineered Feedstock with coal at a 125-megawatt electric generating utility, a full-scale boiler testing was conducted. The test was successful and it validated that the fuel could be delivered and combusted in pulverized coal boilers with minimal effects on boiler operation and performance, with reduction in stack air emissions.

Glimpse of Accordant Energy’s Growth

There is a saying “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Accordant Energy understands just how pivotal a first impression is. No part of the product or process development has been rushed. The growth of the company has been steady, since its technology serves conservative industries.

The Company places confidence in educating all the major players in the energy and waste industries aboutReEngineered Feedstock and its differences, along with developing strong relationships between industry andgovernment. Accordant Energy is making effective headway, as the demand for more renewable and low carbon fuel options increases. The Company’s innovative product is a steady, dispatchable renewable energy unlike intermittent solar and wind energy.

Future Prospects

The company is developing new products for co-firing with natural gas. Its most re- cent product meets the needs of cement kilns requiring renewable, low carbon fuels to meet their product sustainability requirements under The Cement Sustain- ability Initiative (CSI), as well as fulfill the market needs of utility and industrial boilers. Accordant Energy looks forward to the construction and commissioning of multiple manufacturing plants by its licensees, and to creating a formidable market presence which will cause municipalities to seek out its technology to facilitate waste diversion goals.

Meet the Thought Leaders

Paula A. Calabrese, Co-founder, Chief Strategy Officer & Senior Vice-President

Ms. Calabrese has a flair for invention with over 10 issued and pending US patents. She led the development of emerging technologies for Casella Waste Systems and Tokyo Electron, prior to co-founding Accordant Energy. Ms. Calabrese has more than 20 years of experience in leading strategy, intellectual property, and technology development efforts in the energy and environmental, electronics, and semiconductor equipment sectors.

Dr. Dingrong Bai, Co-founder, Technical Advisor

With more than 25 years of R&D, process engineering, and product development experience across chemical and multiphase reaction engineering, powder technology, fluidization, waste management and conversion technologies, natural gas utilization, hydrogen and synthesis gas production, as well as fuel cell technologies, Dr. Bai is technical advisor to Accordant Energy. He is an author of more than 100 peer-reviewed papers as well as 20-plus issued and pending US patents.

Lawrence M. Clark, Jr., Chief Executive Officer

Prior to joining Accordant Energy, Mr. Clark served as President and CEO of JW Resources, Inc., a private operator of thermal coal assets. With experience stretching over 20 years in investment, financial and operational restructurings, strategic transactions in the energy, mining, metals, industrial and retail sectors, Mr. Clark was the Managing Director and Director of Investments of Harbinger Capital Partners LLC from 2002 to 2011.

“We offer an innovative, renewable fuel that enables cleaner coal power generation with improved environmental performance.”