Biomass Week - August 2, 2023

RNG Coalition: 300 RNG facilities now operating in North America The Coalition for Renewable Natural Gas (RNG Coalition) on July 31 announced that North America now has 300 operational renewable natural gas (RING) facilities, up from just over 30 facilities in 2011 when the RNG Coalition was founded. READ MORE SHARE
EIA: Biofuel capacity down in May, feedstock use up Operable biofuels production capacity in the U.S. fell slightly in May, with reductions for both ethanol and biodiesel, according to date released by the U.S. EIA on July 31. Feedstock consumption was up from both the previous month and May 2022. READ MORE SHARE
	Aemetis closes USDA financing to fund digesters at 8 more dairies Aemetis Inc. has close its second $25 million, 20-year term loan guaranteed by the USDA for a total of $50 million of Aemetis Biogas project financing arranged by Greater Commercial Lending in the past nine months. READ MORE SHARE
Neste: Renewable diesel, SAF sales volumes up in Q2 Neste released second quarter financial results on July 27, reporting robust demand for renewable diesel and relatively stable feedstock pricing. SAF and renewable diesel sales were up 17 percent when compared to the second quarter of 2022. READ MORE SHARE
CVR nears completion of feedstock pretreatment unit CVR Energy Inc. expects the feedstock PTU at its Wynnewood refinery in Oklahoma to become operational in Q4. The company is also in discussions with potential partners to develop an additional renewables project that could include SAF capacity. READ MORE SHARE
Marathon: Phase II of Martinez conversion to be complete in 2023 Marathon Petroleum Corp. announced that feedstock pretreatment capabilities at its Martinez Renewable Fuels facility in California are expected to come online this year. Total production capacity is expected to reach 730 MMgy by the end of 2023. READ MORE SHARE
	Imperial Oil begins work on renewable diesel project in Alberta Imperial Oil Ltd. on July 28 announced work is underway to construct a renewable diesel facility at the company’s Strathcona refinery near Edmonton, Alberta. The 20,000-barrel-per-day project is expected to begin production in 2025. READ MORE SHARE
Drax increases pellet capacity, considers US BECCS projects Drax Group plc on July 27 announced its pellet plants produced approximately 1.9 million metric tons of wood pellets during the first half of 2023, down slightly when compared to the 2 million metric tons of production reported for Q2 2022. READ MORE SHARE
Valero reports strong Q2 for renewable fuels Valero Energy Corp. released second quarter financial results on July 27, reporting improved operating income for both its renewable diesel and ethanol business segments. The company also said its SAF project is progressing on schedule. READ MORE SHARE
Vertex: Renewable diesel unit achieves phase 1 target Vertex Energy Inc. on July 25 announced the renewable diesel unit at its refinery in Mobile, Alabama, achieved the company’s phase 1 installed capacity target of 8,000 barrels per day during the second quarter. READ MORE SHARE
B&W wins contract to study BECCS conversion for coal power plant Babcock & Wilcox has been awarded a contract by NorthStar Clean Energy to conduct a BECCS engineering study to convert a coal-fired power plant in Michigan to use biomass fuel and retrofit the plant with B&W’s SolveBright CO2 capture process. READ MORE SHARE
West Biofuels secures $1.5M to develop bioenergy facilities West Biofuels LLC announced $1.5 million in grant funding from the USDA, including $1.2 million that will support the Burney, California-based Hat Creek Bioenergy Facility and $300,000 for a planned bioenergy facility in Mariposa, California. READ MORE SHARE