John Ferguson provided a presentation (supported by the Scottish Hydrogen Fuel Association – Thanks Nigel Holmes!) on the evolution and prospects for hydrogen as a transport fuel.

Work commences on a small research project with Dundee University Centre for Concrete Technology on a new concept for plasterboard recycling with the aim of providing a new market for Scottish derived plasterboard waste. With few viable markets for this material in Scotland this new approach could make a major difference to the hundred thousands of tonnes of this material generated in Scotland annually

A unanimous decision in favour of the Binn Eco Park 4 turbine Wind Farm wind farm was granted by Perth and Kinross Council today. The scheme also has a community benefit scheme, which will provide £45,000 per annum to our 4 surrounding local communities.

Early discussions held with the James Hutton Institute on establishing a new Scottish research based Technosols Facility to research the creation of new soils from waste materials. With significant quantities of organic material, waste aggregates and other suitable waste materials this approach will hopefully lead to improved substrates for the development of new soils and the restoration of major brownfield sites including open cast coal mining areas. Discussions ongoing.

After submitting a proposal to the SBRI phosphate proposal EcoideaM failed to gain an award for a new system for the management of anaerobic digestate. This new approach to digestate management would recover phosphorous in both dry and wet fertilizer forms as well as recovering nitrogen, clean water and volatile fatty acids. Efforts continue to find funding for research and development of this system.

EcoideaM have been engaged by the Binn Group to re-commission its new SRF facility which was destroyed in a fire during the original commissioning exercise. The SRF facility will produce high quality recovered fuels from non-recyclable residual wastes.

After extensive testing of a new low cost optical plastic separation system, including the classification of different sources of large dense rigid plastics, optimising feed rates, size and weight analysis, classifying separated and non separated outputs and designing a front end feeder system the trial period of this new plastic recycling system concluded with a new design specification for the development of a fully commercialised system with modular capability for different scales operation within the global waste and resource sector.

John Ferguson of EcoideaM Ltd invited by the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation to attend and speak at the Shanghai Sustainable Cities Summit. The presentation was on the evolution of the circular economy.

Planning permission for a 4 turbine 9MW wind farm application was finally submitted. Fully integrated into the Binn Eco Park which in tends to use the renewable electricity to off-set its own diesel generated power and to provide green energy for a series of next generation projects including a proposal for hydrogen production for transport. EcoideaM Ltd initiated and led on this project for the Binn Group, working with wind farm developer Element Power Ltd.

EcoideaM Ltd commenced a research trial to test and optimise a new low cost infra-red optical separation system for large rigid mixed polymers. Based at the Binn Eco Park this project will last 6 months and will result in a final system design for a modular low cost optical separation system for mixed large rigid plastics.