News

A new study has suggested UK renewable energy output could be substantially boosted if the government banned all food leftovers from reaching landfills. In the race to be using 15% renewable energy sources by 2020, the report on the UK by independent thinktank Centre Forum estimates that food waste used in anaerobic digesters could grow the number of homes powered by renewable energy sources from…
Read More »

The US Department of Defence (DoD) has announced a public-private partnership opportunity to support an integrated domestic advanced drop-in biofuel biorefinery. The funding opportunity is designed to share the cost of establishing one or more first-of-a-kind biorefineries and feedstock supply chains to provide the US military with already certified blends of biofuels. The Biotechnology Industry…
Read More »

A new pilot plant heralded as ‘the world’s first direct solid biomass-into-diesel fuel operation’ has opened onsite at an ONV refinery in Schwechat, Austria. The BioCrack technology-powered plant is a joint venture by Austrian industrial company OMV and customised bioplant construction company BDI Bioenergy International, with support from the Austrian Climate and Energy…
Read More »

Advanced biofuels producer Sundrop Fuels (SF) is set to use ExxonMobil technology at the site of its first commercial ‘green gasoline’ plant in Louisiana, US. The plant will use sustainable forest waste combined with hydrogen from clean-burning natural gas to produce up to 50 million gallons annually of what SF claims will be the ‘world’s first ready-to-use, renewable…
Read More »

Biomass facility providers DP CleanTech has signed off on a new Philippines-based 12MW biomass power plant in partnership with Asea One Power. The plant will become part of an overall 42MW clean energy initiative to meet the increasing power supply required by the regions of Panay and Guimaras. The plant will be constructed in the Aklan province and hopes to add a meaningful contribution to…
Read More »

A redeveloped Columbia Pacific  ethanol plant has delayed production due to being confronted with what it calls ‘declining market conditions’. Columbia Pacific had hoped to begin ethanol production in February but have now taken the decision to wait out a combined slump in ethanol price while corn feedstock price remains high. General plant manager Dan Luckett was quoted as…
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 »

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 »

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 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 »

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 »

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 »

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 »