Biomass News

The European Commission (EC) has launched a consultation on the preparation of a sustainable bioenergy policy for the period after 2020. The objective is to consult stakeholders and citizens on an updated EU policy on sustainable bioenergy for the period 2020-2030, as part of the EU renewable energy package foreseen before the end of 2016. In a statement, the EC said: "Identified sustainability…
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More than 110 environmental groups across the globe have signed a declaration demanding that bioenergy be excluded from the EU's next Renewable Energy Directive (RED). The EU is considering renewal of the RED for 2020 onwards in a consultation which ended yesterday (10 February). A decision is expected by the end of the year. The RED will determine Europe's path forward on meeting its carbon…
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UK consumers could save more than £2 billion (€2.56bn) if the country’s government’s planned renewable energy auctions are opened up to include a wider mix of technologies, a new report finds. Drax, UK's largest power producer, commissioned NERA Economic Consulting and Imperial College to look at hidden costs that are not reflected in the contracts the UK government awards…
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IHI Corp., a Japanese heavy equipment manufacturer, will build a 49MW woody biomass power plant in the southwestern Japanese prefecture of Kagoshima. Construction will begin this year and the plant will start generating power by the end of 2018, the company said in a statement. The station will produce enough electricity to power 77,000 homes.  
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Solar 21, an Irish renewable energy company, is set to build a 22MW biomass power plant near Hull in England. The company has acquired the project rights and is seeking to raise €60 million through a fundraising round for the scheme. The Hull plant is the first in a pipeline of five projects in partnership with energy recovery systems company Heat Recovery Solutions, Solar 21 says. The…
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Japanese Sumitomo Corp. has signed a contract to acquire up to 20% of Cosan Biomassa, a subsidiary of the world's largest sugar and ethanol company, Cosan S.A. Industria e Comercio. The sale is subject to the prior approval of anti-trust authorities in some jurisdictions.   Cosan Biomassa has developed a fuel pellet made from sugarcane residues, such as bagasse from the sugar mill and…
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Comet Biorefining will build its commercial-scale biomass-derived sugar facility in the TransAlta Energy Park in Sarnia, Ontario. The 60 million lbs/y plant will come online in 2018 producing dextrose sugar from locally-sourced corn stover and wheat straw. Corn stover consists of residues left in the field after harvest, including stalks, leaves, husks, and cobs. Using its proprietary patented…
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Kwadcha First Nation in Canada is seeking financial help to build a small-scale biomass power plant to replace petroleum diesel with a sustainable alternative. The Kwadcha community – one of two remote First Nations on the north end of Williston Lake, British Columbia – is looking to set up a biomass facility to produce around 145kW of electricity for its just over 300 residents. The…
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The Tasmania state government in Australia, is actively considering the use of biomass as a renewable energy source. Tasmania Minister for Resources Paul Harriss said that due to recent unprecedented events, including the failure of the Basslink, which is the world’s second longest undersea electricity cable, and low rainfall, the government is now considering the use of biomass to generate…
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UK’s largest biomass power generation project has been quietly abandoned after having never run for more than 30 minutes. The £10.5 million (€13.5m) plant, built in 2007 to reduce CO2 emissions at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich, was intended to produce renewable electricity from woodchips. The facility, which received a £1 million grant from the UK…
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Thousands of jobs for specialist contractors in the biomass industry could be unlocked as Denmark takes steps to improve the sustainability of its pig meat production, according to professional services consultancy Procorre. The biomass industry, which has come under close scrutiny in recent times, is now being addressed by agricultural ministers across Europe who are attempting to clean things…
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The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has joined efforts with Brazil’s largest paper producer Klabin to finance the construction of a new state-of-the-art green field pulp production mill. The new facility will be located in the municipality of Ortigueira, one of the poorest cities on the state of Parana, Brazil. Through an A/B Loan of $300 million (€270m), the IDB has provided…
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Comet Biorefining, a Canadian cellulosic dextrose technology provider, is getting €7.4m (CA $10.8 million) in federal funding for a new sugar from biomass plant, to be built in Sarnia, Ontario. The money is part of $206-million in funding for 36 clean energy projects across Canada. It is being provided by Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) – a provider of funds for…
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Renewable energy firm HRS Energy is developing a UK-based multi-million pound waste wood biomass plant which will be located in an East Yorkshire village. The site near Tansterne, located near Hull, will produce enough electricity to power 11,000 homes and is expected to open in 2017. The 22MW facility will also have the capacity to process up to 175,000 tonnes of waste wood each year, with 100%…
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