Other News

Economic tipping pints mean renewable energy will account for over half of electricity generation by the mid-202s in the UK and Germany, according to a new report. These findings are part of an economic study released by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) and commissioned by Eaton in partnership with trade body Renewable Energy Association (REA). This comes as the cost of generating energy from…
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Danish biotechnology company Novozymes has published its third quarter results, revealing better than expected growth from the company, including a strong showing from its “Bioenergy” division. Earnings before interest tax  (EBIT)increased by 5% to DKK 3,032 million (€407m) , up from DKK 2,884 million from the first nine  months of 2016, and the EBIT margin at 27.9% was…
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A collaborative project to map open access pilot and demonstration infrastructure for bio-based industries across Europe has been launched. The Pilots4U project is funded by the Bio Based Industries Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. Launched when the eight project partners came together in Ghent, Belgium, to discuss future action,…
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A new report has been released that shows that Scotland could generate millions of tonnes of ‘bio’ material that could add value to the country’s economy.   The new report Is entitled Biorefining Potential for Scotland and has been produced by Zero Waste Scotland. It aims to provide detailed insight into circular economy opportunities for waste and by-products…
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A partnership between government-backed green finance initiatives in the UK and China have made a number of recommendations in a report that will help grow green finance across the globe. The ‘Turning Green Momentum into Actions’ report is the latest contribution from the UK-China Green Finance Taskforce. The Taskforce, setup by the Green Finance Initiative (GFI) of the City of London…
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An international team has looked into what it labels ‘the miraculous properties of biochar’, revealing that the charcoal-like substance’s carbon coating explains its carbon storage and fertilising capabilities. The team’s unprecedented insights could help boost more widespread commercialisation of biochar fertilisers. This would in turn reduce global dependence on…
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Policymakers in the European Parliament’s environment committee (ENVI) have voted in support of a proposal for a total phase out of crop-based biofuels by 2030 and have backed the use of biomass for electricity production. The ENVI vote on the revised Renewable Energy Directive, dubbed RED II, happened yesterday evening (23 October). RED establishes an overall policy for the production…
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Chris Oldfield, chairman of waste shredding specialist UNTHA UK, has announced his retirement from the recycling industry following a career spanning almost 50 years. He now fully hands over the reins of the company to managing director Marcus Brew. With mechanical engineering, works and industrial management qualifications under his belt, Oldfield’s first major step into the world of…
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The future of bioethanol, advanced biofuel developments and an uncertain policy landscape were some of the hot topics discussed at this year’s Biofuels International and Bioenergy Insight conference. The conference took place in Edinburgh, Scotland, from 4-5th October. Rob Wakely, head of low carbon fuels division, energy technology and international directorate, at the UK’s…
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100% of the electricity used at the 2017 Helsinki International Horse Show will be produced from horse manure at Fortum’s Järvenpää power plant. The equestrian event taking place at the Helsinki Ice Hall will consume about 140MWh of electricity. According to a statement from Fortum, it is the first time in the world that the power for a major horse show will be produced…
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Researchers in the US have developed a method to convert a biofuel waste product into a ‘usable and valuable commodity’. Published in the journal Bioresources Technology, the research by scientists from Washington State University (WSU) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) could drastically change the economic viability of algae biofuels. The conversion of algae to…
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A plan for cutting carbon emissions while growing the economy has been released by the UK government. ‘The Clean Growth Strategy: Leading the way to a low carbon future’ has been published by Greg Clark, the UK’s Business and Energy Secretary. It highlights progress already made in the UK towards a low carbon economy, while also setting out how the ‘whole country’…
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More than half of the UK’s electricity came from low-carbon sources this summer, according to the National Grid. The power transmission network has said that this summer was the “greenest” summer on record in the UK. Between late June and September, 52% percent of electricity generation was met by low-carbon sources, compared with about 35% four years ago. The Grid has launched…
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A number of research projects focused on bioenergy and biofuels have been selected for the US Community Science Programme (CSP) of the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute. The 30 successful CSP proposals were selected from 76 full submissions based on 94 letters of intent. Among the projects aiming to investigate genomic and analytical capabilities are several focused on the underlying…
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