Other News

Specialty chemicals company Clariant will expand the raw materials used at its demonstration plant in Germany after new findings show that corn stover and sugarcane bagasse can also be used. The company's demo plant is converting agricultural residues into bioethanol using its Sunliquid technology. Following the opening of the facility in July 2012, Clariant now has new findings which show that…
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Kedco, a UK-focused renewable energy developer and operator, is building a 12MW biomass CHP plant in Enfield, north London and has appointed Foresight Group as the preferred funding partner for the project. Kedco has signed a non-binding heads of terms with Foresight, an independent private equity, infrastructure and environmental investor, for the provision of debt and equity facilities which…
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An investigation by Enagri suggests that Canada-based panel board manufacturer Norbord's lobbying against biomass energy was motivated by expediency and profits. Bioenergy Insight has learnt that Norbord recently paid an advertising agency to lobby MPs and place adverts in the National Press criticising the use of sustainable UK timber sources for energy generation. On its website, Enagri says,…
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SaniGreen Bioenergy, a joint venture between Canada-based Sanimax and Wisconsin's Green Energy Partners, is developing a $30 million (€22.9 million) biogas plant in South Saint Paul, Minnesota. The company is expected to break ground on the plant later this year, with completion scheduled for March 2015. The anaerobic digester will be able to process 150,000 tonnes of solid and liquid waste…
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A power plant in Finland is to rebuild its gas turbine control system to increase its reliability. Vantaan Energia (VE) will work with process technology provider Metso to replace the existing turbine control system that has reached the end of its life cycle at Martinlaakso. The project will include overspeed and vibration protection for the turbine, plus changes to turbine hydraulics, among…
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Two pilot projects have shown promising signs for biomass production that avoids indirect land use change (ILUC) via the relatively new Low Indirect Impact Biofuels (LIIB) methodology. Initial LIIB studies performed by sustainable energy consultancy Ecofys, which aims to supply eventual certification for biomass production which does not lead to ILUC, have taken place in the Ukraine and…
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An investment of £10 million (€11.7 million) will be used by energy services company Roundwood Energy and biomass boiler manufacturer Woodpecker Energy to replace inefficient heating systems in the UK. Roundwood, advised by global law firm Bird and Bird, will receive £4.9 million from Energy Saving Investments, in which the UK Green Investment Bank is a cornerstone investor, with…
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Reported growth in Scotland’s community renewable schemes does not reflect the whole picture, according to a project manager at Savills Energy. Gregory Dix says figures released earlier this year by the Energy Saving Trust (EST), which put Scotland on track to achieve its community renewable targets, are too reliant on farms and estates, which account for 33% of the current total. A further…
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The UK government is being taken to court by two energy companies, who accuse the government of not providing adequate notice before announcing the removal of the climate change levy (CCL) exemption this August. The companies, Infinis and Drax, claim the 24-day notice period given by the Department of Treasury was not sufficient for them to adapt their businesses accordingly. Drax, who has…
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Renewable energy company Estover Energy is to build a £65 million (€75.8 million) biomass-fired CHP plant in Kent, UK. The proposed facility will generate 11MW of electricity and 8MW of heat from low-grade wood fuel. This biomass will be sourced solely from local forestry and woodland materials from within an 80-mile radius. The plant will be built at Discovery Park, a science and…
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The Port of Immingham, UK has awarded a new biomass handling facility design contract to Graham Construction (GC). Nearly 12 acres will be taken up by the fully-automated bulk handling terminal which will be able to handle three million tonnes of pellets a year. There will also be four silos capable of storing 100,000 tonnes of pellets onsite. ‘The challenge is now to complete the design…
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The European Investment Bank (EIB) is to provide a €140 million ($181 million) loan to Elektrocieplownia Stalowa Wola for the construction of a combined cycle gas turbine power station. The facility will have an electricity capacity of 450MWe, a heating capacity of 240MWh and is expected to be operational in the second half of 2015. It will be built on an existing industrial site within the…
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The Leaders of Sustainable Biofuels (LSB) met the European Parliament (EP) in Brussels this May at a meeting hosted by the ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy) Committee.EP VP Alejo Vidal Quadras introduced the positions of the EP ITRE Committee on the European Commission revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED).The Leaders sent a clear message to the EP members: ‘Second…
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The UK-based European Bioenergy Research Institute (EBRI) has appointed a research consultancy to aid in its work. The Madano Partnership will provide EBRI, which is based at Aston University, with market intelligence and business development support. EBRI director of operations Tim Miller claims Madano won the contract because it demonstrated ‘sound knowledge of energy and its…
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