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Date Published:
02 October 2014

Volume 5, Issue 5


Last piece of the puzzle

Feature
Biogas producers will no longer need to obtain permits or pay for waste handling controls to use fruit and vegetable by-products in the anaerobic digestion (AD) process. Previously, plant operators recycling even a small quantity of such materials in their AD process (e.g. leaves and roots, or produce that is misshapen, bruised or undersized) were required to apply for expensive permits and even... [read more]

Draft budget for CfD scheme

Feature
The UK government has published the draft budget for the new Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme, setting out the level of funding that will be available for new renewable power projects under CfDs. Under the draft budget for the first round of CfD allocation, the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) says it does not intend to release further budget for biomass conversions (pot 3),... [read more]

Wooden it be lovely

Feature
There is no sign of a slowing market when it comes to wood pellets, and Europe’s insatiable demand for this solid biofuel has seen it become a major contributor to Canada’s bioeconomy. More and more pellet factories are popping up across the country and exports are through the roof as some Asian nations begin to realise the importance of slashing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.... [read more]

Life after coal

Feature
In September this year, Ontario Power Generation (OPG) announced its Atikokan Generating Station was operating on biomass — almost two years since the plant ceased operating and work began on converting it from coal. Today it is the largest capacity power plant in North America to be fuelled by 100% biomass. Since 2005, OPG has taken offline approximately 7,500MW of coal-fired generation.... [read more]

From zoo poo to power

Feature
ZooShare is building North America’s first zoo-based biogas plant at Toronto Zoo, in Ontario, Canada. The company was founded in 2011 as a nonprofit renewable energy cooperative, by executive director Daniel Bida. The plant, which will be ZooShare’s first biogas project, will produce 500kW of renewable energy from 3,000 tonnes of manure sourced from the zoo and 14,000 tonnes of food... [read more]

Going against the grain

Feature
Clean Energy Canada, a solutions-focused initiative working to accelerate Canada’s transition to an energy efficient, low-carbon economy, has recently released a report suggesting that the nation is ‘looking the other way’ when it comes to renewable energy projects. Last year, $207 billion (€165 billion) were spent worldwide on the renewable energy transition, yet Canada... [read more]

Crowd funding for community energy

Feature
It is almost impossible to go a day without hearing the term ‘crowd funding’. More often than not it is being credited with getting an unlikely project off the ground or helping an inventor turn vision into reality, when traditional funding sources proved difficult to attract. However, what is perhaps less well regarded is the growing role it could now play in the energy sector,... [read more]

Breaking coal dependence

Feature
Energy production is one of the most important industries to modern life and coal-fired power is the biggest contender. Some experts, however, are worried the world’s supply of coal will run out, leaving us incapable of producing enough energy to fuel our economy. If something should happen to eliminate the ability to use coal, for example running out altogether, being impractical, or... [read more]

All fired up

Feature
Biomass is commonly seen as one of the most promising renewable energies, with the real potential to significantly lower CO2 emissions. However, untreated biomass has certain intrinsic limitations. Torrefaction is a process which produces highgrade solid biofuels from woody biomass or agroresidues. In the torrefaction process, biomass feedstock is heated to 250-300°C in an inert atmosphere... [read more]

Black pellets: costs and benefits

Feature
This article will compare the benefits in $/ GJ (gigajoule) of shipping white and black pellets with the costs of production. If the increase in the cost of production per GJ is less than the increase in the price per GJ, then the technology is economically viable. White pellets will be used as the benchmark to calculate the net benefit or penalty of producing torrefied or steam exploded pellets... [read more]

Take a load off

Feature
Biofuel has become an important source of energy in many countries. At the same time, there is a growing interest in monitoring the purchased amount of energy at power plants. This is because woodbased biofuel moisture levels above 65% are not economically useful since energy is wasted on water evaporation. A higher moisture content also causes problems for boiler operation. Suppliers that... [read more]

Flexibility is key in a time of transition

Feature
It is inevitable that biomass will become increasingly important to power generation, not just for short- to medium-term environmental reasons, but also to meet the future demand for sustainable power as the finite fossil fuel reserves are consumed and those remaining become ever more difficult and expensive to extract. But this is a developing, immature market, with uncertainties in the global... [read more]

Operation upgrade complete

Feature
Sonoco, a global provider of industrial products, consumer packaging, protective solutions and packaging services, has successfully constructed, commissioned and is commercially operating a new biomass facility at its Hartsville, South Carolina plant in the US. The biomass boiler is part of a $100 million (€74 million) investment in the Darlington County facility. Sonoco committed $75... [read more]

Eliminating fire risks

Feature
Fires in silos or other types of stores are often extremely difficult to extinguish and, in many cases, result in total destruction of the facility. Spontaneous ignition is a common cause of such fires, caused by self-heating that can occur when wood pellets are stored in large volumes. To handle these problems, research on how such fires best can be tackled is being conducted. Research is also... [read more]

The revival of district heating

Feature
The challenge of how to provide secure, affordable, low carbon heat is quickly becoming central to the energy debate. As energy bills rise and concerns grow over security of supply, the fact that heating and hot water make up 80% of the average household’s energy bill has put heat into focus for decision makers. As heat rises up the agenda, one technology that became popular in the 1970s... [read more]

Creating an asset from biogas

Feature
Combined heat and power (CHP), or cogeneration, is one of the most effective carbon abatement and cost saving technologies available — whether fuelled by natural gas or renewable fuels, such as biogas. It is a well-proven technology, recognised worldwide as a cleaner alternative to traditional centralised generation. CHP’s simultaneous generation of electricity and useful heat is... [read more]