Active Energy Group (AEG) has achieved a chain of custody and controlled wood certifications compliant with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards for its new clean energy pellet. This new designation is part of AEG’s continuing commitment to sustainability across its business, from supply chain to production to the impact of the fuel itself. CoalSwitch™... [Read More]

The cost of wood pellets in the UK is rising, as pellets are no longer being sourced from Russia. UK Pellet Council chair, Mark Lebus, said the organisation is working with overseas partners to help ensure a continuous supply of biomass wood pellets for UK customers, as wood pellets will no longer be sourced from Russia or imported from Russian producers. “Given... [Read More]

Drax has stopped sourcing biomass from Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine. The company said it has ceased the supply of a “very small percentage” of Russian biomass used at its power station in Yorkshire and is working with its suppliers and customers to identify any further links to Russia. Drax also announced it is donating £280,000 (€339,000)... [Read More]

Pacific BioEnergy (PacBio) has closed its plant in Prince George, British Columbia. The plant was shut down at 4 am on 4 March, following an announcement by PacBio in December. At the time, the company said it had reached an agreement to assign some of its assets, including the wood pellet long-term sales contracts, to Drax Group. The closure of the PacBio pellet... [Read More]

Last year, Enviva expanded wood pellet production capacity by 17% to 6.2 million MTPY, the company announced in its full-year and fourth-quarter 2021 results. Enviva also announced plans to accelerate the construction of a third pellet plant and signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to supply pellets to facilities across the UK and Europe. The MOU was signed... [Read More]

Origin Materials and Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards have announced a major new facility to process wood residues into hydrothermal carbon for fuel pellets, and PET products. Subject to the finalisation of economic incentives, Origin has selected a site in Geismar, Louisiana, for the construction of its first world-scale manufacturing facility – Origin 2. Origin’s... [Read More]

Drax Group said 2021 was a “transformational year” for the company in its full-year financial results. The organisation reported adjusted EBITDA of £398 million (€477 million), compared to £412 million (€493 million) in 2020. Adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations was £378 million (€453 million), up from £366 million (€438 million) in 2020. Pre-tax... [Read More]

Drax Group is ramping up to full production at Leola – the first of three new satellite pellet plants planned for Arkansas. Leola, in Grant County, Arkansas, is part of a $40 million (€34.8 million) investment by Drax in the state. Including Leola, Drax operates six pellet plants in the US, which use biomass sourced from sustainably managed working forests in Louisiana,... [Read More]

Pinnacle Renewable Energy and Drax Group’s US pellet business, Drax Biomass, are rebranding to ‘Drax’. The move supports the group’s growth strategy, climate goals and relationships with people, including colleagues, communities, partners, customers and suppliers. Drax Group acquired Pinnacle, which has operations across British Columbia and Alabama, US,... [Read More]

Sawlog supply in the US South is tightening, but a surplus of small logs and residues creates opportunities for pulp and wood pellet expansion. Wood Resources International (WRI) shared its new focus report, ‘US South Softwood Industry – Outlook for the World’s Most Important Softwood Fiber Basket’, establishing a fact base around forest resources and industry... [Read More]

Environmental law organisation ClientEarth has filed an internal review request to the European Commission for “unlawfully labelling bioenergy, bio-based plastics and chemicals used to make plastics as ‘sustainable’ in the EU taxonomy”. An internal review request is the first step non-governmental organisations must take before being able to bring a court challenge.... [Read More]

Independent testing of Active Energy Group’s (AEG) CoalSwitch™ pellets in the US shows the fuel burns cleaner and produces fewer pollutants than coal. The CoalSwitch fuel was produced from the waste wood residuals at AEG’s facility in Ashland, Maine, and was delivered to Utah to undergo the first phase of the extensive testing programme in the second quarter of... [Read More]

Norske Skog has agreed to sell the Nature’s Flame pellets company for approximately NZD 47.8 million (€28.1 million). The Norwegian pulp and paper company has entered into an agreement with Talley’s Group, a New Zealand-based dairy, fishing, produce and food company, to sell Nature’s Flame. “Nature’s Flame is an excellent company producing high-quality... [Read More]

The Government of India has taken ‘proactive steps’ to reduce the harmful impact of crop stubble burning while boosting the country’s biomass power sector. On 14 January, the Union Power Secretary chaired the second meeting of the Sustainable Agrarian Mission on the use of Agro Residue in Thermal Power Plants (SAMARTH), where he reviewed the status of biomass... [Read More]

Enviva is accelerating plans to double its production capacity over the next five years, from 6.2 million metric tonnes per year (MTPY) to around 13 million MTPY. In response to the “increasing pace and scale of commercial progress”, Enviva is broadening and deepening its development capabilities and leveraging relationships with key equipment suppliers and construction... [Read More]

Albioma has acquired the La Granaudière wood pellet production plant in Quebec. The plant has been out of service since July last year but is due to be recommissioned in early 2022, with its nominal annual production capacity of 200,000 tonnes being achieved following additional investments. The transaction will diversify Albioma’s sources of sustainable biomass... [Read More]