The National Resources Institute of Finland recently released data showing a total of 363,000 metric tons of wood pellets were produced in the country last year, down approximately 6 percent when compared to 2018.
SPOTLIGHT: When passive explosion venting is needed inside a pellet facility, or in areas where conventional venting is unsafe, REMBE has a reliable, maintenance-free solution that is easily installed on a variety of hazard-prone equipment.
SPOTLIGHT: Fagus GreCon delivers smart technology that identifies and squelches potential sources of fires and explosions before it's too late. The system can differentiate between dangerous sparks and harmless incidences of extraneous light.
A Pennsylvania pellet plant reduced its chances of incurring a dangerous explosion by installing oscillating fans that create a horizontal air barrier inside the structure, preventing combustible dust from settling up high in the rafters.
Next fall, people will need to heat their homes, regardless of the pandemic. So long as the upstream forest products manufacturing sector recovers and generates the fiber wood pellet producers rely on, the industry will be ready and able to supply.
The Biogenic CO2 Coalition released a video on May 27 highlighting the need for a rulemaking to clarify the de minimis character of biogenic carbon emissions from the processing of annual agricultural crops.
A one-year old rail link has increased capacity to deliver more sustainable biomass from Drax's LaSalle BioEnergy pellet plant in Urania, Louisiana, to its U.K. power station, taking thousands of trucks off local roads.
Sound explosion prevention and protection strategies are critical in the most susceptible areas of a pellet plant. One process vessel especially prone to a dust explosion is the air-material separator, due to the very dry, fine dust it pulls in.
According to National Fire Protection Association standards for combustible dust, facilities utilizing wood-based products, including pellet mills and other biomass processing plants, must have a dust hazard analysis completed by early September.
The lines of communication between pellet facility employees, management and local fire and emergency response personnel begin with robust training and planning. But even the best-laid plans are only as good as a plant's practice regimen.
For operations struggling with ash and slagging, the solution can often be found in the management of potential contamination sources. It's important to understand differences between tree species, and varying inclusion rates of bark, dirt and dust.
The EPA has opened a public comment period on a proposed rule that aims to allow retailers the opportunity to recover sales opportunities lost to the COVID-19 pandemic for wood heating appliances that meet Step 1 requirements under the 2015 NSPS.
The U.S. Industrial Pellet Association has welcomed the EU Biodiversity Strategy, which acknowledges that sustainable biomass will be integral to achieving Europe's carbon reduction and biodiversity goals.
The U.S. EPA's proposed rule to extend the sales deadline for Step 1 wood heaters, rulemaking to classify biomass as carbon neutral and issues associated with the RFS and SREs were among the topics discussed during a May 20 Senate hearing.
The American Coalition for Ethanol is pleased to announce its 33rd annual conference will be held in conjunction with the rescheduled International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo hosted by BBI International on Aug. 25, in Omaha, Nebraska.
The EPA has released a proposed rule that aims to establish consistent requirements and procedures for the issuance of guidance documents. The agency said the rule will increase transparency and improve its process for managing guidance documents.
The results of a survey by Hawkins Wright found 58 percent of wood pellet producers felt COVID-19 was negatively impacting their business, but only 33 percent reported that they had reduced production as a result.
The EPA on May 15 proposed to allow manufacturers and retailers additional time to sell residential wood heating devices that meet Step 1 standards under the 2015 new source performance standards due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Network Rail, Lynemouth Power Limited, Port of Tyne and GBRF are working together to keep the lights on at 450,000 homes across the U.K. The railway and its key workers are keeping vital freight services moving during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The U.K. Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has extended the public consultation period on proposed changes to its Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme. Comments are now due on May 29.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently released data showing U.S. manufacturers produced approximately 770,000 tons of densified biomass fuel in January, with sales reaching 650,000 tons.
The U.S. Industrial Pellet Association on May 11 welcomed an order from the European Court of Justice dismissing a case against wood biomass. The court ruled the applicants lacked standing to challenge the EU's inclusion of wood biomass in the RED.
FutureMetrics LLC on May 6 published a whitepaper discussing how converting existing coal-fired power plants to be fueled with wood pellets offers a low cost, easy-to-deploy way to generate low-carbon electricity.
The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to impact U.S. electricity consumption. The EIA's latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, released on May 12, predicts total U.S. electric power sector generation will decline by 5 percent in 2020.
Pinnacle Renewable Energy has broken ground on a 360,000-metric-ton-per-year pellet plant in Demopolis, Alabama. Construction has also resumed on the company's 200,000-metric-ton-per-year facility in High Level, Alberta.
The Biogenic CO2 Coalition is asking lawmakers to direct the U.S. EPA to promptly publish a rule that states neither agricultural biomass nor woody biomass contribute to excess greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere.
Biomass facilities have been deemed 'essential critical infrastructure' by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, meaning that not only are they exempt from stay-at-home directives, but they also have a special responsibility to keep operating.
Innovations in biomass harvesting, hauling and transport are reducing raw material costs for end users. From large-scale harvests to small-scale logging, foresters are pairing smart technique with novel equipment to get jobs done more efficiently.
Increasing wood fiber costs continue to challenge western Canada's export pellet sector. In particular, producers continue to struggle with fiber availability and quality as a result of sawmill curtailments in British Columbia.
Year over year, the 2019-'20 heating season in the U.S. was warmer, but production, sales and revenue were up. Lower feedstock costs drove higher seasonal production, alleviating widespread industry concerns about low inventory from last year.
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