News

Old Durham Wood Co., in Oroville, California, has been temporarily closed after a fire broke out and damaged 1 acre of woodchips. The fire, which was reported at around 11am on 18 September, originated in a large pile of woodchips and strong winds caused it to spread. The facility is damaged and fire fighters managed to contain the blaze. A fire crew of 30, in addition to five engines and two…
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CleanWorld has started building an AD plant at the former UC Davis landfill in Davis, California. The biodigester will divert 20,000 tonnes per year of food, green and agricultural waste away from landfill. The biogas collected from this decomposing feedstock is converted into 1MW of electricity and used to power campus buildings at the UC Davis university. By-products of the process includes 4…
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Cheese manufacturer Wyke Farms has launched a £4 million (€4.7 million) biogas plant at its site in Somerset, UK. The plant took five years to plan and build. It features three 4,600m3 digester vessels and will convert 75,000 tonnes a year of biodegradable waste materials from the farm and dairy, including manure, into energy. Wyke Farms said in a statement the new AD facility will…
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Asea One Power is to invest around $185 million (€137 million) over a five year period to build 60MW of biomass power plant capacity across the Philippines. It has been reported that the company would start with a $37 million, 12MW biomass-fired project in Banga, Aklan and hired an EPC contractor in June. The plant will use rice husks and straws as feedstock, in addition to woody…
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Enova Energy, an Atlanta-headquartered bioenergy company, is building three wood pellet plants in Georgia and South Carolina and has signed a new supply agreement for the biomass. The company has entered into a 10-year fibre supply and services agreement with Plum Creek Timber. Under the new agreement, Plum Creek will deliver up to 3 million tonnes a year of sustainably-managed wood fibre to…
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Cleantech company Blue Sphere has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a landfill gas-to-energy project at the Akouedo Landfill in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Under the agreement, Blue Sphere will own the gas and energy produced in exchange for financing the cost of the project and sharing a portion of the profits with its partner in Ivory Coast. The Akouedo Landfill receives up to 4,000…
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The US affiliate of Germany-based chemical company BASF has entered into an agreement to acquire the outstanding shares of common stock of biotechnology company Verenium for $4 (€3) per share. Based on all outstanding shares and including all net financial liabilities, the enterprise value is valued at approximately $62 million. California-based Verenium generated $57 million in sales last…
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Ameresco, a provider of solutions for the renewable energy industry, has completed the construction of its 1.4MW landfill gas-to-energy project at Johnson Canyon Landfill in California. The company designed, built and now operates the renewable energy facility and SVSWA owns the landfill site. Under a 20 year power purchase agreement, the city of Palo Alto will buy the renewable energy. A portion…
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The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has formed a new partnership to increase the use of wood for energy purposes while helping to improve the health and safety of the nation's forests. Agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack said the new partnership includes the USDA, the Alliance for Green Heat, the Biomass Power Association, the Biomass Thermal Energy Council and the Pellet Fuels Institute. The…
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Latvia's largest combined heat and power (CHP) biomass plant has come online. Energy company Fortum developed the Jelgava-based plant, which uses woodchips to generate 45MW of power and 23MW of electricity – enough to benefit 85% of the city's heating capacity. It reduces the region's CO2 emissions by around 44,000 tonnes compared to 2010. Construction of the plant started in August 2011…
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Cool Planet Energy Systems, a developer of small-scale biorefineries for the conversion of non-food biomass into biofuels, is to build its first commercial facility in Alexandria, Louisiana. The $168 million (€125.9 million) plant will produce 10 million gallons a year of cellulosic fuel and biochar, which is a by-product of the refining process and is used as an agricultural supplement. In…
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A $170 million (€128 million) 49.9MW biomass-fired power plant, developed by Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC) and its partner Novi Energy, has commenced its trial run. On 11 September the first flow of renewable electricity was connected to the PJM regional electric transmission grid during testing. The companies anticipate that pre-commercial operation testing and inspection…
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Neoen, a producer of electricity from renewable sources, is developing a 65MW combined heat and power plant in Commentry, France. Following a call for tender, Areva has announced that it, in consortium with French boiler supplier Leroux and Lotz Technologies, has been awarded the €55 million contract to build the plant. It will use woodchips to generate 15MW of electrical power and 50MW of…
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Denmark's Port of Frederikshavn has entered into a partnership with technology company Steeper Energy and Aalborg University in Denmark to develop a biomass-based plant to produce sustainable marine fuel. The new plant will initially produce between 50 and 100,000 tonnes of sulphur-free renewable fuel a year for the several thousand vessels passing through the port annually. It will use wood…
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