The U.S. EPA on March 26 announced g a temporary policy regarding EPA enforcement of environmental legal obligations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The policy applies to civil violoations duirng the outbreak.
Renova Inc. announced March 24 it has reached financial close on the 74.95 megawatt (MW) Ishinomaki Hibarino Biomass Power Generation Project in Ishinomaki, Japan. The facility will be fueled with wood pellets and palm kernel shells.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signed a bill March 25 that recognizes the contributions of the forest products sector to the state's climate response and affirms it is in the public interest to support all aspects of a fully integrated forest sector.
Industry leaders are urging government to keep U.K. wood fuel supply chains fully open to ensure suppliers can continue delivering to home heating customers and key frontline organisations and businesses during the coronavirus outbreak.
Construction on the Tees Renewable Energy Plant (Tees REP) a 299 megawatt (MW) biomass power plant in the U.K. was suspended on March 24 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A small number of critical maintenance staff remain onsite.
Despite guidance from federal agencies recognizing forest product manufacturing sites as an essential critical infrastructure workforce, Pennsylvania wood pellet producers were temporarily forced to shutdown March 19. The issue was resolved March 21.
The Forest Products Association of Canada sent a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on March 20 urging him to recognize the Canadian forest products sector as essential and critical infrastructure during the COVID-29 pandemic.
On March 24, the Pellet Fuels Institute sent letters to the governors of wood pellet producing states urging them to align their essential businesses policies with those outlined by the Department of Homeland Security in guidance released March 19.
Future Forests + Jobs announced on March 25 the launch of the FFJ Research Directory, a repository of academic research, papers and studies that document the positive contributions wood bioenergy is making to the energy sector.
Kcoe Isom hosted a webinar on March 24 that discussed crisis planning and employee communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. The event also discussed emergency family and medical leave and offered tips for working remotely.
Will Gardiner, CEO of Drax Group, released a statement on March 25 explaining how Drax and its employees are working to ensure the U.K. is supplied with the power it needs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The federal government has classified workers who support the manufacture and distribution of forest products as part of the critical infrastructure workforce. Meanwhile, the FRA is tracking the impact of COVID-19 on the forest products industry.
Canada-based pellet producer Pinnacle Renewable Energy issued a statement on March 19 announcing the operations of its facilities have not been impacted by COVID-19. Pinnacle CEO Rob McCurdy, however, is delaying his planned retirement.
By getting good stories into the world ahead of negative messaging, we can show environmentalists that wood is a heating option they can feel great about.
With deep family roots in the forest products industry, father and son team Dean and Tony Wood are continuing the legacy.
USDA Rural Development on March 20 announced that it has implemented enterprise-wide remote operational status, effective immediately, to help protect the health of employees, customers and the greater community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Associated British Ports and Drax announced on March 20 that a shipment of 63,907 metric tons of wood pellets had been received and unloaded earlier in the week. It was the largest shipment of wood pellets handled to date at the Port of Immingham.
Enviva has announced production at its wood pellet manufacturing plants has not been impacted by COVID-19. “Our operations remain stable and our ships are sailing as scheduled,� said the company in a statement issued on March 20.
The outlook of the U.K. wood pellet market is mixed.
In the midst of the global coronavirus pandemic, U.S. industrial wood pellet producers continue operations, ensuring no supply disruptions for global customers depending on their product for renewable wood heat and power production.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently released data showing U.S. manufacturers produced approximately 810,000 tons of densified biomass fuel in November, with sales reaching 850,000 tons.
Enviva Partners LP has announced that its sponsor's previously disclosed 18-year, take-or-pay off-take contract to supply Sumitomo Forestry Co. Ltd., a major Japanese trading house, is now firm, as all conditions precedent have been satisfied.
Online retailer Woodpellets.com has announced it is working to avoid poetntial pellet shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic by investing in additional raw materials to secure its supply chain and building up inventory.
AGRA Industries and Schaeffer Manufacturing are both family-owned businesses featured in the Sponsor Spotlight for March/April Pellet Mill Magazine.
There are many critical considerations to deliver reliably consistent raw material streams to pellet presses, for high product quality and low operational expenses.
The U.K. government recently released provisional energy statistics for 2019, reporting that renewable energy production increased by 4.9 percent last year. Bioenergy output of was up 2.1 percent for the year.
The U.S. Department of Energy on March 16 announced it has canceled the open meeting of the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee scheduled for March 24-25 due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The U.S. Department of Energy has scheduled an open meeting of the Biomass Research and Development and Technical Advisory Committee for March 24-25. The meeting will be held in Arlington, Virginia.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts 19 percent of U.S. electricity will be generated from renewable sources this year, up from 17 percent last year, according to the agency's latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, released March 11.
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