U.K.-based Estover Energy Ltd. has been granted planning permission for two biomass combined-heat-and-power (CHP) plants. One facility is planned for development in Cramlington, England; the other will be located near Aberdeen, Scotland.
The Agriculture Energy Coalition has urged Congress to begin work on a new five-year Farm Bill with strong mandatory funding for energy programs. The fiscal cliff bill extended the Farm Bill, but without funding for Energy Title programs.
A unique 22.5 MW hybrid biomass-thermosolar power plant has begun operations in Les Borges Blanques, Spain. The facility was developed by Abantia and Comse Emte and features a MAN Diesel & Turbo SE turbo generator train.
President Barack Obama has officially kicked off the second term of his presidency. During his inaugural address on Jan. 21, Obama touched on several topics, including the economic recovery and sustainable energy.
The Defense Logistics Agency-Energy has announced it will hold a pre-proposal conference on Jan. 24 to answer questions with regard to a biomass power solicitation issued in December to supply power to New York-based Fort Drum.
The International Renewable Energy Agency has published a report that provides a comprehensive analysis of the costs and performance of various renewable power technologies that are currently available. It addresses several biomass technologies.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Office of Energy Projects has released its latest Energy Infrastructure Update, which includes data through Dec. 2012. The update includes statistics on a variety of energy types, including biomass.
Electric power companies add physical capacity to their fleets in two primary ways: building new generators or buying existing generators. Natural gas and renewable units comprise a majority of the generating capacity bought or sold since 2005.
Kedco plc has announced the signing of heads of terms with Londonderry Port & Harbour Commissioners for a new biomass power plant, which will feature a capacity of up to 25 MW. The company has also issued an update of its project portfolio.
While Giant King Grass was previously released from quarantine by the USDA for distribution in the U.S., Hawaii has additional plant import rules, and the crop is being grown in a facility under the purview of the Hawaii Department of Agriculture.
Wood-to-energy will significantly benefit from the low-cost natural gas, according to a new white paper released from FutureMetrics Inc., including European wood pellet export operations and the domestic wood pellet boiler sector.
"As we look ahead to a promising future in our small towns and rural communities, I am pleased to continue working alongside President Obama to grow more opportunity in rural America," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
BBI International announced this week the preliminary agenda for the 6th annual International Biomass Conference & Expo. The 2013 agenda, featuring four comprehensive tracks, is tightly focused on leading edge developments in the biomass industry.
In a four-year University of Illinois study that compared miscanthus, switchgrass, and mixed prairie species to typical corn-corn-soybean rotations, each of the perennial crops were highly efficient at reducing nitrogen losses.
DP CleanTech announced the recent signing of a contract for the delivery of a 30 MW biomass power plant to Polish Energy Partners for $34.1 million. The complete straw-fired power plant will be delivered on a turnkey basis.
A $1.6 million grant from the National Science Foundation Sustainable Energy Pathways Program will support research into the viability and optimization of algae-based biofuel systems to meet the energy needs of homes and communities.
Seven recipients have each been awarded GBP292,000 ($469,000) by the United Kingdom Department of Energy & Climate Change as part of a program focused on funding projects that utilize wetland biomass for energy.
LC Energy, one of England's leading specialists in sustainable wood fuel supply, has announced its acquisition of Harvest Wood Fuels bulk pellet business, a top supplier of high grade wood pellets based in Tilford, Surrey, England.
International technology group Andritz has received an order from Fortum Varme to supply a circulating fluidized bed boiler for the new Vartaverket combined heat and power plant in Stockholm, Sweden. Start-up is scheduled for 2015.
The American Biogas Council and the U.S. Composting Council have announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding created to help accelerate the growth of the organics recycling industry.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration has released the January issue of its Short-Term Energy Outlook, which is the first to include forecasts for 2014. The report includes forecasts for biomass power production and for home heating with wood.
A notice posted to the China Internet Information Center states that the country has increased the number of renewable power projects that qualify for state subsidies under a tariff surcharge program, including several biomass projects.
Germany intends to assist Ukraine in establishing its own biofuel production in 2013. The statement was made by the representative of the German Federal Ministry of Environment Jurgen Keinhorst at the joint Ukraine-Germany council.
The Pellet Fuels Institute held a December 2012 fly-in trip to Washington, D.C., to fight for a biomass heating tax incentive, and those efforts have paid off. Included in the fiscal cliff tax deal was the stove tax credit.
The Biomass Crop Assistance Program may have been extended through 2013 with the passing of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, but the program's usefulness in the coming year is still uncertain.
President Obama is expected to sign the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 into law today. The legislation, also known as the "fiscal cliff bill," includes language to extend several biofuel-related tax incentives.
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