The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently announced that U.S. manufacturers of densified biomass fuel reported producing 620,000 tons and selling 600,000 tons of fuel products in January.
Sweetwater Energy and Estonia-based AS Graanul Invest will build a commercial-scale integrated biorefinery that will produce clean cellulosic sugars and highly pure lignin from 50,000 tons of local hardwood each year.
On May 2, Pinnacle Renewable Holdings Inc. released first quarter 2018 financial results, reporting it generated record first quarter revenue and announcing it has entered into new off-take contracts with customers in Japan.
The USDA is soliciting applications for up to $5 million in funding under its Repowering Assistance Program, which helps eligible biorefineries use biomass as a replacement for fossil fuels used to create heat or power.
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced four funding opportunities totaling up to $78 million to support early-stage bioenergy research and development under the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Bioenergy Technologies Office.
On May 3, Enviva Partners LP released first quarter 2018 financial results, providing an update of restoration work at the Chesapeake terminal following a recent fire and reporting year-over-year productivity improvements.
A new systems biology model that mimics the process of wood formation allows scientists to predict the effects of switching on and off 21 pathway genes involved in producing lignin, a primary component of wood.
Astec Industries Inc. recently released first quarter 2018 financial results. During an April 24 investor call, the company provided an update on pellet plant construction activities in Georgia and Arkansas and discussed future plans.
The European Investment Bank, the EU bank, announced the launch of a new financing initiative April 16 that aims to unlock close to EUR 1 billion of investment in the agriculture and bioeconomy sector.
Federal subsidies for renewable energy—including biofuels for transportation use and renewable generation of electricity—dropped to $6.7 billion in fiscal year (FY) 2016, a 56 percent decline from FY 2013.
Will Australia use bioenergy to its full potential, or primarily serve export markets?
Biomass Secure Power Inc. recently announced ithas entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a power company located in the U.S. for the delivery of biocoal. Shipments are currently scheduled to begin during the third quarter of 2019.
Veolia is launching an online trading platform in the U.K. that makes it easier to sell and buy organic resources. The BioTrading website will be a sales and auction marketplace that connects buyers to the rest of the value chain.
Biomass Secure Power Inc. has entered into an exclusive licensing agreement with River Basin Energy Inc. The IP covered under the agreement includes technology that will be deployed at BSP's Louisiana plant for the manufacture of biocoal.
At several locations around the world, a partnership of international companies initiated by Clean Energy Generation and Stork, a Fluor Co., plans to construct facilities for the commercial-scale production of biocoal.
On April 18, the House Agriculture Committee passed its version of the 2018 Farm Bill, officially titled the Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018. The bill reauthorizes many bioenergy programs, but provides them with only discretionary funding.
Enviva, the world's largest producer of industrial wood pellets, April 12 released its latest Track & Trace sourcing data, which marks two years of publicly available reporting of the company's sourcing material.
On April 12, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., introduced the Hemp Farming Act of 2018, legislation that aims to legalize and clearly define hemp as an agricultural commodity and remove it from the list of controlled substances.
Enviva Partners LP has announced its deep-water marine terminal in Chesapeake, Virginia, is expected to resume full operations by June 30 following a previously announced fire that damaged the facility on Feb. 27.
The International Renewable Energy Agency has released new data that shows global renewable power generation capacity increased by 167 GW in 2017, reaching 2,179 GW. This represents an annual growth of approximately 8.3 percent.
On April 12, House Agriculture Committee Chairman K Michael Conaway, R-Texas, released a draft of the 2018 Farm Bill. The legislation reauthorizes many bioenergy-related programs, but provides them with only discretionary funding.
On April 9, Drax Group, owner of the largest power station in Western Europe, signed up to the Powering Past Coal Alliance, a global coalition of counties, states, cities and businesses committed to ending coal generation.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released the April edition of its Short-Term Energy Outlook, predicting nonhydropower renewables will provide 10 percent of electricity generation this year, increasing to 11 percent in 2019.
The U.K. Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has released provisional 2017 energy data, reporting renewable energy generation reached a record high of 98.9 terawatt hours (TWh) last year, up 18.8 percent when compared to 2016.
BioPower Sustainable Energy Corp., a subsidiary of True North Timber, has acquired the assets of the former Rentech pellet plant in Atikokan, Ontario. The company plans to sell both commercial pellets and residential heating pellets.
Nippon Paper Industries Co. Ltd. held a completion ceremony March 16 for the biomass mixed combustion power generation facility at Ishinomaki Hibarino Power Plant, operated by Nippon Paper Ishinomaki Energy Center Ltd.
While the export industry and demand outside North America is out of our stakeholders' control—as are external market forces such as the weather, and the price of fossil fuels—there are things that we can and must do to influence domestic growth.
Severity of winters and the price of heating oil are impossible to predict, but it is vital we plan based on the trends we are seeing now—shorter heating seasons and low-priced alternatives—as we look into the future of our industry.
Technology company Protacon has purchased a substantial part of Inray Ltd, a Finnish company supplying X-ray technology based measurement systems to power and thermal plants, including those fueled by biomass.
The Massachusetts government has announced $450,000 in funding for the 2018 Commonwealth Woodstove Change-out Program, which provides rebates to homeowners two replace older, inefficient woodstoves with cleaner, EPA-certified wood and pellet stoves.
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