News

In the UK, supermarket giant Tesco's organic waste-derived ethanol has been certified by OFGEM, the government's energy official. The ethanol, which has been under development for 2 years, has seen Tesco granted a Renewable Obligation Certificate, confirming the fuel contains no traces of additional fossil fuels and is 100% renewable. The fuel is currently being used to fuel specially adapted…
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In the US, projects designed to restore and protect wetlands in the Northern Everglades Watershed could receive funding from the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the government of Florida. The grants will support a number of projects, including the INEOS New Planet BioEnergy plant in Vero Beach. A loan guarantee from the USDA went towards the construction of this facility, which now…
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In Georgia, US, Beasley Forest Products and Land Care Services have partnered for the development of a biomass-fired power plant to be located in Dublin in Laurens County. Upon completion, slated for October 2012, the 56MW Green Power Solutions plant will be the largest of its kind in Georgia. The facility will be able to handle 1.2 million tonnes a year of woody biomass, including bark and…
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In Germany, Heizkraft Zwickau Süd GmbH is developing a biomass-fired power plant, for which Metso will supply the modularised biomass power plant for combined heat and power (CHP) production. The CHP plant will be delivered by the Mesto-Wärtsilä joint venture MW Power. The value of the order is about €20 million. The plant will start transporting electricity to the gird in…
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A number of wood pellet production plants are due to come online in the US and Canada during the coming years as demand from Europe and Asia looks set to grow. According to the North American Wood Fiber Review, North America exported almost 1.5 million tonnes of wood pellets to Europe in 2010. Demand here will continue to grow as the 27 member states must source 20% of their energy from renewable…
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Biomass fuel producer Enviva is planning to construct a wood pellet production facility in Northampton County, North Carolina, US. Upon completion, which is estimated for October 2012, the plant will be able to manufacture 400,000 tonnes a year of wood pellets, increasing North Carolina's annual production capacity to over 750,000 tonnes. The plant has received funding from the state's One North…
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In Alberta, Canada, construction has started on a biogas plant that will generate 2.85MW a year of renewable power. The $30 million (€20.9 million) plant is being developed by partners ECB Enviro North America and PlanEt Biogas Solutions of Ontario. When the plant begins production in January 2013, it will handle 160,000 tonnes of liquid waste and produce enough electricity to power 2,500…
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In the UK, energy minister Charles Hendry has approved two new biomass-fired power plants in Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. Drax Biomass Selby got the go-ahead for a 299MW biomass-fuelled power station, which will be installed at the existing 400MW Drax Power Station site in Selby, North Yorkshire, while Drax Biomass Immingham has been granted consent for a 299MW biomass power station at South…
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In Iloilo province, the Philippines, renewable energy company Global Biomass broke ground on its $4 million (€2.8 million) biomass research and manufacturing facility on 7 August 2011. The 5,000m2 facility, named the 'Global Biomass PLC Corp. Research Development and Manufacturing' facility (GBC R-D-M) is 'the very first of its kind in the world', according to David de Montaigne, CEO of…
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Wood pellet manufacturer Balcas has become the first company in Ireland to produce ENplus-certified wood pellets. The ENplus certification is the European standard which aims to guarantee the supply of standardised, premium-quality wood pellets for consumers. 'The European Pellet Council congratulates Balcas brites for being awarded the ENplus certification, which makes Balcas also the largest…
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Lincolnshire, UK-based composting and consultancy firm Organic Recycling is to expand its site, increasing the technology options available at the Energy and Recycling Park. The news comes after the Lincolnshire County Council approved its planning application earlier this year. Organic Recycling will now be able to generate enough renewable power to benefit over 1,400 households. The site…
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In Hungary, Biogas-Miskolc is building a HUF2.2 billion (€7.5 million) biogas plant, which will produce renewable energy from sewage sludge. The project, which was part-funded with a HUF1 billion grant from the EU, is scheduled to begin operations in August. Waterworks company MIVIZ Miskolci Vízmű, Bioenergy-Miskolc and WIS Zrt are behind the development, which is a fully sustainable…
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In Romania, Gherla, furniture producer Sortilemn is to install a combined heat and power (CHP) project. The plant will generate 1.4MW of electricity and around 5.3MW of heat. Turboden, a subsidiary of aircraft company Pratt & Whitney will supply the plant, after Sortilemn awarded it the contract. The electricity produced at the plant will be distributed to the national grid, while the thermal…
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By 2016, the market for renewable energy is expected to grow significantly, increasing from $124 billion (€86.8 billion) in 2010 to $217 billion. In 2010, the market for biogas production equipment was worth $3 billion. This figure is expected to rise by 19% each year, before reaching $8.6 billion in 2016. Costing around $100 per barrel, fossil fuel is becoming a less and less viable energy…
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