News

Leading renewable chemical producer Gevo has announced a collaboration with US-based ethanol producer BioFuel Energy to explore high-volume production of isobutanol. ‘The capacity of BioFuel's plants would allow us to begin delivering isobutanol at the scale that refinery customers are likely to demand,’ says Patrick Gruber, CEO of Gevo. ‘BioFuel Energy has agreed to explore a…
Read More »

Poland can increase its share of renewable energy in power generation from 7% in 2010 to nearly 38% by 2030, according to a report released by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). REmap 2030 Renewable Energy Prospects for Poland, prepared with input from the Polish Ministry of Economy, also finds the share of renewable energy in total final energy consumption can more than double to…
Read More »

Biomass Supplies (Pvt), a company based in Sri Lanka, has earned the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) certification for biomass produced from branches pruned from live fences of Gliricidia trees. The certification covers Biomass Supplies' work with 30,000 small farmers who have planted 60 million new trees on their fences. Gliricidia is a fast-growing, short-rotation tree found…
Read More »

The Japanese ministry of industry gave the go-ahead for renewable energy feed-in tariffs to be introduced on 18 June. Effective from the start of July, and set to last at least 20 years, the new incentives will require Japanese utility companies to purchase electricity from renewable sources including biomass. The Japanese government sees this move as a positive move to reduce the country’s…
Read More »

Rhyl Leisure Centre will be the home to a new biomass heating system after planning permission was granted by Denbighshire council’s planning committee. The system, to be installed by E.ON Energy Solutions, will provide heat and warmth to the centre and its swimming pool. The structure will be 10.1 metres in width and stretch up 3.5 metres. “The scheme is a pilot project for the…
Read More »

US-based oil refiners Valero Energy (VE) and ethanol producers Nedak Ethanol (NE) have both temporarily closed their ethanol plants in Nebraska recently. VE spokesman Bill Day cited ‘poor profit margins’ returned by its facility, which produces up to 110 million gallons of biofuel annually, as the reason behind the suspension. There were no signs that VE’s other nine ethanol…
Read More »

Finnish wood and pulp supplier Metsa Group (MG) is to consider increasing the use and production of renewable energy sources at its pulp mill in Kemi despite another project falling by the way side. A feasibility study and review of production technology will be undertaken by MG as it considers putting in a gasification plant for biofuel production in place of a current fossil fuel-run lime kiln.…
Read More »

US-based Greenleaf Biofuels is due to fully open what it is claiming to be the ‘biggest biodiesel facility in New England. Construction begun eight months ago and the plant is expected to produce around 10 million gallons of biodiesel a year. Greenleaf is hopeful it will be online by September and its Waterfront Street location has links to both rail lines and a nearby port. ‘Eight…
Read More »

A proposal to turn abandoned agricultural land in Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia into a biomass production site has overcome initial environmentalist concerns. Energy crop project developer Pro Farm Energy and Minas Basin Pulp and Power want to grow elephant grass on the land and use it to produce electricity via a proposed $50 million (€39.7 million) plant to be constructed by…
Read More »

Paper-based packaging company Smurfit Kappa (SK) has added a new steam cogeneration plant at its paper mill in Nevrion, Spain. The 21.4MW facility is part of a €20 million ($25.1 million) investment project by SK to produce energy from biomass as it aims to reduce fossil CO₂ emissions. It also increases the mill’s energy generation capacity by 40% to over 120,000 MWh. ‘The…
Read More »

Renewable energy firm Infinergy has won a new contract to create a carbon neutral energy plant in the UK. The contract was won from Intermet Refractory Products and is worth more than £1 million (€1.2 million). Intermet will use the new facility at its Oughtibridge plant based near Sheffield and it will produce electricity from wood pellets rather than fossil fuels. Intermet’s…
Read More »

UK-based energy provider Tilbury Green Power (TGP) has agreed a new partnership with biomass fuel provider Hadfield Wood Recyclers. Under the contract Hadfield will supply more than 50,000 tonnes of wood a year to TGP’s new power facility in Tilbury Docks, Essex. TGP is approved to use up to 650,000 tonnes of fuel per year at the facility including SRF and biomass fuel from virgin and…
Read More »

More US fuel plants are potentially considering retrofits to be able to produce isobutanol biofuel on-site. Technology provider Butamax Advanced Biofuels has signed up four ethanol plants for potential retrofits, bringing the total of what it is calling ‘the early adopters group’ to seven interested parties overall. The latest plants are Granite Falls Energy, Platinum Ethanol, Little…
Read More »

Hu Honua Bioenergy has signed an agreement with the Hawaii Electric Light Company to provide 21.5MW of power. The power will come from Hu Honua’s Big Island biomass plant and, pending approval from the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission, the agreement will last for 20 years. Big Island is located on the site of the former Pepeekeo sugar mill and a converted electric generation…
Read More »