Bion Environmental Technologies, Inc. (Bion) develops patented and proprietary technology that provides advanced waste treatment and resource recovery for large-scale livestock production facilities (also known as 'Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations' or 'CAFOs').
Application of the company's third generation technology (Gen3Tech) and business/technology platform in conjunction with other industry practices (Gen3Tech Platform or Platform) can largely mitigate these environmental problems, wh...
Bion Environmental Technologies, Inc. (Bion) develops patented and proprietary technology that provides advanced waste treatment and resource recovery for large-scale livestock production facilities (also known as 'Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations' or 'CAFOs').
Application of the company's third generation technology (Gen3Tech) and business/technology platform in conjunction with other industry practices (Gen3Tech Platform or Platform) can largely mitigate these environmental problems, while simultaneously improving operational/resource efficiencies by recovering high-value co-products from the CAFOs' waste stream. These waste stream 'assets' - including primarily nutrients and methane - have traditionally been wasted or underutilized and are the same 'pollutants' that today fuel harmful algae blooms, contaminate groundwater, pollute the air, and exacerbate climate change.
During the first half of 2022 (year ended June 30, 2023), Bion began pre-marketing its sustainable beef opportunity to retailers, food service distributors, and the meat industry in the U.S. During July 2022, Bion announced a letter of intent (Ribbonwire LOI) to develop a large-scale commercial project, a 15,000-head sustainable beef cattle feeding operation together with the Ribbonwire Ranch, in Dalhart, Texas (with a provision to expand to 60,000 head) (Dalhart Project). During January 2023 Bion announced a letter of intent (Olson LOI) to develop a large-scale commercial project, a 15,000-head sustainable beef cattle feeding operation together with the Olson Feeders and TD Angus, near North Platte, Nebraska (with a provision to expand to 45,000 head or more) (Olson Project). During April 2023 Bion announced a letter of intent (DVG LOI) to develop a large-scale commercial project, a 15,000-head sustainable beef cattle feeding operation together with Dakota Valley Growers near Bathgate, North Dakota (DVG Project). The Olson, Dalhart and DVG Projects (and subsequent Projects) will be developed to produce blockchain-verified, sustainable beef in customized covered barns (resulting in reduced stress on cattle caused by extreme weather and temperatures and resulting higher feed/weight gain efficiency) with ongoing manure transfer (through slatted floors) to anaerobic digesters (AD) to capture nitrogen/ammonia from the manure stream before loss to the atmosphere and generate renewable natural gas (RNG) for sale while remediating the environmental/carbon impacts usually associated with cattle feedlots and CAFOs. Bion's patented Gen3Tech platform will refine the waste stream into valuable coproducts that include clean water, RNG, photovoltaic solar electricity and fertilizer (climate smart and/or organic) products. The company anticipates converting these LOIs into definitive JV agreements and creating related distribution agreements with key retailers and food service distributors during the fiscal year 2023 (year ended June 30, 2023) and the balance of 2024.
Bion's business model and technology platform can create the opportunity for joint ventures (in various contractual forms) (JVs) between the company and large livestock/food/fertilizer industry participants based upon the supplemental cash flow generated by implementation of its Gen3Tech business model.
Bion's Gen3Tech is designed to capture and stabilize these assets and produce renewable energy, fertilizer products, and clean water as part of the process of raising verifiably sustainable livestock. All steps and stages in the treatment process will be third-party verified, providing the basis for additional revenues, including renewable energy-related credits, and eventually, payment for ecosystem services, such as nutrient credits as described below. The same verified data will be used to substantiate the claims of a USDA-certified sustainable brand that will support premium pricing for the meat/ animal protein products that are produced in Bion facilities.
Bion focuses primarily on completion of development/construction and operation of the Initial Project, its initial commercial-scale Gen3Tech installation, and optimization of its operational parameters; pre-development planning of the Dalhart, Olson and DVG Projects (and/or other Gen3Tech beef JV projects), including steps toward distribution agreements; developing applications and markets for its low carbon ClimateSmart and organic fertilizer products (including listings/certifications of multiple liquid and solid products) and its sustainable (conventional and organic) animal protein products; discussions regarding initiation and development of agreements and joint ventures (JVs) (and related Projects) based on the augmented capabilities of its Gen3Tech business platform (in the sustainable beef and other livestock segments), while continuing to pursue licensing opportunities and business opportunities related to large retrofit projects (such as the Kreider poultry project JV described below); and ongoing R&D activities.
The company has focused a large portion of its activities on developing, testing and demonstrating the 3rd generation of its technology and technology platform (Gen3Tech) with emphasis on increasing the efficiency of production of valuable co-products from the waste treatment process, including ammonia nitrogen in the form of low carbon and/or organically certified soluble nitrogen fertilizer products. The company's low concentration ammonium bicarbonate liquid product successfully completed its Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) application and review process with listing approval during May 2020.
