Tag Archives: alternative
VIASPACE and Maricopa Bio Crops Announce Giant King Grass Animal Feed Project in Arizona
By VIASPACE Inc. Published: Tuesday, Sep. 24, 2013 – 4:12 am WALNUT, Calif., Sept. 24, 2013 –/PRNewswire/ — VIASPACE Inc. (OTCQB: VSPC) today announced that the company has entered into a contract with Maricopa Bio Crops, LLC of Scottsdale, Arizona for a planned initial 4,500 acre Giant King Grass plantation to produce Giant King Grass hay for cattle feed in Arizona. Maricopa Bio Crops will grow and market the Giant King Grass under VIASPACE direction, and both companies will share the profits. The contract was signed on September 16, 2013 and VIASPACE received an initial payment from Maricopa. Mr. Patrick Sweeney, Founder and CEO of Maricopa Bio Crops and Syn Tawa Energy, LLC stated, “We are thrilled to be working with VIASPACE on this project. We have been carefully investigating bio crops in Arizona for both animal feed, and as dedicated energy crops for multiple biofuel projects that we are developing. Our Team has grown sorghum in Arizona as a baseline energy crop; however, Giant King Grass has a much higher yield and is a perennial crop that does not have to be replanted each year making it more financially efficient and profitable. We have access to irrigated plantation land in Arizona to grow bio crops and the climate is suitable to grow Giant King Grass.” Mr. Sweeney continued, “We met with VIASPACE CEO, Dr. Carl Kukkonen, in May and visited the Giant King Grass nursery in California. When Dr. Kukkonen showed us the high protein animal feed data and results, we became very excited. However, we wanted to independently test Giant King Grass in our laboratory. I personally cut the sample that we sent to our lab and it had 15.63% crude protein– even better than previous results. Our livestock nutritionist confirmed that Giant King Grass can be an important part of the diet of cattle and dairy cows. We concluded that Giant King Grass hay can provide a reliable and consistent source of quality forage feed for our customers at an attractive price. Arizona has 900,000 cattle and 130,000 dairy cows and this represents a very large market for us. We are in the process of formalizing an initial agreement with one of the largest beef cattle rancher’s in Arizona. Our phase one plan is to start with 4,500 acres to meet our obligations for our first customer of Giant King Grass and our goal is to triple that amount by expanding into two additional phases. We are currently in early discussions with multiple local Native American Tribes that could benefit tremendously by expanding their agricultural base with Giant King Grass. Moreover, our contract with VIASPACE also covers the potential future use of Giant King Grass for bio-refinery feedstock applications, as a backup feedstock source to our existing supplier” “VIASPACE is truly excited to kick off our animal feed business with Maricopa Bio Crops,” states CEO, Dr. Carl Kukkonen. “They have been careful and thorough in their due diligence and we have come up with a business contract that is a win-win for both of us. This is an important step forward for our company and we will work closely with Maricopa to make phase one of the project successful and to then expand into phases two and three.” Dr. Kevin Schewe, VIASPACE Chairman, commented, “I have been closely following our negotiations with Maricopa Bio Crops and am very pleased that we have formalized this partnership. Animal feed is another great application for Giant King Grass and for VIASPACE. On August 20, 2013, we released results of independent testing that showed when Giant King Grass is cut frequently at 4-5 foot tall, it is an excellent, high protein animal feed. The results have shown that Giant King Grass is much better than wheat straw, sorghum silage, corn straw, Bermuda grass or Sudan grass. It is very similar in nutritional value to oat hay. The largest applications are to use Giant King Grass to feed cattle and dairy cows which is exactly the plan in Arizona.” Dr. Schewe continued, “Historically, we have not disclosed projected revenue numbers for our anaerobic digestion and direct combustion power plant projects because of the financial complexity of these projects, competition reasons, and because of non-disclosure agreements. However, once we completed our own research and testing of Giant King Grass for animal feed, we knew that the enormous domestic and global animal feed market represented a major and immediate business opportunity for VIASPACE and its shareholders. With Maricopa, we have a developed an animal feed business model that estimates profit sharing revenues to VIASPACE of $1.3 million per year for the initial phase one project and we are planning