News

German experts on CO2 utilization from the Nova-Institut have launched a petition for the full integration of renewable carbon capture and utilisation (rCCU) in the EU Renewable Energy Directive. According to the authors, the ongoing development of the 2030 Climate and Energy Framework and the reform of the RED is a unique opportunity to establish a regulatory framework in which rCCU is fully…
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EXCLUSIVE. The date for the publication of the post-2020 Renewable Energy Directive (RED) has been mooted by an industry expert speaking at a biofuels conference. An industry expert close to the sector, who spoke at the Argus Biofuels conference and wished not to be named, said that he believed  RED phase two was due to come out on 7 December, 2016. However, in a statement to Bioenergy…
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UK-based biogas and landfill gas specialist ENER-G Natural Power has rebranded as Ylem Energy. This follows the transfer of the ENER-G trademark as part of Centrica’s recent acquisition of former sister company ENER-G Cogen International. The biogas business has developed more than 150MW of landfill gas-to-energy projects over the past 25 years in the UK, Poland, Mexico and South…
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UK logistics specialist Stobart Group has seen its half-year pre-tax profits soar by 1700% to £10.8 million, up from £600,000 in the same period last year. The Group, which also has an energy division, claims it is the number one supplier of biomass in the UK, sourcing and supplying fuel to biomass plants under a mix of short and long-term contracts. Underlying profits, rose 252% from…
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Spanish automaker SEAT and water management company Aqualia have joined forces to produce renewable biofuel from wastewater to be used in compressed natural gas (CNG)-powered vehicles. To kick off the five-year collaboration agreement, both companies have begun performing pilot tests in the wastewater treatment plant located in Jerez de la Frontera in the city of Cádiz. As part of the…
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Canada-based wood pellet producer Viridis Energy has closed on the sale of its Okanagan pellet brands to American Biomass Corp., a wood pellet distribution specialist. The sale includes all international trademarks, domain names, and other assets associated with the brand. The purchase, by American Biomass Corporation is on an earn out basis and will depend on the volume sold in the year…
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The government of the West Africa-based country of Guinea-Bissau has signed an agreement with Chinese firm Shenyang Lan Sa Trading Co for the construction of a biomass power plant to supply energy to the cities of Bissau and Mansoa in the centre of the country. According to reports on Machuhub.com, Xuguang Li, president of Shenyang Lan Sa Trading Co, signed the contract. Shenyang Lan Sa Trading…
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Renewable energy is estimated to soon overtake fossil fuels in the Finnish energy supply, a new report by Finland’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment says. In 2015, fossil fuels accounted for 37% of total consumption whereas renewable energy and fuels made up 35% of the total, and the portion is expected to keep growing. “A historic turn will soon take place,” said…
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The UK government has proposed a compromise deal to the biomass industry, intended to soften the blow of the sudden changes to incentives for certain biomass combined heat and power (CHP) plants. In July, the government introduced changes to the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) tariffs for biomass CHP plants with under 20% power efficiency with no formal consultation with industry and only 21 days…
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Bioenergy currently contributes to 61% of the total share of renewables, according to the latest European Biomass Association’s (AEBIOM) Statistical Report. Biomass is on the way to become the first European energy source, surpassing coal and has the potential to deliver more, the association says. Often overlooked, the heating and cooling sector accounts for half of the EU-28’s…
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US state of New Jersey has proposed a bill that will require restaurants, supermarkets, and other large food waste generators to separate and recycle their waste for use in waste-to-energy plants and as compost. The bill S-771, passed by the New Jersey Senate Environment and Energy Committee, would encourage the state to build more waste-to-energy facilities. According to the US Environmental…
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Drax Biomass (DBI), a pellet manufacturer operating in the Southeast US, has signed an agreement declaring the cypress and tupelo stands found in forested wetlands, including the Atchafalaya Basin, to be off-limits for its timber purchases. Louisiana’s famed Atchafalaya Basin is a popular destination for boaters, fishermen, and migratory birds. The “river of trees,” noted for…
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Biomass co-firing is a “must” for resolving the global dependency on coal, a new report by the international consulting company Pöyry says. The latest Pöyry Point of View highlights that, despite growing climate change concerns, global demand for coal has almost doubled since the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. The report argues that the future role of coal in the global energy mix…
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The US Federal District Court in San Francisco has issued an order allowing the Native American Blue Lake Rancheria Tribe to intervene in the Clean Air Act enforcement case currently pending against the Blue Lake Power biomass facility. The Tribe has been opposed to any restart of the facility located in in Blue Lake, California, because of significant air pollution impacts on the Tribe’s…
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