Partners and Affiliates

Berry Metal Company

Berry Metal Company is recognized as the world’s leading technology-based designer and manufacturer of injection lances for the steelmaking industry. Over its nearly 50 years in business, Berry Metal Company has earned a reputation not only for quality products but also for its technical services and repair capability. Berry Metal is creating and developing the conditions for players in the steel industry to identify and implement changes that benefit them immediately. Berry Metal Company is taking the lead in establishing partnerships with technological innovators around the world, with the goal of delivering tomorrow’s technology for companies to use today.

Waste Connections, Inc.

Waste Connections is an integrated solid waste services company that provides solid waste collection, transfer, disposal and recycling services in mostly secondary markets in the Western and Southern U.S. The Company serves more than one million residential, commercial and industrial customers from a network of operations in 23 states. Waste Connections also provides intermodal services for the movement of containers in the Pacific Northwest. Waste Connections is committed to improving the environment for the future of the communities it serves. Waste Connections believes that its services play an integral part of improving the environment and is always mindful of having the most cost-effective waste management solutions for its customers.

Technikon, LLC

Technikon focuses on accelerating the commercialization of renewable energy technologies. Technikon provides a unique and independent plant and laboratory resource for evaluating and improving the performance of renewable energy and renewable fuel production technologies. Technikon provides metrics on robustness, safety, energy efficiency, environmental effectiveness, and other key parameters of these technologies, as well as engineering consulting to help with green energy design and project permitting.

The Renewable Energy Testing Center

The Renewable Energy Testing Center (RETC) is a facility operated by Technikon in coordination with the Renewable Energy Institute International (REII). The RETC provides government-leveraged testing and validation of renewable energy technologies related to biomass feedstocks and organic waste, with a particular focus on conversion into biofuels for transportation. The RETC also provides government and industry with an independent testing site for evaluating the performance of renewable energy and renewable fuels technologies with respect to robustness, safety, energy efficiency, environmental effectiveness and other key performance specifications.

United States Department of Defense

The Department of Defense (DoD) occupies over 545,000 facilities worth $600 billion comprising more than 536 installations on 29.8 million acres across the globe and spent over $3.4 billion on facility energy consumption in FY 2007. DoD is the largest single energy consumer in the Nation representing approximately 78% of the federal sector, and a significant (and sometimes the largest) energy user in many local metropolitan areas. In accordance with the Energy Policy Act of 1992, the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and Executive Order 13123, the Department of Defense is seeking to significantly improve its energy management in order to save taxpayer dollars, reduce emissions that contribute to air pollution and global climate change, and enhance national security. Conserving energy and investing in energy reduction measures makes good business sense and allows limited resources to be applied to readiness and modernization. The Department has already reduced its facility energy consumption significantly; by FY 2005 the Department achieved a reduction in energy consumption by 28.3 percent as compared to a FY 1985 baseline. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 changed the baseline to FY 2003. DoD achieved a 10.1% reduction in goal facilities energy intensity for FY 2007. Despite this success, the Department must make greater strides in energy efficiency and consumption reduction in order to meet the Departmental vision of providing reliable and cost effective utility services to the warfighter. Dramatic fluctuations in the cost of energy significantly impact already constrained operating budgets, providing even greater incentives to conserve and seek ways to lower energy consumption. These include investments in cost-effective renewable energy sources, energy efficient construction designs, and aggregating bargaining power among regions and Services to get better energy deals.

United States Steel Corporation

U.S. Steel is a leader in the integrated steel industry with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe and an annual raw steelmaking capability of 31.7 million net tons. The company manufactures a wide range of value-added steel sheet and tubular products for the automotive, appliance, container, industrial machinery, construction, and oil and gas industries. U. S. Steel prides itself on being a leader in both process and product technology and has three research and development facilities dedicated to advancing the boundaries of steelmaking: the Research and Technology Center in Munhall, Pa.; the Automotive Center, a research and sales facility in Troy, Mich.; and USSE Research in Košice. U. S. Steel’s operations are efficient and high tech. U.S. Steel has been making steel for more than 100 years, always with an eye to serving its customers’ needs in the most cost-effective ways possible. U. S. Steel continually looks for opportunities to strengthen its presence in the global arena and strives to meet and set world-class standards in everything they do. U.S. Steel has entered into discussions with Sierra Energy for the testing of Sierra’s FASTOX™ technology in the integrated steel industry.

