Other News

A new large-scale biomass-fired power plant is to be built in Japan as energy company Showa Shell Sekiyu pursues new ways to deliver renewable energy to the nation. The 49MW renewable power station will be built on the site of Showa's former Ohgimachi plant at the Keihin refinery complex. The project will fall under the Japanese government's renewable energy feed-in tariff scheme. The new plant's…
Read More »

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…
Read More »

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…
Read More »

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…
Read More »

A target concerning the addition of biogas plants in the French region of Midi-Pyrenees has been announced. Regional Authority president Martin Malvy revealed 100 biogas plants will be constructed after an agreement signed by the minister of agriculture and the minister of ecology, sustainable development and energy. It is believed, via that agreement, a regional committee will help develop…
Read More »

The EU-based All-gas project, the world's largest project to convert algae into clean energy using wastewater, has successfully grown its first crop of algae biomass at its site in Chiclana, southern Spain. The project, which was launched in May 2011 and is due to last five years, aims to obtain low-cost biofuel from algae grown in wastewater. So far, the biomass created shows a high energy…
Read More »

Caraga Renewable Power, a subsidiary of Eastern Petroleum, is investing $70 million (€52.5 million) to build a new biomass power plant in Butuan city, the Philippines. According to reports, the new plant will use woodchips to generate 20MW of renewable energy. The feedstock will come from industrial tree plantations in Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur, in addition to other plantations as…
Read More »

RWE nPower's 750MW Tilbury biomass-fired power station will close today after being refused financial support. The plant runs solely on biomass after being converted from coal in 2011. It was one of the UK's largest sources of green energy, supplying 10% of the country's renewable power. The power station is shutting down under the EU's Large Combustion Plant (LCPD) Directive, which limits the…
Read More »

Brazil-based biotechnology company GranBio and Rhodia, a Solvay Group company, are to produce bio n-butanol after signing a joint venture agreement. The bio n-butanol chemical will be made from biomass which is readily available in Brazil, such as sugarcane straw and bagasse. The partnership will see the two companies build a biomass-based n-butanol plant in Brazil, scheduled to enter operation…
Read More »

PensionDanmark is to build, own and operate a new biomass-fired power plant in Lincolnshire, UK and has formed a joint venture with Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor (BWSC). The £160 million (€187.5 million) Brigg Renewable Energy plant will use mostly locally sourced straw to generate 40MW of renewable electricity – enough for 70,000 homes. This will also result in…
Read More »

The last five years has seen China's importation of woodchips soar as the nation's pulp and paper industry grows. A lack of competitively priced wood fibre in China means the country's two largest pulp mills – Asia Pacific Resources International and Asia Pulp and Paper – are sourcing much of their wood fibre needs from across the water and this has resulted in a surge of woodchips…
Read More »

Biomass producer and wood waste recycling business Chip Energy officially broke ground on its new biomass recycling and palletising plant in Illinois, US. A portion of the new plant is already built and, upon full completion, the site will be home to 26 40ft tall silos and a 2,300m3 bulk storage area. It will be able to handle feedstocks like corn stover, switchgrass, cherry pits, wood chips and…
Read More »

PDM Group, a UK food product manufacturer, has revealed it plans to spend over £90 million (€103.2 million) on anaerobic digestion, recycling and food processing facilities over the next 18 months. In addition to the £44 million investment into AD facilities in Widnes and Dagenham , PDM will spend just shy of £30 million to upgrade its animal by-product rendering operations…
Read More »

Israel-based waste to energy company Blue Sphere has secured financing for a project to be located in the US. The business has received commitment from Caterpillar Financial Services in Tennessee to provide almost $18 million (€13.7 million) in debt financing. The project, in collaboration with Germany-based Biogas Nord, will see a 5.2MW anaerobic digester located in North Carolina which…
Read More »