Other News

Commissioning has begun at the 75MW Burgess BioPower plant in Berlin, New Hampshire and on 28 August the facility received its first delivery of woodchips. The power plant cost $273 million (€205 million) to build. It is located on the site of the Burgess Pulp Mill and has been designed to consume 750,000 tonnes of wood biomass annually – around 100 truckloads of woodchips a day. The…
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In Limburg, Belgium NPG Energy, an investor and project development company, is developing a 2.4MW biogas plant, expected to be operational by the second quarter of 2014. This renewable electricity has the potential to benefit around 5,000 homes but instead will be consumed by the Spin-group BV in its textile factory. Initially, the plant will use maize silage to generate power but this will…
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Unilever, together with the University of Liverpool, has established a research project to develop biomass-based chemicals that can be used in the manufacture of its home and personal care products. The three-year project will see the development of renewable chemicals from surplus sugars, fats, oils and carbohydrates produced via commodity by-products and forestry wastes. The aim is to identify…
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The biomass to power sector is expected to grow substantially in the future and worldwide revenue from biomass power generation could reach $11.5 billion (€8.7 million) a year by 2020. This is according to a recent report from Navigant Research. This growth is being attributed to 'technological breakthroughs and the expansion of international trade in biomass pellets', which are expected to…
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Eagle Valley Eco Fuels, a manufacturer of biomass fuel, has earned the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) 'certified bio-based product' label for its Brickenmore biomass fuel brick and fire starters. The USDA certified label verifies that the bio-based materials used in a product meet or exceed prescribed USDA standards. 'The label will assure our customers that Brickenmore biomass fuel bricks…
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Biomasse Italia, one of Europe's largest virgin biomass energy producers, has awarded a new supply contract with Active Energy Group (AEG), the pan-European supplier of woodchips for biomass power generation. Biomasse Italia generates a total 500GWh of renewable energy through its two power stations in Crotone and Strongoli, which use approximately 700,000 tonnes of biomass a year. The company…
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Latvia's largest combined heat and power (CHP) biomass plant is due to come online later this month. Energy company Fortum developed the Jelgava-based plant, which will consume woodchips to generate 45MW of power and 23MW of electricity – enough to benefit 85% of the city's heating capacity. The inauguration ceremony on 11 September will be attended by Latvia's president Andris…
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A subsidiary company of Rentech has closed the sale of approximately 450 acres stretching from Natchez to Adams County in Mississippi, for proceeds of approximately $9 million (€6.7 million). Rentech owns and operates wood fibre processing and nitrogen fertiliser manufacturing businesses. 'The sale of the Natchez site is consistent with our stated intention to dispose of our non-core…
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The Rural Electrification Agency (REA) of Zimbabwe, a subsidiary of utility company Zesa Holdings, is looking to install a total 64 biogas plants across the nation. The REA, according to reports, has called for bids from companies and agents experienced in he design, sizing, positioning, construction and installation of institutional biogas digester units. The biogas digesters will be installed…
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Wet, untreated biomass has the potential to yield commercial volumes of biofuels in Asia, says NextFuels, a company dedicated to transforming agricultural residue into renewable fuel. The underlying technology will allow NextFuels and its partners to produce bio-based petroleum at commercial scale for $75-85 (€56-64) a barrel using wet biomass that has not been mechanically or thermally…
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A large volume of woodchips spilled onto a highway in Duplin County, North Carolina following a traffic accident. A tractor trailer carrying woodchips overturned on Highway 11, north of Kenansville, resulting in the road being closed between 12 and 13 August. The biomass had to be removed from the vehicle before it could be turned upright and removed from the highway. Local reports claim the…
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Forest management and climate change mitigation have come under scrutiny after a study found that up to half of the aboveground biomass found in tropical forests is stored in a selection of big trees. Ferry Slik, a scientist at the Centre of Integrative Conservation, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, led the study, Reuters reports, which was published in Global…
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As a way of tackling its energy concerns Pakistan is to work with Indian boiler manufacturers to increase the amount of biogas used in the country. Representatives of Indian engineering companies have reportedly been over to Pakistan to discuss partnerships with sugar mills and allied industries. One MoU has already been signed by Cheema Boilers and turbine manufacturers Triveni with local…
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Amyris, a renewable chemicals and fuels company, has entered into agreement for the sale of convertible notes in a private placement for up to $60 million (€44.9 million) in cash proceeds. Under the terms of the agreement Temasek, one of Amyris's largest stockholders, agreed to purchase $35 million of the notes in an initial tranche and, at Amyris's election, up to $25 million in a…
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