Other News

FCC Environment, a UK-based waste management company, has announced that its Buckinghamshire energy-from-waste (EfW) plant has taken its first delivery of residual waste and is generating power. Staff at Greatmoor EfW site, near Calvert, welcomed the first batch of bulked waste recently after passing all the relevant inspections. It means the plant — which will treat up to 300,000 tonnes of…
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The US Supreme Court on Tuesday barred President Obama’s Clean Power Plan (CPP) from taking effect until legal challenges against the legislation are solved. In a tight vote of 5-4, the court decided to put the plan on hold after receiving a request from 27 US States, led by Texas and West Virginia, and several businesses to block the CPP. The regulation is intended to lower US power plant…
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An anaerobic digestion plant in Canada has received a C$1,500,000 (€1.1 million) grant from The BC Bioenergy Network, a provincially-funded company supporting the growing bioenergy sector in British Columbia. The grant enables Elemental Energy to demonstrate Paradigm Environment Technologies' MicroSludge and anaerobic digestion at Catalyst Paper's Crofton-based pulp and paper mill on…
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Along the Catawba River in North Carolina, US, commercial real estate development firm Forsite Development is currently developing a 20MW biomass plant, for which it has recently finalised some crucial decisions. The plant will form part of the ReVenture Park – 667 acres of land, including a solar field, a wastewater treatment facility, energy crop demonstration stands, an ethanol mixing…
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One of the largest biomass facilities in California has changed hands. Owner and operator of biomass power plants Greenleaf Power has reached an agreement to purchase 100% of Colmac Energy stock including the 47MW facility which sells its electrical output to Southern California Edison under a long-term agreement. The plant is fuelled primarily using clean diverted wood waste, green waste and…
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Canada-based Terasen Gas has received approval from the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) for a new renewable natural gas programme for an initial two-year period. In 2011 up to 24,000 residential customers will be able to subscribe to the programme on a first-come, first-served basis. The equivalent of 10% of customers' natural gas requirements will be assigned from local…
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In California, the US, Mendota Bioenergy has become the latest company to receive a grant from the California Energy Commission (CEC) in a bid to develop more renewable energy projects in the region. The $1.5 million (€1.12 million) grant will see Mendota Bioenergy test the feasibility of converting sugar beets and agricultural waste into ethanol and other forms of clean energy, Should the…
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In Shenyang, China, Huishan Dairy is to turn biogas produced from cows into renewable energy. The dairy owns over 20 farms housing a total of 250,000 cows. Now, after installing what is claimed to be the world’s largest methane capturing system, the methane produced from around 60,000 of these cows will generate an estimated 5.6MW. The system collects methane from aged manure, which is…
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Tong Boitin of Germany-based biogas company BioEnergy Berlin GmbH has called on the Tanzanian government to do more to encourage biogas production in the nation’s rural areas. Boitin went on to say that Tanzania should follow in China’s footsteps by implementing a National Plan to improve its renewable energy situation. ‘In 1958 chairman Mao ordered the government to develop and promote…
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In northern Peru energy company Maple Energy is looking to commence the first phase of its ethanol and biomass project before the end of the year. Phase one of this $254 million (€191.4 million) development will see Maple Energy plant 7,800 hectares of sugarcane in the main estate. Upon construction, the plant, which is slated for mid-2011, will convert 5,000 tonnes per day of sugarcane into…
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In Canada, wood pellet manufacturer and supplier Pacific BioEnergy is to expand its wood pellet production plant located in Prince George, British Colombia. The project is expected to cost in the region of $24 million (€18.4 million) and will be able to handle bush grind, due to the addition of a new in-feed line. The expanded facility will also be able to handle increased amounts waste wood,…
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March earlier this year saw consent granted to biomass energy development company Helius Energy and its power plant proposed for Avonmouth Dock on the Bristol Channel, UK. Since then the project has faced delays after the Coedbach Action Team (CAT) appealed against the proposal. However in September CAT’s legal challenge against the project failed and on 29 November the Court of Appeal refused…
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Following plans to build the Midwest’s largest biomass power plant in Ashland, US, utility holding company Xcel Energy has now put these plans on hold. The decision was made after the cost of the project turned out to be 37% higher than initial estimations. It was first thought that the total cost would be $58.1 million (€44.57 million). However, following further work it was found that it…
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As the UK reaches a critical crossroads for renewable energy, and specifically the generation of biogas through anaerobic digestion (AD), The Anaerobic Digestion and Biogas Association (ADBA)’s National Conference 2010 could not come at a more important time. Bringing together government departments and agencies, interest groups and industry, the conference will consider AD's place in the…
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