A new, next-generation bioproducts mill is up and running in the town of Äänekoski, Finland. The mill, operated by Finnish forestry company Metsä Group, came into operation on schedule on 15 August at 6:00am. According to a statement from Metsä, pulp deliveries from the mill to customers will begin in early September 2017. Before the bioproduct mill... [Read More]

Helsinki airport has been awarded the international Airport Carbon Accreditation certificate (ACA) to verify its carbon neutrality. “The ACA certificate awarded to Helsinki Airport is an important milestone in the implementation of Finavia’s accelerated climate programme at our airports.  Our climate programme comprises a number of different measures,... [Read More]

Japan-based Sumitomo Corp. has acquired 47.6% of the shares of the British Columbia-based wood pellet manufacturer Pacific BioEnergy Corp (PBEC). and made its entry into the wood pellet manufacturing business in Canada.   Wood pellets, a biomass fuel produced by pulverising and compressing dried wood fibres, have been garnering attention for their low-environmental... [Read More]

Pellet producer Enviva has stated that its Florida-based Cottondale plant incurred minor damage due to a fire at the facility on 10 June, 2017. However, the company has also stated that operations have now resumed. In a press statement, Enviva said the fire occurred in a conveyor belt on the morning of 10 June, causing minor damages. After a thorough inspection, the company... [Read More]

Dalkeith, Midlothian based industrial services company NWH Group has acquired the business and assets of DJ Laing Recycling Solutions’ wood processing division. The six acre Petterden, Scotland site processes recycled wood into biomass for energy plants. It will be able to supply 60,000 tonnes of biomass per year. As part of the acquisition ten staff will transfer... [Read More]

The bioenergy industry is set to benefit from a proposed energy U-turn by South Korea’s new government would put the environment at the centre of energy policy, shifting one of the world’s staunchest supporters of coal and nuclear power toward natural gas and renewables. According to a report in Reuters, if implemented, the ambitious plans by the world's fourth... [Read More]

Demand for industrial wood pellets in South Korea is set to grow ‘significantly’ over the next fifty years, according to a new white paper from FutureMetrics. Despite this continued growth, South Korean utilities are likely to stick to short-term tendering strategies for securing wood pellet fuel for the foreseeable future, even though the lack of long-term... [Read More]

Wood pellet manufacturing company Drax Biomass has won the bidding battle for the acquisition of the bankrupt Louisiana Pellets.   Drax Biomass operates two huge white pellet storage domes at the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, as well as two other pellet production facilities in the area. Urania based Louisiana Pellets filed for bankruptcy in early 2016, and recently... [Read More]

The equipment and machinery used for the high load and high pressure production of wood pellets is facing a reduced lifespan because of the inadequacy of existing industrial grease products, according to a new case study by NCH Europe. Globally, the market for wood pellets is booming thanks to a growing demand for pellets as biofuel in both residential heating and industrial... [Read More]

Wood pellet manufacturers in both the US and Canada are increasingly diversifying their feedstock to reduce fibre costs and take advantage of less utilised fibre sources, according to analysis by Wood Resources International. In a statement, the forest industry consulting firm said that the key fibre furnish in both countries are sawmill by-products and forest... [Read More]

Plantation Energy is to re-open a wood pellet processing plant, which has been closed for the last five years, in Albany, Australia. It is set to be recommissioned due to a low Australian dollar and increased international demand, according to media reports in ABC News. Plantation Energy secured AUS$7 million (€4.96m) of funding from multinational energy company ENGIE... [Read More]

Finnish process technology developer Valmet will supply a multifuel power boiler and a flue gas cleaning system to Kushiro Thermal Power Plant in Hokkaido, Japan. The new boiler plant in the city of Kushiro will enable the producer to achieve a stable power supply at high thermal efficiency. The order is included in Valmet’s first quarter orders received in 2017.... [Read More]

Canadian wood pellet manufacturer Diacarbon Energy has said that it will restart its operations in June, according to media reports. The company experienced a fire in October 2016 in its dryer unit and had to shut down its operations. Diacarbon Energy CEO Jerry Ericsson told the Merritt Herald he expects the plant to be running again in June, and is hopeful that... [Read More]

UK power giant Drax Group is looking to buy two pellet plants in the US that have filed for bankruptcy. The owner of the UK’s largest power plant said it has submitted initial cash offers for the operating assets of Texas Pellets and Louisiana Pellets as part of auction processes to be held on 1 and 2 March, 2017. “Whilst these are binding bids, and could be... [Read More]

After years of growth, US wood pellets exports to the European Union countries were still on the rise during January-October 2016 but at a slower pace as compared to the previous years. The EU countries imported 14% more wood pellets from the US during the mentioned period, as compared to the corresponding time of 2015. The UK is the top importer of... [Read More]

Finnish technology energy supplier Valmet has unveiled a new online analyser for wood chip and bark moisture measurement. According to the company, the Valmet Chip 'n' Bark Moisture Analyzer (Valmet CBA) offers pulp mills a new tool to advance productivity and efficiency. In a statement, the company said it continuously measures wood chip moisture to provide the means... [Read More]