News

Chubb, the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurer, has launched a new insurance proposition for biogas and solar plants, projects, or facilities in the UK and Ireland. Biogas and solar are playing an increasing role in the UK's energy mix with 200 biogas plants in operation across the country. In early July, for the first time ever, solar plants produced almost…
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Brazil's power sector regulator Aneel has licensed a 5MW biomass project that won a contract in the A-5 energy auction held on 29 April. Aneel's licences confirm the tax regularity and the legal, technical, economic, and financial qualifications of the projects. Owned by local Predilecta Alimentos, the wood chip-fuelled plant will begin commercial operation on 1 January, 2021,…
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UK-based waste management company Urbaser Balfour Beatty (UBB) has begun site preparation works at its Gloucestershire energy-from-waste (EfW) plant, despite concerns over the site’s effects on public health. To be located at Javelin Park, Gloucestershire, UBB hopes to have the construction work begin in earnest in September 2016. The company has signed a contract with Gloucestershire…
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The global death rate from air pollution will skyrocket in the next few decades lest the energy buckles down and significantly reduces its emissions, the International Energy Agency (IEA) says. In the Energy and Air Pollution special report under the World Energy Outlook, IEA says an estimated 6.5 million death are caused by air pollution annually. Of these deaths, 3.5 million are connected with…
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The abolition of the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) has prompted mixed views from the UK’s renewable energy sector. The UK’s new Prime Minister Theresa May scrapped DECC in her Cabinet reshuffle on Thursday (14 July). DECC policy areas will now move to the new Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The energy portfolio will now be led by former…
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UK-based energy-from-waste (EfW) technology supplier, Energos, has entered administration, due to “cash flow issues caused by contractual disputes with their two main contractors”. Matthew Wild and Lindsey Cooper of RSM Restructuring Advisory have been appointed joint administrators of Energos. The company had four ongoing contracts for the construction of waste plants…
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French resource management company Veolia has signed a five-year contract with Lowell Energy AD for the operations and maintenance of its Lowell Energy Anaerobic Digester. Under the contract, Veolia is charged with improving performance of the anaerobic digestion (AD) system to increase biogas and power output.  Commissioned in 2015, the Lowell Energy biogas-to-electricity facility has…
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Antibiotics that could help in the battle against drug-resistant bacteria have been discovered in the digestate produced by a UK anaerobic digestion (AD) plant. The discovery was made after digestate from a facility owned by malt and malted ingredients producer Muntons was sent for analysis to the University College London. The sample was delivered to Adam Roberts who runs the Swab and Send…
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US-based wood pellet giant Enviva Partners has reported a second-quarter profit of $12 million (€10.70m), compared to $2.9 million the same period last year, helped by higher wood pellet sales. Adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) improved to $23.5 million in the second quarter of 2016, a 23% percent increase compared to the corresponding period in…
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UK-based food and agri company Saria’s Doncaster site is now running completely off-grid and using 100% renewable energy, the company says. Recycling more than 160,000 tonnes of food waste annually in a ReFood anaerobic digestion (AD) plant, the state-of-the-art facility generates 5MWh of electricity via combined heat and power (CHP), alongside hot water and heat. A sustainable…
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The New South Wales (NSW) government has launched a renewable energy map to help drive investment into the Australian state. The NSW Renewable Energy Resource Map provides renewable energy project developers with free access to geospatial data and information on the state’s renewable energy resources and highlights more than 201 sites across NSW. The application is apparently the first…
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New official UK figures show 40% more renewable electricity was produced from biogas from waste and farms in 2015 compared to 2014. The UK government’s annual Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES), published today [28 July], also reflects growth in biomethane to grid with the generation of heat from anaerobic digestion more than doubling.  Key figures include: AD installed electrical…
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Environmental protestors have parodied a song made by US rock band Talking heads to criticise Enviva and Drax at the North Carolina-based American Pellet Fuels Institute Conference. According to media reports in Mountain Express, a spontaneous Flashmob broke into song and dance playfully criticising key conference goers Enviva and Drax for “their role in the logging and…
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Italian biogas plant designer SEBIGAS has signed a new contract with Thailand-based food specialist CPP Group to supply it with a 3.1MW tapioca-pulp-run biogas facility. The high cost of the electrical energy in Thailand, compared to other south eastern countries, makes it difficult for the industrial sector to preserve competitive prices maintaining high-quality standards. Tapioca pulp is a…
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