TDA Awards Renewable Energy Grant to Czech Firm

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (TDA) awarded a $302,115 grant yesterday to PDI a.s., a leading Czech company specializing in renewable energy production from waste and biomass, to partially fund a feasibility study on a waste-to-energy plant in the Czech Republic. The Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Prague, Kenneth Hillas, signed an agreement conferring the grant on behalf of the U.S. Government and TDA in a signing ceremony at the U.S. Ambassador's Residence in Prague. A member of the Management Board of PDI a.s., Mr. Grischa Kahlen, signed the agreement on behalf of the Grantee. Nealton J. Burnham, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Export Promotion Services in the International Trade Administration of the U.S. Department of Commerce, witnessed the agreement on behalf of the U.S. Government and TDA.

PDI a.s., a private firm, is seeking to build the first plant in the Czech Republic for the treatment of industrial and municipal solid waste, including plastics and tires, to produce a renewable source of energy using "clean gasification" methods in compliance with European Union mandates. PDI will use the TDA grant to contract with Solena Group, Inc., a U.S. firm based in Washington, D.C., to perform a feasibility study on a jointly developed 45 MW plasma gasification facility designed to produce energy from 160,000 tons per year of organic waste. Solena has developed an Integrated Plasma Gasification Combined Cycle (IPGCC) plant, which links its patented Plasma Gasification Vitrification technology with a U.S.-made combined cycle turbine power generation system to convert organic waste feedstock into clean energy. Solena will contribute $452,460 toward the completion of the study.

TDA is active in the waste-to-energy and renewable energy sector in the Czech Republic and the region. TDA will sponsor a Waste-to-Energy and Renewable Energy Regional Conference in Prague December 9-11, 2002, which will highlight waste-to-energy and renewable energy projects in Central Europe. Expected to attend are over 100 U.S. firms active in the sector as well as the Central European sponsors of the featured projects. TDA expects to sign feasibility study grants worth more than $2 million at the event.

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency promotes American private sector participation in developing and middle-income countries, with special emphasis on economic sectors that represent significant U.S. export potential. By funding various forms of technical assistance, training grants, feasibility studies, conferences, orientation visits, and business workshops, TDA helps American businesses compete for infrastructure projects in emerging markets. In addition, the agency promotes capacity building initiatives and supports U.S. Government trade, economic policy and development objectives around the world. Since 1993, TDA has invested over $8 million in a wide variety of activities in the Czech Republic intended to assist in the country's development.

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