Other News

It has been reported that UK MP’s have agreed to give subsidies for burning wood and plants in the country’s power plants. Backing a government stance that supports the inclusion of biofuels in the overall reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and “keeping the lights on”, a BBC report claims an all-party committee agreed new payments for renewable energy including palm oil…
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The American Biogas Council (ABC) has applauded the introduction of the Biogas Investment Tax Credit Act of 2013 which would provide a 30% investment tax credit for qualifying biogas technologies. The bill would add biogas to the list of renewables that already receive a 30% federal investment tax credit and projects that inject renewable natural gas into the gas pipeline or use the biogas to…
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A new bioenergy project in Wisconsin, US has received the financing to complete its dairy-based electricity production. GreenWhey, the company behind the project has secured the $28 million (€21.5 million) needed to secure the future of an anaerobic digester which will turn 500,000 gallons of diary wastewater into 3.2MW of electricity. ‘The project is believed to be the first…
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Jatropha developer Joil has signed a memorandum of understanding to develop plantations in West Africa with Agritech Faso. The pair will explore the development of 250,000 hectares of jatropha plantations intercropped with food crops using Joil’s high-yielding varieties. Field trials will also be carried out using Joil’s growing materials at Agritech’s plantations in Burkina…
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A multi-million wood pellet storage facility is still a real concern at the Port of Liverpool, UK. The two-stage facility, to be built by Peel Ports, is reportedly costing £60 million (€68.6 million) during phase one and will be able to store 100,000 tonnes of pellets to supply a biomass power station planned at the port. The new storage facility is expected to be housed at Alexandra…
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Gulf Coast Renewable Energy will locate a $25 million (€19.2 million) wood pellet plant in Mississippi, US. CGRE says the plant will be situated on 40 acres in George County and should create around 30 new jobs. Construction will take 14 months and a request for help with adding an access road is currently pending. Over 150,000 tonnes of pellets a year will initially be produced, with the…
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Norwegian investment company Byggleverandørene has added a wood pellets plant to its portfolio in Lithuania. The Biowood Nordic plant cost LTL 4 million (€1.1 million) to construct via almost LTL 2 million of EU and government aid received under the scheme supporting migration of farming companies towards non-farming activities. ‘It is a new plant, built from scratch in…
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Two international organisations have signed an memorandum of understanding to share and develop bioenergy sectors this March. Rotterdam Biomass Commodities Network (RBCN) and the Wood Pellet Association of Canada will now cooperate together by sharing knowledge and organising biomass events. ‘RBCN is an organisation dedicated to strengthening and promoting the Dutch bioenergy sector and…
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Front Range Energy, an ethanol producer in Colorado, US is to move away from using corn feedstock to woody biomass. FRE says it has tested a new process to make ethanol from wood waste and its facility could start commercial production next year. ‘The idea to use biomass to convert to ethanol is not a new idea,’ says Dan Sanders Jr, FRE VP. ‘What's new is the technology to bring…
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Canada-based Viridis Energy (VE) believes its Scotia Atlantic Biomass plant will begin wood pellet shipments this autumn. VE anticipates the plant will be fully staffed and ramped up production could deliver 25,000 tonnes to European markets by September. ‘We are ramping up production slower than anticipated due to some delays relating to industry subsidies in the UK,’ VE CFO Michele…
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State-owned plantation company PT Perkebunan Nusantara (PTPN) is set to widen its product portfolio by expanding into biofuel production during 2013. It has been reported that its sugar and tobacco lines cannot be fully relied on to support the Indonesia-based company, which is seeing increased manufacturing costs, so biofuels and electricity production are set to be introduced. ‘Sugar…
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UK-based Midland Bioenergy (MB) has added a new heat log briquette to aid domestic and commercial environments. The UK is aiming for a 15% renewable energy input from renewables by 2020 and home owners can be supported by the Renewable Heat Premium scheme that offers £950 (€1,100) towards the cost of an installed biomass boiler. ‘Currently just 1.5% of UK final energy consumption…
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Ontario Power Generation (OPG) is considering turning the facility at Mission Island into a biomass-based generator. As the province moves away from coal-fired plants, work converting the Thunder Bay facility from coal to natural gas was suspended in November as OPG looks at other options. OPG Northwest Thermal plant manager Chris Fralick is confident that Thunder Bay will remain operational…
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US-based renewable energy company Ameresco has completed its first operational year at its renewable energy fuelled cogeneration facility at its Savannah River site (SRS). The facility came online in conjunction with the US Department of Energy’s (DoE) single largest renewable Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC), awarded to Ameresco in 2009 to finance, design, construct, operate,…
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