Biomass Week - September 21, 2012

Solegear, NRC bioplastic partnership to create new products Solegear Bioplastics Inc., has formed a new partnership with the National Research Council of Canada. The partnership will combine the companies' proprietary formulations to create new products that would otherwise not be possible on the open market. READ MORE SHARE
Enova Energy Group to build three pellet plants Enova Energy Group LLC a vertically integrated developer and asset owner of renewable energy projects, has announced that it will build three wood pellet projects in Georgia and South Carolina beginning in the first quarter of 2012. READ MORE SHARE
	Congress dismisses Farm Bill despite mounting pressure With Sept. 21 being the final day of the last scheduled legislative session prior to the November election, all whom have stakes in the agriculture industry continue to pressure Congress to pass a new Farm Bill or an extension. READ MORE SHARE
EU to alter RED to require advanced, cellulosic biofuels A leaked proposal by the European Commission reportedly indicates that European governments are considering altering the Renewable Energy Directive to place more emphasis on advanced biofuel feedstocks, while capping crop-based biofuel consumption. READ MORE SHARE
Nova Scotia Power soliciting bids for biomass fuel, services Nova Scotia Power Inc. is soliciting bids from biomass suppliers to provide fuel and related services for its 60 MW biomass plant, which is expected to be operational in the spring of 2013. The facility requires about 500,000 tons of fuel annually. READ MORE SHARE
Japanese group plans to commercialize biohydrogen production The Japan-based Hydrogen Innovation Town Business Research Group recently announced that it has begun verification tests for an innovative technology that produces hydrogen from biomass, specifically sewage sludge. READ MORE SHARE
General Biofuels to construct pellet plant in Ga. Gov. Nathan Deal announced today that General Biofuels Georgia LLC will construct a wood pellet manufacturing plant in Sandersville investing $60 million. The plant will manufacture industrial-grade wood pellets for sale to a European utility. READ MORE SHARE
Purdue gets $5.2 million to develop new biofuel process If Purdue University researchers have their way, the term "biofuel plant" will take on a whole new meaning. A team received a $5.2 million U.S. DOE grant to develop a plant that can make substances that could be used directly as a biofuel. READ MORE SHARE
National Advanced Biofuels Conference & Expo announces agenda The 2012 National Advanced Biofuels Conference & Expo taking place November 27-29, 2012 in Houston, Texas, announced its preliminary agenda this week, which includes three comprehensive program tracks focused on advanced biofuels and biochemicals. READ MORE SHARE
Ancient diatoms could make biofuels, other products Diatoms, tiny marine life forms that have been around since the dinosaurs, could finally make biofuel production from algae truly cost-effective, because they can simultaneously produce other valuable products such as semiconductors. READ MORE SHARE
Winners of Annual Brazilian Bioenergy Awards announced Winners of this year's Annual Brazilian Bioenergy Awards include collaborations of companies developing algae biofuels and cellulosic ethanol. The awards were announced at the 2012 World Biofuels Markets Brazil conference and exhhibition on Sept. 18. READ MORE SHARE
Sen. Schumer pushing for 1603 Program renewal To accommodate the need for increased cattle herds in New York to meet high demand for New York Greek yogurt, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., has launched a plan that involves the revival of the federal U.S. Department of Treasury's 1603 program. READ MORE SHARE
Energy sorghum demonstrates potential during dry summer Despite weather challenges and the learning curve for farmers unfamiliar with this energy sorghum, one of the first commercial-scale plantings of the crop in the U.S. has been a success. A recent field day in New York focused on the crop. READ MORE SHARE
Murkowski biomass amendment passed by Senate committee Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Ala., recently announced that a biomass-related amendment she submitted for inclusion in the Tribal Energy Bill, S. 1684, was passed unanimously by the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs on Sept. 13. READ MORE SHARE
Texas A&M AgriLife wins NSF grant for algae research A team of researchers that has been working on getting fuel-grade oil out of algae may be within four years of a near-commercial-scale production level. The team has received a $2 million National Science Foundation grant to help hasten the process. READ MORE SHARE
Biomass conversion of Atikokan plant commences The Ontario Ministry of Energy recently announced that Ontario Power Generation's Atikokan Generating Station has burned its last piece of coal, and that conversion to biomass power is now underway. The facility is expected to be operational in 2014. READ MORE SHARE