Features

By Thomas Meth chief commercial officer, Enviva. Looking at recommendations from the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA), every pathway to meeting decarbonisation goals that limit the impact of global warming includes woody biomass. To achieve climate targets and reach climate neutrality, industrial countries need to…
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Could energy crop pellets help solve the UK’s energy security issue? Domestic biomass energy supplier White Horse Energy outlines its latest project. As the world’s attention turns to the threat to our planet posed by climate change post-COP26, the energy sector is under intense scrutiny. Coal has long been the answer to the energy conundrum, but in the 21st century, it is no longer the…
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“In the wake of COP26, it would be deeply disappointing if the debate in 28 years’ time is more about why we failed than how we succeeded,” writes Colin Ley. The emergence of the Omicron variant in late November last year, followed by a rapid surge in infections, has raised serious doubts over the speed of Europe’s economic recovery over the next 12-18 months. Having enjoyed a 5.8%…
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Several major fires at biomass facilities in recent years have been caused by spontaneous combustion. Here, Derek Stuart, global product manager at AMETEK Land, explores early detection methods to keep supplies (and people) safe. Wood pellets have many desirable properties when used as fuel: they are sustainable, energy-dense, have low moisture content, and are easy to transport. However,…
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UK-based BioCarbonics is working with anaerobic digestion and biogas facilities to produce green CO2 for customers in the food and beverage sector. Creating a network of CO2 supply sources from biogas plants could be the answer to preventing future shortages, according to UK-based BioCarbonics. Established in June 2018, BioCarbonics works with AD operators/biogas producers to help them…
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With more than 300 installations under its belt, Host has big plans for the future of bioenergy. From its humble beginnings as an engineering firm advising industrial companies on energy efficiency, Host has become a major player in the bioenergy industry. Host was the result of a joint venture between Holec Projects and Stork, two well-established suppliers of energy systems and…
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John Hanselman, founder and chief strategy officer at Vanguard Renewables, sheds light on the importance of farm waste in reaching global net-zero goals. I was watching a recent Netflix documentary, Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet, when I heard a brilliant explanation of the unique opportunity the generations of people currently living on Earth hold. Johan Rockström, the joint…
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What to look forward to at the International Biogas & Biomass Congress & Expos. After almost two years of lockdown restrictions and Zoom meetings, it is a joy to be able to write this preview ahead of our event in March. Biogas, biomass and biofuels industry members will gather, once again, in Brussels, to discuss the enormous potential of our respective sectors in the race to…
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Lauma Kazusa, head of market analysis at SUEZ Trading Europe, discusses the changing landscape surrounding wood waste and its impact on the bioenergy sector. Market turbulence has been incredible over the last two years, affecting all sectors and products. Wood waste has not escaped this rollercoaster ride and is firmly set to continue with new twists and turns ahead. In 2019, many within…
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In September, Bright Biomethane opened its first small-scale bio-CNG biogas upgrader to help agricultural businesses to ‘green’ their fleets. Over the past two years in Houffalize, Belgium, Bright Biomethane has been developing a unique project, upgrading biogas for use in agricultural transportation. The technology offers a cost-effective system for bio-CNG production through membrane…
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QUBE Renewables discusses a recent project in Kenya, helping a local flower farm to generate biogas from its waste. The World Energy Council assesses the World Energy Trilemma Index. This is an annual measurement of national energy system performances across three dimensions: energy security, energy equity, and environmental sustainability. Although Kenya’s trilemma performance shows…
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Thomas Siegmund, head of biomass certification at the Sustainable Resources Verification Scheme (SURE), discusses the implications of RED II on the biogas sector. On 18 December 2018, the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) came into force, which obliged EU Member States to request binding proof of sustainability for the generation of electricity and heat from solid and gaseous biomass fuels…
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Austria-based Polytechnik is helping New Zealand sawmills cut emissions with innovative biomass technology. With more than 3,300 plants installed worldwide and an export rate of 95%, Austrian firm Polytechnik has become a global player and leading supplier of customised solutions for any application, be it warm water, thermal oil or steam, from co-generation plants to process heat generators…
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As practice manager of the Climate Change Fund Management Unit, Marc Sadler oversees the World Bank’s climate and carbon finance portfolio. These funds invest in and provide results-based finance for programmes covering sustainable forestry and land use, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and national policy. The unit also includes climate finance programmes administered through the World…
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