two additional phases. More importantly, animal feed projects (and the associated revenues/profits) can be executed and implemented more quickly than power plant projects and can also be complementary to the overall plans for bioenergy and biofuel projects.” Dr. Schewe concluded, “I believe that VIASPACE has reached its tipping point and our project with Maricopa starts now. We will strive every day to be an excellent partner in this endeavor with Maricopa Bio Crops, and our doors have opened to the new line of animal feed business both here in the U.S. and abroad. We are working hard to move forward on all fronts to build endearing value for our shareholders.” About Syn Tawa Energy, LLC and Maricopa Bio Crops, LLC Syn Tawa Energy, LLC develops second generation Renewable Energy Refinery plants that combine a new, patented state-of-the-art, commercial scale, low emission cellulosic biomass gasifier with a highly efficient patented gas-to-diesel conversion system that generates premium sulfur free ASTM D-975 diesel fuel at a cost that is below first generation biodiesel and petroleum based diesel fuels. For more information go to www.syntawaenergy.com or contact Patrick Sweeney at 949-887-6111. Maricopa Bio Crops, LLC grows renewable bio crops for animal feed and as a feedstock for biomass to liquid fuels production. About VIASPACE Inc. VIASPACE grows renewable Giant King TM Grass as a low-carbon fuel for clean electricity generation; for environmentally friendly energy pellets; and as a feedstock for bio-methane production and for green cellulosic biofuels, biochemicals and biomaterials. Giant King Grass is a proprietary, high yield, dedicated biomass clean energy crop. Giant King Grass when it is cut frequently at 4 to 5 feet tall is also excellent animal feed. For more information, please go to www.VIASPACE.com or contact Dr. Jan Vandersande, Director of Communications, at 800-517-8050 or IR@VIASPACE.com. Safe Harbor Statement Information in this news release includes forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Such factors include, without limitation, risks outlined in our periodic filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012, and other factors over which VIASPACE has little or no control. SOURCE VIASPACE Inc. Read more here: http://www.sacbee.co…l#storylink=cpy Continue reading
UK Property: More Burnt Fingers Or 2013’s Standout Investment?
23 September 2013 | By Jon Yarker Speculation that UK commercial property could prove to be the investment standout of 2013 is gaining momentum as investors return to UK property funds. Many investors had their fingers burnt with commercial property when the financial crisis broke. The average fund in the IMA Property sector, for example, dropped by 50 per cent between the peak at the start of 2007 and its trough two years later. However, the sector has shown signs of recovery and is currently almost 70 per cent up from its 2009 trough. Meanwhile, investors seem to be more interested in the space, with the IMA Propery being the fifth bestselling sector in August with net retail sales of £140m – the highest since July 2010. F&C UK Property fund manager Guy Glover suggested earlier in the year that commercial property could be one of the best-performing asset class of 2013 after considering where its fundamentals are relative to other asset classes. Investors’ search for income, when combined with the relatively low valuations within commercial property, which are still around 35 per cent below their pre-crisis levels, could see the asset class garner more interest in the months ahead, he argues. “At the time [of my prediction], 10-year gilts were delivering 2 per cent and property income return was coming through at 6.5 per cent,” Glover says. “You’re looking at corporate bonds at 4 per cent, equities with a 3 per cent yield and you see commercial property is double or treble some of other asset classes and people are out there screaming for income.” Data has been improving with the IPD UK Monthly Property Index showing commercial property made total return of 0.9 per cent in August – contributing to a total increase of 5.5 per cent over 12 months. Recently Henderson head of multi-asset Bill McQuaker has bulked up his exposure to property – increasing this to 9.4 per cent in the group’s Core 3 and Core 4 portfolios. Accessing the asset class through the £1bn Henderson UK Property fund and the £864m Legal & General UK Property trust, McQuaker says: “I believe by the close of 2013 commercial property will have been one of the more positive and fresh stories of the year. “It is providing a decent income stream and some inflation protection, with the average fund yielding circa 6 per cent according the IPD. We are not