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Date Published:
20 August 2015

Volume 6, Issue 4


Cutting the lifeline

Feature
The 2015 summer budget, announced at the beginning of July, was grim news for the UK renewable energy industry. Chancellor George Osborne promptly removed the tax exemptions given to renewable energy producers in 2001 under Tony Blair’s Labour party government in order to reduce the UK’s carbon footprint. Removing the tax exemptions is expected to cost the green energy industry... [read more]

So long, subsidies

Feature
The UK government has unveiled its plans to end subsidies to small-scale biomass and solar energy production. The Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) says the move is an attempt to reduce consumer energy bills and the cost subsidy payments present to the government. According to a government website, the measures will provide better control over spending and ensure bill payers get the... [read more]

Funds for cleaner air

Feature
In the US, the Californian Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Communications has approved Assembly Bill 590 (AB590). The bill incorporates a new section into state law, which dictates that California State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission (SERCDC) may use greenhouse gas reduction funds (GGRFs) to maintain current levels of biomass and geothermal energy production... [read more]

Survival of the fittest

Feature
Energy could not be taking more of a centre-stage position in Brazil than is happening at present. The past few weeks have seen the launch of a governmentbacked $50 billion (€45 billion) energy investment programme, coinciding with mass protests over the future of Brazilian president, Dilma Rousseff, and her links with the scandal-ridden state oil company, Petrobras. It is a challenging... [read more]

First time for everything

Feature
The shift from burning fossil fuels to biomass has presented cost savings for many companies. A prime example is the change by the world’s largest orange juice producer to using a sugarcane bagasse hot gas generator or ‘gerador de gás quente’ (GGQ) in Portuguese, for the production of citric pulp pellets, beginning in 2009. Beyond producing orange juice and oil extracts... [read more]

Paving the way for biomass investment

Feature
Heating accounts for almost half of the UK’s carbon emissions1. The installation of renewable technology such as biomass boilers can therefore make a vital contribution to reducing the UK’s carbon footprint. Between 2012 and 2013, bioenergy use for renewable heat generation increased by 18% (and 150% increase since 2005). At present, it also represents 36% of the total renewable... [read more]

The courage the succeed

Feature
When people think of Croatia, they usually think of seaside holidays. Few realise that with over 43% forest cover, Croatia is one of the most wooded countries in Central Europe. Accordingly, forestry and wood products are major industries for the region. But they are industries that face major challenges; small companies and dated equipment often make it difficult to compete in the international... [read more]

Safety bubble

Feature
For a product that handles easily, flows effortlessly, is easy to convey and sells readily, self-heating and unstable conditions can destroy wood pellets. Introduce moisture, and the product can turn to mush. Introduce a spark, and explosive dust combusts or deflagrates. Off gassing and self-generated temperature increases threaten employee safety and can produce dangerous and disastrous fires.... [read more]

Getting it right

Feature
Designing and constructing a large building for the storage of bulk solids can be fraught with issues. Toro, a UK-based company which supplies its structures around the world, takes a systems approach to its bulk stores, from conception through to delivery and ongoing support. As with any engineering project, the most important phase is the requirements capture, get this wrong and the knock on... [read more]

Delivering the goods

Feature
When SERA, an over 50-year-old French biomass handling solutions provider to Europe and Africa, was called on to design and install a biomass handling system for a new 70MW boiler at the Gascogne Paper company in Mimizan, France, it specified two Jeffrey Rader brand TubeFeeder reclaimers as part of a new system proposed to increase the plant’s existing capacity. SERA, familiar with this... [read more]

Going strong

Feature
East Texas Electric Cooperative (ETEC), a consortium of East Texas electric cooperatives, has invested in a 50MWe biomass power plant to continue providing safe, reliable and affordable power to its members. Formed in 1987, ETEC is pursuing a diversified generation portfolio through investment in modern, efficient facilities. The new biomass powered facility allows the cooperative to continue to... [read more]

AD across the board

Feature
In the UK, an anaerobic digestion (AD) plant is under construction in Leeming Bar which, when complete, will be the largest food waste gas-to-grid AD plant in North Yorkshire and one of the biggest in the country. The multi-million pound plant will produce up to 5 million m3 a year of biomethane for injection into the local gas network. It will also contribute to the energy targets set by the... [read more]

A new angle on clamping for AD

Feature
Maize, grass and whole crop silage are important feedstock’s for many anaerobic digestion (AD) plants in the UK. Many hours are spent comparing potential biogas yields of different varieties, and huge amounts of money are spent buying seed before the growing and harvesting even begins. But silage clamp specialist Bock UK says that many plant operators ignore the value of best practice when... [read more]

The building blocks of small-scale AD systems

Feature
The UK AD business is currently one of the most interesting in Europe. Many farmers are considering taking up an opportunity to participate in its success story, but sometimes necessary arable land is not available or it is used for animal feed production. Small AD plants in a range of under 250KWe – using farm wastes like slurry, manure, and animal feed residues as feedstock – could... [read more]

Another way

Feature
What happens to infrastructure when companies close operations? Sites often remain empty long after decommissioning, creating a cost burden on them and depleting jobs in the surrounding area. Alternatively, they have to be dismantled at great cost to the client. But there is another way. One company decided to revitalise the site of its defunct paper mill located in a remote forest region in... [read more]