Canada's government has extended federal tax credits to systems that use waste biomass for the production of electricity, heat or combined heat and power (CHP) in its 2023 Fall Economic Statement, which was released on 21 November. The tax credits are already in place for other designated clean technologies. The Statement said that, during the course of production, industries... [Read More]

DS Smith, a world leader in sustainable packaging solutions, has unveiled a major investment to transform the paper mill's energy supply at its site in Normandy, near Rouen. The project includes replacing the coal-fired boiler with a new biomass boiler that will reduce the site's emissions by 99,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, compared to FY22/23. The 56 MW Valmet high-tech... [Read More]

RENOVA has announced that the Morinomiyako Biomass Power Plant in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, began operation on 18 November. RENOVA has a stake in the plant, which possessed generation capacity of 75 MW and is fueled by wood pellets and palm kernel shells. Preparations for this facility were made by Morinomiyako Biomass Energy G.K., which is jointly funded... [Read More]

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has said that "major efforts are required" for Estonia to reduce its emissions, adding that meeting climate targets will require stronger forestry and biomass policies from the nation. The IEA said its Energy Policy Review arrives at a critical moment for Estonia, which is facing notable challenges amid the climate and energy crises,... [Read More]

Aston University's Supergen Bioenergy Hub has officially launched its new impact-focused phase to increase sustainable biomass production and use in the UK. The project aims to re-energise the biomass and bioenergy community and develop new partnerships, according to the university. In July 2023 UK Research and Innovation committed £5 million (€5.7 million) to fund... [Read More]

Portugese renewables firm the Greenvolt Group (Greenvolt) has announced it is in the final stages of completing the commissioning of a lithium-ion battery storage system at its Mondego bioelectric biomass plant in Figueira da Foz, Coimbra. The project aims to modulate generated power, optimising the injected power at each moment through innovative “pouch cell” technology,... [Read More]

The town of Amiens, Amiens Energies and ENGIE Solutions have selected Danish company Dall Energy to provide its gasification technology for a new 14MW district heating-plant. The contract was signed on 14 November at a signing ceremony at Quai De L'innovation in Amiens in France. Alongside the deal with the plant, Dall Energy has secured a 10-year maintenance deal with... [Read More]

Rewind, a biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS) company, has raised $5 million (€4.6 million) in seed funding, to deploy its unique carbon dioxide removal method. The company said it maximises the Black Sea's natural ability to permanently store carbon dioxide. The Black Sea has an anoxic seabed, meaning there is virtually no oxygen present at its deepest levels.... [Read More]

Stainless steel producer Outokumpu has acquired a share of Swedish company Envigas to reduce direct emissions with biomass-based raw material. The company said it has ambitious sustainability targets and is constantly looking for options to further decarbonise the industry and the company’s stainless steel production. Switching from the use of fossil raw materials... [Read More]

The UK government is facing a legal challenge over its Biomass Strategy in the High Court. The Lifescape Project rewilding charity, backed by the Partnership for Policy Integrity, has filed an application for a judicial review for the Strategy, which was published in August this year. The case has been filed in the Administrative Court on the grounds that the government’s... [Read More]

Enviva Inc has reported a net loss of $85.2 million (€79.8 million) for Q3 2023, a significant increase from the net loss of $18.3 million (€17.1 million), reported for the same period in 2022. The company has experienced a significant net loss of $49.6 million (€46.4 million) and decrease in adjusted EBITDA, which was €36.6 million (€34.2 million), compared... [Read More]

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has released a new report that looks at how biomass can help the European Union (EU) achieve its climate and environmental goals, and how climate change might affect the EU's biomass production in agriculture and forest sectors. The report, entitled The European Biomass Puzzle - Challenges, opportunities and trade-offs around biomass... [Read More]

The Municipal District (MD) of Greenview, the County of Grande Prairie, and Ecostrat have announced the issue of a new Bioeconomy Development Opportunity (BDO) Zone rating for woody biomass in Alberta, Canada. The prestigious ‘A’ rating denotes ‘high quality’ feedstock supply chains and infrastructure, based on robust forestry and wood industry sectors, and local... [Read More]

Suzano, the world's largest producer of market pulp, has announced it will invest R$650 million (€66.4 million) in the construction of a tissue paper mill in Espírito Santo, where it will also invest R$520 million (€98.7 million) to replace a biomass boiler. The company will also invest R$490 million (€93 million) to expand the supply of fluff pulp in São Paulo. The... [Read More]

Bioenergy Europe has released its 2023 Statistical Report Pellets and its Policy Brief. The report analyses the state of play of the pellet sector. The geopolitical crisis and the EU sanctions against Russia made 2022 an exceptional year for the pellet market, according to the trade association. Fluctuations in pellet prices significantly grew due to flow disruptions... [Read More]

The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) has signed a grant agreement with Ecostar Energy Côte d’Ivoire for technical assistance to support the development of an estimated 25-megawatt cotton stalk biomass power plant in the Boundiali region of Côte d’Ivoire. Ecostar selected Washington, D.C.-based Delphos International Ltd. to carry out the assistance. Upon... [Read More]