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Date Published:
04 February 2013

Volume 4, Issue 1


Funding for rural energy independence wanted

Feature
The US Farm Bill needs to be re-evaluated for energy concerns according to two major coalitions   The Agriculture Energy Coalition (AEC) has been lobbying the US Congress to begin work on a new five-year Farm Bill that pays particular attention to robust mandatory funding for energy programmes. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, passed at the turn of the year, extended the 2008 Farm... [read more]

Renewable rollercoaster

Feature
A healthy long-term heat incentive is needed more than ever by the UK, says solicitor Ben Halfpenny   Two important UK government consultations closed in December 2012 relating to the future of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI). The first was aimed at growing and improving the nondomestic scheme, while the second focused on expanding the RHI to benefit domestic homeowners and landlords. A... [read more]

EC bioenergy targets? Manageable incentives

Feature
Could 2013 be the year Europe sees solid foundations to help member states achieve EC bioenergy targets?   One glance at the current share of renewable sources results table, published by industry watchdog EurObserv’er, shows positive bioenergy movement towards individually imposed EU 2020 targets. All but four of the 27 member states, according to predictive 2011- 12 trajectories, are... [read more]

Not so territorial

Feature
With over 50% of their territories covered in forest, Estonia and Latvia present enormous opportunities for wood pellet production. So why has this region’s largest pellet producer, Graanul Invest, set its sights on the Americas?   There are two main markets for wood pellets: the producers and the consumers. Within the EU Belgium, the Netherlands, UK, Sweden and Denmark are the... [read more]

biogas production in 2013 Bring on those targets

Feature
Director of BioG UK Ed Thomas talks about why he is excited about biogas production in 2013   Biogas technology provider BioG UK, and its Austrian sister company BioG Biogastechnik, are looking forward to a positive 12 months ahead, particularly as it hopes to be involved in furthering the anaerobic digestion (AD) industry towards hitting both UK and European targets. ‘It promises to... [read more]

The next big bio-thing

Feature
It operates at the very limits of scientific knowhow, and some of the work reads like the stuff of science fiction, yet could 2013 be the year that bio-based chemicals make the leap from lab-scale prototype to factory floor?   Bio-chemicals appear under a number of different guises, most commonly synthetic biology or industrial biotech, and involve manipulating the metabolism of a... [read more]

Multiplying cells

Feature
Now operational, the largest biogas-powered fuel cell generator in the world symbolises the evolution of a hot technology multiplying across global landscapes   It is no secret that the fuel cell has not been a success in vehicles, but the technology has been undergoing a quiet revolution in industrial biopower. ‘Fuel cells are more suited to stationary applications and the cost has... [read more]

Finding the buyer

Feature
What are the key components every project needs to make sure they are attractive to a ‘buyer’, whether it be an equity partner, bank or other private financier?   Within the current climate of challenging country financial horizons, changing banking regulations, and high demand for capital from other, more established markets, it is now more essential than ever to properly plan... [read more]

Home and dry at Dryholme Farm

Feature
Glass-fused-to-steel AD tanks are proving popular with one UK-based farm as it prepares to enjoy a long future of trouble-free operations   Dryholme Farm in Cumbria, UK has been operating for over 20 years with its core business being the production of animal and poultry feeds. When considering its future, the farm realised that some form of diversification was necessary to further develop... [read more]

Top dewatering technologies

Feature
Implementing pre- and finish-drying technology could improve efficiency in the plant, as well as cutting costs   In most processing industries, the amount of water involved in processing has an inverse relationship with end profit. In other words, excess water at any point in the process is expensive. A variety of options exist on the market for pre-drying biomass and biofuels. The savings... [read more]

Managing moisture

Feature
Moisture affects the ability to manufacture pellets. While some moisture is necessary, excessive amounts increase the weight and affect product quality   The wood and biomass fuel pellet market has exploded over the last few years. The high cost and large variance in fossil fuel prices due to political upheaval coupled with their impact on the environment has driven the development and... [read more]

Giving coal boilers a new lease of life

Feature
Gasification technology has the potential to help biomass-fired power plants reduce their costs by retrofitting existing coal boilers   Finland-based Vaskiluodon Voima recently invested in a new gasification unit at its Vaasa power plant site to increase the amount of renewable energy produced. The plant, which has been in continuous test-use generating power for electricity and district... [read more]

Making money through mixing

Feature
A dairy farmer in northern Germany, producing over 250kWh of biogas, is on course to achieve his five year payback target after investing in an externally mounted mixing system that reduces feedstock into smaller particles   Bernd Wiesen, who has 110 cows at his farm in Bremerworde, Germany, uses a feedstock comprising 25% dry manure with straw, 25% grass silage and 50% maize — but... [read more]

Developing sorghum as a dedicated energy crop

Feature
Advances in DNA marker assisted breeding has created a perfect storm for the development of new, efficient and cost-effective feedstocks   As biofuel conversion technologies continue to advance, ever more emphasis is being placed on the feedstocks these processes will use. Ultimately, feedstock is the single largest cost driver for biofuels and, in many cases, the main barrier to cost... [read more]