Biomass News

Bioenergy can play a role in reducing the risk of forest fires, according to a video recently published on the European Forest Institute’s website. Across the world, forest fires devastate large areas of forest every year. In 2017, the tragic trend has been seen in forest fires in France, the USA and Portugal. In its new video, the EFI looks at the factors behind increased forest fire risks…
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A Californian biomass plant is at the heart of the launch of the ‘first’ software-defined network for critical infrastructure. Dispersive Technologies new Internet-based, software-defined network for use by California’s energy grid operator to connect entities using real-time devices to the grid’s energy management system, has now gone live. Humboldt Redwood…
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A £6.5 million (€7.6 million) biomass energy project has officially opened at the University of Northampton’s Waterside Campus. On 1 August, 2017, members from The University of Northampton and sustainable energy specialists, Vital Energi took the opportunity to celebrate the opening by officially switching the 27sqm LED screen on, which was performed by Professor Nick Petford,…
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A new biorefinery project has been proposed in the Atherton Tablelands of Queensland, Australia. According to a statement, the regional government is “throwing its support” behind the new multi-million dollar project. The $60 million Atherton Tableland biorefinery could generate 130 regional jobs and also encourage diverse cropping in the region. The proposed MSF Sugar biorefinery is…
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Researchers at the Technical University of Vienna (TU Wien) are developing a process in which biomass can be used to produce a hydrogen-rich gas that can then be employed in various ways in the iron and steel industry. According to a news release from the University, the long-term vision of the project is a renewable energy source, firmly anchored in the design of an integrated iron and steel…
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ExxonMobil and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have announced a two-year renewal of an agreement to research the fundamental chemistry of converting biomass into transportation fuels. The research forms part of a bigger drive to identify scalable, commercially viable solutions to meet growing global energy demand with renewable resources. The collaboration between ExxonMobil and University…
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Rick Perry, the US Secretary of Energy, has announced $40 million in Department of Energy (DOE) awards for the creation of four DOE Bioenergy Research Centres (BRCs). Each led by a DOE National Laboratory or a ‘top’ university, the centres are designed to “lay the scientific groundwork for a new bio-based economy that promises to yield a range of important new products and fuels…
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UK power giant Drax has announced that it is pressing ahead with its biomass plans as new figures show the company produced about 17% of the UK’s renewable electricity in the first half of 2017. The company, which runs a coal and biomass plant in North Yorkshire, UK, published its half-year results for the six months ended 30 June, 2017, yesterday (19 July,2017). Three of the…
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Wood pellet giant Enviva has released its latest proprietary Track & Trace forestry data, highlighting the company’s ongoing commitment to a sustainable and transparent supply chain. These data are another key tool for measuring and demonstrating Enviva’s sustainability practices throughout the Southeastern US. “We are committed to keeping forests healthy and growing, while…
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Bird Life International has responded to the recent European Parliament vote on LULUCF (the land use, land use change and forestry sector), stating: “We’re not out of the woods yet”. As the European Commission works on a climate and energy package for 2030, it is currently reviewing the sustainability of all uses and sources of bioenergy for the period after 2020. The Commission…
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Finland-based Valmet will supply a biomass power plant to Dong Energy's Asnaes Power Station located in Kalundborg, Denmark. By converting its electricity and heat production from coal to sustainable biomass at the Asnaes Power Station, Dong will take an important step in reducing its CO2 emissions. The order is included in Valmet's second quarter 2017 orders received. The value of the order…
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Commissioning has been successfully completed on a new 1 megawatt pilot thermal plant in Ottawa, Canada, to advance the development of an oxygen-fired pressurised fluidised bed combustion (Oxy-PFBC) process. The Oxy-PFBC process generates electricity and heat with close to zero emissions by capturing the greenhouse gases created by biomass and coal combustion. A group of companies, including the…
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Specialists in biomass heating Highland Wood Energy (HWEnergy), has announced it has received significant investment from Aggregated Micro Power (AMP) Holdings. AMP has invested £500,000 into HWEnergy, purchasing a majority share. Headquartered in London, AMP now owns 50.1% of the Scotland based company, but HWEnergy will carry on operating as a standalone business from its Fort William…
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PRM Waste Systems are redesigning an anaerobic digestion plant in the east of England. The company’s objective is to provide a reliable system for the separation of plastics from food waste. The busy plant, the identity of which hasn’t been disclosed by PRM, takes in domestic food waste from local authorities, plus food waste from the hospitality and retail sector, and from…
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