Other News

Reported growth in Scotland’s community renewable schemes does not reflect the whole picture, according to a project manager at Savills Energy. Gregory Dix says figures released earlier this year by the Energy Saving Trust (EST), which put Scotland on track to achieve its community renewable targets, are too reliant on farms and estates, which account for 33% of the current total. A further…
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A new US wood pellet production facility owned by Enviva Pellets has been officially opened in North Carolina. The facility has a capacity of 500,000 tonnes a year and is set to support 79 full time employees and an additional 130 jobs in forestry and logistic sectors. The pellets will be exported through Enviva’s Port of Chesapeake export terminal in Virginia to European energy utility…
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The UK’s first bio-LNG filling station was launched by the under secretary for the Department of Transport this May. The station, located in Daventry and built by Gasrec, is capable of fuelling up to 250 HGVs a day in the first phase from three bio-LNG dispensers. A second phase will increase that capacity to up to 700 vehicles. The used bio-LNG is Gasrec’s blend of liquefied natural…
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The European Commission has approved millions of Euros in aid for a biorefinery research programme. The Genesys programme will benefit from €39.8 million ($51.2 million) granted by the French government to the PIVERT IEED, an institute working in the field of low carbon energy. Genesys will aim to use oilseed and lignocellulosic biomass to produce heat and power primarily, but also…
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Biomethane technology provider Purac Puregas is to supply Scotia Gas Networks with a biogas upgrading plant. The facility will upgrade around 2,000Nm3/hr of raw biogas to grid specification, producing enough energy to heat around 7,500 homes. ‘This contract award represents a significant step change in the scale of biogas upgrading projects in the UK,’ says Jan Molin, MD of Purac…
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The Port of Pascagoula has received the last piece of funding it needs for a new wood pellet facility. The $30 million (€23.2 million) facility will be built along two terminals on the port’s Bayou Casotte after the project received $10 million in bond money after a $196 million bond bill was recently approved. Port director Mark McAndrews believes construction will begin before the…
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Lonach Dairy Farm in Sri Lanka, owned by Sunshine Holdings (SH), has become energy self-sufficient after completion of an on-site biogas project. The facility uses cow dung and urine collected from on the farm to produced 100m3 of biogas a day, via a digester that SH claims to be one of the most advanced in the country. The farm uses the generated biogas to produce 140 units of electricity which…
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A new biomass boiler plant in Canada is set to benefit cattle producers in eastern Canada and Quebec according to the government. The Sanimax facility in Lévis will handle carcass disposal and other related by-products and turn it into energy. It was funded by a repayable investment of $7.6 million (€5.9 million) from the federal government. Sanimax claims the plant will also reduce…
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Chemical company BASF and biotechnology provider Dyadic International have entered into a non-exclusive worldwide research and license agreement.  BASF will be able to use Dyadic’s patented and proprietary C1 platform technology to develop, produce, distribute and sell industrial enzymes in certain fields for a variety of applications.  It will also fund research and development…
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The UK-based European Bioenergy Research Institute (EBRI) has appointed a research consultancy to aid in its work. The Madano Partnership will provide EBRI, which is based at Aston University, with market intelligence and business development support. EBRI director of operations Tim Miller claims Madano won the contract because it demonstrated ‘sound knowledge of energy and its…
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The Leaders of Sustainable Biofuels (LSB) met the European Parliament (EP) in Brussels this May at a meeting hosted by the ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy) Committee.EP VP Alejo Vidal Quadras introduced the positions of the EP ITRE Committee on the European Commission revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED).The Leaders sent a clear message to the EP members: ‘Second…
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The European Investment Bank (EIB) is to provide a €140 million ($181 million) loan to Elektrocieplownia Stalowa Wola for the construction of a combined cycle gas turbine power station. The facility will have an electricity capacity of 450MWe, a heating capacity of 240MWh and is expected to be operational in the second half of 2015. It will be built on an existing industrial site within the…
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A Scottish biogas provider has received multi-million pound funding from high street bank chain Barclays. Energen Biogas (EB), a joint venture between Shanks Waste management and Paragon Efficiencies, has been given access to £7.25 million (€8.5 million) via Barclays’ Cashback for Business’ scheme. EB’s biogas facility in Cumbernauld is now fully operational, and can…
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The Port of Immingham, UK has awarded a new biomass handling facility design contract to Graham Construction (GC). Nearly 12 acres will be taken up by the fully-automated bulk handling terminal which will be able to handle three million tonnes of pellets a year. There will also be four silos capable of storing 100,000 tonnes of pellets onsite. ‘The challenge is now to complete the design…
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