Other News

A biomass-fired power plant in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India has been destroyed following a fire on 22 June. According to reports, the fire started in a bagasse pile kept on the plant's premises. No one was hurt and the cause of the fire is under investigation. Fire fighters were still working to fully extinguish the blaze on 23 June.
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EU energy ministers have agreed to limit the production of biofuels made from food crops to 7%. The ministers' compromise is welcomed following last year's deadlock when European Union governments failed to agree on a proposed 5% cap on the use of biofuels based from crops used in transport fuel. The 7% compromise includes a 0.5% target aimed at second generation biofuels, but this is non-binding…
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E.ON UK has produced renewable energy for the first time at its Blackburn Meadows biomass plant in Sheffield. The £120 million (€150 million) Blackburn Meadows plant is now the third biomass facility in E.ON UK's generation portfolio and can provide enough energy to power around 40,000 homes. The 30MW renewable energy plant will convert locally sourced recycled waste wood into…
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Ceres, an agricultural biotechnology and seed company, says it will evaluate a number of its biotech traits in sugarcane in South America. Plantings were recently completed and preliminary performance observations will be available by the end of the year. Ceres expects to receive sugar yield results in the second half of 2015 when the first growing cycle is completed. Sugarcane provides an…
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A new 17.3MW renewable power plant has opened in Plessis-Gassot, France. Known as Electr'od, the cogeneration facility is powered by landfill gas. Featuring 10 GE Jenbacher engines to generate renewable electricity and heat for residents and businesses, the facility is the most powerful landfill gas-fuelled power plant in France. French waste management and services company Véolia…
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Rentech, an owner and operator of wood pellet production and wood fibre processing businesses, has announced a new long-term processing agreement between its subsidiaries, Fulghum Fibres Chile, Forestal Pacifico and Forestal Los Andes, and Astillas Exportaciones (Astex), the Chilean subsidiary of Japan's Mitsubishi. The new processing agreement would expand the volume of eucalyptus wood to be…
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Construction of a biogas plant in the UK stopped last week following a fatal incident. A 30-year-old male worker was killed in a 'crushing incident' on 11 June at Penare Farm in Higher Fraddon, Cornwall. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the man was crushed when 'a temporary structure collapsed'. HSE inspectors are said to be working with Devon and Cornwall police to investigate…
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Switzerland-based Alter Energy Group has signed a letter of intent to acquire an operating wood pellet production plant in North Carolina, US. According to Edward Klaeger, AEG CEO: 'Our plan is to export the initial 110,000 tonnes a year of wood pellets to EU markets for the upcoming heating season.' The company will then increase capacity to 280,000 tonnes a year during 2015. Alter Energy says…
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Greenleaf Power, an owner and operator of biomass power plants in North America, has announced the closing of $100 million (€73.7 million), which it will use to acquire more biomass plants. Babson Capital Management is the agent for the financing institutions under the financing. To date the company has purchased five biomass-fired facilities with a total output capacity of 145MW. 'This…
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A biomass-fired power station and activated carbon processing facility, formerly owned by Big Island Carbon, is to be auctioned off., by order of the US Bankruptcy Court. The live webcast auction will be conducted by Tiger Group's Remarketing Services Division and Aaron Equipment Company. Assets to be sold include process, plant support, laboratory/testing, maintenance/shop, and electrical…
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Aseagas, a joint venture between Aboitiz Equity Ventures and Gazasia, has received financial support for its first biomass plant from the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP). According to reports, Aseagas has entered into a P2 billion (€33.7 million) notes facility and security agreement for its plant, to be built in at the LT Group's Absolut distillery in Lian Batangas. The plant will…
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An energy trail has opened at the Hill of Banchory Biomass Energy Centre (HOBESCO) in the UK. The purpose of the new trail is to educate children about renewable energy and the environment. Pupils from Crathes Primary School were among the first to experience it. The Forestry Commission Scotland part-funded the project and the organisation's representative Jim Dewar officially opened it. At the…
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An 86MW biomass-fired power plant is on the cards for Japan, Bloomberg reports. The $370 million (€272 million) facility is being developed in the north of the country by Mitsubishi Paper Mills in collaboration with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The two companies will establish the partnership in August. The plant will be located on one of Mitsubishi Paper's factory sites in the Aomorei…
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An extension has been approved by Deschutes County, Oregon, US for Biogreen Sustainable Energy (BSG) to construct a long-delayed biomass plant in La Pine. This is the fourth extension the company has received for the 25MW facility, which was pushed back further and further due to economic issues and uncertainty in the energy market. BSG will meet with La Pine officials in due course to discuss…
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