Applications for the company's first solid form of concentrated ammonia, soluble nitrogen fertilizer product line have been filed with OMRI (filed during May 2021) and the California Department of Food & Agriculture (CDFA) (filed during May 2022).
Bion has done extensive pre-development work related to a waste treatment/renewable energy production facility to treat the waste from 2G Tech dairy project's (Kreider 1 or KF1) approximately 6+ million chickens (planned to expand to approximately 9-10 million) (and potentially other poultry operations and/or other waste streams) (Kreider Renewable Energy Facility or Kreider 2 Project).
Bion's Gen3Tech business platform has been developed to create opportunities for such augmented revenue streams, while providing third party verification of sustainability claims. The Gen3Tech platform has been designed to maximize the value of co-products produced during the waste treatment/recovery processes, including pipeline-quality renewable natural gas (biogas) and commercial fertilizer products (approved for organic production and/or ClimateSmart certified).
Bion's Gen3Tech platform utilizes anaerobic digestion (AD) customized to maximize recovery of biogas (methane) (and ammonia nitrogen components) from the waste stream. Gen3Tech facilities will also generate photovoltaic (solar) electricity from modules placed on the roofs of the barns (approximately 12 acres of rooftop per 15,000 head of cattle module).
Bion has a long-standing relationship with Kreider Farms, including a 2016 joint venture agreement related to these potential facilities.
Principal Products and Services
The company's primary focus is on implementing its Gen3Tech in JVs. The company's Gen3Tech and Gen3Tech platform provide the basis for its planned JVs and Projects and therefore constitute its 'principal products'.
Each Bion system (whether prior 2G Tech or current Gen3Tech) consists of several process units combined in a 'process train', much like a municipal wastewater treatment plant. The platform utilizes a combination of mechanical, biological, and thermal processes and can be configured in a variety of ways, based on the needs and economics of the location, to provide the level of environmental treatment required, while separating and aggregating the various components of the waste stream for processing and recovery. In addition to providing third-party verification of reductions for regulatory/credit purposes, the same data can also be used to support the claims of a USDA-certified sustainable branding.
Bion's waste treatment solutions are scalable, proven in commercial operations (2G Tech) and the verified results have been accepted by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (for use as a 'qualified offset'), USDA and other regulatory agencies.
Patents
The company is the sole owner of five United States patents. Additionally, Bion has two United States patent applications pending and has three international patent applications pending.
Patent Numbers and Date of Issue:
The United States Issued:
8,287,734: Method for Treating Nitrogen in Waste Streams: (OCN) Jere Northrop & James W. Morris (Exp 3/20/31).
10,106,447: Process to Recover Ammonium Bicarbonate from Wastewater: Morton Orentlicher & Mark M. Simon. (Exp. 9/14/2035).
10,604,432: Process to Recover Ammonium Bicarbonate from Wastewater; Dominic Bassani, Steve Pagano, Morton Orentlicher & Mark M. Simon. (Exp 6/29/2037).
10,793,458: Process to Recover Ammonium Bicarbonate from Wastewater; Dominic Bassani, Steve Pagano, Morton Orentlicher & Mark M. Simon. (Exp 9/14/2035).
11,254,581: Process to Recover Ammonium Bicarbonate from Wastewater; Dominic Bassani, Morton Orentlicher, Mark M. Simon & Steve Pagano. (Exp 9/14/2035).
The company is also the sole owner of, or possess the contractual right to acquire exclusive patent rights to, a pending United States provisional patent application, a pending United States utility patent application, and three international applications as set forth below:
The United States Pending:
63/512,361 (provisional): Methods for Recovering Ammonium Compounds from A Waste Stream; Dominic Bassani & Steve Pagano. (Exp 7/07/2024).
17/589,037: Process to Recover Ammonium Bicarbonate from Wastewater; Dominic Bassani, Steve Pagano, Morton Orentlicher & Mark M. Simon.
International Applications Pending:
EP 18943551.4: Process to recover ammonium bicarbonate from wastewater; Dominic Bassani, Steve Pagano, Morton Orentlicher & Mark M. Simon.
CA3123802A1: Process to recover ammonium bicarbonate from wastewater; Dominic Bassani, Steve Pagano, Morton Orentlicher & Mark M. Simon.
MX/a/2021/007358: Process to recover ammonium bicarbonate from wastewater; Dominic Bassani, Steve Pagano, Morton Orentlicher & Mark M. Simon.
Research and Development
For the year ended June 30, 2023, the company's research and development expenses were approximately $79,000.
History
Bion Environmental Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1987. The company was incorporated in the state of Colorado in 1987.
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