Other News

The Daithi O’Mhurchu Marine Research Station in County Cork, Ireland is set to become the country’s first commercial algae production facility for biofuel. The facility has been experimenting with algae growth for three years and is funded by a Marie Curie grant from the EU. The grant is due to expire next year and has pushed the decision to commercial production to the fore. The…
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A council vote on a proposed new biomass facility near Wrexham, Wales has been deferred ahead of a site visit. There have been concerns that the new facility, to be constructed by wood panel product producers Kronospan in the town of Chirk, would have a negative impact on local tourist attractions. Wrexham mayor Ian Roberts convinced fellow committee councillors to both visit the Kronospan site…
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Sawn timber and pellet provider Vapo Group posted a drop in overall turnover for the first half of 2012. Its turnover for the January – June period dropped from €418 million ($523.4 million) to €391.3 million compared to the same time last year. The company puts this figure down to a warmer spring season and lower electricity prices which aided a drop in energy peat turnover of…
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Switzerland-based chemicals group Clariant has entered into a partnership agreement with Emerald Technology Ventures. Clariant will work with Emerald in order to identify opportunities to invest in, or cooperate with, technology companies active in the area of cleantech advances like new catalysts to improve process efficiency, advanced materials for the reduction of energy consumption, materials…
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UK-based green energy company ITM Power is set to work with one of Germany’s top local utility companies on power-to-gas energy storage. ITM believes the integration of renewable energies into the existing electricity and gas networks in Germany presents great challenges to energy providers. The collaboration will investigate the potential of energy storage by the production of…
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Fuel brand BP Biofuels has signed a three year agreement to work alongside Texas AgriLife Research (TAR) in developing feedstocks in the US Gulf coast. The team at TAR will focus on production agronomics and plant breeding, while also concentrating on researching new varieties of energy cane, napiergrass, pearl-millet, miscane and kinggrass. ‘The goal is to develop a pipeline of genetics…
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US-based Patriot Bioenergy (PB) has announced plans for the construction of an ethanol plant in Whitley County, Kentucky. PB is already growing beet feedstock in Whitley and Adair counties as a base for its ethanol production, moving away from corn which is no longer subsidised by the US government. ‘What we have been doing over the last eighteen months is looking at the viability of using…
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Global agriculture and industrial concern Cargill is to expand its grain storage facility in Manitoba, Canada. The expansion of the Elva grain facility, which primarily handles wheat, canola, barley and oats, will see capacity jump from 14,500 metric tonnes to 24,500. Rail car handling is also set to rise from 56 cars to 112. ‘This decision comes from Cargill’s commitment to helping…
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Prenergy Power is considering adding wood pellets as a feedstock to its proposed biomass plant in Port Talbot, Wales. Construction on the £400 million ($641 million) has yet to start, but it was believed only wood chips would be used to generate energy. Neath Port Talbot Council is due to give the request a response this week. However opposition to the proposal are set to demonstrate…
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Biofuels producer Agri-Source Fuels (ASF) is seeking a buyer for its biodiesel refinery located in Dade City, US. ASF claims the plant is only currently refining glycerine but, although it is producing nearly 2 million gallons per year of 99.7% pure USP, further retrofitting and enhancements are  required to bring over 12 million gallons of bidiesel refining back on line. The refinery is the…
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A 500kw biogas plant is set to come online at Yorkshire producer Melrose Pigs this month. Commissioning has started on the EnviTec Biogas anaerobic digestion project, which will be fed partly with slurry from Melbourne-based Melrose’s finisher pigs. Maize and grass silage from sister company Northern Crop Driers will also be fed into the system, which will produce electricity to be used…
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A local Australian council has instigated a Bioenergy Support Programme to help interested individuals and businesses become more sustainable through bioenergy. Ararat Rural City Council and the Department of Sustainability and Environment has made council bioenergy support officer Daryl Scherger more directly available to discuss ideas and pathways for those wanting to explore bioenergy…
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Ontario Power Generation (OPG) has awarded a contract to Aecon Group's industrial division to begin work on its Atikokan Generating Station (GS) biomass conversion project. Aecon will be responsible for the design and construction of fuel handling and storage systems for the generating station conversion. OPG want to make the Atikokan GS one of the largest biomass plants in North America by being…
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A joint-venture project called Ineos New Planet BioEnergy (INPB) has been granted parts 79 and 80 registration from the US Environmental Protection Agency for the production and sale of advanced bioethanol from non-food waste materials.  Headed by waste to biofuel company Ineos Bio, the notice of registration came after successful completion of the construction of the Indian River Bioenergy…
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