Renewable energy technology firm Renergi has completed the construction of a $10.4 million (€6.3m) biomass conversion plant in Western Australia (WA). The Collie Resource Recovery Centre will see household rubbish and biomass converted into useful products, including commercially viable bio-char, bio-oil and wood vinegar. The plant, which was built using a patented... [Read More]

Marubeni Corporation and Taisei Corporation have started development of a wood-based biomass power plant, via special purpose company Ishikari area Biomass Power corporation (IBP). Located at the Ishikari Bay New Port Area in Ishikari City, Hokkaido, the plant will have a power generation output of 9,950 kW. The biomass power plant will consume locally produced fuel,... [Read More]

Dr Alan Knight OBE, group director of sustainability at Drax Group, has given an update on the progress Drax is making to deliver positive outcomes for the climate, for nature and for the communities in which the company operates. "As I come to the end of my second year with Drax, it is naturally time to reflect on my time with the company to date and the progress... [Read More]

Steeper Energy (Steeper) has announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Invest Alberta Corporation (Invest Alberta) to commercialise Steeper’s proprietary Hydrofaction® technology within Alberta, Canada, aligning with Alberta’s broader goal of becoming the country’s cleantech leader. Steeper’s Hydrofaction® technology is a proprietary form... [Read More]

Drax, a leading producer and supplier of sustainable biomass, has commended the Canadian government on its plan to support significant investments in clean energy technologies and the need for biomass to achieve a clean economy, as announced in the 2023 Budget. The Budget 2023 plan specifically highlights biomass as a key component of the clean energy sector, acknowledging... [Read More]

Very specific language in New York state's budget could prevent Fort Drum's biomass plant from closing, reported WWNY. Biomass is no longer considered a source of renewable energy by the state, which is why ReEnergy decided to wind down operations at the $50 million (€45.8m), 60-megawatt facility at the end of March. At that time, the plant provided 100% of power on... [Read More]

A leading biomass scientist at Aston University has welcomed the government’s announcement to ensure UK energy is more secure, as outlined in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero's Up Britain: Net Zero Growth Plan, and the Powering Up Britain: Energy Security Plan - both published on 30 March. However, Professor Patricia Thornley, director of Aston University’s... [Read More]

Nicklin Transit Packaging, the UK's largest independent pallet and packaging firm, has invested more than £1m (€1.1m), in a new biomass heating system at its main manufacturing site on the Woods Bank Estate in Wednesbury. The new plant will be fuelled using the waste generated by the company’s manufacturing processes and the energy generated will help heat the buildings... [Read More]

Global renewable energy firm, Drax Group, has welcomed a positive conclusion of the European Union’s discussions on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (REDIII). The agreement reached by the EU Institutions this week recognises the importance of sustainably sourced biomass within the region, providing renewable, reliable power while displacing fossil fuels... [Read More]

The wood-fueled Godo Biomass Power Plant, located in the Anpachi district of Gifu Prefecture in Japan, began operations on 2 April. The plant is run by Gifu Seino Green Power LLC (GSGP), a special purpose company established by Marubeni Corporation and Chubu Electric Power Company. The biomass plant is the first to involve local consumption of locally produced fuel for... [Read More]

The UK government has confirmed its commitment to support the deployment of large-scale power bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) projects by 2030, and that the Drax Power Station BECCS project has passed the deliverability assessment for the Power BECCS project submission process. Drax said it has been invited to enter formal bilateral discussions with... [Read More]

A major shareholder in Drax Group  is pushing the UK utility to drop some licenses to harvest trees for biomass in Canada, reported Bloomberg. Schroder Investment Management Ltd asked the biomass producer to transfer of dispose of its existing so-called "Category Two" licenses within the next 12 months, according to a public letter from Schroders to the chairs of the UK... [Read More]

António Costa, Portugal's prime minister, visited the Caima cellulosic fibre production unit, which is being constructed by Altri Group, to observe the progress of the new biomass plant. The project is being financed by the Recovery and Resilience Program (PRR) - Portugal's post-Covid drive to stimulate sustainable economic growth, consisting of €13.9 billion in grants... [Read More]

Enviva has released a statement following a strong tornado that touched down in Amory, Mississippi in the US, on 24 March. The company affirmed that all of its associates are safe and accounted for, but that the storm damaged the firm's 115,000 metric tonne-per-year wood pellet production facility. Enviva's larger plants and ports in the region were not impacted. The... [Read More]

India's Ministry of Power organised a National Conference on Biomass - “3P-Pellet to Power to Prosperity” - in New Delhi on 24 March, under the aegis of a National Mission on Use of Biomass in Thermal Power Plants (SAMARTH) and National Power Training Institute (NPTI). The conference was aimed at fostering an enabling environment to boost co-firing of biomass pellets... [Read More]

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and SAEL Industries Limited have signed loan agreements of up to 7.5 billion Indian rupees (around €84.5 million) to promote the generation of biomass energy using agricultural residue, which ADB said would help diversify India’s energy mix and reduce carbon intensity. ADB’s support will fund the construction of five 14.9-megawatt... [Read More]