Shanghai-Baosteel Group Corporation

Baosteel Group Corporation is the most competitive steel complex in China. In 2008, Baosteel registered a sales revenue of RMB 246.839 billion yuan, a total profit of RMB 23.813 billion yuan, a total assets of RMB 352.497 billion yuan and a net assets of RMB 219.435 billion yuan; the total employees of Baosteel are 108914 people; Baosteel has been enrolled in Global 500 for 6 years consecutively and ranked 220th this year. The main steel business of Baosteel focuses on the production of hi-tech and high value-added premium steel, with an annual production capacity around 30 million tons. Baosteel’s steel industry covers three major categories: carbon steel, stainless steel and specially-alloyed steel, which are widely applied in the sectors of automobile, home appliance, petrochemical, machinery manufacture, energy & transportation, building & decoration, metal products, aviation and aerospace, nuclear power and electronic instruments, etc. While maintaining its dominance in domestic flat product market, Baosteel’s products are also exported to over 40 countries and regions including Japan, South Korea, Europe and America. Baosteel underlines environmental protection, implements clean production, develops circular economy and pursues sustainable development. It is the first enterprise to pass ISO-14001 environmental certification in Chinese metallurgical sector and also the first enterprise to get the title of “National environment-friendly enterprise” in Chinese metallurgical sector and Shanghai Municipality. In 2004 Baosteel became one of the first three Chinese enterprises to join “Global Compact”. In 2006 Baosteel joined World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), becoming the second enterprise in China to join WBCSD, and is also the first batch of WBCSD members in global steel industry.

Jinan Iron &  Steel Group Corporation

Jinan Iron and Steel Group Corporation is one of the world’s largest and most diversified iron and steel producers. As of the end of 2004, Jinan Iron and Steel had total assets of 10.504 billion Yuan, net assets of 3.44 billion yuan, and 11,926 employees. Jinan Iron and Steel has a market oriented independent system from production to sales. It mainly produces and sells iron and steel series products including carbon structure hot rolled plate, grade A and B hull plate, high strength 09 MnNb anti-sea water corrosion hull plate, AH 32 and AH 36 high strength hull plate, 09 CuPTiRE resistance to elements steel plate, high quality carbon hot rolled plate for automobile production, hot rolled steel for frame, boiler plate, pressure vessel board, diamond plate, Hot rolling reinforced steel bar for concrete, and round steel. In 2004, Jinan Iron and Steel produced 3.99 million tons of pig iron, 4.9 million tons of steel, and 3.83 million tons of steel products. Jinan Iron and Steel is committed to environmental protection and innovation. Jinan Iron and Steel is engaged in an ongoing effort to improve the efficiency of its operations, the recycling of materials, and the more efficient use of gasses produced during production.

McWong Environmental & Energy Group

McWong Environmental and Energy Group (MEEG), is a well-known engineering company headquartered on the West Coast of the USA with two branch offices in China. MEEG possesses an experienced staff with highly technical backgrounds in environmental, mechanical, electrical and automation control engineering. MEEG provides services to various clients for project evaluations, process designs, project engineering services, foreign and local equipment supply and operational management services. MEEG has worked diligently to become a respected organization in the environmental and energy fields in the USA and China; and much of our success is due to our dedicated and professional staff that has earned the respect of our high profile clients. Clients continue to seek out MEEG as a major partner for their projects. MEEG is also recognized as a key influence in the development of cooperation between the USA. and China. MEEG has been involved with several American and Chinese universities, design institutes and engineering firms, developing relationships and structuring programs with one another. MEEG strongly supports the modernization of China’s environmental protection and thus, in 1997, established itself in Shanghai and Beijing. Since then, MEEG has successfully promoted many business exchanges between the U.S. and China.