Genera Energy Inc. (Genera) was awarded the 2013 Sustainable Biofuels Award in the Sustainable Feedstock Innovation category at the World Biofuels Markets 2013 Congress and Exhibition, held in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The award recognizes outstanding achievement for a project that displays “innovation to enhance sustainability in feedstock supply.” According to Genera, it’s integrated solution covers the full biomass system from the farm to the biorefinery including: energy crop selection, land acquisition, production, harvest, collection and logistics.

“Taking the time to celebrate the innovation and invention in this industry is really the heart of these Awards,” said Nadim Chaudhry, Chief Executive Officer of Green Power Conferences, organizer of both the awards and the conference. “Our industry has such outstanding leaders, innovative technology and groundbreaking partnerships happening all the time, every year the nominations increase and the judges find it more difficult to choose a winner.”

Over the last six years, Genera, has worked with the University of Tennessee, to establish a comprehensive program for purpose‐grown energy crops, contracting with more than 60 farmers to produce more than 2,000 hectares (5,100 acres) of switchgrass. According to the company, with a focus on sustainability, farms were carefully selected to represent a wide cross section of what a full‐scale commercial energy crop supply region, or bioshed, would look like.

Throughout the development of its integrated system, Genera has tested more than 30 separate energy crop and logistic system alternative and has identified the optimum energy crop supply chain—a system that is cost efficient and meets robust sustainability performance criteria. Genera’s says it’s solution focuses on managing an integrated commercial supply chain to reliably supply a biorefinery with cost competitive, uniform, industrial biomass feedstock.

“It is an honor to receive the 2013 Sustainable Biofuels Award,” said Kelly Tiller, CEO of Genera. “Building a bulletproof biomass supply chain system requires unique skills and experience. We were lucky to have forward‐looking partners at the University of Tennessee and in the State capital. They all contributed to our success here today and we are very grateful to them.”