The pellet market outlook dominated presentations at the Pellet Fuels Institute annual conference held July 28-29 in Orlando, Florida. During the event, several speakers highlighted the expected growth markets around the globe.
A recent regulatory filing made by the Drax Group plc indicates the company could be one step closer to securing an investment contract for a second biomass unit conversion under the Final Investment Decision Enabling (FID Enabling) mechanism.
A recent report filed with the USDA indicates the European Commission expects heat and power production from biomass to account for about 45 percent of the renewable use in Europe by 2020.
The U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change reported that scientific analysis has proven that biomass from North America can help decarbonize U.K. electricity supplies. The analysis was performed using a new model developed by the DECC.
The U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change has announced that starting in October, renewable energy projects in the U.K. will complete for a budget of more than GBP 200 million as part of the government's reforms to the electricity market.
E-Pellets Group LLC recently acquired the formally boarded up Louisiana Pacific OSB mill in Athens, Georgia, to convert it into a wood pellet production facility. The facility is expected to produce 450,000 metric tons annually by August 2015.
On July 14, Drax Group plc announced the U.K.'s High Court has declared that the company's second unit biomass conversion was indeed eligible for an investment contract under the Final Investment Decision Enabling mechanism.
Drax Biomass is moving its headquarters from Burlington, Massachusetts, to the Atlanta, Georgia, suburb of Sandy Springs. The announcement was made July 8 by the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
The European Union has announced funding under two major initiatives that will benefit bioenergy projects, including EUR 1 billion in NER 300 funding and a new public-private partnership that aims inject EUR 3.7 billion into the biobased economy.
Protocol Biomass Corp.'s proposed pellet mill for Prescott, Ontario, is nearing the final planning stages. With fiber supply, offtake and financing in place, project engineers are finalizing equipment and contractor arrangements.
The U.K. Department of Energy and Climate change has released Renewable Heating Incentive and Renewable Heat Premium Payment data for May. The program provides financial incentives to increase the production and use of renewable heat.
E.ON UK plc has announced that its Blackburn Meadows biomass facility in Sheffield, England, generated electricity and synchronized with the local distribution network for the first time on June 24.
U.K.-based React Energy plc has issued an operational update and announced the issuance of a GBP 1.5 million ($2.55 million) secured loan note. The company is developing several biomass power projects and recently entered the biomass thermal space.
Celtic Renewables, a U.K.-based biofuel company, has signed an agreement with Europe's foremost biotechnology pilot facility to undergo next stage testing of its process to turn whisky by-products into biofuel that can power current vehicles.
The U.K. Green Investment Bank recently released its 2013-'14 annual report and announced new funding to help small and medium enterprises make investments in energy efficiency, including biomass boilers.
Vega Biofuels Inc. has entered into an agreement with Austrian-based ECEM Salzburg Energy and Environment Consulting GmbH to sell 50,000 tons of bio-coal each year for the next five years. The deal will generate approximately $57 million in revenue.
Drax Biomass, a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of Drax Group plc, may elect to develop a new pellet plant in Abbeville County, South Carolina. The county recently passed an ordinance that would allow the company an option to purchase a tract of land.
The European Investment Bank is providing a EUR 260 million ($353.68 million) loan to the energy company Fortum Varme for the design, construction and operation of a new biomass combined-heat-and-power (CHP) plant.
The second part of an account of a week long excursion to better understand the forestry sector, forest landowners and the ways in which forested acres are managed, at incredible scale.
On June 10, Zurich, Switzerland-based Alter Energy Group AG announced it has signed a letter of intent to acquire a pellet plant located in North Carolina. According to Edward Klaeger, CEO of AEG, the acquisition is expected to close in early August.
The World Bioenergy Association recently released a report, titled "WBA Global Bioenergy Statistics 2014," that determined renewables contributed 18.3 percent of the global energy mix, with bioenergy alone contributing approximately 14.1 percent.
The U.K. Department of Energy and Climate Change has announced eight renewable energy projects have officially signed the first contracts under the government's electricity market reforms. The list includes previously-announced biomass projects.
Midland Bio Energy Ltd., a wood pellet company in Warwickshire, England, has invested GBP 20,000 ($27,319) in new handling and screening equipment to improve the quality of the pellets they deliver and efficiency of the operating systems.
Previewing a week long, whistle-stop tour through the deep South's robust inventory of forests, networking with landowners and UK power generators.
The Stobart Group Ltd. recently reported financial results for the fiscal year ended Feb. 28. The company's biomass operations increased supplied tonnage by 41 percent during the year, reaching more than 900,000 metric tons.
On June 3, France-based Deinove announced a collaboration agreement with Abengoa and a separate research and development agreement with Suez Environnement Group. The company is developing a bacterial platform for biofuel and biochemical production.
The U.K. government has announced changes to the country's non-domestic renewable heat incentive (RHI). The changes introduce new technologies to be covered introduce new technologies to be covered by the scheme and new tariffs.
Canadian wood pellet manufacturer Viridis Energy Inc. released its Q1 financial results, reporting that despite a six-week trucking strike and extreme weather, the company increased revenue by 143 percent from Q1 2013.
Wood pellet exports from the United States nearly doubled last year, from 1.6 million short tons (approximately 22 trillion Btu) in 2012 to 3.2 million short tons in 2013. More than 98 percent of these exports were delivered to Europe.
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