The Sustainable Biomass Program (SBP) has announced that the British energy regulator, Ofgem, has completed an assessment of the revised SBP Standards (v2.0). Ofgem concluded they align with the Land Criteria set out in the legislative framework of the following schemes: Renewables Obligation; Non-Domestic Renewable Heat Incentive; Feed-in Tariffs; Smart Export Guarantee;... [Read More]

CPM, a leading solutions provider of process equipment and engineered technologies, has announced the acquisition of Innovative Pelleting Solutions GmbH and its high-capacity, direct drive pellet mill technology invented by Graf Equipment GmbH. The new technology brings to the CPM biomass portfolio a high capacity, direct drive pellet mill capable of processing various... [Read More]

Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) has been granted a limited notice to proceed (LNTP) by NorthStar Clean Energy to begin work on a Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) conversion of a former coal-fired power plant in Filer City, Michigan in the US. B&W will use its biomass SolveBright post-combustion carbon dioxide (CO2) capture technology. B&W is working... [Read More]

Mars Wrigley has installed a new biomass boiler into its Antipolo factory in the Philippines. The organisation said the new boiler reduces the plant’s carbon emissions by approximately 679 tons. It also allows the Antipolo factory to stop using diesel for thermal energy, and transition to utilising rice husk as feedstock - which are sourced from local farmers. “At... [Read More]

Sumitomo SHI FW (SFW) has signed an agreement with Capwatt to provide Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) services for a state-of-the-art syngas production plant, integral to the Mangualde Renewable Methanol project in Portugal. This initiative aims to build a cutting-edge biorefinery capable of producing 80,000 tons of renewable methanol annually, utilising locally sourced... [Read More]

CHAR Technologies Ltd. (CHAR Tech) has annonuced the imminent commencement of a production run of 500 tonnes of pelletised biocarbon. The pelletised biocarbon is destined for use at various heavy industrial facilities, including ArcelorMittal sites to fulfill a portion of the company’s previously announced biocarbon offtake agreement. The production run is an important... [Read More]

Namibia has secured over $100 million (€92.1 million) to support the construction of a 40MW biomass plant. NamPower signed a loan agreement, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract, as well as woodchip fuel supply contracts on 24 May. The signing marked the official commencement of the execution phase of the Otjikoto Biomass Power Station Project (OBPS). The... [Read More]

erex has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to develop biomass projects and relationships in the Bao Thang District of Vietnam. Last month, a signing ceremony took place between Erex and the Lào Cai Province at the Vietnam Tourism Investment Conference in Tokyo. In Southeast Asian countries, erex said electric power demands are increasing due to economic growth,... [Read More]

Vilnius CHP has completed construction of its biomass unit, as all necessary documents have been submitted to commence operations at full capacity. Last December, the Vilnius CHP biomass unit had reached a partial (149 MWth, 50 MWe) COD for generating heat and electricity. This month (May) it received certificates from the National Energy Regulatory Council to use the... [Read More]

In reaction to recent scrutiny of the biomass power sector, in the media and in Parliament, the REA (Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology) has highlighted the ongoing importance of biomass power in reaching net zero. In a statement, Mark Sommerfield, deputy director of policy at the REA, said: “The Climate Change Committee (CCC), International Energy... [Read More]

Researchers from Aberystwyth University in Wales are exploring the potential of crops like willow and alder as alternative sources of income for farmers. The initiative is part of the Biomass Connect project, a UK-wide project that aims to assess the viability of biomass crops to improve farm revenues and environmental sustainability. It is funded by the Department for... [Read More]

Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) has announced the recapitalisation of Musser Biomass and Wood Products (Musser), a producer of premium reclaimed biomass wood fibre, by the Watermill Group. Located in Rural Retreat, Virginia in the US, Musser is a processor and distributor of ESG-Certified biomass products, including wood fibre, biochar, wood pellets and wood briquettes. Using... [Read More]

The Wood Recyclers’ Association (WRA) has highlighted the sustainability advantages of waste wood biomass following what it described as ‘scrutiny of biomass power [...] in the press’. This came after the Conservative Environment Network published a manifesto last week, supported by 32 parliamentarians, questioning the government’s policy on bioenergy and calling... [Read More]

Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema, US senators for the state of Arizona, have announced more than $3.7 million (€3.4 million) in Wood Innovations Funds, designed to support projects preserving the state's forest lands. The fund is earmarked for wood innovations projects across Northern Arizona that are designed to preserve Arizona's forest lands and boost the state's wood... [Read More]

Serbia is set to receive a €31.9 million investment for the development of its biomass market, in a project that aims to ensure consumers are connected to district heating networks. This is the second phase of the programme, the first of which is expected to end this year. German development bank KfW is providing a €20 million loan and a grant of up to €2 million... [Read More]

Marubeni Corporation (Marubeni) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding a feasibility study, which will utilise biomass resources for the production and sale of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The MoU was signed with InvestSarawak, a Malaysian state government agency under the purview of the Ministry of International Trade, Industry and Investment, in... [Read More]

Leading Japanese companies, NYK Line (NYK), NYK Bulk & Projects Carriers (NBP), TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING Co., Ltd. (TSUNEISHI SHIPBUILDING) and British renewable energy business, Drax Group (Drax), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop both the world’s first biomass-fuelled ship (bioship) and the technology that could power it. Biomass is playing... [Read More]