anticipating really strong performance in capital growth terms but it does have the potential to make some gains.” Legal & General Property director of research Rob Martin shares in the improving sentiment around UK property and is optimistic this will continue. Martin says: “Economic data has been surprising on the upside and forecasters have upgraded growth expectations. “One of the drivers is the gap between yield on real estate and funding from banks. There is now more credit available from lenders. The US market has become quite competitive from a loan perspective. This has meant substantial changes to loans in the UK.” With a greater proportion of the market becoming financeable, Martin sees opportunities but admits this increase in investor appetite has been surprising: “We did not account for robust recovery in investor sentiment.” However, when it comes to accessing UK property there are certain issues investors need to get to grips with. Hargreaves Lansdown head of financial planning Danny Cox admits there is potential in the UK property market but does not see open-ended funds as the best way to get access. Cox says: “We need to look at the history of property funds. They once experienced a huge amount of cash flowing into them and as money came in it became difficult to restrict flows – then they started buying properties for the wrong reasons. “I do not think open-ended funds are stable for this asset.” Bestinvest managing director of business development & communications Jason Hollands, who likes the Henderson UK Property fund due to its London and south-east England bias, does see property as an attractive asset class. However, he points to the fact that even if property yields are attractive, closed-ended funds have the potential to erode this due to their hefty price tags. Hollands says: “Our neutral view is that closed-ended structures are the better way to do this. But some of them are trading at very big premiums. “The £1.1bn F&C Commercial Property trust is one we like but it is a bit dear.” Yellowtail Financial Planning managing director Dennis Hall also prefers closed-ended structures in the form of REITs and says: “With REITs, you are not going to have to sell things because of redemptions – I would not want my manager to have to sell things. “Yes, it could be trading at a discount but the actual fund is going to be protected.” However, not all commentators believe open-ended funds should be avoided altogether. David Hambidge has recently taken the Premier multi-asset range’s allocation to commercial property to more than 11 per cent, up from around 5.5 per cent, through a combination of listed property funds, open-ended funds and some more specialist vehicles. Premier head of multi-asset research Ian Rees says: ”There is a danger that if you solely focus on the open-ended funds you may get into the liquidity issues the sector experienced a couple of years ago. “But we think it’s important to use a combination of instruments and avenue to build property exposure.” Continue reading
UK Biomass: Savoir Or Destroyer?
By Joao Peixe | Thu, 19 September 2013 Taking effect April 2015, all biomass-fired power generators in the UK will have to prove that they are doing more good than harm or face government funding cuts. UK government has warned that biomass-fired power generators have to prove the sustainability of their fuel or lose over £1 billion in new investment financing. In the UK, biomass power generation supports over 3,000 jobs, but the government isn’t necessarily convinced it’s supporting biodiversity. This is something the beneficiaries of the government’s financial largesse will have to prove in line with new regulatory criteria. As of April 2015, the new criteria will apply to all generators 1 MW capacity or more using solid biomass or biogas feedstock, and generators will have to prove that biomass has been sourced using sustainable forest management practices. Ideally, biomass electricity will represent a 70% greenhouse gas savings over fossil fuel as long as the biomass (in this case wood fuel) itself is from sustainable sources. Minister for energy and climate change Greg Barker said that the new criteria will boost investor certainty and simultaneously ensure that the biomass is delivered in a transparent and sustainable way. “Independent audit reports will need to show proof that sustainable harvest rates are used in conjunction with biodiversity protection and respect of land use rights for indigenous populations,” the minister was quoted as saying. There will be no further changes to the criteria before 2027, according to the government, and all biomass generators who adhere to the new guidelines will continue to receive subsidies. Continue reading
