News

Global investment company Goldman Sachs is set to invest $40 billion (€31.8 billion) in renewable energy projects over the next ten years. Despite that figure being lower than the $4.8 billion it put into clean technology companies worldwide in 2011, Goldman Sachs allegedly see the earning potential in growing economies such as China, Brazil, India and Europe. The investments will be…
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Following the acquisition of biotechnology company Virdia last year, Stora Enso is building a demonstration and market development plant at Raceland, Louisiana, US.  The new plant will become the Stora Enso Biomaterials divisions’ US headquarters. It uses technology developed by Virdia and enables cellulosic biomass, such as wood or agricultural waste, to be converted into highly…
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A new program launched by the Australian Pork Cooperative Research Centre is to focus on maximising the value of captured emissions from the pork industry. The capture, production and use of methane from piggery effluent treated in covered anaerobic lagoons will be the main priority for the Pork CRC Bioenergy Support Program. Research will also be conducted into making the gas collection and use…
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Bioinnovation company Novozymes has inaugurated a $200 million (€161 million) enzyme plant in Nebraska, US to help advance the biofuels market. Novozymes claims the plant will specialise in developing ‘world-leading’ enzymes to advance both existing and advanced biofuel markets. The facility will create 100 job positions and 400 construction jobs. ‘Advanced biofuels are…
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A proposed biomass combustion plant in Trafford, UK has been ‘minded for approval’ by The Environmental Agency (EA). Low carbon energy provider Peel Energy’s plant, known as the Barton Renewable Energy Plant, were rejected by the local authority last year, but in a recent statement the EA said: ‘Following a rigorous assessment process, we are minded to give approval to…
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Over 3,500 signatures have been gathered by protesters for a petition against a proposed biomass power station in Barrow, UK. The campaigning group, calling themselves Furness Opposes Biomass, is against a proposed 80MW power station from integrated energy company Centrica. They have named potential health problems and destruction of the landscape as reasons why they are campaigning. However, any…
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UK investment company Ludgate Environmental Fund (LEF) has put in a total of £14.1 million (€17.3 million) across three companies that deal in anaerobic digestion, biomass and waste heat recovery. As part of a £76.3 million project by Tamar Energy, LEF will invest £7 million to help it fund developments of food and mixed waste anaerobic digestion facilities that generate…
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The anaerobic digestion (AD) industry of Scotland has grown by almost 70% over the last year, new figures show. According to the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ADBA), the country has now 27 operational AD project, which marks an increase of 69% from the situation year on. Another 43 plants have been approved for construction and ADBA estimates that during the next two year the…
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Nova Scotia Power (NSP) officials have announced a new milestone in the construction of a CAN$208 million (€160 million) biomass cogeneration plant. A steam turbine and generator used to produce electricity has arrived at the facility and NSP is confident it will generate about 60 MW a year via burned biomass. The combined weight of the turbine and generator came in at 260 tonnes and was…
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A new biodiesel plant designed and installed by Agri Process Innovations for Oswalt Bioenergy has gone from construction to full start-up within seven days in Lake Providence, Louisiana, US. Plant manager Hal Oswalt and company owner Sonny Oswalt decided to go ahead with the 5 million gallon per year, multi-feedstock facility after sensing a real ongoing demand for biodiesel pursuant to RFS2 in…
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LeRay officials are in negotiations for a potential five-year payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreement with ReEnergy Holdings to make building a biomass energy plant more affordable. LeRay plans to invest about $34 million (€26.4 million) to convert a coal-fired plant into one that produces energy using biomass materials in Fort Drum, New York. To offset those costs, it is seeking to…
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The Filipino government’s energy department is to look into ‘more realistic targets’ for the country’s bioethanol production. Energy undersecretary Jay Layug says the Philippines’s bioethanol production has remained minimal compared with demand since the Biofuels Law was passed in 2006. ‘Five years ago the government wanted us to be a top ethanol producer in…
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The Small Industries Development Board (SIDB) will launch biogas plants in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan to provide both low-cost fuel and benefit economic, social and environmental sectors. The biogas project will be funded by money from the Pakistan-Italian debt swap agreement of 2009, when Italy agreed to convert Pakistan’s $100 million (€77.8 million) debt into aid for development…
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Bangkok-based green solutions company Loxley will spend THB60 million (€1.49 million) on building a new pilot plant for algae-based biofuel. This news comes after Loxley signed a memorandum of understanding for the development project with Bangchak Petroleum, Ratchaburi Electricity Generating Holding and the Department of Alternative Energy Development and Efficiency. ‘The location…
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