Other News

Pellet exports from North America into Europe hit a new record in the fourth quarter of last year. Shipments rose to 600,000 tonnes in the fourth quarter of 2011, which is a sharp increase from the 130,000 tonnes shipped in the first quarter of 2008. Shipments have been on the rise steadily every quarter since then. Over all of last year, wood pellet shipments reach just over 2 million tonnes, an…
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Ventura, which is a subsidy of biodiesel company Biodico, has been given a $2 million (€1.5 million) grant from the California Energy Commission and will use the funds to produce renewable energy and biodiesel at Biodico’s 10 million gallon a year facility which is being built in Port Hueneme, California. At the facility, process heat and power will be generated through the use of…
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The Harare City Council in Zimbabwe is in talks with a local gas company, considering a joint venture to enable electricity to be generated from waste collected from nearby sewage works. About $3 million (€2.28 million) will be needed to fund the project, which will take a year and a half to build. One plant, called Firle, is expected to produce 2.5MW whilst the other, Crowborough, should…
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UK energy company E.ON has received approval from the Shropshire council to build a new fuel store at its Ironbridge power station in the region. This planning permission grant will allow the company to convert a section of its Ironbridge power station so that it can use 100% wood pellets as a renewable fuel source. E.ON will continue to work with the council so that it can build the fuel storage…
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BioPower Operations, a company that grows, produces and sells biomass and its byproducts, has become a public company, listing its shares on the stock market. The company currently has plans to produce and sell biomass oils in the short term and in the long term receive licenses to grow trees and bamboo that can also be converted into oils, biofuels, animal feed or electricity. Robert Kohn, CEO…
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Viridor, a waste management company based in the UK, has broken ground on a new anaerobic digestion (AD) plant that is located close to Bridgwater in Somerset, UK. It is the first AD plant in that region of the country and will be situated next to the Walpole landfill site, coming online in April 2013. The Somerset Waste Board approved the facility in September 2011 and it will cost about…
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Wealth management firm, Taaleritehdas, plans to build a series of biogas plants throughout Finland, which will convert household biowaste, wastewater slurry, industrial byproducts and agricultural waste into biogas. Over the next couple of years, the Finnish company will build five to seven plants which will cost about €90 million. Under its plans, the company will also purchase a biogas…
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The North East Lincolnshire Council in the UK has approved a biomass-fuelled plant, which will be built in the region for about £130 million (€158 million). Real Ventures, the company behind the development, plans for the facility to have an electrical output of more than 49MW which should power around 90,000 residences. The plant will be a combined heat and power (CHP) project which…
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A controversial anaerobic digestion plant development has been approved by the Ministry of Environment in Woolwich, Canada. Both the Woolwich Township council and the Elmira Biofuel Citizens Committee opposed the plant, which they said would exceed noise and odour limits. The township previously met with provincial ministers at the Rural Ontario Municipal Association, to discuss alternative…
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Perth-based rural land management firm Bell Ingram has installed a 90kW biomass boiler at its headquarters, designed to reduce carbon emissions and cut heating costs.  An assessment of the Perth-located building was completed by microgeneration consultant Nigel Benson and provided the catalyst for the biomass boiler installation as it highlighted the potential for reducing costs and cutting…
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The waste water treatment plant located in Medina, New York, is to install a 60kW combined heat and power (CHP) facility which will be used to feed electricity to the grid. The site was given a Green Infrastructure Grant from the Environmental Facilities Corporation, which is funding similar upgrades. Tecogen has been chosen as the company to supply the cogeneration system and the plant, which…
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In Thailand, power producer U-Thong Bio Power is planning to build a biomass-fired power plant in Supanburi in the country's northwest region. The 9.9MW facility will use rice husks and bagasse to produce renewable power that will benefit between 6,000 and 8,000 homes. U-Thong Bio Power has commissioned Areva's Bioenergy Business Unit and its local partner Ensys to construct the $17 million…
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In Brussels, Innogy Venture Capital, European financial investor Gimv and other partners have signed an agreement to invest in the start-up company GreenWatt S.A. GreenWatt designs, operates and builds turnkey biogas plants for the generation of renewable heat and power from biodegradable waste materials without the need for slurry. The €6 million investment will help to GreenWatt to expand…
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Renewable energy developer RES has submitted its proposal to build a biomass-fired power plant in Northumberland, UK. RES' bid could see the construction of a £250 million (€300 million), 100MW power station at Battleship Wharf on the River Blyth. According to RES, the plant will be able to generate renewable energy for around 170,000 households and slash CO2 emissions by 300,000…
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