News

Philippines-based Aseagas, a joint venture between Gazasia and Aboitiz Equity Ventures, has allocated funds for the construction of a new liquid biomethane plant. It is believed around $30 million (€22.6 million) has been earmarked for the project and building could commence this summer, mostly likely in Luzon where approximately 70% of the market is to be found. The fruits of the project…
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Technology supplier Metso is to supply a biomass-fired power plant to Vimmerby Energi and Miljö AB for combined heat and power production at Tallholmen, Sweden. The start-up of the plant is scheduled for the end of 2014 and the order is valued at €25 million ($33 million). Metso claims the plant will use bubbling fluidised bed combustion technology, with the boiler plant having a…
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Belgium-based renewable energy company Electrawinds has begun operations at a new rendering plant in Serbia after a year and a half of construction. The Energo Zelena brand installation is located 50km outside of Belgrade and will process animal waste products to produce bioenergy. Electrawinds calls the facility a ‘zero waste plant’ as it can use liquid fats, meat and bone to energy…
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UK power generating company Drax has highlighted the positive moves as it converts its coal-fired plant to biomass. The conversion comes in response to rising coal prices and government subsidies backing renewable energy sources. The company reveals that the first of its six units at the Yorkshire-based facility will be converted to biomass in April, with a second planned to be ready next…
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The California Energy Commission has dished out more than $4.4 million (€3.2 million) toward two biogas projects. Blue Line Transfer has received $2.5 million to continue its project in constructing a dry anaerobic digestor compressed natural gas system to fuel five refuse and recycling vehicles. I hopes to convert 9,000 tonnes of plant and food waste into biomethane. The other beneficiary,…
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A new biomass boiler has been installed in Wick, Scotland as part of its district heating scheme. The 3.5MW steam boiler, installed and operated by Ignis Biomass, forms part of an initial £2.5 million (€2.8 million) investment into the scheme. A local whiskey distillery will also benefit from the steam produced too, allowing it to move away from fossil fuel use. ‘The district…
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A new association has been launched in Sacramento to promote bioenergy across California this February. The initiative, named the Bioenergy Association of California, will be led by former deputy secretary for climate change and energy at the California Resources Agency Julia Levin and consist of agencies and businesses interested in furthering sustainable development. ‘California is poised…
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Biomass project developer Helius Energy operating losses rose to £11.6 million (€13.4 million) by the end of September 2012. Revenues increased from £148,308 to £309,713 but the losses rose by £757,448 when compared year-on-year. The company points to an impairment of £8.8 million after it was notified by RWE Innogy that it wished to revert to the original…
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Germany-based biogas developer Envitech is to provide an anaerobic digestion plant into the Czech Republic. Envitech says the 527kW facility will be located on farmland owned by an agricultural company and represents the 19th project of its kind in the country overall. The plant will use a variety of feedstocks, plus liquid manure from 400 on-site cattle, to produce heat for its slaughterhouse…
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Following the horse meat scandal currently engulfing the UK and Europe, a Sweden-based supermarket chain is to boost biogas feedstock levels via recalled ready meals. Ica, which has reached capacity at its 63,000sqm storage facility in Helsingborg with the amount of returned ‘beef lasagne’ meals it has handled, will be transported to a recycling station in Angelholm and turned into…
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Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is considering turning the facility at Mission Island into a biomass-based generator. As the province moves away from coal-fired plants, work converting the Thunder Bay facility from coal to natural gas was suspended in November as OPG looks at other options. OPG Northwest Thermal plant manager Chris Fralick is confident that Thunder Bay will remain operational…
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State-owned plantation company PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) is set to widen its product portfolio by expanding into biofuel production during 2013. It has been reported that its sugar and tobacco lines cannot be fully relied on to support the Indonesia-based company, which is seeing increased manufacturing costs, so biofuels and electricity production are set to be introduced. ‘Sugar…
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A waste-to-fuel project spearheaded by Canada-based Green Energy Solution Industries has appointed a gasification technology provider. GESI will work with International Technologies to bring the plant, to be located just outside Edmonton, online. It will be powered by old or disused railway ties of which GESI believes there are 1,800 per kilometre of track in Alberta alone. International…
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Front Range Energy, an ethanol producer in Colorado, US is to move away from using corn feedstock to woody biomass. FRE says it has tested a new process to make ethanol from wood waste and its facility could start commercial production next year. ‘The idea to use biomass to convert to ethanol is not a new idea,’ says Dan Sanders Jr, FRE VP. ‘What's new is the technology to bring…
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